If you don't like DC, what prevents you from leaving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't leave because of DH's job. Not convinced where my family lives is any better. The grass is not always greener. All you have to do is look up a city data forum of a place you want to move to, and you will find a thread about how that place sucks.

This. I left an area many people probably think they might love to live in (SoCal) to move to DC. DC is not perfect, but there are many aspects of living here that I prefer over SoCal. Not the weather, tho.

Isn't it like 110 degrees there right now with rampant wildfires?

Not if you're west of the 5, which we were. It's a pretty mild, Mediterranean-like climate there. 70° and sunny year-round (although a little warmer in the summer months). Again, not hatin' on the weather there!

Although when we first moved there, there were some pretty bad wildfires outside of San Diego. Had never seen ash drifting from the sky before, and people walking around in facemasks--craziness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^I mean, if you are sooooooo excited to live in DC, far be it for me to rain on your parade. The museums are great, absolutely. But the shittier and shittier with every passing year public transit makes it a hassle to get to, let alone the traffic

It's mainly the culture. There is such a dearth of creative culture in DC. Of course, it's a government center, so it's going to attract the wonk types, not the creatives, but still... for a large city the dearth of creativity on such a level is kind of remarkable.

Also the people. Again with the lack of creativity- it tends to attract many small minded rule follower types, whether liberal or conservative. It doesnt have the vibrancy of great world cities like New York, LA, San Francisco, even Seattle.

Please define large city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I came to DC because my husband was transferred there for work and it seemed like the better alternative to divorce. He works for the govt and his job is one of a kind, so there was no alternative for him unless he wanted to completely start over. We were able to leave after 7 years, but I can't break my DCUM addiction. I have tried!

My problem with DC was the traffic, rude people (result of traffic, I think), high cost of living, and long work hours. Our life was just tougher there.

I love it but we make plenty of money so it doesn't seem expensive. We also live close to our jobs and never fight traffic. We also have a great work/life balance.

Regardless of how much you make, it sucks living in an area where you pay so much for so little, in terms of both quality of life and the general area.

There's a reason the rick dont "summer" "winter" or spend any season in DC!

The stats beg to differ with your assessment of the rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just really curious. No snark intended. It's just tiresome to read the ad nauseam posts about being miserable in DC. If I truly hated a place, I would leave right away. Life's too short. If another place calls to you, you have ties there, you just love love love it, and the people are awesomely friendly, surely you can find a job there? Why be so unhappy that your perspective is clouded to the point that you think everyone here is terrible? That's just illogical.

i'd guess there's a sizable number of military wives on DCUM. we don't have a say. if i could leave right away, i would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just really curious. No snark intended. It's just tiresome to read the ad nauseam posts about being miserable in DC. If I truly hated a place, I would leave right away. Life's too short. If another place calls to you, you have ties there, you just love love love it, and the people are awesomely friendly, surely you can find a job there? Why be so unhappy that your perspective is clouded to the point that you think everyone here is terrible? That's just illogical.

i'd guess there's a sizable number of military wives on DCUM. we don't have a say. if i could leave right away, i would.

+1!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in DC, but know multiple people who do and would like to move for improved quality of life. In every instance, they would have to take big enough salary and benefits cuts, even accounting for lower cost of living in their preferred region, that they can't justify the move. I only know one who took the pay cut to move, and he didn't have a family yet, was leaving to live with his finances in another city. The jobs and salaries are definitely a force.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I dont live in DC anymore. Thank God. But I still reserve the right to snark on it, because it genuinely is a shitty place.

If you dont like it, don't open threads complaining about DC.

Ah, wondered why the aura had changed. And the odor, that unpleasant odor has gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody's answering the question.

I can't make this much money any place else in the world.

[Anonymous]

90% of the time the answer is "I don't have any skills marketable outside of the government."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just really curious. No snark intended. It's just tiresome to read the ad nauseam posts about being miserable in DC. If I truly hated a place, I would leave right away. Life's too short. If another place calls to you, you have ties there, you just love love love it, and the people are awesomely friendly, surely you can find a job there? Why be so unhappy that your perspective is clouded to the point that you think everyone here is terrible? That's just illogical.

