Transplants vs DC Natives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with locals, except that they make assumptions they would not admit to, such as: if one is not from the D.C. area, one must be from podunk. Hardly the case, IRL. In fact, most of the transplants I know are making this area a much, much (much!) better place.

Frankly, I would be grateful, as a local - that transplants have increased my property values and escalated this swamp area of government workers into someplace worthwhile.

Yeah, for yourselves. You don't give a damn about preserving DC culture, just super-imposing your own "ideals" on the existing system. You gentrifiers make me sick.

[Anonymous]

i'm a transplant. IME, people from D.C. generally seem to: have a high opinion of themselves, be very concerned with appearances, always be networking, place their career above all else in their lives. whereas transplants generally seem to: be insecure about their social position and/or about their educational or professional accomplishments, complain a lot about the cost of living here and about the people here, pretend not to care about climbing the ladder socially or professionally when they clearly do care about that very much, like to talk about how their hometowns are so much better than D.C.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

I find natives easily impressed and a little pompous, considering that they grew up in a far more modest area than what the transplants transformed D.C. into. Natives can pretend not to understand, but it becomes predictable.

This makes me laugh. Even when DC was perceived as a sleepy backwater town, it was still WASHINGTON, DC CAPITAL of the FREE WORLD.
I'm not saying San Diego, Portland, Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, Nashville and Houston aren't lovely places, but I hardly think of these places as a bastion of elitism at the expense of DC as a modest upbringing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I a transplant? I've lived here since 1994. I'm 45. I sure feel like a native at this point.

You're not.

You have to have gone to (at the very least) high school here in order to even approach being grandfathered in. Sorry.

Transplants generally try to use a 10-year stay as a replacement for actually being from here. Even your great length doesn't meet the mark. If you say you're from here, the first question a real Washingtonian will ask is "Where'd you go to high school?" It tells us who you are/were.

I went to Jefferson, then Banneker. Means I'm a nerd. It's our shorthand.

Yeesh, excuse me. You make it sound like a test, a test I don't want to pass. I'll wear my long 21 years here proudly. And also proudly say I'm originally from New York state. And I don't need your fake apology.

Peekskill or Orchard Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem with locals, except that they make assumptions they would not admit to, such as: if one is not from the D.C. area, one must be from podunk. Hardly the case, IRL. In fact, most of the transplants I know are making this area a much, much (much!) better place.

Frankly, I would be grateful, as a local - that transplants have increased my property values and escalated this swamp area of government workers into someplace worthwhile.

There was obvious something good in DC that brought you here. Otherwise you would have stayed in your swanky local and made it better. I guess you couldn't find it in your hometown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What differences do you notice between the two?

D.C. native are extremely hostile, smug and passive - sometimes passive aggressive; and seem to hate happy people. It would suck to be a native. No matter how many years I have resided here, I will never be a native.

LMAO. You sound so bitter.

But you are right about one thing, you will never, EVER be a native. Thank God for that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all of us choose to live here, there are many government and military positions based here and we simply have no choice but to suffer through it and pray for a better opportunity with the next assignment.

It probably isn't fair, but DCUM was the final confirmation for me that this area is a terrible place full of terrible, terrible people. The idea of having to raise my kids here ...

Um, if you are active duty military you're right, you don't have a choice. And even with military, you are more often than not given three places to choose from. So you must have put this area down as one of your three choices.. if you are a civilian government worker, that 's your choice and nobody, absolutely nobody is forcing you to be here. You are here by choice.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I a transplant? I've lived here since 1994. I'm 45. I sure feel like a native at this point.

You're not.

You have to have gone to (at the very least) high school here in order to even approach being grandfathered in. Sorry.

Transplants generally try to use a 10-year stay as a replacement for actually being from here. Even your great length doesn't meet the mark. If you say you're from here, the first question a real Washingtonian will ask is "Where'd you go to high school?" It tells us who you are/were.

I went to Jefferson, then Banneker. Means I'm a nerd. It's our shorthand.

THIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

I find natives easily impressed and a little pompous, considering that they grew up in a far more modest area than what the transplants transformed D.C. into. Natives can pretend not to understand, but it becomes predictable.

This makes me laugh. Even when DC was perceived as a sleepy backwater town, it was still WASHINGTON, DC CAPITAL of the FREE WORLD.
I'm not saying San Diego, Portland, Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, Nashville and Houston aren't lovely places, but I hardly think of these places as a bastion of elitism at the expense of DC as a modest upbringing.

Exactly. DC has always had a relatively small population, but a ridiculous amount of importance. The same cannot be said for the other cities mentioned.

