The 90's were just a really fun time to live in DC. Low rents, lots of apartments and condos for rent, Clinton administration brought a sense of optimism and freshness, still a lot of independent businesses and restaurants in DC, you could get around on Metro cheaply and drive without too many headaches, cheap flights to Europe, lots of fun clubs and places to dance.

Anonymous wrote:The 90s were awesome.

I'm 57, and the 80s were fun for me, but constant threat of nuclear war, plus a recession when I graduated from college.

The beginnings of 2000s were hard with 9-11, then the Iraq war, and tech recession.
Then there was the Great Recession.

The Obama years were almost as good as the 90s, but came to a halt when our parents stared to die around 2015. Has sucked ever since.

+1

90s were by far the best (especially the later 90s). Present-day, the worst.

Anonymous wrote:1980's, when I was 19-29. Maybe because it was my 20's, maybe it was the decade of the 80's.

Yes, I graduated from college in a recession with high unemployment, but it didn't affect me much at 21. I found an okay starter job (after working retail for a few months) and then went to grad school.

This (almost) exactly. Ages 20-30. Best decade. Graduated from college, worked on the Hill, and went to law school at night.

Anything was possible.

Anonymous wrote:People should only rank decades in which they were an adult supporting themselves. Anyone 50ish was a child in the 80s.

That’s why the 80s seem so great. But also it was the fall of Berlin Wall, reunification, glimpses of hope all around and not only in Europe. It kinda went downhill after that.

I turn 50 this year and remember the 80s as a bad time - Regan, and other worldwide instability, and the rampant materialism and cultural shallowness that was new that decade. It wasn’t a great time for women and girls in the US, culturally. I was much happier in the 90s.

For me:

1990s
2000s
1980s
2010s
2020s

I find it fascinating how much 80s and 90s music is on the radio these days. People are longing for easier times.

When 9/11 happened, I was young but I knew the world was changing and I felt that my childhood had ended.

I remember the late 70s/early 80s being very depressing. Afghanistan, Iran hostages, economic dislocation, I lived in England and there were a lot of riots and strikes.

The best half decade was the late 90s. Strong economy, “end of history” democracy on the rise in most places.

Early 2010s weren’t bad as we recovered from the financial crisis.

Trump was awful and I worry things will get much worse with his reelection.

Best to worst:
1990s
1980s
2000s
1970s
2010s - blame 9/11
2020s - blame covid

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are old enough to remember the 1970s... which decades were the best and worst from your own experience?

Not just your personal place in life, and not just global issues and politics either, but a combination of the two. When do you think was the best and worst time to be alive? Culturally, financially, politically, professionally, socially etc.

'90's hands down. They will be a blip in history, but what a blip. End of the Cold War, rise of the digital age. I think the '90's will be looked back on as a time of relative innocence and great hope. It all came crashing down on 9/11.

Agree.

Anonymous wrote:If you are old enough to remember the 1970s... which decades were the best and worst from your own experience?

Not just your personal place in life, and not just global issues and politics either, but a combination of the two. When do you think was the best and worst time to be alive? Culturally, financially, politically, professionally, socially etc.

'90's hands down. They will be a blip in history, but what a blip. End of the Cold War, rise of the digital age. I think the '90's will be looked back on as a time of relative innocence and great hope. It all came crashing down on 9/11.

The 70s were the best in terms of culture and because it was my birth to 10 years old decade, it was the time of my greatest innocence and particularly because it was the only time of my life I was free of the male gaze - although not free of molestation by males, sadly.

The 90s were my favorite decade because I spent the entirety of them in college, graduate school and law school and it was the greatest time of self growth and coming into my own in the midst of the last truly hopeful time in this country.

I feel that post 9/11 America, while not American carnage, has never felt as hopeful as 1970s/80s/90s America and I’m not sure it ever will, for me anyway. I also feel strongly that overall the advent of widespread internet use and then the rise of social media has diminished the human experience more than it has enhanced it.

Born in 60’s so I don’t remember.
70’s were best but probably more because of age and innocence than the actual decade. Had I been an adolescent/teen in 80’s or 90’s I would probably say they were the best decades.
As an adult my best decade was 2000-2010 because i was newly married and I had my babies and our life was pretty good. Unfortunately it’s been tough since then because my husband has become a jerk.

Everything since 9/11 has sucked

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are old enough to remember the 1970s... which decades were the best and worst from your own experience?

Not just your personal place in life, and not just global issues and politics either, but a combination of the two. When do you think was the best and worst time to be alive? Culturally, financially, politically, professionally, socially etc.

I'll play.

Best: 1990s
1980s
2000s
1970s
2010s
Worst: 2020s


Being in my 20s in the 1990s was insanely fun; I was mostly single in the city, but met DH in 1997.
1980s teenhood was great.
2000s, kids were little, politics were stable
1970s, there was some economic depression and family angst, but I sitll had a decent childhood
2010s, the Trump years, lost a parent and other loved ones. But my kids were nice.
2020s, the pandemic, ensuing political craziness, more parental illness, the nice kids are now grouchy teens.

This is my list exactly, for the same reasons too.

Born in the 70’s so no real memory of 70’s
1. 90’s
2. 80’s
3. First three years of 00’s but agree with earlier poster that 01 was the last great year
Everything since is crap