Are you too experiencing a different DC culture than the one everyone complains about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I love working and going out in DC, I just like coming home to my half an acre of land where I don't worry about a parking space or muggers or the schools.

I can't imagine anything more dull than sitting on my ass on a half acre of land. More to the point, such a lifestyle is socially irresponsible and doesn't deserve the kind of government support (energy, transportation, housing, and land use policies) it has received over the last 80 years.

Dull? What do you do in your spare time? I take my kids to activities, go to the gym and see my friends. Is that terribly different than how you spend your time? Do you go out all the time in the city? Do you have kids?

exactly. suburban life has all of the benefits of city life, PLUS the extra privacy and security. driving 30-45 minutes instead of 5 minutes to a museum is really not that big of a deal, considering it is once every few weeks or so. or driving 5 minutes to a nice park vs having one a 10 minute walk. I personally like my acre lot. they are my trees, my garden, my rocks, etc, that I can choose to do with as I please. I like mowing my yard, planting and gardening, and I like the privacy. fences and big yards make great neighbors.

[Anonymous]

OP again. Can we please not turn this into a suburbs versus city life debate? I think we've all read that debate before and no one ever convinces the other that they're right. Can we keep it to positive living in DC metro area stories?

[Anonymous]

I'm the DC mom who called you a yahoo. While I find horse farms and lots of land fun, you're a yahoo because you have a provincial view of living in the District. It isn't one size fits all place. I know people who live off of Glenbrook that have deer on their property all the time, or the old farm houses on Chain Bridge.

[Anonymous]

Okay PP, that may be true. So how can you say that living in "the city" is preferable to living in "the suburbs" when neither is a monolith?

[Anonymous]

Holy crap. Did you not read OP's post? Do you not know when to stop? Typical.

OP, I just think this is a perfect example of what people do not like so much. Just saying.

[Anonymous]

I think this may be more typical of your typical DCUM user than of your typical DC resident In my experience anyway.


SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....

If you're happy with your life in DC (be it in any of the quadrants, inside the beltway, outside the beltway whatever) - tell us where you live and why!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like we have lots of Silver Spring happiness. Where are my VA residents - anyone happy in Virginia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay PP, that may be true. So how can you say that living in "the city" is preferable to living in "the suburbs" when neither is a monolith?

I wasn't the one that said that living in the burbs sucked. I just said that "you get in where you fit in".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like we have lots of Silver Spring happiness. Where are my VA residents - anyone happy in Virginia?

Love Vienna. And my neighbor moved from Silver Spring to Vienna for the schools and because Silver Spring is kinda lower socioeconomically. I think lots of people who make $120K are happy. Enough to get by on a month in month out basis, not enough to save to pay for college for their kids, so not too much stress in that regard. It's a sweet spot of income. People making $400K are the unhappy strivers who are stressed out trying to save 4 mill for retirement and $250K for each kid for college.

[Anonymous]

I like Vienna, but do not love it. Wish they would redevelop some of the strip malls into some more pedestrian friendly mixed use developments, and allow for higher buildings and higher density in the "downtown" area along 123/Maple. That said, pretty good spot to live. Big lot, great schools, 5 minute drive to Tysons or Reston for shopping/restaurants. 10 minute drive to Dulles for flights, and the occasional 30-40 minute drive into DC is totally fine.

[Anonymous]

I love Fairfax. Old neighborhoods and homes. Our has a decent sized lot and lots of trees. Nothing is too terribly far away.

Other than the McMansions sprouting up - which are garish and totally out of character to many of the surrounding neighborhoods- I don't have many complaints.

City life is just not for everyone. While I can see the upside, for some those don't outweigh the things some people don't like. To each his / her own.

[Anonymous]

OK...who's happy inside DC? And where are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Fairfax. Old neighborhoods and homes. Our has a decent sized lot and lots of trees. Nothing is too terribly far away.

Other than the McMansions sprouting up - which are garish and totally out of character to many of the surrounding neighborhoods- I don't have many complaints.

City life is just not for everyone. While I can see the upside, for some those don't outweigh the things some people don't like. To each his / her own.

What part of Fairfax? Especially the "old neighborhoods and homes?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like Vienna, but do not love it. Wish they would redevelop some of the strip malls into some more pedestrian friendly mixed use developments, and allow for higher buildings and higher density in the "downtown" area along 123/Maple. That said, pretty good spot to live. Big lot, great schools, 5 minute drive to Tysons or Reston for shopping/restaurants. 10 minute drive to Dulles for flights, and the occasional 30-40 minute drive into DC is totally fine.

one thing to add, is when moving to the burbs, try to find a neighborhood with kids the same age as your kids. adds a lot to the enjoyment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK...who's happy inside DC? And where are you?

Very happy in Chevy Chase DC (b/w Conn Ave & Rock Creek Park). Frankly, it's more like the 'burbs in some ways (lots of deer!), but love love love our neighborhood, including our local elementary (Lafayette). Middle & high school are a long ways off for us, but hoping to send our kids to DCPS all the way through.

My theory is that there are a lot of unhappy people in this town (as in every town) and a disproportionate number of them find their way to DCUM, because it's a safe place to vent unhappiness. DC is not perfect, but is my favorite place to live after having lived in many great places. Yes, folks in DC may be a bit obsessed with their careers or their kids' educational attainment, but it's the same in New York and other big cities. It's better than in LA, where everyone just wants to be thin, tan, and famous. At least our ambitions are bit more substantive!