Why do people say they are from DC when they are not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same reason people who live in the suburbs of Chicago always say they are from Chicago. People identify with DC as opposed to Leesburg or Silver Spring. I dont think they are actually claiming to be from DC but rather using it as a familiar geographic location.

To this point, people who live in the burbs of Chicago still have a Chicago postal address, as with LA, Boston, etc. DC is not a metropolitan city within a state. The city of DC it all there is to it. So the surrounding burbs are all either Maryland or DC. I live 5 miles from downtown dc and my address is in Maryland. People can live 20 miles from downtown Chicago and still live in Chicago.

If they someone were to say that they are from Chicago, I would ask if they are from downtown Chicago because not that many people live in the heart of the city. Then they will clarify their location. Same with LA. People more familiar with the place might ask for clarification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same reason people who live in the suburbs of Chicago always say they are from Chicago. People identify with DC as opposed to Leesburg or Silver Spring. I dont think they are actually claiming to be from DC but rather using it as a familiar geographic location.

To this point, people who live in the burbs of Chicago still have a Chicago postal address, as with LA, Boston, etc. DC is not a metropolitan city within a state. The city of DC it all there is to it. So the surrounding burbs are all either Maryland or DC. I live 5 miles from downtown dc and my address is in Maryland. People can live 20 miles from downtown Chicago and still live in Chicago.

If they someone were to say that they are from Chicago, I would ask if they are from downtown Chicago because not that many people live in the heart of the city. Then they will clarify their location. Same with LA. People more familiar with the place might ask for clarification.

I don't know Chicago, but plenty of people live in the heart of LA. The "downtown" area itself has struggled to rebuild residential population, but it isn't very big compared to the area covered by other central neighborhoods with lots of residents.

[Anonymous]

Well, I agree this is kind of a silly pet peeve but whatever. It IS more simple to say "DC" if you are talking to people who don't know the area or even the US well. I'm not from DC, VA, or MD, but training at NIH in Bethesda and lived in DC. If I say I worked in Bethesda, MD, I always get the blank stares, then I say "DC" and people are reassured.

And you may not want to hear it, but some people do find it intriguing that it's DC and not MD. You know, where the White house is, capital of the US, Smithsonian museums...so I wouldn't discount the OP's perception that it's "cooler" or whatever to say DC.

[Anonymous]

Why is it that we are always so quick to tell someone they need to get a grip, that they need help, they have issues, this is pointless, it's silly, etc? Everyone has these kinds of "silly"thoughts and I personally think it's great that we have an anonymous forum like this to express them. Once you parse the erudite comments from all the snark, it's quite enlightening.

OP, I've wondered the same thing. I live in DC and I have found myself on countless occasions having this conversation:

Me: I live in DC.
Other local person: Really, where?
Me: Columbia Heights.
Other person: Is that in Maryland?
Me: (inwardly rolling eyes and groaning) No, it's in the city.
Other person: Oh. (pause) OH!! You live in DC!! (pause) Wow.

The next line from the Other Person is usually one of these:

1. God that must be expensive.
2. Well at least you have a short commute.
3. So when are you moving to the suburbs?

[Anonymous]

OP here- To the 8:10 PP, I have conversations like that pretty regularly too.
Ok, and for all those who say, "well I WORK in DC, I like spending time and money in DC, my great Uncle Bob and second cousin Clyde is from DC, I went to elementary school in DC...." guess what- you are still NOT from DC!

[Anonymous]

OP here again- I also forgot to mention that a lot of you say that if you say Silver Spring, or some other town in MD or VA, people will think you are living on a farm with cows. Well, if you say DC, people will think you are living in a city! And guess what, the suburbs of both these states, as wonderful as they are, are not metropolitan cities. They probably have more in common with "farm towns" than DC.

[Anonymous]

Does Rosslyn count some? It's just a hop over the Potomac and it's pretty much a concrete jungle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again- I also forgot to mention that a lot of you say that if you say Silver Spring, or some other town in MD or VA, people will think you are living on a farm with cows. Well, if you say DC, people will think you are living in a city! And guess what, the suburbs of both these states, as wonderful as they are, are not metropolitan cities. They probably have more in common with "farm towns" than DC.

