June 6, 2007
We're Good Enough, Smart Enough, and Paying For It
One more report was released today letting us know what we already knew: The Washington, D.C. metro area is the richest, most-educated city in the country. Washington Business Journal reports on the Greater Washington Initiative annual report (you can download the whole thing here if you're willing to part with a little bit of personal information). Our region had the highest median household income in 2006 among metro areas, at $74,600, and nearly 46 percent of Greater Washington's residents 25 years or older have at least a bachelor's degree.
.But the report also says Greater Washington's cost of living is 42 percent higher than the national average, and its current median housing price of $431,000 is the fifth-highest among U.S. metro regions.
Looking ahead, Greater Washington's population is expected to grow to 6.5 million people by 2012, or an increase of 6 percent, the report says. The median household income is projected to jump to $86,980 by 2012, an increase of 16.5 percent from 2006
That cost of living figure sounds bad, and indeed it tends to feel bad when we write out our rent checks every month, but it's important to note that even though the cost of living is high here, it's still well below that of the Bay Area, Los Angeles or New York. Do you feel like how much you pay to live here is worth the money you spend, especially if you've ever lived in other large cities in the U.S.?
Photo by slack13
Other interesting tidbits found in the report:
- Most of us don't work for the government: Private sector job growth will account for 92 percent of the region's new jobs, as government-fueled job growth slows down.
- We've got jobs: Greater Washington's unemployment rate was only 3 percent in 2006, well below the national average of 4.3 percent.
- We're young: The city's median age is 36, with nearly 14 percent of resident adults between
25 and 36. - Women rule: Washington has the most female executives of any city in the country, with 274 top female executives per 100,000 residents.
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I might point out that even if the cost of living is lower here than in some of those cities, they also offer more options for living on the cheap that DC does. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but could never live on the budget I had in LA.
I hate these reports that remind me how poor I am. Why do they have to keep rubbing it in?
Yes, it is worth it. And I always have to ask, while the new jobs aren't directly governmental, how many of them exist off the government's dime as active contracts, support, and development. If your job wouldn't exist without public funding, then who are you really working for...
DC is most definitely not worth it. Unlike in NY and SF, you pay huge sums of money to live here but also get shitty city services and an insanely high crime rate. While I've never lived in SF so don't have firsthand experience with how the city works, everything I've seen indicates that the basics - emergency response, garbage and recycling, fire hydrants that work - are far better than here. And city services in NY are really quite good these days, considering the size of the place and the age of the infrastructure.
Also, I don't really think DC is any less expensive than NY. In many ways, it's *more* expensive. I think housing really skews the issue - yes, it's far cheaper to live in central DC than central Manhattan (hello, $3000 studio). But, in NY you can move out to upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, etc. and find a decent apartment that compares quite favorably to DC costs, and you have a 24/7 subway system. For all other costs, I think NY is actually cheaper than DC, unless you're spending all your time drinking $15 martinis at godawfully trendy bars. With the exception of a few ethnic/neighborhood places in Mt. Pleasant and Capitol Hill, I've been amazed at how expensive it is to eat out in DC. And DC doesn't have the discount clothing stores that NY does (Century 21, or even the cheapass jeans places in Chelsea and the Garment District), so you end up going to Banana and paying chain-store prices. Meg is right - DC doesn't have all the opportunities for cheap living that other cities do.
Great, another grating "DC sucks compared with [insert city name here]" thread. Geez, just move to [insert city name here] already if you hate it here so much.
How did I know Jason was going to take the bait on this one. Apologies for responding again, but I need to vent.
I don't think people like Jason get it. You are looking at DC through the prism of another city, and that's a recipe for being disappointed. The crime rate in DC is not insane - you chose to live in a neighborhood with an insane crime crime rate. DC's low density and unusual relationship/proximity to out-of-state suburbs make statistical analysis a pseudo-science at best. But it also makes it a unique place with the feel of a small town, but with the amentities of a larger city. Is everything you could ever want right at your doorstep? No. You might have to walk, or bike, or bus, or train, or drive to where you need to get to. But that is a consequence of the preservation of the unique charm of the numerous distinct neighborhoods around the city.
I'm sick of your ass talking shit just because you've put yourself in a position to be unhappy. If a blog is the only outlet you have to express your disdain for yourself, your neighborhood, and your neighbors all around you, I suggest you find another venue. I believe there is one right up your alley: whyihatedc dot blogspot dot com
But, in NY you can move out to upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, etc. and find a decent apartment that compares quite favorably to DC costs, and you have a 24/7 subway system.
I hear ya, and to a large extent I think you're correct. HOWEVER, I think it's fair to say that if you're living in Brooklyn or Queens you are more or less commuting to a job in Manhattan. That's more like living in Arlington or Old Town than living in DC proper.
When I was considering a move to Gotham from DC circa 98, I was only paying $565/month for my own place on the Hill; I would have been paying at least twice that for a comparable spot in Manhattan and I couldn't get a job paying me enough to make up the difference. I guess it's possible to live in NYC on the cheap, but it wasn't for me.
