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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

It's not either or, it's both. Just like there are here, there are people in Cincy who are highly educated and people who are not. Do people here generally hold more advanced degrees? Yes. Does that fact mean people in Cincinnati (or any other small regional city) are stupid or lesser than anyone here? No. Are you an asshole if you think so? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!!!!

I'm not generalizing about all people in DC - just the uppity snobs who frequent this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If it made them happy, great. But it doesn't make the ones who stayed mentally deficient suckers, either.

[Anonymous]

I am one of the PPs who has lived both in the Midwest and in this DC area. And have family in both area. The thing is: of COURSE there are educated people (and cultured people, thoughtful people, etc.) in every region of the country. Of course, this goes without saying! But in my own PERSONAL experience, there are certain areas where there is a greater percentage of overall educated (and thoughtful and cultured) individuals, and you need to reach a certain tipping point, and I find that more in the DC-metro area than in other areas I have lived in the Midwest. There may be exceptions: Chicago is one that immediatley leaps to my mind. OF course! I am also thinking of Ann Arbor or, I have never been to Cincinatti, but what other friends have told me and what some of you have said here, yes, it sounds this way too. But I have also lived in South Bend, and let me tell you: you'd have to be smoking crack if you tried to tell me you get just as many educated (and cultured and thoughtful) individuals living there as in the DC area, and that's even with Notre Dame, St. Mary's, and other educational institutions taken into account. Amongst the general South Bend populace, there is NOT the same amount of educated (creative, thoughtrful, etc.) individuals. There just isn't. I have other relatives who live near Valparaiso and I have been to neighborhood and community gatherings with other folks in their neighborhoods and towns: it's not the same and the conversations are NOT the same as ones I have had with my neighbors around here. There is NOT enough of them to have reached that "tipping point" for my own personal tastes.

One really interesting book to read about this topic is: THE RISE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS by Richard Florida.

I like living in areas where is a large enough creative class to pass that threshhold where the community decisions are largely made by and affected by creative class individuals.

[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.

Yes, I don't really get what OP is up to. Sounds like she shouldn't move back, which makes sense to me. Wherever she lives, it sounds really nice. But what is irritating me is this new tone where somehow I'm supposed to convince her to move back and if I can't do that then I must be deluded about enjoying life in DC. OP, surely you don't mean to give that impression, do you?

[Anonymous]

10:46, I hear you. In the Midwest, include Madison, Minneapolis, possibly Columbus in that mix. As for South Bend, most of the area is a dump and has been sincere Studebaker went bankrupt in the 1960s. Detroit area is the same way-there are suburbs where professional people live but it is mostly people who have no interest in the outside world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

It's not either or, it's both. Just like there are here, there are people in Cincy who are highly educated and people who are not. Do people here generally hold more advanced degrees? Yes. Does that fact mean people in Cincinnati (or any other small regional city) are stupid or lesser than anyone here? No. Are you an asshole if you think so? Yes.

I prefer DC because life is easier as a dual WOHP family here than in many other cities in the US, including some in the midwest. I also find it easier to relate to more people here, in terms of lifestyle. Does that meet Cincy is "lesser"? No. However, it does mean that to me, it's worth it to afford the DC metro area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I *don't* live here, I don't have the data you have. I am trying to understand what makes it worthwhile.

So, I'm asking people who *do* live here and love it what makes it worthwhile for them. In response, people keep describing what I already have, and in some cases, less than what I already have, as though it's a mindblowing urban wonderland.

So I'm pointing that out so that they will stop assuming that everything in flyover country is McMansions and Applebee's, and describe more specifically what they find attractive about DC. I don't have trouble understanding why Paris is worth living rough. I do have trouble understanding what's special about DC. And I've spent a lot of time here trying to figure out what people see in it, and coming up short.

I am hoping to see some genuine distinction that will clue me in.

Is this a difficult concept?

No time to read through the many pages of posts after this one, but we live here because DH has a job at an organization that only exists here. It's his dream job, with amazing opportunities. I always thought we'd live here for about 7 years, then move. But, when the housing bubble burst, we were underwater, and had to stay. Combined we make about $150K. Small rowhouse in the city, kids in GREAT charter. But I'd be lying if I said I love it here. I'm doing my best to create the lifestyle I want within the confines of where we are. Now that we think we will be able to buy something a little bigger, DH has been in his position so long, we're worried that his skills won't really be seen as desirable in positions. So, we'll do the best we can with what we have.

[Anonymous]

Well said.
This place is like a coffin. Once you are in, you cannot get out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well said.
This place is like a coffin. Once you are in, you cannot get out

+1 million billion

God help me.

[Anonymous]

14:08 - SO TRUE! I wouldn't discourage anyone from speaking the truth. D.C. is good for a little while. But if you can leave then GTFO!

[Anonymous]

I'm not a huge fan of the DC area, mostly because I miss the ocean (so the Midwest wouldn't really do it for me either). DH and I are staying here though because we both have jobs that we enjoy, are convenient to where we live (no hour long commutes here), and pay reasonable salaries. We own a good-size townhouse (2,400 sq. ft.) in a great school district and our kids will be going to the local public school.

Now if we could pick up the area and put it next to the ocean and move our families here - then we'd be in heaven. But I'm not the type of person who needs a lot of stuff or a giant house. We have newish cars (2007 and 2011), do have cable, and take vacations each year.

[Anonymous]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/05/15/best-top-most-valuable-college-majors-degrees/#/pictures/eddf45gihi/no-9-cincinnati-ohio/?&_suid=135033042892507084729815156406


Cincinnati --#9 in FORBES best places to raise a family list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well said.
This place is like a coffin. Once you are in, you cannot get out

Let me out! Let me OUT!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well said.
This place is like a coffin. Once you are in, you cannot get out

+1 million billion

God help me.

That is so sad. What makes you all think this?