Ask the (former) DC Urban child!

[Anonymous]

I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a question. What is best way to get a job in this city? Is it really just who you know? I have been looking for 8 months and am starting to feel bleak. Oh, and ignore all nasty posters. I think it's great that you are willing to share from your experiences.

[Anonymous]

21:07 - I. Love. You.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

agreed, but it is a big metro area. #8 in the US

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

I totally disagree with this. Perhaps you are just another average person, but DC is certainly unique in that you grow up with the POTUS in your backyard, history everywhere, national museums and monuments, protests and rallies, major Government agencies, foreign embassies etc. If you think your children won't one day realize this is different than other cities, you're fooling yourself. I didn't get the feeling the OP was saying that other cities aren't unique for other reasons, she was just saying DC has a particular life or lifestyle and she grew up in it.

And I also don't understand the flaming - if you don't have questions for the OP, then don't post. And if you think SHE is weird, you should read some of the other threads on this forum - there are some crazy people and crazy perspectives much more worthy of your flaming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

Actually DC is one of the fittest cities in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Considering the amount of time and posts here that dedictaed to questions like : "What school did you apply to?" "What tests did your preschooler take to get into x,y, or z school?" "Where do you live?" and, my personal favorite, 'How much money do you make/What do you do to be able to afford to have kids here?" I think that all the information ( or "resume" if you will) that the OP provided was fairly relevant. It's not like she told us what her undergrad GPA was- I for one am curious how her parents managed to send four kids to private school when I can barely afford to send one to daycare. Lighten up a little ladies.

[Anonymous]

OP thanks for putting yourself out there; so sad that there are so many a__holes out there on this site. I agree living in a metropolis like DC is different because of the dynamics of the city.

Re your post, I have a couple of questions regarding the schools you've attended. I am on the fence with public versus private school for my young children. I think another poster mentioned you also attended public a short stint-what did you end up doing with your kids or will do. Why did your parents send your siblings all to different schools? Can you share some insight from your background and family home front about the schools. Was it hard to transition to the different schools I.e. from public to private middle school to another high school? I am thinking to start public and transfer To private in either mid or high school.

Note, Area I am in the public schools are good but private school offers connections and opportunities to network with those of influence for your child down the road or does it? Has any of your alumni or parents alumni from pre-college been of network assistance? - job, School entrance, referral, insight to anything? I realize this may sound brash but we do live in a competitive world and it will be harder to get a job for our kids down the line. Making friends in the right circle from the start- I think does make a difference- and doing it softly without specific agenda when they are young (developing a relationship) makes relationsHip building easier.
Separately, curious, since moving back -have you made new friends that you see regularly or did you reconnect and stay with old friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

Actually DC is one of the fittest cities in the US.

hmmm . . . certain areas, maybe

[Anonymous]

"DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important. "

With bad haircuts.

[Anonymous]

What are your turn ons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

agreed, but it is a big metro area. #8 in the US

yea, METRO area, not city. For a city, it is #27, behind Nashville, El Paso, Milwaukee and even Detroit. Can we even call it a city, maybe it is a town?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP thanks for putting yourself out there; so sad that there are so many a__holes out there on this site. I agree living in a metropolis like DC is different because of the dynamics of the city.

Re your post, I have a couple of questions regarding the schools you've attended. I am on the fence with public versus private school for my young children. I think another poster mentioned you also attended public a short stint-what did you end up doing with your kids or will do. Why did your parents send your siblings all to different schools?

I'm not sure yet what I'll do for my kids re:public school because my DH and I may not be in DC when our DD (5 months now) is ready for that. We did private throught 1st grade which I think was great because we got the benefit of early reading/language and all of that, but then my parents saved money until middle school when the differences start to become apparent again.

My parents sent my siblings and I all to different private schools because they let us choose which school we wanted to attend. We all applied to the standard bunch, but my borther was more artsy so he liked GDS better whereas my oldest sister loved that at Holton you had to wear uniforms. God bless my mom because it was totally inconvenient, but I think it was the right thing to do- the right school for one kid won't necessarily be right for another.

Anonymous wrote:
Can you share some insight from your background and family home front about the schools. Was it hard to transition to the different schools I.e. from public to private middle school to another high school? I am thinking to start public and transfer To private in either mid or high school.

The transfer to private was really easy becasue most of my public school friends also transferred at 6th grade, so there's a good cohort of new kids and you don't feel like the only one.

Anonymous wrote:
and opportunities to network with those of influence for your child down the road or does it? Has any of your alumni or parents alumni from pre-college been of network assistance? - job, School entrance, referral, insight to anything? I realize this may sound brash but we do live in a competitive world and it will be harder to get a job for our kids down the line. Making friends in the right circle from the start- I think does make a difference- and doing it softly without specific agenda when they are young (developing a relationship) makes relationsHip building easier.
Separately, curious, since moving back -have you made new friends that you see regularly or did you reconnect and stay with old friends?

Yes the networking at private schools makes a difference. People like to deny it but its true. In college I was able to call friends parents for internships, which was very helpful. The accept rates at elite colleges is higherAlso those friendships growing up are ones that last a lifetime. I would say that 30% of my friends now are people that I knew growing up here.


Hey thanks for the question and support- I wasn't trying to start a flame-war and totally didn't realize that my post would hit the nerve that it did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in DC too and the OP is fu*king weird.

DC is just another mid sized city full of a bunch of out of shape ugly people who think they are smart and important.

agreed, but it is a big metro area. #8 in the US

yea, METRO area, not city. For a city, it is #27, behind Nashville, El Paso, Milwaukee and even Detroit. Can we even call it a city, maybe it is a town?

most of that just has to do with the physical size of the city. not too many square miles in the district. only way to compare populations is to do it by metro area.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm a Lafayette alum too. How nice you are still friends with your elementary school classmates. My experience was a bit different as I was mercilessly picked on for being a "nerd." Wait, what year did you graduate...?