I haven't figured out how people raise children in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

Are you kidding? Spring and fall are exceptionally short, here.

And to answer your weather...southern coastal California.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

Are you kidding? Spring and fall are exceptionally short, here.

And to answer your weather...southern coastal California.

question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I think of all of the terribly negative people on this post: they are miserable people who would not be happy anywhere. Talk about ungrateful. The location isn't the problem- you are.

Wow. sensitive much? Who is being negative, now?

[Anonymous]

I love living here, the weather, the people, the culture, how easy it is to hop on plane and go home for both me and DH (direct flights).

The one thing I don't like is that there are all these wonderful events for kids (and for adults sometimes) and they are always so packed it's not worth going because one can't find parking or the metro is too crowded to navigate or once you get there the lines are too long to wait with young kids.

With two under 3 now we think twice about venturing anywhere, even the zoo in the summer, since the crowds usually make it too much trouble to actually enjoy it. I imagine it will only get worse, so sometimes I dream about moving somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

My relative who moved to Hawaii says he wonders how people can live in a place that only has nice weather two months out of the year!
How we are doing it? We bought several properties and rented them out to other people during our twenties and early thirties, to build a base for retirement.
We moved to a house in a NW neighborhood near metro & bus lines but east of the park, after the housing bubble burst. Got into a good public preschool outside our immediate boundary in DC. Hopefully we will be able to use sibling preference in 2012. We may go charter someday. The daycare is near my office downtown and it's not as pricey as a typical Bright Horizons, which charges 1700-1900 per month. We both work but HHI is under 160K.
When I imagine moving back home to California I am concerned about the high cost of living and the lack of jobs in my field. If we moved near DH's mom the hick factor would be unacceptably high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

Are you kidding? Spring and fall are exceptionally short, here.

And to answer your weather...southern coastal California.

See this is where weather just becomes incredibly personal. I would hate to live someplace with no seasons. And I also think temps in the 80s (like they get in LA all summer) are honestly too hot. I think San Francisco has close to pretty perfect weather. Just personal preference.

I think in a place that truly experiences four seasons, 1-2 months for spring and fall can be pretty typical. We often get up to 3 months.

[Anonymous]

I think Austin, the Bay Area, and possibly somewhere like Denver or Seattle are the only places I could live right now. There is work in Atlanta and Raleigh but I don't like the weather & not a big fan of alligators in my lakes!

[Anonymous]

What are some good semi-rural, beautiful places that also have a lot of highly educated people & some culture? I mean besides Aspen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

This is me. I wish the summers weren't SO hot, but wouldn't trade in our fall/spring and mild winters.

This is me too. I love the weather here just because to find ideal weather I would need to move every three months and that is not practical. Like a PP said above - I love and need seasons so couldn't do west coast. I could not tolerate a colder winter than here. Yes summers are probably more pleasant farther north but I refuse to live in a frickin' tundra for 9 months to get that.

We are just not in the position to summer in Maine or winter in CA or the Caribbean so here we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The crazy part is some people LOVE the weather here. I don't like the hot summers, but we have mild winters and exceptionally long spring and fall. Also, where is it that has year-round ideal weather? Maybe in Northern California which is just insanely expensive.

Are you kidding? Spring and fall are exceptionally short, here.

And to answer your weather...southern coastal California.

CA doesn't have all the seasons. Plus, you'd be living in CA. Outside of FL that is probably the last state I would live in.

[Anonymous]

Fact: The people who have recently moved to upper NW(Last 10yrs) are wealthy either by their own means or trust funds. THey're the brightest, go-getters in this area and they can afford to live in DC comfortably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Austin, the Bay Area, and possibly somewhere like Denver or Seattle are the only places I could live right now. There is work in Atlanta and Raleigh but I don't like the weather & not a big fan of alligators in my lakes!

I love Austin, but it is as hot as the surface of the sun in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fact: The people who have recently moved to upper NW(Last 10yrs) are wealthy either by their own means or trust funds. THey're the brightest, go-getters in this area and they can afford to live in DC comfortably.

Data to back your statement up, please. I smell some bs!

[Anonymous]

DC summers are unpleasant but the rest of the seasons are nice. Winter has a couple of snow storms but it isn't Buffalo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The job thing, I agree, is out of control. People massively overestimate their own importance, and need to relax more, spend less time in the office, and generate self-worth other than through their jobs.

The high price for housing thing is just a reflection of the relatively high incomes and the fact that lots of people want to live here. It is still a lot cheaper than other places like London, New York, or San Francisco.As for your question of whether people are happy raising children here, the answer is of course no. If we wanted to be happy we wouldn't have had kids. We would be on a mini-break now on some Caribbean Island. But we were idiots.

actually, it isn't.

actually, it is.

I have to add my own "so there" to the chorus. San Francisco is most definitely more expensive. And you get less for your money. I like the Bay Area a lot, but the housing is amazingly expensive. And you will be living on or right next to two major faults, with no hope of buying earthquake insurance. Also, as a PP said, California due to its budget problems is screwed.