How are you able to afford the DC area - from an out-of-towner?

[Anonymous]

We live on <60k (we started at about 45k a few years ago), plus my costs for grad school. Me, DH, and DC live in a very nice 1 bedroom unit across from a metro station in a great area in a "moderate income" unit for about 1200/mo total. We do fun things occasionally, but not a lot because we're super busy. Even though it's cramped and we have to move soon, I love where we live and enjoy the dc area in general. We save a lot of money somehow and have no debt, so if it is possible for us, I feel like it has to be ok for people with two incomes, as long as you are very careful about your priorities and how you spend your money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread originally started as "how do you afford DC." Then it morphed into "convince me to move away from a dirt-cheap area that I love."

I give up.

To be more precise, "Show me how you afford to live a decent life in DC, because when I run the numbers it looks as though we'll be totally poverty-stricken, live in a slum, and have to dig in the sofa cushions to take Metro to the great free/cheap stuff."

I used to know how to live in DC, because my salary bore some relationship to my housing costs. Now it just seems wildly abstract. We're packing now. How are we going to make this work?

PS - If you live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, everywhere else is not "dirt cheap." It's, like, normal to be able to buy a house for double-ish your annual income.

Having always lived in one or another of the world's more expensive cities, I'd say it's "normal" to live in cities with high property values. Dirt is indeed cheap outside of cities.

[Anonymous]

Married a high income earner. Could never do it on my salary alone. I am from the Midwest and would return in a heartbeat with my husband and family, but he is anchored here and no his job cannot be moved. Not an option. I have made the best of it, but I say "stay in the Midwest" and spend the money you save to fly here, New York City, or any other place for the weekend!

[Anonymous]

Again? You people are retarded. I am originally from Cincinnati and there are 4-5 major museums and plenty of small, storefront art gallery shops. The Cincinnati Art Museum is free and the Contemporary Arts Center is the ONLY major architectural building in the US designed by a woman (Zaha Hadid). The University of Cincinnati has more buildings designed my major architects than any other campus in the entire country. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park won the regional Tony a few years ago. We have a ballet, an opera, and a highly-regarded symphony. Findlay Market is like a smaller version of Eastern Market. There is a thriving music and theater scene. It's not DC or NY, but people there don't give a fuck. We have beautiful parks, major Fortune 500 companies, etc etc etc. The restaurant scene is lousy but what are you gonna do? No place is perfect.

I think I've talked myself into moving back. I am sick to fucking death of morons like you.

Yeah!! I love Cincinnati. Grew up in INdiana and my best friend lived in Cinci. Always visited her, and always found fun things to do..museums, ball park, the Conservatory at the University of Cincinnati. Playhouse in the Park. Move back and I will follow you!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't mention what your spouse makes? Most families here have two incomes and, almost more importantly, two careers to support. If not, I see no reason why someone at your career level would move here.

Spouse makes about $45,000 but incredible benefits (dirt cheap healthcare) are also part of the package.

If you have children, she would essentially be paying to work here. She would do better as a SAHM, and in that situation I wouldn't move here with your salary.

In what world? Even at 3K/mo in child care costs, that's 36K, 5K of which is taken out pre-tax. Not to mention retirement benefits, contributions to health care, and the value you get from staying in the workforce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again? You people are retarded. I am originally from Cincinnati and there are 4-5 major museums and plenty of small, storefront art gallery shops. The Cincinnati Art Museum is free and the Contemporary Arts Center is the ONLY major architectural building in the US designed by a woman (Zaha Hadid). The University of Cincinnati has more buildings designed my major architects than any other campus in the entire country. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park won the regional Tony a few years ago. We have a ballet, an opera, and a highly-regarded symphony. Findlay Market is like a smaller version of Eastern Market. There is a thriving music and theater scene. It's not DC or NY, but people there don't give a fuck. We have beautiful parks, major Fortune 500 companies, etc etc etc. The restaurant scene is lousy but what are you gonna do? No place is perfect.

I think I've talked myself into moving back. I am sick to fucking death of morons like you.

Yeah!! I love Cincinnati. Grew up in INdiana and my best friend lived in Cinci. Always visited her, and always found fun things to do..museums, ball park, the Conservatory at the University of Cincinnati. Playhouse in the Park. Move back and I will follow you!!

Are your friends well educated and with impressive career accomplishments, or don't you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread originally started as "how do you afford DC." Then it morphed into "convince me to move away from a dirt-cheap area that I love."

I give up.

EXACTLY. I gave up a while ago too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread originally started as "how do you afford DC." Then it morphed into "convince me to move away from a dirt-cheap area that I love."

I give up.

[Anonymous]

Has anybody else noticed that OP peaced out a LONG time ago? The person you all think is the OP is actually someone who is currently living in DC but originally from Cincinnati.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Again? You people are retarded. I am originally from Cincinnati and there are 4-5 major museums and plenty of small, storefront art gallery shops. The Cincinnati Art Museum is free and the Contemporary Arts Center is the ONLY major architectural building in the US designed by a woman (Zaha Hadid). The University of Cincinnati has more buildings designed my major architects than any other campus in the entire country. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park won the regional Tony a few years ago. We have a ballet, an opera, and a highly-regarded symphony. Findlay Market is like a smaller version of Eastern Market. There is a thriving music and theater scene. It's not DC or NY, but people there don't give a fuck. We have beautiful parks, major Fortune 500 companies, etc etc etc. The restaurant scene is lousy but what are you gonna do? No place is perfect.

