How can you NOT like living in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

La Jolla.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

+1

The DC Suburbs are the least racist areas in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

+1

The DC Suburbs are the least racist areas in the country.

This is factually incorrect. Maryland is among the most segregated states in the country w/respect to its schools. Virginia is not much better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/05/15/the-most-segregated-schools-may-not-be-in-the-states-youd-expect-2/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/15/school-segregation-civil-rights-project/9115823/

Maryland ranks third when it comes to the share of black students in high-minority schools and fourth-lowest when it comes to black exposure to white students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

I would agree with all of this, esp the bolded part. Also, there is very little soul, or character, like you would find in a working class city like Baltimore, or dynamism and creative energy like you'd find in NY or SF, or history like you'd find in an old New England town. It's a very pleasant, walkable city with great playgrounds and tons of entertainment for kids (museums, lots of free events), a very educated population, but a very bland core.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

+1

The DC Suburbs are the least racist areas in the country.

This is factually incorrect. Maryland is among the most segregated states in the country w/respect to its schools. Virginia is not much better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/05/15/the-most-segregated-schools-may-not-be-in-the-states-youd-expect-2/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/15/school-segregation-civil-rights-project/9115823/

Maryland ranks third when it comes to the share of black students in high-minority schools and fourth-lowest when it comes to black exposure to white students.

1) Virginia and Maryland as states are very different than DC suburbs (meaning locations near or inside the beltway)

2) Black and White are not the only races.

[Anonymous]

I could do without the humid summers & snow in the winter but I love living here, it's the best place for us.

[Anonymous]

I'd love living in DC if I could afford Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

I like DC and live mostly happily smack in the middle of the city but I can't really disagree with any of this. (Well, I do consider us middle class because we live in a very modest house and don't take nice vacations. But we are a two-income family earning close to 200k. Most most places in the country, that income would put us in a very different economic stratum.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

I would agree with all of this, esp the bolded part. Also, there is very little soul, or character, like you would find in a working class city like Baltimore, or dynamism and creative energy like you'd find in NY or SF, or history like you'd find in an old New England town. It's a very pleasant, walkable city with great playgrounds and tons of entertainment for kids (museums, lots of free events), a very educated population, but a very bland core.

+1

Adding a ton of tapas restaurants and pour-over coffee shops isn't making DC any more interesting.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the above, plus: very few decent restaurants, vapid and self-important people, shockingly bad public schools, shockingly bad childcare options, a push to make all of the city's playgrounds exactly the same, a total lack of architectural or landscape interest, a total lack of artistic or creative community, and the fact that it takes > 2 hours of driving to get anywhere worth going (beach/other city/mountains).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

+1

The DC Suburbs are the least racist areas in the country.

This is factually incorrect. Maryland is among the most segregated states in the country w/respect to its schools. Virginia is not much better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/05/15/the-most-segregated-schools-may-not-be-in-the-states-youd-expect-2/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/15/school-segregation-civil-rights-project/9115823/

Maryland ranks third when it comes to the share of black students in high-minority schools and fourth-lowest when it comes to black exposure to white students.

This is so true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My main issues are:

1. The weather - too hot and humid too much of the year. I like crisp weather, and I like cold weather.
2. The distance from the ocean or for that matter, any natural bodies of water.
3. The lack of character in the suburbs.

I'm not a hater. I just think DC is very expensive for what it is.

Sorry you are poor.

I don't get it. Are you saying that there's lots of character in McLean and Chevy Chase?

+10000 DC's housing stock sucks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

+1

The DC Suburbs are the least racist areas in the country.

This is factually incorrect. Maryland is among the most segregated states in the country w/respect to its schools. Virginia is not much better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/05/15/the-most-segregated-schools-may-not-be-in-the-states-youd-expect-2/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/15/school-segregation-civil-rights-project/9115823/

Maryland ranks third when it comes to the share of black students in high-minority schools and fourth-lowest when it comes to black exposure to white students.

1) Virginia and Maryland as states are very different than DC suburbs (meaning locations near or inside the beltway)

2) Black and White are not the only races.

I beg to differ. MoCo is very segregated and the MCPS achievement gap - largely race-based - is now at a crisis point.

I agree that Black and White are not the only races.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many lawyers, lobbyists and angry low income residents. And yes, I know that there are people who are not these things.

I live in a low-income neighborhood. The vast majority of them are not angry. Maybe try getting out more?

But there is this white-apologist attitude of most of the white neighbors that I find appalling. I can't choose my skin color either.

[Anonymous]

I was just out of town on holiday and my heart sank as I arrived at the gate for my plane to DC and saw all the self important DCites waiting for the plane. There are good things about the area, but it does attract a certain type of person whom I don't find very attractive.