How can you NOT like living in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

Completely agree. Everything is white and classical. Bland.

There is no industry, either. The working class is pink-collar. Yawn.

[Anonymous]

It's the people. I know -- lots of us are great. But we are all the same. In my upper-middle-class suburban hometown, there were lots of white-collar types, sure, doctors, lawyers, VPs at major corporations. But there was also...the guy who ran the soccer apparel store. The car dealership owner. The cafeteria aid. I went to school with all of their children. Around here, the people who fill these roles live in their own suburbs. At least in the nice DC neighborhoods, people aren't mixed together for a healthy sense of what life is.
I know that this is the case for a lot of major cities -- in high-density areas, people self-segregate. But DC also lacks the diversity typical of many cities. There aren't a lot of artists, for instance. Yeah...I know that instead we have people from all over the world, and rather than the car dealership owner's kids, my kids hang out with the kids of the guy with a prominent role at an important and unique NGO, or whatever. But that's fake diversity. When you get down to it, that guy is the same as a lawyer in terms of education, upbringing and life goals. A journalist is like a lobbyist (though they make a lot less.) Worldly, goal-oriented -- and at the end of the day, quite dull, when that's all there is.
Sorry, but you know I'm right.

[Anonymous]

Cost of living - it makes everything that would otherwise be enjoyable only attainable for a certain few.
Traffic. Traffic. Traffic.
Sprawl. So many strip malls.

I'd rather be almost anywhere else, honestly. I grew up only 3 hours from DC and did the tourist stuff again and again. We are leaving next August when I go to grad school. Hopefully never coming back!

[Anonymous]

I moved here 20 years ago and loved loved loved DC so please don't consider me a DC hater. The OP is asking for the things we don't like.
Now I'm kind of eh on it and we are strongly considering leaving.

At this point in my life these are the cons:
- Cost of Living. Unless we want to move 30mi out, we are stuck in the house we have. It's a perfectly decent house, although many on DCUM would call it a shack, but it was never meant to be my forever home.
- Crowds. I admit, I just don't like crowds of tourists. Between the tourists and the traffic we almost never take advantage of the museums and cool things that make DC unique.
- The parenting competition. I try not to buy into it, but found myself debating the merits of Kumon for my preschooler last week when I learned a friend had started her's in Kumon and was considering a foreign language tutor. Had to shake myself out of it. Maybe it's the same in other parts of the country, but I feel like this is probably a distinctly DC and NY phenomenon.
- Jobs. I no longer enjoy the things that brought me to DC, but feel tied here since my entire resume is government. Makes it hard to leave while at the same time resentful of the city that I can't.
- Honestly, frustration and anger with our government. It feels so up close and personal with a failing Congress and Administration. The impacts of budget cuts and sequestration on my family and on friends feel so tough here. Comparatively, friends and family in other parts of the government feel it much more remotely. Yes, the economy hits them but it just feels different.

[Anonymous]

Yeah - I hate the feeling of being a few miles away from the dimwits in the government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah - I hate the feeling of being a few miles away from the dimwits in the government.

Yes. My daily run would take me past the idling SUVs in front of the Capitol and the swarming sycophants. The building is beautiful but Congress is pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Too many lawyers, lobbyists and angry low income residents. And yes, I know that there are people who are not these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved here 20 years ago and loved loved loved DC so please don't consider me a DC hater. The OP is asking for the things we don't like.
Now I'm kind of eh on it and we are strongly considering leaving.

At this point in my life these are the cons:
- Cost of Living. Unless we want to move 30mi out, we are stuck in the house we have. It's a perfectly decent house, although many on DCUM would call it a shack, but it was never meant to be my forever home.
- Crowds. I admit, I just don't like crowds of tourists. Between the tourists and the traffic we almost never take advantage of the museums and cool things that make DC unique.
- The parenting competition. I try not to buy into it, but found myself debating the merits of Kumon for my preschooler last week when I learned a friend had started her's in Kumon and was considering a foreign language tutor. Had to shake myself out of it. Maybe it's the same in other parts of the country, but I feel like this is probably a distinctly DC and NY phenomenon.
- Jobs. I no longer enjoy the things that brought me to DC, but feel tied here since my entire resume is government. Makes it hard to leave while at the same time resentful of the city that I can't.
- Honestly, frustration and anger with our government. It feels so up close and personal with a failing Congress and Administration. The impacts of budget cuts and sequestration on my family and on friends feel so tough here. Comparatively, friends and family in other parts of the government feel it much more remotely. Yes, the economy hits them but it just feels different.

Well said. There really is nothing noble about living in a high-price area full of sycophants who are feeding from the federal trough when the government ultimately accomplishes so very little. I think you have to have the ability to compartmentalize very, very well to be happy about living in DC when you know that it's basically a bunch of super-competitive drones running in circles.

[Anonymous]

I love it here too. Yes, it's expensive, but I see why. We live in DC so the traffic, commute, lack of character, and suburban sprawl aren't problems for us. I even like the weather.

[Anonymous]

I might like it better if I could actually afford to live in DC proper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My main issues are:

1. The weather - too hot and humid too much of the year. I like crisp weather, and I like cold weather.
2. The distance from the ocean or for that matter, any natural bodies of water.
3. The lack of character in the suburbs.

I'm not a hater. I just think DC is very expensive for what it is.

Uh, have you heard of the Potomac River?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah - I hate the feeling of being a few miles away from the dimwits in the government.

Yes. My daily run would take me past the idling SUVs in front of the Capitol and the swarming sycophants. The building is beautiful but Congress is pathetic.

Why do people complain about Congress? They are not Washingtonians, they are from the 50 states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

I agree, I love all these things. And if you live close in by a metro stop, the city is very manageable. It's a pleasure to live in a city this size with such an extensive subway. I don't know any place anywhere else like it.

But I completely understand why some people don't like it. This is not everyone's cup of tea and some folks are looking for something different. Let's not give them a hard time about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

not really. Cost of living aside, the city does not offer a lot to those who are not wealthy. Bad schools, complex lottery system, day care nightmares, abundant crime in the areas with lower rents. Depressed neighborhoods, rats everywhere. This is a very lonely city, lots of judgemental types, people segregated by income. Status means a lot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the people. I know -- lots of us are great. But we are all the same. In my upper-middle-class suburban hometown, there were lots of white-collar types, sure, doctors, lawyers, VPs at major corporations. But there was also...the guy who ran the soccer apparel store. The car dealership owner. The cafeteria aid. I went to school with all of their children. Around here, the people who fill these roles live in their own suburbs. At least in the nice DC neighborhoods, people aren't mixed together for a healthy sense of what life is.
I know that this is the case for a lot of major cities -- in high-density areas, people self-segregate. But DC also lacks the diversity typical of many cities. There aren't a lot of artists, for instance. Yeah...I know that instead we have people from all over the world, and rather than the car dealership owner's kids, my kids hang out with the kids of the guy with a prominent role at an important and unique NGO, or whatever. But that's fake diversity. When you get down to it, that guy is the same as a lawyer in terms of education, upbringing and life goals. A journalist is like a lobbyist (though they make a lot less.) Worldly, goal-oriented -- and at the end of the day, quite dull, when that's all there is.
Sorry, but you know I'm right.

Yes, you are right.