Pros and Cons of Moving to DC Area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I adore DC - I think it is the best place in the united states to raise kids and is without a doubt the least stressful location for us. That said, we have grandparents in town who are extraordinarily helpful - both with their time in taking care of our kids, doing errands for us, and being generally supportive and with their money (of which there is lots). My husband has a very strong legacy at a "Big 3" and he has a trust to pay for our kids to go there from K through 12, but as a back-up we live in a NWDC neighborhood with a fabulous elementary school. This means our commutes are easy so no traffic headaches to speak of. To top it off, we both work in flexible, interesting, high paying jobs that we couldn't have anywhere else. We also have a beach house we inherited from my grandparents and a legacy membership to two country clubs. Now I realize that none of this is helpful because it all only applies to me and my family, but since you don't seem to care for any of the objective measures of comparison I figured I'd share our limited experience.

Wow, must be nice, PP. Now, let me give you the exact opposite perspective. DH and I have excellent jobs, but it's not enough for this area. We've been here between 10-15 years and we're fed up with the cost of living, the housing prices and the crappy houses you get for these exorbitant prices, the traffic, congestion, overcrowded everything, waitlists to do everything, competitive nature of everyone, and the crappy public schools in DC and Montgo. Co. We can't afford private, we can't afford a decent home, and let me say again, we have excellent jobs and two master's degrees.

If your life mirrors the PP's above, then you'll be quite happy here. If you are more like me, you'll be looking for a way out - although we can't seem to get out because smaller cities don't have jobs for us. Lose/lose.

PP, thank you for sharing so honestly and openly, I think many people fail to look beyond their bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op here: I am writing an article about DC. Want to make sure it is the same as when I left 20 years ago.

Then you should do your own research. I'm not going to do your work for you.

I can assure you that was not me, but clearly someone looking to start an issue.

Because you are clearly capable of creating issues all on your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here: I am writing an article about DC. Want to make sure it is the same as when I left 20 years ago.

I am OP, that person just co-opted the thread because I am not writing an article.

To make clear, that person claiming to be the OP is not me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you sound like a pain in the ass. Please move to NWDC or Bethesda, not to McLean.

Thank you.

*hugs*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I adore DC - I think it is the best place in the united states to raise kids and is without a doubt the least stressful location for us. That said, we have grandparents in town who are extraordinarily helpful - both with their time in taking care of our kids, doing errands for us, and being generally supportive and with their money (of which there is lots). My husband has a very strong legacy at a "Big 3" and he has a trust to pay for our kids to go there from K through 12, but as a back-up we live in a NWDC neighborhood with a fabulous elementary school. This means our commutes are easy so no traffic headaches to speak of. To top it off, we both work in flexible, interesting, high paying jobs that we couldn't have anywhere else. We also have a beach house we inherited from my grandparents and a legacy membership to two country clubs. Now I realize that none of this is helpful because it all only applies to me and my family, but since you don't seem to care for any of the objective measures of comparison I figured I'd share our limited experience.

Wow, must be nice, PP. Now, let me give you the exact opposite perspective. DH and I have excellent jobs, but it's not enough for this area. We've been here between 10-15 years and we're fed up with the cost of living, the housing prices and the crappy houses you get for these exorbitant prices, the traffic, congestion, overcrowded everything, waitlists to do everything, competitive nature of everyone, and the crappy public schools in DC and Montgo. Co. We can't afford private, we can't afford a decent home, and let me say again, we have excellent jobs and two master's degrees.

If your life mirrors the PP's above, then you'll be quite happy here. If you are more like me, you'll be looking for a way out - although we can't seem to get out because smaller cities don't have jobs for us. Lose/lose.

A tale of two cities indeed. The first poster was certainly very entitled and proud of her entitlement. The second poster is very honest, and likely very typical of so many people living in this area.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

...and often people reply with ballpark income. "I'm a partner. While I'm not yet clearing $750,000, I'm getting there."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

I now live elsewhere, but I used to live in DC. I never get asked this question, and I have learned not to ask it of others either. People ask you how you are doing, about your family, what you did for the weekend, what you think of the issues in the news, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

...and often people reply with ballpark income. "I'm a partner. While I'm not yet clearing $750,000, I'm getting there."

I have never had a conversation like this in DC or anywhere else for that matter!

