Anonymous wrote:A couple years ago, I was chatting with a coworker about our recent decision to buy in DC. He asked what neighborhood, and when I replied Shepherd Park, he smiled and said, "Oh, that's the Gold Coast." That was the first time I'd heard of it, although I'm AA (new to the area). My coworker is an AA older gentlemen--who lives in McLean.

It doesn't denigrate AA history in DC that other areas, including part of NoVa, are referred to as the "Gold Coast."

It's not exactly a unique term, and people who use the term may travel in different circles.

A couple years ago, I was chatting with a coworker about our recent decision to buy in DC. He asked what neighborhood, and when I replied Shepherd Park, he smiled and said, "Oh, that's the Gold Coast." That was the first time I'd heard of it, although I'm AA (new to the area). My coworker is an AA older gentlemen--who lives in McLean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in DC for a decade and have never heard of anyone refer to the "Gold Coast" except to refer to Arlington/mcclean by the river.

NP who is embarrassed to say I have lived here since 1994, 3 of those years in Cleveland Park, 15 on Capitol Hill, and the rest in Arlington, and I've never heard any neighborhood in the DC area referred to as "the Gold Coast." (Well, I'm not really embarrassed about the VA Gold Coast, but I am embarrassed not to know of a historic neighborhood in DC.)

I've heard it, but not often - I think its a fairly old fashioned name for the area.

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in DC for a decade and have never heard of anyone refer to the "Gold Coast" except to refer to Arlington/mcclean by the river.

NP who is embarrassed to say I have lived here since 1994, 3 of those years in Cleveland Park, 15 on Capitol Hill, and the rest in Arlington, and I've never heard any neighborhood in the DC area referred to as "the Gold Coast." (Well, I'm not really embarrassed about the VA Gold Coast, but I am embarrassed not to know of a historic neighborhood in DC.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in DC for a decade and have never heard of anyone refer to the "Gold Coast" except to refer to Arlington/mcclean by the river.

Same here

Oh gentrification!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in DC for a decade and have never heard of anyone refer to the "Gold Coast" except to refer to Arlington/mcclean by the river.

Same here

Now you know! As a DC native I wouldn't expect transplants to know about the name and historical significance. But growing up here the term was readily used like "she lives on the gold coast." I don't know if that's still true with youth today what with all the ways the city has changed.

Anonymous wrote:I had always heard the Gold Coast as McLean

Stay in your tight bubble.

Jeez, OP, how psyched are you to move to DC after this thread spun off of your simple question? Good luck with your search!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and so are moving to DC and an acquaintance suggested we look to rent in the "Gold Coast" area for at least a year before purchasing a home. Which neighborhoods and zip codes comprise the Gold Coast. Any information you can offer to help narrow our search would be great our budget is $2800/month, we have a 4-year-old son.

Does everything have ro be about the same old topic? Gold Coast has always been Arlington and McLean. Like it or not.

Here you go. And since sarcasm is apparently lost on you, please do let this stop you from lecturing.

Jesus the lengths people on DCUM will go to to deny the existence of and try to erase any evidence of African American influence on this city is exhausting.

Agree, but your angry defensiveness is equally exhausting.

So you're *equally* exhausted by people trying to erase black Americans, and by people challenging the erasure? Sounds awful for you. Maybe go take a nap?

It's fine to challenge the erasure. It's not fine to lash out indiscriminately.

Anonymous wrote:I had never heard of DC's gold coast, only the one in Chain Bridge- that name always stuck with me because it's high on the bluff along the coast of the Potomac and made sense as far as the name.

Rivers don't have 'coasts'. They have banks, bluffs, even shores. Not coasts. In English, at least in America.

The usage for real estate (as opposed to African places that export gold) is very loose (even for Chicago) and need not be associated with a body of water, which is why I think the gold coast in DC is called that. Though I don't here that name much anymore either - but never for the Chain Bridge area in Va - but I live in Alexandria. Maybe this is something only used in the area itself? Or only by realtors?

Anonymous wrote:I had never heard of DC's gold coast, only the one in Chain Bridge- that name always stuck with me because it's high on the bluff along the coast of the Potomac and made sense as far as the name.

I also get why another area in DC is called the gold coast. I'm fine with that- had just never heard that before. I guess I'd never heard of 'coast' refer to non- waterfront.

I didn't grow up here and I am mostly white (but well aware many living on Chain Bridge are also not white).

I think the DC "gold coast" name may have originated from Chicago. Lots of linkages between elite blacks in DC and other major American cities in the mid 20th century.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and so are moving to DC and an acquaintance suggested we look to rent in the "Gold Coast" area for at least a year before purchasing a home. Which neighborhoods and zip codes comprise the Gold Coast. Any information you can offer to help narrow our search would be great our budget is $2800/month, we have a 4-year-old son.

Does everything have ro be about the same old topic? Gold Coast has always been Arlington and McLean. Like it or not.

Here you go. And since sarcasm is apparently lost on you, please do let this stop you from lecturing.

Jesus the lengths people on DCUM will go to to deny the existence of and try to erase any evidence of African American influence on this city is exhausting.

Agree, but your angry defensiveness is equally exhausting.

So you're *equally* exhausted by people trying to erase black Americans, and by people challenging the erasure? Sounds awful for you. Maybe go take a nap?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and so are moving to DC and an acquaintance suggested we look to rent in the "Gold Coast" area for at least a year before purchasing a home. Which neighborhoods and zip codes comprise the Gold Coast. Any information you can offer to help narrow our search would be great our budget is $2800/month, we have a 4-year-old son.

Does everything have ro be about the same old topic? Gold Coast has always been Arlington and McLean. Like it or not.

Here you go. And since sarcasm is apparently lost on you, please do let this stop you from lecturing.

Jesus the lengths people on DCUM will go to to deny the existence of and try to erase any evidence of African American influence on this city is exhausting.

Agree, but your angry defensiveness is equally exhausting.

I had never heard of DC's gold coast, only the one in Chain Bridge- that name always stuck with me because it's high on the bluff along the coast of the Potomac and made sense as far as the name.

I also get why another area in DC is called the gold coast. I'm fine with that- had just never heard that before. I guess I'd never heard of 'coast' refer to non- waterfront.

I didn't grow up here and I am mostly white (but well aware many living on Chain Bridge are also not white).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My wife and so are moving to DC and an acquaintance suggested we look to rent in the "Gold Coast" area for at least a year before purchasing a home. Which neighborhoods and zip codes comprise the Gold Coast. Any information you can offer to help narrow our search would be great our budget is $2800/month, we have a 4-year-old son.

Does everything have ro be about the same old topic? Gold Coast has always been Arlington and McLean. Like it or not.

Here you go. And since sarcasm is apparently lost on you, please do let this stop you from lecturing.

Jesus the lengths people on DCUM will go to to deny the existence of and try to erase any evidence of African American influence on this city is exhausting.

Ok you're right, there is one! That still doesn't excuse the nastiness (even if disguised as sarcasm) right off the bat against anyone who brought up VA. But I see now that this is all about racial animosity (in both directions), so I guess rational argument is a lost cause. Sorry I didn't realize this right away, I'm from Europe!

Trying to tone police a discussion you don't even understand is not "rational argument," but don't sprain your elbow patting yourself on the back.

So you think everyone who argued that there could be honest confusion about the term is a racist?