NYTimes: College educated workers are leaving DC due to high housing costs

[Anonymous]

Denver is one hour from Vail. Who wouldn’t want to move there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Denver is one hour from Vail. Who wouldn’t want to move there?

It's closer to 2 hrs from downtown and with traffic could be a lot more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Childless single 25 y/o yuppies have different lifestyles than a family of 6 (see the use of the word “we” in this thread). And people thinking homelessness & pot is a dealbreaker when deciding whether to live in the cities. 20 somethings think they’re invincible and don’t care about that, local public schools or museums. They want access to restaurants, bars, clubs and outdoor activities.

Childless single 45 y/o yuppies want the same and they have more money to spend on stuff like housing. DC isn't turning into a dystopian hellhole any time soon people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Denver is one hour from Vail. Who wouldn’t want to move there?

One hour from Loveland, A-Basin, Keystone, so yes... but no.

I love Vail though. The back bowls are pretty close to Heaven on Earth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:That’s short-sighted. You stay in the city in a crummy group house in your 20s because it’s the time to network & meet lifelong partner. No better place to do that.

Sounds miserable.

Yes, spending your days running into many potential peers/mates on metro, at coffee shops, at work, at parks, at museums, at parties and at clubs sounds miserable.

Who wants to be hit on at work and on the metro?

That's how my friend met her spouse. Ya'll gon miss your life partner behind some of this bs

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reality is that these T2 cities now have most of the amenities of larger cities with nicer housing, less traffic and fewer awful people. And for the number of times you actually use the Smithsonian or go to the theater, you can travel to NYC or DC four times a year to see the shows and then GTFO back to a more civilized enclave.

Depends on the person. We actually use the Smithsonian almost every weekend. We are also tired of the high cost of housing and some of the culture in DC, and are exploring moving elsewhere. But losing access to free museums and events, all year round, is actually a big deal and not easy to give up.

Another issue we are encountering is that there are very few truly walkable cities in the US. DC, NYC, Boston, Philly. Chicago has decent public transportation which can make it walkable if you live/work/go to school in the right place. Seattle is walkable in parts but it's public transportation is spotty. All the other alternatives people have mentioned -- Minneapolis, Portland, Denver, Austin, etc. -- you will be very car dependent.

But NYC and Seattle are as expensive if not more so than DC. Boston is comparable. Philly and Chicago are cheaper; they are also more insular and can be harder to move to as an outsider -- fewer transplants and if you aren't from there, it can be socially difficult.

I totally get why people might want to leave DC. We often feel that way. But the idea that there are lots of other cities that offer what DC offers is false. DC offers something really unique: a walkable, modern city with a booming economy, tons of cultural/social activities and venues, AND a culture that is extremely friendly to newcomers and outsiders.

I can’t recommend Philly enough. Like all big cities, it has big city problems, but cost of living is so much better and has all of the amenities, most of which are better than DC. Much better in terms of restaurants, etc. Also, it really isn’t insular at least in greater center city. Lots of transplants from Europe as well. The only major issue is that schools are difficult to navigate in the city. There are options but not easy if you don’t go private. Suburbs have comparable school stock to DC burbs

I absolutely respectfully disagree with PP about culture that is friendly to newcomers and outsiders here. I'm from Chicago and came here years ago for a job where I met my husband and settled. I am STILL having a hard time making solid friendships work. Most of the folks that I get along with end up moving after x amount of time. Nobody who I really like stays. Nobody here is truly nice - there's always a motive for being "nice" so that they seem like it but really aren't. I have never actually met so many not nice people until I came out here. In the MW like Chicago, I met truly nice people. Normal people who said how they felt and did not play games with you - the social aspect here is very very important to people and what results is that you can't really trust anyone to be a friend even if they are "nice" to you. I love Philly a lot and I don't think that the school thing is really the big obstacle - I have to put my kids in private in Alexandria so on top of high cost of living - there is the school to consider paying for. I HATE it here but it's where we've settled. But make no mistake, I would never ever suggest people to move here or stay here if they could leave. I would never suggest this area is friendly and nice. The places mentioned like Philly, Chicago, even SF and NYC - these are artistic centers and moreover, financial hubs (NYC/Chicago anyway). They are food places. In DC I know people think there's good food here but they have no idea. It's lawyers who like to be seen and pay $$$ for fancy beautiful looking dishes. Really good food is what you get in Chicago/Philly/NYC - Fancy and good food are NOT the same. Anyway, I just do not feel that DMV really great taste - great educated people maybe and even well travelled but kinda like new money, they aren't refined and do not have a lot of taste. Most people I know who do leave DMV after some time.

As a transplant you likely spend time with transplants. Perhaps you should spend time in DC not Washington. There is a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore is only a hour away by MARC and there's a 45 minute express in the afternoon. Wonder why more don't move up to Baltimore.

Because many of us have made an obligatory trip to the inner harbor and aquarium; watched some episodes of the wire and confirmed Baltimore is a war zone that is never going to inhabited by civilized people.

It is a war zone.

I was there last weekend in the Fells Point area and it was clean and nice and people were drinking and laughing. Nothing about it said warzone.

[Anonymous]

My grandmother's hometown in Franklinton, NC surely has gained many new residents and intown is booming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just cheaper housing. It’s better schools, less crime and fewer homeless people.

Not to mention rural, towns and suburbs have caught up in terms of dining, gyms and other amenities. You no longer need to live in a city for access to these things.

No. I live in a rural town and there is none of the following here or within 90 minutes of me: stores such as Lululemon, Apple, Athleta, Nordstrom, Coach and also Whole Foods, Equinox, Lifetime Fitness, Trader Joe’s, Soulcycle, Justsalad, Sweetgreen and Cava.

