If you've lived outside of DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rural Wisconsin: There are some nice things about it. Though right now, you couldn't pay me to go to Wisconsin.

Berlin: LOVED.

Rural Italy: Beautiful, but dealing with the bureaucracy to do even the smallest task made me swear off ever living there again.

Charlotte: Vapid, soulless, hyper-segregated cesspool surrounded by open white supremacists.

What's not to love?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love DC and have lived in the city for 31 years (honestly though, I am from MD).

I left 2x.

-Atlanta - NOPE. Too pretentious and the people are dumb
-Charlotte - lovely, but it's a company town and full of stepford wives.

I love DC b/c people are smart here. They are not just into being skinny (Charlotte) and driving fancy cars (Atlanta).

People in this area are definitely educated, but I wouldn’t use the “s” word

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in he deep South (hated it) and Boston, NYC and CA. Loved all those. Hated DMV and the South.

Where in the south? That's like saying you lived on the west coast or new england and hated it. I mean, were you in LA or Seattle? Or was it NYC or Schenectady? There are dozens upon dozens of cities and cultures there. I personally hate the heat, but your response isn't useful as is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love DC and have lived in the city for 31 years (honestly though, I am from MD).

I left 2x.

-Atlanta - NOPE. Too pretentious and the people are dumb
-Charlotte - lovely, but it's a company town and full of stepford wives.

I love DC b/c people are smart here. They are not just into being skinny (Charlotte) and driving fancy cars (Atlanta).

People in this area are definitely educated, but I wouldn’t use the “s” word

DP. I think you must've never lived in a place where the people are dumb. My spouse and I lived in South Carolina and would occasionally go to bar trivia. The two of us would win against multiple teams of eight adults. I'm not saying that bar trivia is a perfect proxy for IQ, but it's telling when many groups of adults can't come up with basic knowledge things like the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. People in DC are smart. It's a stark contrast.

[Anonymous]

jsmith123 wrote:Grew up in Southern California. Great place to grow up, but would not want to live there now. Where I lived you couldn't really walk anywhere, and there seems to be more focus on keeping up with the Joneses.

I'll just admit to loving DC, whatever that means about me. I love the change of seasons. I love being a parent here and everything there is to do for kids. I love Rock Creek Park. I love all the little shops near me. I love the access that the airports provide. I even like most of the people that I meet.

Same. Was born in NJ but grew up in the LA area and never felt like the right place for me. Very happy in DC for 25 years now. When I first move to DC in my 20s, what was most noticeable was that people in DC cared about what was going on in the world while it seemed like people I met in LA were more image-focused and cared about the entertainment industry.

In CA, my favorite place is San Luis Obispo, where I went to college. Unfortunately, the job market is limited.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Mill Valley, a town about twenty minutes north of San Francisco. It was the perfect mix of nature and outdoors, great restaurants/businesses, and a community atmosphere. If you wanted a city experience or to go clubbing, San Francisco was close by. If you wanted to hike or visit the outdoors, there were mountains, beaches, and forests.

I am stuck in DC/NOVA for career reasons, but if I could afford to move back, I would in a heartbeat. It is the perfect place to raise a family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsmith123 wrote:Grew up in Southern California. Great place to grow up, but would not want to live there now. Where I lived you couldn't really walk anywhere, and there seems to be more focus on keeping up with the Joneses.

I'll just admit to loving DC, whatever that means about me. I love the change of seasons. I love being a parent here and everything there is to do for kids. I love Rock Creek Park. I love all the little shops near me. I love the access that the airports provide. I even like most of the people that I meet.

Same. Was born in NJ but grew up in the LA area and never felt like the right place for me. Very happy in DC for 25 years now. When I first move to DC in my 20s, what was most noticeable was that people in DC cared about what was going on in the world while it seemed like people I met in LA were more image-focused and cared about the entertainment industry.

In CA, my favorite place is San Luis Obispo, where I went to college. Unfortunately, the job market is limited.

I'm a SLO grad too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Faves: Brussels, Rome, Lake Tahoe

Mehs: Boston, DC, Syracuse, Frankfurt

Used to have a house in North Tahoe.

