Any other families finally had enough of DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I’m in a minority, but I like the DC area. I’ve been here 20+ years and have no plans to move. Collectively, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I’m content calling this region “home.”

I think DC is great. I'm from Toronto and TBH would prefer to be living back there full time - but since that's not in the cards right now I'm perfectly happy living in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

there are plenty of other violent crimes other than homicide. I am not the OP but have lived in DC since 1996, in all kinds of transitioning neighborhoods. I owned a condo in Columbia Heights in mid 2000s when it seemed like it wsa on upswing. Now its a total shit show. So many homeless and drug addicts, no long viable to have a restaurant at the corner of Kenyon annd 14th. Carjackings have tripled and now 14 year old girls are killing people while they carjack them. Im a liberal but DC council has gotten too soft on crime and want too much low income housing. After 22 years and now a kid in DCPS, I want out too OP.

Thank you for sharing. I’ve personally come to the same conclusion.

I have lived in this area since 1999 and I’ve lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in DC across NW, NE and SW (I drew the line at SE). I think your perception of Columbia Heights may have been warped by the new Target. There was for a long time a small group of homeless men strung out on heroin that lived on Mt. Pleasant (there used to be a methadone clinic on Columbia at 13th or 14th. Pre-Target there was always Sunday prostitution on 13th to catch the church traffic. Malcolm X Park used to be filled with needles. Kids would throw eggs at gentrifying white people near the Boys and Girls Club in 14th. On my block we had regular drive-by shootings. Pre-Wonderland 11th was legitimately dangerous. I also lived in Trinidad during the gang war years and a couple other places.

After a while you get sort of numb to it all. I tell myself that random violence is rare, that so long as I’m smart I’ll be safe. But honestly this murder broke me. The more I started reading about this kid and then the murderer and then how they put the murderer in a psychological facility in Tenleytown and then broke out. After all of this, I just cannot. I don’t think anyone is irredeemable, but how can this city just turn its back on victims? That’s the real tragedy that I just cannot get over.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/shooting-on-good-hope-road-in-southeast-dc/2551069/
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/homicide-suspect-escapes-in-northwest-dc/2621562/

There are no excuses anymore. Even if 198 murders is “better” it’s not good enough. By comparison Montgomery County had 17 with 50% more population.

I’m right there with you as a parent with a young child. This is not something that they need to be exposed to. Exposure to death and violence will not enrich their experience or make them better people. I’ve seen enough for my lifetime.

OMG you lived in Trinidad but "draw the line at SE!" What a strange comment from a 20+ year resident. Usually people figure out pretty quickly that the city's dangerous blocks are not divided by quadrant!

I drew the line at SE - meaning Anacostia - because I was not going to live in a neighborhood without a supermarket. Never could afford to live in the Hill. I love know it alls. Tell me something else I don’t know.

[Anonymous]

The Hill down near the Anocostia Bridge, Potomac Ave metro area was affordable and a decent neighborhood. Rough around the edges but livable. Families bought and stayed generations. SE right there.

There was a supermarket on Alabama Ave so that wasn't why you didn't live in Anacostia. It's ok to say you weren't comfortable there. It did have a lot of muggings and break ins that do affect the law abiding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairwell all of you. I will gladly take my city back. I was born in DC in the 70's and am still in the area. Y'all don't know how good you have it here now. Don't know jack. BYE

So you want all the gentifiers to move (that includes UMC blacks you know) so DC can back to how awful, corrupt and bankrupt it was in the 70s-90s? Smart.

I am a Different Poster but yeah. All you white gentrifiers can go. Bye. You have no clue what this city meant to people moving here for opportunity. You never will. You realize that Barry although deeply flawed meant something to people. Look up the history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairwell all of you. I will gladly take my city back. I was born in DC in the 70's and am still in the area. Y'all don't know how good you have it here now. Don't know jack. BYE

So you want all the gentifiers to move (that includes UMC blacks you know) so DC can back to how awful, corrupt and bankrupt it was in the 70s-90s? Smart.

