Transplants vs DC Natives

[Anonymous]

I'm a transplant. Moved here 9 years ago. I am just not a good fit for DC. Now that we have a child about to hit public schools my husband is finally understanding why we need to move.

We both have low profile jobs and a SN kid. Can't think of anything that is working for us here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved here in 2000. In that time, I've met 2 natives. So I can't really compare them to transplants.

Interesting. I live in DC but grew up in "close-in" MD suburb. It seems like many, many people I know from HS still live around here.

I have lived in NW DC for 10 years. I have met many locals. I have met people whose parents are natives.

[Anonymous]

Native. My parents were posted here as diplomats. Served their time and became citizens. I love raising my kids here (close in burbs). We're downtown almost every weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Native. Before I was born (in the 70s) my parents had been here for over 20 years. My kids were born in DC too (Sibley second generation).
........

This is all so true.

Another native - this is spot on.

[Anonymous]

I am a transplant married to a native. He is much more into the urban thing than I am -- bikes to work and around town, refuses to move far from the city center. But he still loves to go to the monuments at night sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved here in 2000. In that time, I've met 2 natives. So I can't really compare them to transplants.

Interesting. I live in DC but grew up in "close-in" MD suburb. It seems like many, many people I know from HS still live around here.

Me, too.
CCMD native/resident

[Anonymous]

DH and I are FXCO natives. By weird coincidence, our parents grew up blocks from each other in DC.

Difference? We are comfortable suburbanites and contend that our parents very much escaped to the safety (crime and job) of the suburbs and never looked back. We rarely venture into DC. We don't really keep in close touch with our childhood friends. Most have moved away, but find that we easily strike up friendships with other VA locals just by playing the "do you know..." game.

Mostly, I find people rarely ask where I'm from so it doesn't come up often. If it does, most people don't seem interested in hearing further details. Other natives are more chatty and interested in sharing stories about the good old days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My grandparents were born/raised in DC and owned a restaurant on Capitol Hill for decades. My father was born and raised in DC too....rode the streetcar out to Glen echo, walked the exorcist stairs to get to elementary school, worked for the FBI when Kennedy was shot...met my mom and was married in DC. My siblings and I were all born in DC, but we moved away when I was 5. We visited relatives yearly, but I didn't move back until I was 23 and then stayed until I was 40. What am I? Native or transplant? And to answer the question, I never saw any distinct differences between the two groups.

To answer your question, you are most definitely a transplant.

My mom was born here in the early 40s and moved to San Francisco when she was seven because the FBI transferred my grandfather, who was I think a third-generation DC native. His large family was all still here. She moved back here as soon as she graduated from college, married a Bethesda native and lived here for 45 more years until she died. I've always thought of her as a native.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

That's funny, because as someone who you'd define as a "transplant" (horrible word, I'm not a spare organ) I view the area through shit colored glasses.

I find the people who grew up here and returned after college to be very unimaginative, uncreative and highly conservative. But then I'm only meeting parents of kids the same age as my own, so I expect all the really truly interesting people are out doing their interesting things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

That's funny, because as someone who you'd define as a "transplant" (horrible word, I'm not a spare organ) I view the area through shit colored glasses.

I find the people who grew up here and returned after college to be very unimaginative, uncreative and highly conservative. But then I'm only meeting parents of kids the same age as my own, so I expect all the really truly interesting people are out doing their interesting things.

Get the f*ck over yourself. People all over the world go to college and return home. They're not all "unimaginative, uncreative, and highly conservative." Besides, YOU chose to come here. What does that make you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Native here. DC transplants to me seem unnaturally enthused with the city. I am 27 and when people find out I grew up here I get a lot "Wow!!!! Really?!! I can't imagine having grown up in DC!! OMG!"

I always kind of have to hold back laughter because it just seems so absurd to me.

I think many of the transplants see DC as some sort of Gotham/metropolis, which i can understand, since many came from small towns. But having grown up here, DC really feels like a small town to me, in many ways, so I don't understand the shock at people imagining kids growing up here.

I lived in Atlanta and transplants would act like this. This behavior isn't unique to DC. There are also many people, including myself, who find DC small and unimpressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Native here. DC transplants to me seem unnaturally enthused with the city. I am 27 and when people find out I grew up here I get a lot "Wow!!!! Really?!! I can't imagine having grown up in DC!! OMG!"

I always kind of have to hold back laughter because it just seems so absurd to me.

I think many of the transplants see DC as some sort of Gotham/metropolis, which i can understand, since many came from small towns. But having grown up here, DC really feels like a small town to me, in many ways, so I don't understand the shock at people imagining kids growing up here.

I lived in Atlanta and transplants would act like this. This behavior isn't unique to DC. There are also many people, including myself, who find DC small and unimpressive.

In what ways do you find DC small and unimpressive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Native here. DC transplants to me seem unnaturally enthused with the city. I am 27 and when people find out I grew up here I get a lot "Wow!!!! Really?!! I can't imagine having grown up in DC!! OMG!"

I always kind of have to hold back laughter because it just seems so absurd to me.

I think many of the transplants see DC as some sort of Gotham/metropolis, which i can understand, since many came from small towns. But having grown up here, DC really feels like a small town to me, in many ways, so I don't understand the shock at people imagining kids growing up here.

I lived in Atlanta and transplants would act like this. This behavior isn't unique to DC. There are also many people, including myself, who find DC small and unimpressive.

In what ways do you find DC small and unimpressive?

It is a small city, but I like it. There is noticeably less wealth than other cities such as London or NY. People get really excited over the price of real estate when it isn't that expensive and get really into private schools when they aren't that big of a deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

Transplant here, and I detest this area. I cried when I found out we had to move back after being away for ten glorious years.

Now I'm here, and it's all about escaping at the first opportunity. There is no thrill, just dread.

This. I have been here 20+ years and cannot wait to get the hell out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

That's funny, because as someone who you'd define as a "transplant" (horrible word, I'm not a spare organ) I view the area through shit colored glasses.

I find the people who grew up here and returned after college to be very unimaginative, uncreative and highly conservative. But then I'm only meeting parents of kids the same age as my own, so I expect all the really truly interesting people are out doing their interesting things.

Get the f*ck over yourself. People all over the world go to college and return home. They're not all "unimaginative, uncreative, and highly conservative." Besides, YOU chose to come here. What does that make you?

Are you always this defensive and immature?