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[quote=Anonymous]This thread has been highly entertaining. So many people trying to talk OP out of what she wants ...

I've lived, worked, and raised a child in DC over the last 25+ years and don't see a lot of the supposed awfulness that people are writing about. But, that's obvious because I'm someone who has chosen to be here and stay here and put my now-college-age child through DCPS. If I thought it was awful I'd be somewhere else.

Me: highly-educated government worker; not from here; bicultural; comfortable, but not rich; not competitive; a single, cheap car that I use very little; walk to metro, stores, banks, doctors' offices; never got kid into the overachiever/competitive/extracurriculars hamster wheel; kid was happy in DCPS schools that served him well, kid had plenty of school friends of various ethnicities/colors and some economic diversity, some in fancy homes, some in apartments (especially at his majority non-white high school). We don't live in the heart of the city, but in one of the "Upper Caucasia" neighborhoods, yet have always been connected to the city and regularly enjoy the wealth of magnificent offerings this city has (free museums & zoo; abundance of green spaces; theaters, nightlife, restaurants; great daytrips nearby). Kid grew up feeling very much like a city kid, moving independently around by bus and metro from about age 12 (around AdMo, U Street, Gallery Place, Georgetown, have been the favorite haunts). We have lived in apartments and SFH and appreciate the relative advantages of both and have enjoyed them both. I am not unconcerned about city crime, but understand that there are cycles to crime rates and always a higher concentration in cities than suburbs, so I have no major problems dealing with it (no one in the family has been a crime victim, fortunately).

From the perspective of someone like me (as I've described myself above), DC has been great. It has more worldly, more diverse, less provincial/bigoted residents than, for example, Boston (where I lived and which I love, but where people would often give me the side eye if I was talking in my native language on the T). It has a wealth of cultural and entertainment offerings. It has a relatively mild climate (I don't mind the summers; I come from a hot place). There's plenty of people and things to do in the metro area, yet the city does not feel too crowded or too hectic (which NYC is, for me). In short, for someone like me, DC has a great balance of city life with manageability/liveability.

If my perspective is relatable to you, if it seems like people like me are your "tribe," then you will probably like it here.

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