I am a Different Poster but yeah. All you white gentrifiers can go. Bye. You have no clue what this city meant to people moving here for opportunity. You never will. You realize that Barry although deeply flawed meant something to people. Look up the history.

and crime was out of control. the government put the city into recievership and had to have a control board due to failiures of the mayor and council. practically bankrupt, worst urban schools in county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

there are plenty of other violent crimes other than homicide. I am not the OP but have lived in DC since 1996, in all kinds of transitioning neighborhoods. I owned a condo in Columbia Heights in mid 2000s when it seemed like it wsa on upswing. Now its a total shit show. So many homeless and drug addicts, no long viable to have a restaurant at the corner of Kenyon annd 14th. Carjackings have tripled and now 14 year old girls are killing people while they carjack them. Im a liberal but DC council has gotten too soft on crime and want too much low income housing. After 22 years and now a kid in DCPS, I want out too OP.

Thank you for sharing. I’ve personally come to the same conclusion.

I have lived in this area since 1999 and I’ve lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in DC across NW, NE and SW (I drew the line at SE). I think your perception of Columbia Heights may have been warped by the new Target. There was for a long time a small group of homeless men strung out on heroin that lived on Mt. Pleasant (there used to be a methadone clinic on Columbia at 13th or 14th. Pre-Target there was always Sunday prostitution on 13th to catch the church traffic. Malcolm X Park used to be filled with needles. Kids would throw eggs at gentrifying white people near the Boys and Girls Club in 14th. On my block we had regular drive-by shootings. Pre-Wonderland 11th was legitimately dangerous. I also lived in Trinidad during the gang war years and a couple other places.

After a while you get sort of numb to it all. I tell myself that random violence is rare, that so long as I’m smart I’ll be safe. But honestly this murder broke me. The more I started reading about this kid and then the murderer and then how they put the murderer in a psychological facility in Tenleytown and then broke out. After all of this, I just cannot. I don’t think anyone is irredeemable, but how can this city just turn its back on victims? That’s the real tragedy that I just cannot get over.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/shooting-on-good-hope-road-in-southeast-dc/2551069/
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/homicide-suspect-escapes-in-northwest-dc/2621562/

There are no excuses anymore. Even if 198 murders is “better” it’s not good enough. By comparison Montgomery County had 17 with 50% more population.

I’m right there with you as a parent with a young child. This is not something that they need to be exposed to. Exposure to death and violence will not enrich their experience or make them better people. I’ve seen enough for my lifetime.

OMG you lived in Trinidad but "draw the line at SE!" What a strange comment from a 20+ year resident. Usually people figure out pretty quickly that the city's dangerous blocks are not divided by quadrant!

I drew the line at SE - meaning Anacostia - because I was not going to live in a neighborhood without a supermarket. Never could afford to live in the Hill. I love know it alls. Tell me something else I don’t know.

I am OMG PP. I see you also believe the only EOTR neighborhood in SE is Anacostia. So yes, there's some stuff you don't know. I see another poster pointed out a Safeway on Alabama. So you expected us to not only assume you can't afford Cap Hill but also that you're not aware of facts. Well I am a "know-it-all" so I guess I should have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30 years ago was 1991, when there were 482 homicides in DC.

Last year (2020), there were 198 homicides.

there are plenty of other violent crimes other than homicide. I am not the OP but have lived in DC since 1996, in all kinds of transitioning neighborhoods. I owned a condo in Columbia Heights in mid 2000s when it seemed like it wsa on upswing. Now its a total shit show. So many homeless and drug addicts, no long viable to have a restaurant at the corner of Kenyon annd 14th. Carjackings have tripled and now 14 year old girls are killing people while they carjack them. Im a liberal but DC council has gotten too soft on crime and want too much low income housing. After 22 years and now a kid in DCPS, I want out too OP.

Thank you for sharing. I’ve personally come to the same conclusion.