OMG, this is a total disaster. The person I met at random in Las Vegas a few years ago, and spoke to for 10 minutes thinks I live in a city when I actually live in Fairfax, which is practically one huge farm. How can I live with myself now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Rosslyn count some? It's just a hop over the Potomac and it's pretty much a concrete jungle.

No, it's a concrete farm, since it's in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know...because Virginia and Maryland are considered by the rest of the U.S. as redneck states.

Really? I've lived in several states (on both the west and east coasts, and in the southwest) and not once have I heard Virginia or Maryland described as redneck states. When I lived in DC, however, I came across an awful lot of people who wanted to tell me how crime-ridden and dangerous it was once they heard where I lived.

Puhleeze! Redneck, redneck, redneck!

[Anonymous]

OP, where are you actually from? I am from DC, meaning I grew up there, in Woodley Park. I now live in Bethesda, but I consider myself from DC because that is where I grew up. I think it is very weird for people who moved to DC in their 20s to say they are from there because I think that question means "where did you grow up?". When I lived in NY and was traveling and people asked where are you from, I would say that I lived in NY but was from DC. I'm willing to bet that anyone on this thread who keeps talking about living in "the city" of DC is a transplant. It's a district, not a city, and I've never heard anyone who grew up here say they lived in "the city". It's called living "in town" or "in DC." So, I'm glad you feel really cool about where you live now, but if you're from Ohio, you're from Ohio. No need to try to join the DC snobbery (I have been guilty of it) this late in the game. Thanks for playing, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- To the 8:10 PP, I have conversations like that pretty regularly too.
Ok, and for all those who say, "well I WORK in DC, I like spending time and money in DC, my great Uncle Bob and second cousin Clyde is from DC, I went to elementary school in DC...." guess what- you are still NOT from DC!

Ha! You're entitled to your pet peeve. I love how many of the PPs told you to get a grip, and then they wrote 500 word essays, defending their suburban residences. So sensitive.

[Anonymous]

I came to DC for college and lived in the district 10 years, then moved to Bethesda and have lived here 12 years. What drives me nuts is that people who were born here still act like I'm just one of those people who cycle through the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here- To the 8:10 PP, I have conversations like that pretty regularly too.
Ok, and for all those who say, "well I WORK in DC, I like spending time and money in DC, my great Uncle Bob and second cousin Clyde is from DC, I went to elementary school in DC...." guess what- you are still NOT from DC!

Ha! You're entitled to your pet peeve. I love how many of the PPs told you to get a grip, and then they wrote 500 word essays, defending their suburban residences. So sensitive.

Of course she's entitled to that misguided, nonsensical, bull crap. But it doesn't mean she's not going to be called out on it. And considering the fact that she hasn't mentioned where she's from, we can be pretty sure IT"S NOT DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that we are always so quick to tell someone they need to get a grip, that they need help, they have issues, this is pointless, it's silly, etc? Everyone has these kinds of "silly"thoughts and I personally think it's great that we have an anonymous forum like this to express them. Once you parse the erudite comments from all the snark, it's quite enlightening.

OP, I've wondered the same thing. I live in DC and I have found myself on countless occasions having this conversation:

Me: I live in DC.
Other local person: Really, where?
Me: Columbia Heights.
Other person: Is that in Maryland?
Me: (inwardly rolling eyes and groaning) No, it's in the city.
Other person: Oh. (pause) OH!! You live in DC!! (pause) Wow.

The next line from the Other Person is usually one of these:

1. God that must be expensive.
2. Well at least you have a short commute.
3. So when are you moving to the suburbs?

HAH! I was just on vacation and had this SAME conversation OVER and OVER and OVER. Usually inserted with: Them: Where do you live? Me: In DC Them: DC, DC? Me: Yes, the actual city. Them: Really? WHERE?
It was like a QUIZ!!!