No way is the cost of living here worth it. Let's face it...the only things separating DC from..let's say..Jackson, Mississippi are a subway, the Capitol, and a few stodgy museums. Aside from that, like any southern backwater, DC provides intolerable race relations, insane crime rates, and men dorky enough to wear seersucker.
The weather in DC is terrible, although it is really nice out today.
Well-said, CDTrave - I'm constantly amazed at the number of people on here who post endlessly about how they hate everything about this city/area. So much anger! I wonder if this rage of theirs that's so omnipresent on these blogs spills over into the rest of their lives. If so, that would suck.
men dorky enough to wear seersucker.
. . . and damn proud of it!
I disagree with the idea that you can save money more in NYC while giving up less than it takes to save money in DC. You can save a lot of money in the DC area if you're just willing to learn a bus map or buy a bike.
Let's take up a collection to help with Jason's moving expenses, so he can go spoil someone else's -ist.
Reid,
Please remind us again how many years you have been car free, its been a week, I forget.
Since there are maybe, what, 3 DC neighborhoods where crime isn't rampant I'd say that accusing Jason of 'choosing' a high crime neighborhood isn't really fair. The vast majority of the city is high crime. We've just learned to pretend it isn't there.
This is something that is odd about DC. Other cities don't pretend crime doesn't exist nearly as much as DC does. I've always found that to be really odd. I think it's because we gave up on our police force years ago.
I love a lot of things about DC, but we do have to be realistic when comparing ourselves to other cities. For instance, from my limited experience.... the food in SF and NYC are a trillion times better than DC (unless you have one helluva expense account). Heck, the food in nearly every city I've been in is way better, for your midrange to inexpensive restaurant.
I also wish DC had more freaks. Even Baltimore has more actual freaks than we do. Instead, we've got mostly mopey hipsters pretending to be some sort of cutting edge counterculture entity, all the while simply selling themselves and others an image.
But all in all, I miss DC when I'm gone. I guess that says something.
Hillman I'm with you on the "freaks" comment. There are eccentric freaks and scary freaks, and DC has the latter. Baltimore is freak city and that's what makes it great. Even Richmond has a few freaks, and from what I've sampled, some darn good culinary options that won't empty your bank account.
Hillman - I don't think the food in NYC is so much better than DC; it's that there are more outlets that serve good, cheap, food in NYC than in DC. To wit: in NYC you can be just about anywhere and get a good slice for less than $2, but DC doesn't have any kind of comparable, ubiquitous snack food.
Good try MX, but I have never reminded anyone how long I have been car-free in DC because I have always owned a car. My point wasn't that people should learn the bus system to get rid of their cars, but rather to learn the bus system so that they could tolerate living more than 5 blocks away from a Metro stop. The premium people pay to live right near a Metro stop is very steep in DC.
City services still suck, but (for the most part) not as bad as in the mid '90s.
Wow, CDTrave - angry much? And you accuse me of harboring psychological issues? I criticized your city, on a blog, in response to a question posed by the blog editor that invited response. Of course I'm comparing DC to other cities - that was what Sommer ASKED RESPONDENTS TO DO. I'm sorry you're offended that DC doesn't make me cum without touching myself, but seriously - get a grip.
In a coincidence, I'm currently working out of Chicago this week, and I just came back from lunch with a guy who moved to Chi from DC about the same time I moved to DC. He was only too happy to get out, and the main reason he cited was - yup, you guessed it - the insane crime rate. And he lived in Adams Morgan.
Anyway, on to a sane dialogue - hey HR!! I certainly agree with you that Brooklyn and Queens, etc. don't provide the same urban experience that Manhattan does. But I think it's safe to say that they are very much urban places and knitted into the urban fabric in a way that Arlington, Alexandria, etc. are not. In the first place, buses and trains connect the boroughs seamlessly to Manhattan. Second, the diversity (cultural, racial, economic, professional, you name it) in those areas if anything surpasses that of Manhattan proper. When I lived in Astoria, it was far easier for me to get around at all hours of the day or night to anywhere in Manhattan than it would be for me to get to Dupont at night if I lived in Takoma. And the neighborhood was great - I got my hair cut in the Colombian/Brazilian salon downstairs, the staff at the Colombian chicken restaurant down the block recognized me and chatted with me all the time, all sorts of amazing Greek or Middle Eastern or Latin restaurants and groceries, and a pretty active Hispanic gay community that blended into that of Jackson Heights. And I was only 15 minutes away by local subway to Grand Central.
Hill Rat:
Your clarification is essentially correct. There are far more outlets in NYC for cheap eats. Of course, there are a lot more people. But the cheap eats we do have in DC are routinely bad.
My big beef, so to speak: bar food. In NYC you can order a burger and fries or a pasta dish or some other staple in many corner bars and it'll be hot, well made, and brought quickly without attitude.
In DC, you may wait upwards of an hour, it'll be room temperature, and bland. And served with a side of surly. It's never quite so bad that you feel obliged to complain or refuse to pay, but it's not really good either.
I can't count the number of less expensive meals I've had in DC (entree less than $20) that showed up room temperature rather than hot or cold, with crappy attitude. Sure, there are exceptions. But sadly they are just that: exceptions.