I have lived in this area since 1999 and I’ve lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in DC across NW, NE and SW (I drew the line at SE). I think your perception of Columbia Heights may have been warped by the new Target. There was for a long time a small group of homeless men strung out on heroin that lived on Mt. Pleasant (there used to be a methadone clinic on Columbia at 13th or 14th. Pre-Target there was always Sunday prostitution on 13th to catch the church traffic. Malcolm X Park used to be filled with needles. Kids would throw eggs at gentrifying white people near the Boys and Girls Club in 14th. On my block we had regular drive-by shootings. Pre-Wonderland 11th was legitimately dangerous. I also lived in Trinidad during the gang war years and a couple other places.

After a while you get sort of numb to it all. I tell myself that random violence is rare, that so long as I’m smart I’ll be safe. But honestly this murder broke me. The more I started reading about this kid and then the murderer and then how they put the murderer in a psychological facility in Tenleytown and then broke out. After all of this, I just cannot. I don’t think anyone is irredeemable, but how can this city just turn its back on victims? That’s the real tragedy that I just cannot get over.
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/shooting-on-good-hope-road-in-southeast-dc/2551069/
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/homicide-suspect-escapes-in-northwest-dc/2621562/

There are no excuses anymore. Even if 198 murders is “better” it’s not good enough. By comparison Montgomery County had 17 with 50% more population.

I’m right there with you as a parent with a young child. This is not something that they need to be exposed to. Exposure to death and violence will not enrich their experience or make them better people. I’ve seen enough for my lifetime.

OMG you lived in Trinidad but "draw the line at SE!" What a strange comment from a 20+ year resident. Usually people figure out pretty quickly that the city's dangerous blocks are not divided by quadrant!

I drew the line at SE - meaning Anacostia - because I was not going to live in a neighborhood without a supermarket. Never could afford to live in the Hill. I love know it alls. Tell me something else I don’t know.

I am OMG PP. I see you also believe the only EOTR neighborhood in SE is Anacostia. So yes, there's some stuff you don't know. I see another poster pointed out a Safeway on Alabama. So you expected us to not only assume you can't afford Cap Hill but also that you're not aware of facts. Well I am a "know-it-all" so I guess I should have.

Yeah, PP, you should have stopped before the "know it all" comment. Jeez.

I spent much of my childhood in SE and SW DC. It's mind-boggling how some of DC has changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well the population is now officially shrinking, per the census.

Second generation Washingtonian here, I am moving to the midwest to start over. I have a branch of my family there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well the population is now officially shrinking, per the census.

Second generation Washingtonian here, I am moving to the midwest to start over. I have a branch of my family there.

Smart move. At some point, only the criminals and criminal-lovers will be in DC. Everyone else fleeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost all homicides in DC are among persons known to each other. In other words, if you don't hang out with criminals and drug dealers, you don't have to worry about being murdered. A typical UMC white woman is at a greater risk of being murdered by the man sleeping in her bed than a stranger on the streets of DC.

What about armed carjackings? This was a rarity in my neighborhood and now I feel like there is one every week if not more.

Don't leave your car running unattended in the middle of the road because you can't be bothered to find a parking space to pick up your food delivery order. That alone would eliminate 90% of the carjackings in the city -- not to mention keep traffic flowing.

Or .... we could respect each other’s personal property I am not goi g to steal your car because it’s running and has the keys in it. But I was raised that way, wait a minute, no forget it.

+1. Right? I have so many family members who live in places where they don’t have to constantly keep track of whether they locked all the doors and did all of the other things to fortify the home for another day.

What gets me and is also simultaneously a good indicator that things are getting bad is that like this PP, people blame the victims of crime like its their fault. Like every should just expect that the entire world outside of our door is just out to get us. It's incredible frankly.

These people are all like, "durr, durr, its your fault that you had your car stolen with your baby in it while you were loading your groceries, it should not have been running to give your baby a/c and a place to rest because you don't have four hands" and "durr, durr, if you don't want someone to pickpocket you then you should have zippers with locks on them like smart people do, get a clue" or "durr, durr, if you don't want to get clipped by stray bullets in your own home then you should always wear a bullet proof vest. otherwise if you get shot its your fault".

How about we blame the criminals and not the crime victims? There are too many people in this city making excuses for criminals.

DC native who left for suburbia a few years ago (though more for school/space reasons than crime). Shortly after we moved, I saw a kid’s bike left for several days on one of our neighborhood trails. My mind was blown that it stayed there for so long.