[Anonymous]

Really, OP, I don't understand why you would come to an anonymous forum to ask about the pros and cons of living in DC unless you wanted opinions to your specific situation. Without specifics, you might as well do a google search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I adore DC - I think it is the best place in the united states to raise kids and is without a doubt the least stressful location for us. That said, we have grandparents in town who are extraordinarily helpful - both with their time in taking care of our kids, doing errands for us, and being generally supportive and with their money (of which there is lots). My husband has a very strong legacy at a "Big 3" and he has a trust to pay for our kids to go there from K through 12, but as a back-up we live in a NWDC neighborhood with a fabulous elementary school. This means our commutes are easy so no traffic headaches to speak of. To top it off, we both work in flexible, interesting, high paying jobs that we couldn't have anywhere else. We also have a beach house we inherited from my grandparents and a legacy membership to two country clubs. Now I realize that none of this is helpful because it all only applies to me and my family, but since you don't seem to care for any of the objective measures of comparison I figured I'd share our limited experience.

Wow, must be nice, PP. Now, let me give you the exact opposite perspective. DH and I have excellent jobs, but it's not enough for this area. We've been here between 10-15 years and we're fed up with the cost of living, the housing prices and the crappy houses you get for these exorbitant prices, the traffic, congestion, overcrowded everything, waitlists to do everything, competitive nature of everyone, and the crappy public schools in DC and Montgo. Co. We can't afford private, we can't afford a decent home, and let me say again, we have excellent jobs and two master's degrees.

If your life mirrors the PP's above, then you'll be quite happy here. If you are more like me, you'll be looking for a way out - although we can't seem to get out because smaller cities don't have jobs for us. Lose/lose.

PP you speak for many of us. Nice to get the "real" perspective of life inside/outside the beltway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

Maybe it has to do with the SES of the people you meet? In DC, there are a lot of extremely well-educated people who do really interesting work. IMO, whenever you are in a city that people move to in order to pursue their careers, you will often talk about careers. I've found this true in DC, NYC, and SF.

[Anonymous]

I now live elsewhere, but I used to live in DC. I never get asked this question, and I have learned not to ask it of others either. People ask you how you are doing, about your family, what you did for the weekend, what you think of the issues in the news, etc.

I don't know. If you are talking to someone in their 20s or early 30s, they might not have kids, and asking what they do for a living is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask. In any case, I don't see any reason to be so defensive about it. Careers are a way that a lot of people spend a lot of their time and energy and thought (and this is not unique to DC), so it seems like a reasonable way to make small talk. It's like asking where are you from originally, or commenting on the weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived in the DC metro area once before, and are considering a move back for professional reasons. Would you currently recommend this area as a place to live? How is traffic now? How are the people (still competitive)? How is the current cost if living and quality of life? Is it getting too built up or crowded? We could afford a nice neighborhood and good schools, but even then is life stressful?

I adore DC - I think it is the best place in the united states to raise kids and is without a doubt the least stressful location for us. That said, we have grandparents in town who are extraordinarily helpful - both with their time in taking care of our kids, doing errands for us, and being generally supportive and with their money (of which there is lots). My husband has a very strong legacy at a "Big 3" and he has a trust to pay for our kids to go there from K through 12, but as a back-up we live in a NWDC neighborhood with a fabulous elementary school. This means our commutes are easy so no traffic headaches to speak of. To top it off, we both work in flexible, interesting, high paying jobs that we couldn't have anywhere else. We also have a beach house we inherited from my grandparents and a legacy membership to two country clubs. Now I realize that none of this is helpful because it all only applies to me and my family, but since you don't seem to care for any of the objective measures of comparison I figured I'd share our limited experience.

Pretty sure every place is pretty nice of you come from wealth and living near family is always helpful.
What jobs are flexible interesting and high paying? That is an unusual combo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the PP to whom you responded. While people will not ask you outright about your income, you will be asked often and immediately by total strangers what you do for a living. DC is the only place I have ever lived in which this is not only socially acceptable, but expected.

Really? I have lived all over the country. People all over the place ask this question as a way to make polite conversation with someone they don't know very well. I don't see why it's rude.

Maybe it has to do with the SES of the people you meet? In DC, there are a lot of extremely well-educated people who do really interesting work. IMO, whenever you are in a city that people move to in order to pursue their careers, you will often talk about careers. I've found this true in DC, NYC, and SF.

I have lived in the Bay Area, and there people would talk to you about politics, what they did for the weekend, your interests, your life and family, and what you worked on would eventually come up in the natural order of things. DC is the only place where people will ask you, straight out of the box, where do you work or what do you do, and then look right past you and move on if it does not sound good enough. I run in some very high SES circles. My tech colleagues on the west coast despise this attribute in the DC locals.