Basically, unless you are from New York CITY (not state) or Los Angeles- sit down. Your cities just aren't as important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i'm a transplant. IME, people from D.C. generally seem to: have a high opinion of themselves, be very concerned with appearances, always be networking, place their career above all else in their lives. whereas transplants generally seem to: be insecure about their social position and/or about their educational or professional accomplishments, complain a lot about the cost of living here and about the people here, pretend not to care about climbing the ladder socially or professionally when they clearly do care about that very much, like to talk about how their hometowns are so much better than D.C.

I think this is a great summation.

The funniest part is the transplants who complain that DC natives seem "smug" and "insular", and profess that they really could care less about fitting in. Meanwhile, they're researching the best private schools and trying to go to all the hip parts of town.

HILARIOUS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I a transplant? I've lived here since 1994. I'm 45. I sure feel like a native at this point.

Yes, you are a transplant. If you can't answer "where did you go to school?", then you are a transplant.

Transplant here, currently engaged to a Native.
I strongly agree, that school identity is a key distinguishing feature among my Native friends. Typical conversation: "Oh, do you know Tim?" "No - which high school did he go to?" "Oh, he went WJ, he ran around with James and the lacrosse guys." "Oh wow, small world!"
Even if you've lived here for 25 years as an adult, you're still a Transplant.


The Natives really stick together. They all grew up in the same neighborhood, attended the same schools, do favors for each other in business and real estate, socialize together (same country clubs, swim clubs, BBQs, etc.) and are raising kids together.

The only way to truly break in to their inner circle is to marry into it. The Natives I met through my fiancee are very lovely, kind, and genuine people. Many of them come from Old Money. Lots of business owners among the Natives. Lots of connections into the highest reaches of Federal government (usually through parents and close family friends).

You do realize that the overwhelming majority of DC "Natives" have never stepped foot in a country club, were never on a swim team, and had nothing to do with lacrosse, right? BBQing? Now that might be another matter.

You need to get out more, and discover the real DC.

Yeah, the natives in my neighborhood are security guards, cashiers, carpenters, retired, and some are on disability or TANF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a really stupid thread. So far all we've learned is that rich, spoiled, sheltered kids in Upper NW and Montgomery County who grew up and went to school together tend to stick together. How does that differentiate them from rich, spoiled, sheltered kids in any other suburb anywhere else?

No shit. This is the Whitest thread ever, and the fact that it's about DC "natives" makes that fact all the more ironic.

I hear you. That "call a spade a spade" comment surely got my attention! Whoa, I mean, really?

Not PP, but "call a spade a spade" is a very, very old expression that has nothing to do with the racial slur "spade." Did you fire the DC government employee for correctly using the word "niggardly?"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_a_spade_a_spade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think transplants seem more infatuated with the area in general. They seem to view the city through perpetual rose colored glasses.

On the other hand, natives don't seem all that impressed. They don't seem to have the same thrill or appreciation that the transplants do, when seeing monuments or Dupont Circle other "DC" things

Transplant here, and I detest this area. I cried when I found out we had to move back after being away for ten glorious years.

Now I'm here, and it's all about escaping at the first opportunity. There is no thrill, just dread.

Fairfax getting you down?

I realize that was a pretty awful post. I'm just having an off day, I don't really hate it here. It's just not my preferred area and the summer months here are really unbearable. I am fine and even like/love the area in the fall though.

Not in Fairfax, but in Bethesda.

Sorry you're having an off day, pp. Thanks for explaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Native of several generations here. To me, the born-heres see the District as an extended part of their neighborhood, or even their backyard. Not in an entitled, brag wall sort of way, just that these people and places are woven into daily life. Sledding on the Capitol grounds, Easter photos on the White House lawn, and even shaking hands with the president (a great aunt simply showed up to a Johnson reception because she was curious) were regular stories and events growing up. I regularly went to Inaugural parades with high school friends, and I can see the spire of my family's longtime church in many city views.

But bear in mind, I'm white. So the way my family and I have experienced the city is in some ways unfortunately vastly different than African-American natives. I don't think their Thanksgivings include wistful stories about Glen Echo's heyday or the wonders of lunch at Garfinckels. And my family's memories of the March on Washington were all about how they stayed home because they were afraid of rioting. I am very glad some things have changed for the better.

Nice, thoughtful post!

[Anonymous]

Every so often these threads come up which are nothing more than extended masturbatory sessions for "natives" or "old money" to pat each other on the back and tell themselves how great they are.

And every time it comes up they don't realize just how insecure it makes them look.