This my kid leaves his $500+ outside for days at a time. My cousin’s DS got bike jacked while out and about in DC. They live in a “good” neighborhood. The schools are incredibly bad, even the good ones are amongst the worst in the county, serous random acts of violence and property crimes occur in all corners of the city. I understand why young childless people gravitate towards the city I don’t understand why families do or why they stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would be very curious to know what percentage of posters on this thread lived here during the Barry years.

I lived here and worked for the Ward 3 rep on the DC Council. Barry was an ass pincher snd a BSer. He he had more charisma than Bill Clinton and was a panty dropper. But could he get things done and spread out the money.

This was exactly the problem. The DC government was used as a jobs program for unqualified residents. It is called a patron-client system. You support me and I give you a job. Leads to corruption and incompetence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would be very curious to know what percentage of posters on this thread lived here during the Barry years.

I lived here and worked for the Ward 3 rep on the DC Council. Barry was an ass pincher snd a BSer. He he had more charisma than Bill Clinton and was a panty dropper. But could he get things done and spread out the money.

This was exactly the problem. The DC government was used as a jobs program for unqualified residents. It is called a patron-client system. You support me and I give you a job. Leads to corruption and incompetence.

+1. Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairwell all of you. I will gladly take my city back. I was born in DC in the 70's and am still in the area. Y'all don't know how good you have it here now. Don't know jack. BYE

So you want all the gentifiers to move (that includes UMC blacks you know) so DC can back to how awful, corrupt and bankrupt it was in the 70s-90s? Smart.

I am a Different Poster but yeah. All you white gentrifiers can go. Bye. You have no clue what this city meant to people moving here for opportunity. You never will. You realize that Barry although deeply flawed meant something to people. Look up the history.

? what a nothingburger. and agree it's funny you think gentrifiers are all white.

-2nd generation generation gentrifier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost all homicides in DC are among persons known to each other. In other words, if you don't hang out with criminals and drug dealers, you don't have to worry about being murdered. A typical UMC white woman is at a greater risk of being murdered by the man sleeping in her bed than a stranger on the streets of DC.

What about armed carjackings? This was a rarity in my neighborhood and now I feel like there is one every week if not more.

Don't leave your car running unattended in the middle of the road because you can't be bothered to find a parking space to pick up your food delivery order. That alone would eliminate 90% of the carjackings in the city -- not to mention keep traffic flowing.

Or .... we could respect each other’s personal property I am not goi g to steal your car because it’s running and has the keys in it. But I was raised that way, wait a minute, no forget it.

+1. Right? I have so many family members who live in places where they don’t have to constantly keep track of whether they locked all the doors and did all of the other things to fortify the home for another day.

What gets me and is also simultaneously a good indicator that things are getting bad is that like this PP, people blame the victims of crime like its their fault. Like every should just expect that the entire world outside of our door is just out to get us. It's incredible frankly.

These people are all like, "durr, durr, its your fault that you had your car stolen with your baby in it while you were loading your groceries, it should not have been running to give your baby a/c and a place to rest because you don't have four hands" and "durr, durr, if you don't want someone to pickpocket you then you should have zippers with locks on them like smart people do, get a clue" or "durr, durr, if you don't want to get clipped by stray bullets in your own home then you should always wear a bullet proof vest. otherwise if you get shot its your fault".

How about we blame the criminals and not the crime victims? There are too many people in this city making excuses for criminals.

DC native who left for suburbia a few years ago (though more for school/space reasons than crime). Shortly after we moved, I saw a kid’s bike left for several days on one of our neighborhood trails. My mind was blown that it stayed there for so long.

This my kid leaves his $500+ outside for days at a time. My cousin’s DS got bike jacked while out and about in DC. They live in a “good” neighborhood. The schools are incredibly bad, even the good ones are amongst the worst in the county, serous random acts of violence and property crimes occur in all corners of the city. I understand why young childless people gravitate towards the city I don’t understand why families do or why they stay.