DH's industry is here and southern CA, prefer here. Wish it were N.E.

Aerospace?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I dont live in DC anymore. Thank God. But I still reserve the right to snark on it, because it genuinely is a shitty place.

If you dont like it, don't open threads complaining about DC.

Ah, wondered why the aura had changed. And the odor, that unpleasant odor has gone.

Case in point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't leave because of DH's job. Not convinced where my family lives is any better. The grass is not always greener. All you have to do is look up a city data forum of a place you want to move to, and you will find a thread about how that place sucks.

This. I left an area many people probably think they might love to live in (SoCal) to move to DC. DC is not perfect, but there are many aspects of living here that I prefer over SoCal. Not the weather, tho.

Isn't it like 110 degrees there right now with rampant wildfires?

Not if you're west of the 5, which we were. It's a pretty mild, Mediterranean-like climate there. 70° and sunny year-round (although a little warmer in the summer months). Again, not hatin' on the weather there!

Although when we first moved there, there were some pretty bad wildfires outside of San Diego. Had never seen ash drifting from the sky before, and people walking around in facemasks--craziness.

I'm from the LA area, grew up just over the mountains from Malibu and worked in West LA for a few years after college. And I think people who move away romanticize the weather. No, it isn't 70 year round. I recall many, many crazy hot days. The dry Santa Ana winds in the Fall were miserable. The smell of brush fires was the smell of Fall, they happen every year. Followed by mudslides in the winter (although they seem to have gotten a bit better from what my parents report - perhaps improvement in erosion control). Droughts, having to worry about how much water you are using (it's not just a new thing). I'd happily spend Summers on the central coast of CA but other than Summer, I prefer the weather and lush greenery in DC with a beautiful Fall and some real winter but not as much as if we lived farther north.

Also, IME, the LA suburbs are no more "creative" than the DC suburbs. I also worked with the film industry in my first post-college job. There are plenty of uncreative jerks working in film.

But, plenty of people love LA, it's just not for me. Just like DC isn't for some people. PPs who like LA -- enjoy! I'm glad you are happy. NO PLACE is "perfect" for all people. If you feel like you are stuck here, make the best of it and try to find ways to enjoy it (or wallow in your misery if you prefer but that's not how I'd want to live). You might benefit from reading this book: "This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live", written by a woman who was stuck in Blacksburg VA when her husband got a job at VA Tech. https://www.amazon.com/This-Where-You-Belong-Science/dp/0525429123/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466424825&sr=1-5&keywords=love+where+you+live

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just really curious. No snark intended. It's just tiresome to read the ad nauseam posts about being miserable in DC. If I truly hated a place, I would leave right away. Life's too short. If another place calls to you, you have ties there, you just love love love it, and the people are awesomely friendly, surely you can find a job there? Why be so unhappy that your perspective is clouded to the point that you think everyone here is terrible? That's just illogical.

They have soft, cushy, overpaid, under worked jobs sucking at the federal govt. test.

[Anonymous]

I've always wondered why so many DCUMers believe they can only find work in DC. My sister has worked for the Federal government her entire career -- in California. There are Federal jobs in every state of the union. Is everyone on here a member of Congress?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't leave because of DH's job. Not convinced where my family lives is any better. The grass is not always greener. All you have to do is look up a city data forum of a place you want to move to, and you will find a thread about how that place sucks.

This. I left an area many people probably think they might love to live in (SoCal) to move to DC. DC is not perfect, but there are many aspects of living here that I prefer over SoCal. Not the weather, tho.

+1

The worst thing about SoCal is the distances involved in driving. Going from my grandmother's house in Orange County for lunch to grab dinner with friends in West Hollywood is a 60 mile drive that takes nearly 2 hours.
All your errands - even to your local grocery - ends up being a 20-25 minute drive one-way.
Oh your best friend lives in The Valley while you live in West LA? You'll only see them 3 or 4 times per year. No one ever wants to leave the radius more than 30 minutes from their house.
That gorgeous beach? You won't go to the beach if you live more than 5 miles from it.

Been there, done that.