What would make DC more appealing for young professionals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Less crime.

Oh please. I moved here when I was 21 in 1991 and it was MUCH more dangerous. I didn't know a single person who lived in Capitol Hill who didn't get mugged at least once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

[Anonymous]

Just for the hell of it I googled “best cities for young professionals.”

I couldn’t find a link that didn’t include DC high on its list.

This thread obviously wasn’t started by a young professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

what was the COL in 1993 compared to today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

what was the COL in 1993 compared to today?

$30,744. Not much more. I had 5 roommates and lived in the hood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Less crime.

Oh please. I moved here when I was 21 in 1991 and it was MUCH more dangerous. I didn't know a single person who lived in Capitol Hill who didn't get mugged at least once.

I feel like this should not be the standard 🙄 It’s like people talking about walking to school 2 miles in the snow with no shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lower taxes. Less crime. Better public transport. More green space.

This for sure. Especially the first 3 things.
(I am a professional in my 20s)

[Anonymous]

this is a weird thread. ever since anthony williams was mayor, dc has been built for young professionals. everything revolves around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

+1

Summer of '99 I was at $23,500. Big pimpin'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

what was the COL in 1993 compared to today?

$30,744. Not much more. I had 5 roommates and lived in the hood.

+1. And we still all managed to pay our student loans. Of course, this was before everyone “needed” a $200/month phone plan and $20 salads from Sweetgreen for lunch.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand. There are tons of young professionals in DC.

The question should be "what would make DC more appealing for families" because that's the demographic that DC should be concerned about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand. There are tons of young professionals in DC.

The question should be "what would make DC more appealing for families" because that's the demographic that DC should be concerned about.

Sounds like that’s your demographic. LOL.

DC government has made it a matter of policy to cater to childless young professionals and DINKs at the expense of families. That ship sailed a long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do think it is harder to be young and broke-ish in DC, or at least in the way my friends lived in those post-college years. Not enough apartments (too many condos), rents are high for even pretty small places, not a real long-term rental culture like in NY. Also not enough independently owned and cheap (but delicious) restaurants in DC. I know every other city has expensive and fancy restaurants, but many ALSO have great dives, holes -in-the-wall, and take out places where you can eat cheaply and quickly if you need to. Often these are ethnic restaurants and most of the great/cheap ethnic places in the DC area are in the suburbs.
DC's too corporate or something.

True. Lots of young people move here for Hill jobs, non-profits, etc. with dreams of changing the world. But the $45k or whatever legislative assistants get paid these days, or entry level non-profit staffers, etc. doesn't go that far in DC. Much easier to make it on a Deloitte salary, and there are SO MANY of those types of jobs here. Thus a kind of corporate culture. That said, I still think it's a young professional's city for sure, and don't agree with the premise of the thread.

In 1993, my salary on the Hill was $15k with a Master's Degree. Somehow I made it, as others do.

+1

Summer of '99 I was at $23,500. Big pimpin'.

GS7 in 1998 I was making $27790.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would make DC more appealing for young professionals?

DC is not a young person's city, certainly not in the way that other cities are.

Not much you can do to change that.

Why its not? Lots of young people dream of working and living on the Hill.

DC does not offer what other cities offer. Compared to other cities, DC is not that walkable, and DC is not at the top of young people's lists of where to locate after college.

Working on the Hill is not that impressive to everybody - it only appeals to a certain personality. That type of personality is not appealing to most people.

For example, OP - you are acting like DC is the be all and end all and why WOULDN'T young people want to be here?? That is exactly what turns people off, especially young people who have choices.

Sure, if you live in Chevy Chase DC by Rock Creek Park, it isn't very walkable. But then again, not many young people are living there. Where young people live - H Street, SW, Navy Yard, Shaw, NoMA (Eckington) and Ivy City, it is very walkable.

The fact that you don't consider DC to be walkable mean either you live somewhere in the burbs, or simply are not familiar with the neighborhoods young people are migrating to.

I live in CCDC and I'm a 15-minute walk to three separate Metro stops. You're talking out of your ass.