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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When I lived in LA, USC was known as THE place for cocaine – even for actors and others in the Hollywood lifestyle.  I know USC has tried to reduce the drug culture, but I still hear about actors appearing at fraternity parties.  Judge for yourself by visiting the school, but the combination of a rich student body + truly urban location + big time fraternity system + fast Hollywood culture = trouble for many young kids. I chose to give up the perks of SoCal to raise my kids away from that fast culture.[/quote]
And traded for a DC area culture?  [/quote]

IMHO, The DMV is an ideal place to raise a family, but I'm curious why some here think the DMV is a poor culture to raise kids.  For comparison, here are the flaws I observed in California:

An emphasis on "being cool" above all else while leads to an obsessive body consciousness (dangerous for a girl), de-emphasis on academics and intellectual ability in favor of physical appearance.  Lack of traditional values and morality, which leads to many broken families and girls being under pressure to "put out" at an early age.  Rampant drug use.

Overall, I think parents in the DMV obsess about their kids while parents on SoCal obsess about themselves and the kids grow up fast.[/quote]

I respectfully disagree, having raised my children happily in both places.  It is true that DC parents are more likely to discuss international affairs with their children, but Californians are likely to encounter and consider important domestic issues of poverty, immigration, incredible socio-economic and ethnic diversity.  It was not until we lived in a California that my daughter asked questions about, why does that person always stand on the highway ramp, or outside the Starbucks, where do they sleep at night and how do they eat, how did that person become like that, can they get a job?  Likewise the socio-economic diversity means that you drive from high-end luxury neighborhood to new-immigrant modest apartments in just one mile.  In DC, many children growing up in NW will never go to areas like SE, whereas in a California a mix of different areas are woven into the landscape.  DC's general economic affluence and intellectual concentration is both stimulating, and at the same time somewhat of a sheltered bubble (or in CA parlance, it's own sort of "gated community").

The high-level emphasis on the visual arts, performing arts, and vocal and instrumental music is another difference between DC and California.  Students in California focus more on the arts and music, and as a result the level of those activities, instruction, and opportunities, far surpasses what we experienced in DC.  Finally, athletics and indeed most activities are enjoyed outdoors year-round, which I find to be an incredibly healthy change as well.  PP, I do not know if you have enjoyed the opportunity to raise your children in both places.  I have, and as such I can tell you that both DC and California are great places to raise children, each in their own way.  I suspect that you may unfortunately be holding on to some outdated stereotypes from your youth.

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