I've only ever lived in CA outside of DC area, both norcal and socal. I prefer norcal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love DC and have lived in the city for 31 years (honestly though, I am from MD).

I left 2x.

-Atlanta - NOPE. Too pretentious and the people are dumb
-Charlotte - lovely, but it's a company town and full of stepford wives.

I love DC b/c people are smart here. They are not just into being skinny (Charlotte) and driving fancy cars (Atlanta).

People in this area are definitely educated, but I wouldn’t use the “s” word

Agree. Zero sense of humor. Completely miss irony. Never smile. That's not smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cape Town for 2 years. Beautiful, obviously, and the diversity of the area makes for an exciting cultural scene.

Saginaw Michigan would be nice if I went back when I was retired with a modest pension and a cabin up in the woods.

Ug. You mean extremely wealthy white and completely impoverished blacks who live on mattresses in the road with their kids? I've been there and seen it and its not diverse at all, it's polarized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love DC and have lived in the city for 31 years (honestly though, I am from MD).

I left 2x.

-Atlanta - NOPE. Too pretentious and the people are dumb
-Charlotte - lovely, but it's a company town and full of stepford wives.

I love DC b/c people are smart here. They are not just into being skinny (Charlotte) and driving fancy cars (Atlanta).

People in this area are definitely educated, but I wouldn’t use the “s” word

DP. I think you must've never lived in a place where the people are dumb. My spouse and I lived in South Carolina and would occasionally go to bar trivia. The two of us would win against multiple teams of eight adults. I'm not saying that bar trivia is a perfect proxy for IQ, but it's telling when many groups of adults can't come up with basic knowledge things like the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. People in DC are smart. It's a stark contrast.

Informed and smart are not the same things. Sure, I think more people in states (usually southern) where they don't spend money on education are more ignorant of things and that's tragic, but IQ-wise, they are probably the same. Just more wasted intellect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love DC and have lived in the city for 31 years (honestly though, I am from MD).

I left 2x.

-Atlanta - NOPE. Too pretentious and the people are dumb
-Charlotte - lovely, but it's a company town and full of stepford wives.

I love DC b/c people are smart here. They are not just into being skinny (Charlotte) and driving fancy cars (Atlanta).

People in this area are definitely educated, but I wouldn’t use the “s” word

DP. I think you must've never lived in a place where the people are dumb. My spouse and I lived in South Carolina and would occasionally go to bar trivia. The two of us would win against multiple teams of eight adults. I'm not saying that bar trivia is a perfect proxy for IQ, but it's telling when many groups of adults can't come up with basic knowledge things like the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. People in DC are smart. It's a stark contrast.

Informed and smart are not the same things. Sure, I think more people in states (usually southern) where they don't spend money on education are more ignorant of things and that's tragic, but IQ-wise, they are probably the same. Just more wasted intellect.

You think they don't know things because they don't spend money on schools or the schools don't teach it? Yeah, you've never lived where there's an abundance of dumb people. There's no mistaking it. I had to explain to a colleague (in a municipal financial management office!) that there are four quarters in a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chicago. Obviously the weather is the worst part but you adapt. Great architecture, awesome food scene, very walkable/decent public transport, lots of neat neighborhoods, amazing cost of living for a city.

How long is the bad weather?

I’m thinking of moving there. I have lived in Vermont and Maine and the winters there were bad enough

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago. Obviously the weather is the worst part but you adapt. Great architecture, awesome food scene, very walkable/decent public transport, lots of neat neighborhoods, amazing cost of living for a city.

How long is the bad weather?

I’m thinking of moving there. I have lived in Vermont and Maine and the winters there were bad enough

DP. Former Chicagoan. I think it's not just that the winters are bad...they're just...ugly. Everything is so so grey. We've had snow fall in October (rare, but true) and go on through mid-March. Generally though, I'd say that the worst is end of November through February. And the wind that makes your face hurt and makes you cry. I don't miss that part of winter at all.

[Anonymous]

London: Loved it for the time I was there--young with no commitments
NYC: same as above, great for my 20s, wouldn't want to raise kids there
NYC suburb in Westchester: Love it, great road trips from here, town is walkable with beach, beautiful architecture, and close train to NYC

Will say that I also liked DC and Arlington when I lived there.