I am born in DC and actually think that in the last 20 years it has become a decent place to raise a family. I credit charter schools + the lottery system with a lot of this. There is just enough ability for people to exert some school choice that they don't feel 'trapped" like in the days of yore. There are a variety of "good' schools, some free, some not--I hope this helps you understand why people would choose to raise a family here. However, the Council + Mayor's current policies are very San Francisco and I agree it is getting less so. The crime this year has been appalling, the school system broke (and why they didn't use this time to seriously refurb both physical plants and some glaring curricular gaps I'll never know), the focus on development above everything else will simply create more boxy condos--not livable infrastructure. I agree, we may see the past 20 years as a time when for some it was a great place to raise a family. For the record, we are moving. We loved the ability to walk this past year so DC compared well to a few other East Coast cities with its broad, canopied streets--but you can find that all over America and its on the developers grind list anyway. Meanwhile, DC is pretty boring and I am starting to sense that some of the stuff we were 'grateful for' is commonplace elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost all homicides in DC are among persons known to each other. In other words, if you don't hang out with criminals and drug dealers, you don't have to worry about being murdered. A typical UMC white woman is at a greater risk of being murdered by the man sleeping in her bed than a stranger on the streets of DC.

What about armed carjackings? This was a rarity in my neighborhood and now I feel like there is one every week if not more.

Don't leave your car running unattended in the middle of the road because you can't be bothered to find a parking space to pick up your food delivery order. That alone would eliminate 90% of the carjackings in the city -- not to mention keep traffic flowing.

Or .... we could respect each other’s personal property I am not goi g to steal your car because it’s running and has the keys in it. But I was raised that way, wait a minute, no forget it.

+1. Right? I have so many family members who live in places where they don’t have to constantly keep track of whether they locked all the doors and did all of the other things to fortify the home for another day.

What gets me and is also simultaneously a good indicator that things are getting bad is that like this PP, people blame the victims of crime like its their fault. Like every should just expect that the entire world outside of our door is just out to get us. It's incredible frankly.

These people are all like, "durr, durr, its your fault that you had your car stolen with your baby in it while you were loading your groceries, it should not have been running to give your baby a/c and a place to rest because you don't have four hands" and "durr, durr, if you don't want someone to pickpocket you then you should have zippers with locks on them like smart people do, get a clue" or "durr, durr, if you don't want to get clipped by stray bullets in your own home then you should always wear a bullet proof vest. otherwise if you get shot its your fault".

How about we blame the criminals and not the crime victims? There are too many people in this city making excuses for criminals.

DC native who left for suburbia a few years ago (though more for school/space reasons than crime). Shortly after we moved, I saw a kid’s bike left for several days on one of our neighborhood trails. My mind was blown that it stayed there for so long.

This my kid leaves his $500+ outside for days at a time. My cousin’s DS got bike jacked while out and about in DC. They live in a “good” neighborhood. The schools are incredibly bad, even the good ones are amongst the worst in the county, serous random acts of violence and property crimes occur in all corners of the city. I understand why young childless people gravitate towards the city I don’t understand why families do or why they stay.

I am born in DC and actually think that in the last 20 years it has become a decent place to raise a family. I credit charter schools + the lottery system with a lot of this. There is just enough ability for people to exert some school choice that they don't feel 'trapped" like in the days of yore. There are a variety of "good' schools, some free, some not--I hope this helps you understand why people would choose to raise a family here. However, the Council + Mayor's current policies are very San Francisco and I agree it is getting less so. The crime this year has been appalling, the school system broke (and why they didn't use this time to seriously refurb both physical plants and some glaring curricular gaps I'll never know), the focus on development above everything else will simply create more boxy condos--not livable infrastructure. I agree, we may see the past 20 years as a time when for some it was a great place to raise a family. For the record, we are moving. We loved the ability to walk this past year so DC compared well to a few other East Coast cities with its broad, canopied streets--but you can find that all over America and its on the developers grind list anyway. Meanwhile, DC is pretty boring and I am starting to sense that some of the stuff we were 'grateful for' is commonplace elsewhere.

I'm sorry, but the bolded is just such lazy thought. If you find it boring (and yes, I've lived in bigger cities), you're not really trying.