Count your blessings!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We left dc and it was the best decision we made. Our kids go to a strong public in our new, small city. The mental load here is so much less - less competitive professionally and academically, cost of living is about 60% less than dc, there is little traffic. We have everything we need, albeit no world class museums or a multitude of fine dining restaurants, but we don’t miss those things that much. We have calm, normal neighbors who do normal things and take normal vacations. My kids aren’t in a pressure cooker school yet still seems to be learning a ton and doing great on standardized testing. Their college options are better coming from here than close in DMV. We have room to breathe. We moved about 4 years ago and our house has appreciated about 50%.

Congratulations on the mediocrity.

DP. Why hate on someone who doesn’t like being in DC? I live here and there’s nothing truly remarkable about living here. Housing options suck and are expensive (yet the homes themselves are built so poorly), traffic, and it’s a ratrace. What’s so remarkable about DC?

History, museums, arts, architecture, and tons of interesting people with interesting jobs. Sure, you can get sucked into some crappy scene here. If what you want is some place that is cheaper, easier to drive around, and with fewer high achieving people to make you feel insecure, that's fine, but it sounds pretty mediocre.

99% of people DGAF about the bolded

They care about Friday night, Saturday & Sunday football games and cookouts

I'm not PP but my friends and I don't GAF about football. We do stuff like go to the Hirshhorn for the Kusama exhibit or the Bartender Competition at Maketto or live music or stand-up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Denver is one hour from Vail. Who wouldn’t want to move there?

Says someone who hasn’t lived in Colorado

Denver is also dirty has heck!

It’s a plains town that somehow tricked everyone into thinking it’s in the mountains!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry you grew up in a crap town but there are places like Saratoga, Lake Placid, Ithaca and all along the Hudson Valley and Columbia County that are pretty and cute.

Shhh don’t give the secrets away!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that these T2 cities now have most of the amenities of larger cities with nicer housing, less traffic and fewer awful people. And for the number of times you actually use the Smithsonian or go to the theater, you can travel to NYC or DC four times a year to see the shows and then GTFO back to a more civilized enclave.

Depends on the person. We actually use the Smithsonian almost every weekend. We are also tired of the high cost of housing and some of the culture in DC, and are exploring moving elsewhere. But losing access to free museums and events, all year round, is actually a big deal and not easy to give up.

Another issue we are encountering is that there are very few truly walkable cities in the US. DC, NYC, Boston, Philly. Chicago has decent public transportation which can make it walkable if you live/work/go to school in the right place. Seattle is walkable in parts but it's public transportation is spotty. All the other alternatives people have mentioned -- Minneapolis, Portland, Denver, Austin, etc. -- you will be very car dependent.

But NYC and Seattle are as expensive if not more so than DC. Boston is comparable. Philly and Chicago are cheaper; they are also more insular and can be harder to move to as an outsider -- fewer transplants and if you aren't from there, it can be socially difficult.

I totally get why people might want to leave DC. We often feel that way. But the idea that there are lots of other cities that offer what DC offers is false. DC offers something really unique: a walkable, modern city with a booming economy, tons of cultural/social activities and venues, AND a culture that is extremely friendly to newcomers and outsiders.

I can’t recommend Philly enough. Like all big cities, it has big city problems, but cost of living is so much better and has all of the amenities, most of which are better than DC. Much better in terms of restaurants, etc. Also, it really isn’t insular at least in greater center city. Lots of transplants from Europe as well. The only major issue is that schools are difficult to navigate in the city. There are options but not easy if you don’t go private. Suburbs have comparable school stock to DC burbs

I absolutely respectfully disagree with PP about culture that is friendly to newcomers and outsiders here. I'm from Chicago and came here years ago for a job where I met my husband and settled. I am STILL having a hard time making solid friendships work. Most of the folks that I get along with end up moving after x amount of time. Nobody who I really like stays. Nobody here is truly nice - there's always a motive for being "nice" so that they seem like it but really aren't. I have never actually met so many not nice people until I came out here. In the MW like Chicago, I met truly nice people. Normal people who said how they felt and did not play games with you - the social aspect here is very very important to people and what results is that you can't really trust anyone to be a friend even if they are "nice" to you. I love Philly a lot and I don't think that the school thing is really the big obstacle - I have to put my kids in private in Alexandria so on top of high cost of living - there is the school to consider paying for. I HATE it here but it's where we've settled. But make no mistake, I would never ever suggest people to move here or stay here if they could leave. I would never suggest this area is friendly and nice. The places mentioned like Philly, Chicago, even SF and NYC - these are artistic centers and moreover, financial hubs (NYC/Chicago anyway). They are food places. In DC I know people think there's good food here but they have no idea. It's lawyers who like to be seen and pay $$$ for fancy beautiful looking dishes. Really good food is what you get in Chicago/Philly/NYC - Fancy and good food are NOT the same. Anyway, I just do not feel that DMV really great taste - great educated people maybe and even well travelled but kinda like new money, they aren't refined and do not have a lot of taste. Most people I know who do leave DMV after some time.

+1

Agree 100%.

Depends on one's point of reference. Some local bully shows up to these threads trying to pry "where is better?!". Don't bother telling them. We don't want the good places to become ick. The good people do not stay in the DMV. Some people don't care for the social games and ridiculous middle school BS. There are educated and well traveled people elsewhere who are actually good humans.

Pot calling the kettle here, claiming that "good people do not stay in the DMV." You are clearly a bully with that stance, and it begs the question why you feel the need to post on a forum for DC area parents?

[Anonymous]

It’s too crowded, nobody goes here anymore.

[Anonymous]

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