Ask the (former) DC Urban child!

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP for taking the time. Though it is pretty funny to have a "What's it like growing up as a kid in DC?" thread that assumes everyone in DC lives next door to an embassy.

It's a bit like growing up in one of the more rarified areas of Potomac and from there extrapolating what's it like growing up in Maryland. Reminds me of the three blind men and the elephant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people who grew up here say life here is so "surreal." I live in Bethesda. Yet, where i grew up in NY was so much wealthier and snobbier than here (ditto for my DH from LA compared to here). We find it to be much more down to earth living here than our respective hometowns.

People move here for a reason -- as they do NY and LA. That is the difference between living here -- and NY and LA -- and living somewhere "normal." (I have heard it said that the general population in LA is more attractive because so many beautiful women flocked there to try to be 'discovered' and ended up just marrying and having kids.) In most parts of the country, I think the expectation is that you will grow up and have a family and just live -- not that you will grow up and be wildly successful. If you feel that drive, you move somewhere like DC, LA or NYC depending on your ambition. I found it really relaxing when I moved to another city and found people who just wanted to, well, live. They wanted to play music but not be a rock star. Draw but not be a famous artist. Vote or even organize but not go into national politics. Etc.

[Anonymous]

and nobody moves to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc?

all big metro areas are the same. only difference is the weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:and nobody moves to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc?

all big metro areas are the same. only difference is the weather.

That's why I said "somewhere like DC, NY or LA, depending on your ambition." But if you move to Atlanta from a small town in the South, you are still aware that you are not in a major shaker and mover city like you would be if you were in NY, LA or DC. (One of my parents escaped the South for DC.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and nobody moves to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc?

all big metro areas are the same. only difference is the weather.

That's why I said "somewhere like DC, NY or LA, depending on your ambition." But if you move to Atlanta from a small town in the South, you are still aware that you are not in a major shaker and mover city like you would be if you were in NY, LA or DC. (One of my parents escaped the South for DC.)

I totally disagree. Atlanta is a huge city. Just depends on the industry - lots of corporations have their HQ in Atlanta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks OP for taking the time. Though it is pretty funny to have a "What's it like growing up as a kid in DC?" thread that assumes everyone in DC lives next door to an embassy.

It's a bit like growing up in one of the more rarified areas of Potomac and from there extrapolating what's it like growing up in Maryland. Reminds me of the three blind men and the elephant.

Where did the OP say that everyone in DC grows up next to an embassy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and nobody moves to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, etc?

all big metro areas are the same. only difference is the weather.

That's why I said "somewhere like DC, NY or LA, depending on your ambition." But if you move to Atlanta from a small town in the South, you are still aware that you are not in a major shaker and mover city like you would be if you were in NY, LA or DC. (One of my parents escaped the South for DC.)

I totally disagree. Atlanta is a huge city. Just depends on the industry - lots of corporations have their HQ in Atlanta.

If you want to be the best at what you do and and make it to the very top of your industry so you head to Atlanta to do it, above any other destination in the country and from anywhere else in the country, what would that thing be?

[Anonymous]

^^ CEO of CocaCola? beats me. point is, every big city has big-time stuff. Houston has energy, lots of cities have big banks or life insurance companies, Detroit has cars. DC has the national govt. But most people I know in DC are not here "to be the best in the world in their field" but just to have a normal job. I don't work in the govt or lobbying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ CEO of CocaCola? beats me. point is, every big city has big-time stuff. Houston has energy, lots of cities have big banks or life insurance companies, Detroit has cars. DC has the national govt. But most people I know in DC are not here "to be the best in the world in their field" but just to have a normal job. I don't work in the govt or lobbying.

Cities have all kinds of things that make them worth living in. But you don't move to most cities for something specific, the way you would move to DC, NY or LA.

Of course many people just live here but the general tone is set by, or at least affected by, transience, ambition, trying to be the best and the brightest in an above-average crowd, etc. I did not get that impression when I lived elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP since you grew up during the wild west days of DC what do you think of all these new money types moving in wiTh their big SUVs, guns and lousy tastes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you're hardly the only DC native on the forum. But you are maybe the first to open yourself to abusive posters just because you're a DC native. I grew up east of the park and went to DCPS. No politicians next door, but there was a judge (which is pretty political here, at least to get appointed). I think my life growing up was pretty normal. At least, when I compare it to friends that grew up in other places, there's not a ton that was so different - especially if they grew up in a good-sized city with lots of cultural opportunities (museums, shows, etc.)

THIS. OP, get over yourself. I'm a DC native, as are many other people on this board. Your perspective is not unique.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:THIS. OP, get over yourself. I'm a DC native, as are many other people on this board. Your perspective is not unique.

I guess I am seeing where DCUM gets its reputation for having nasty posters. I really don't understand the motive for responses like this. The original poster did nothing more than offer to answer questions. If you don't have questions, there are likely other threads of more interest to you. If you think that you also have something to contribute, then put your offer on the table. But, nothing is gained by simply bashing someone who is trying to be helpful.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS. OP, get over yourself. I'm a DC native, as are many other people on this board. Your perspective is not unique.

I guess I am seeing where DCUM gets its reputation for having nasty posters. I really don't understand the motive for responses like this. The original poster did nothing more than offer to answer questions. If you don't have questions, there are likely other threads of more interest to you. If you think that you also have something to contribute, then put your offer on the table. But, nothing is gained by simply bashing someone who is trying to be helpful.

Well, she did more than offer to answer questions. She gave us her storied resume along with it. If it wasn't all, "I grew up in Ward 3, I went to Beauvoir, look at meeeeeeeeee" maybe she wouldn't have gotten these kind of responses.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, she did more than offer to answer questions. She gave us her storied resume along with it. If it wasn't all, "I grew up in Ward 3, I went to Beauvoir, look at meeeeeeeeee" maybe she wouldn't have gotten these kind of responses.

She said she went to DCPS as well. Why don't you bash her for that? If you simply want to engage in prissy flamewars, go find the Sidwell football team guy. That's all he wants as well.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well, she did more than offer to answer questions. She gave us her storied resume along with it. If it wasn't all, "I grew up in Ward 3, I went to Beauvoir, look at meeeeeeeeee" maybe she wouldn't have gotten these kind of responses.

She said she went to DCPS as well. Why don't you bash her for that? If you simply want to engage in prissy flamewars, go find the Sidwell football team guy. That's all he wants as well.

Don't know what you're talking about, but you asked what the "motive" was for the responses she was getting, and I answered.