I think I've talked myself into moving back. I am sick to fucking death of morons like you.

Was lousy. It is smaller with fewer choices, but you'd be surprised by what's opened in the last few years. OTR is radically different - still trying to find a DC meal as good as Senate or Local 127.

Wow - thanks. Didn't know about these places but will check them out when we go back to visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again? You people are retarded. I am originally from Cincinnati and there are 4-5 major museums and plenty of small, storefront art gallery shops. The Cincinnati Art Museum is free and the Contemporary Arts Center is the ONLY major architectural building in the US designed by a woman (Zaha Hadid). The University of Cincinnati has more buildings designed my major architects than any other campus in the entire country. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park won the regional Tony a few years ago. We have a ballet, an opera, and a highly-regarded symphony. Findlay Market is like a smaller version of Eastern Market. There is a thriving music and theater scene. It's not DC or NY, but people there don't give a fuck. We have beautiful parks, major Fortune 500 companies, etc etc etc. The restaurant scene is lousy but what are you gonna do? No place is perfect.

I think I've talked myself into moving back. I am sick to fucking death of morons like you.

Yeah!! I love Cincinnati. Grew up in INdiana and my best friend lived in Cinci. Always visited her, and always found fun things to do..museums, ball park, the Conservatory at the University of Cincinnati. Playhouse in the Park. Move back and I will follow you!!

Are your friends well educated and with impressive career accomplishments, or don't you care?

Some of us don't judge people solely by how many degrees they have and their annual salary. You sound EXTREMELY shallow. Believe it or not, people in Cincinnati do get Master's degrees and work highly paid, highly skilled professional jobs. You dolt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody else noticed that OP peaced out a LONG time ago? The person you all think is the OP is actually someone who is currently living in DC but originally from Cincinnati.

You're wrong - it seems there are actually 3-4 of us. And if you don't want Midwesterners to jump on you, people here should try not being so ignorant, dismissive and rude of any city more than 50 miles west of the Atlantic. Just ASKING questions like "are people educated and successful there?" or "is there ANY culture?" is either:

A) startling evidence of the insular snobbery of many, many people here, or
B) startling evidence of complete and utter ignorance of the vast majority of your own country.

Either way, it sort of works against the narrative people hold here of being so in the know about everything. And it makes me LOL. I, for one, will never say that we Midwesterners are always nice - especially when the regional snobbery of the Coasters comes out. I will bitch slap that down EVERY time. And I'm guessing that all of you nasties told the OP everything they needed to know - namely that it probably isn't worth it for him/her to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody else noticed that OP peaced out a LONG time ago? The person you all think is the OP is actually someone who is currently living in DC but originally from Cincinnati.

You're wrong - it seems there are actually 3-4 of us. And if you don't want Midwesterners to jump on you, people here should try not being so ignorant, dismissive and rude of any city more than 50 miles west of the Atlantic. Just ASKING questions like "are people educated and successful there?" or "is there ANY culture?" is either:

A) startling evidence of the insular snobbery of many, many people here, or
B) startling evidence of complete and utter ignorance of the vast majority of your own country.

Either way, it sort of works against the narrative people hold here of being so in the know about everything. And it makes me LOL. I, for one, will never say that we Midwesterners are always nice - especially when the regional snobbery of the Coasters comes out. I will bitch slap that down EVERY time. And I'm guessing that all of you nasties told the OP everything they needed to know - namely that it probably isn't worth it for him/her to move.

Hypocrite. Generalizing about DC people the same way they are generalizing about midwesterners. Just grow up, all of you!!!!

[Anonymous]

9:59, so which is it? People in Cincinnati are well educated and have great jobs, or it's shallow to care if people in Cincinnati are well educated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody else noticed that OP peaced out a LONG time ago? The person you all think is the OP is actually someone who is currently living in DC but originally from Cincinnati.

You're wrong - it seems there are actually 3-4 of us. And if you don't want Midwesterners to jump on you, people here should try not being so ignorant, dismissive and rude of any city more than 50 miles west of the Atlantic. Just ASKING questions like "are people educated and successful there?" or "is there ANY culture?" is either:

A) startling evidence of the insular snobbery of many, many people here, or
B) startling evidence of complete and utter ignorance of the vast majority of your own country.

Either way, it sort of works against the narrative people hold here of being so in the know about everything. And it makes me LOL. I, for one, will never say that we Midwesterners are always nice - especially when the regional snobbery of the Coasters comes out. I will bitch slap that down EVERY time. And I'm guessing that all of you nasties told the OP everything they needed to know - namely that it probably isn't worth it for him/her to move.

Both sides of my family are from Milwaukee. My better educated cousins got out.