Bill: Your clarification is correct as well. DC has the scary freaks. We don't have the eccentrics.
One of the coolest things about Baltimore's gay pride is that everyone shows up. Lots of straight counter-culture folks. Sure, some are posers. But some are legitimately fascinating folks, far outside of mainstream (even though you could argue of course that they are within their own counterculture mainstream).
Makes it far more interesting than DC's version, which is sanitary, boring, and vapid.
The other best part of Baltimore's: lesbians tailgaiting in nearby parking lots. Very friendly bunch, lots of beer. Definitely worth the trip.
In DC, by comparison, we stand in line to get a ticket to stand in another line to get a beer.
A better food comparison may be SF. They have roughly the same density as we do. Yet their corner joints routinely have terrific food, great service, actual character, etc.
I think part of it is that in SF (and NYC) being part of a food serving establishment is seen as an honorable profession. A good bartender or waiter is highly valued. Here they are often looked down upon by many.
What/where was the stat that said DC had the highest per capita income, but also had the highest povert rate?!
*dizzy*
#6 (CDTrave): Good comment! And the whyihatedc blog is pretty funny sometimes!
"What/where was the stat that said DC had the highest per capita income, but also had the highest povert rate?!"
While these stats are 17 years old, I doubt we've surpassed Newark, et al.
www.hscbklyn.edu/urbansoc_healthdata/Urban%20Center%20Website/Excel%20Web%20Files/Metropolitan%20Landscape/Poverty%20Rate%20Tables/Poverty%20-%20Central.htm
Hey, on a side note, my abovementioned colleague just told me that Reeve's bakery downtown lost its lease and is closing on Friday??? Can anyone confirm?
But the cheap eats we do have in DC are routinely bad.
That just hasn't been my experience here, but maybe I've been in DC long enough to avoid crappy food. Don't get it twisted, I've definitely had my share of bad meals in DC, but the hue and cry over the state of DC food is overblown IMHO. There is still at least one place in Chinatown (I forget the name, I just know where it is) where a person can sit down and eat for less than $10-12; then there's Kenny's Smokehouse, Horace & Dickie's, and Deli City; all places where a sawbuck will get you more good, hot, tasty food than you can eat.
#22 (Hillman): Atlanta has some damn good food too! Even Joes on Juniper has better food than some of the places I've been to in DC!
And to correct my error on #23...
povert=poverty
I moved here from NYC (actually Long Island) and trust me... DC is cheaper and offers much more and in a densely populated city than NYC does. Commuting from Long Island to Manhattan on the train is like $300 a month (which is just a part of the cost), you still have to take more buses/trains to actually get to your work destination. I still have many friends/relatives in NYC and with their decent income of $70K annually, they are still struggling! I make $80k annually and I can actually live and own in DC. It does not cost a fortune in DC to take in some sights, enjoy cultural activities like in NYC. As for crime, there is crime everywhere. Remember DC is only a fraction of the size of NYC plus a 10th of NYC population which makes crime here seem close and amplified. You could not pay me to move back to NYC even my beloved Long Island!
Long Island?
Long Island isn't any more part of NYC than Manassas, VA is a part of the District. As someone who was born and raised in Manhattan, DC is just plain awful. A city the size of the District should simply not have the crime DC does. Look at other similarly sized cities such as Denver, Charlotte, Atlanta. DC's crime, poverty rates, and incompetent municipal services outrank 'em all. And did I mention people wear seersucker?
I do agree that NYC is much more expensive, but you get A LOT more for it.
I don't think that DC housing is anywhere as expensive as people make it out to be unless you insist on living in a "hot" neighborhood like Dupont Circle. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods to live in NE DC, SW DC, and PG County (Mt. Rainier & Hyattsville) that are very affordable. It may not have the cache of living in Brooklyn, but the housing stock is there. I live in a home that I own with a large yard in Brookland which cost me less than a one bedroom condo would have cost in Dupont. When I see where friends who live in NYC who are the same age that I am and in the same income bracket, I'm glad I don't live there.
One thing I appreciate about DC is the fact that you can always see the sky and there are trees everywhere. I like that the "hustle and bustle" of a city is easily within reach, but it's easy to get away and find peace and quiet without leaving the city.
I love to visit NYC, but I don't want to live there.
Jason,
The fact that your friend moved from DC to Chicago because of the outrageous crime actually made me laugh. Clearly he is out of touch with a vast portion of Chicago (also since DC is so compact and the transportation is so much more efficient the cost of committing a crime in a neighborhood far away from one's home is much smaller. Honestly its damn near impossible to get to most of Chicago if you don't own a car. And even then it will take you at least an hour.) Also for those of you complaining about good cheap food, I'll admit it's hard to find, but take a trip to the poor, less aesthetically pleasing parts of the city. That's where it is in most other major cities.
Um. Saying you're from NYC when you live on Long Island is like saying you're from DC when you actually live in Laurel. Of course your commute was expensive!
While I really do love a lot about DC (which is why I live here, no shit), there is no arguing that NYC has more to offer in nearly every regard - culture, food, music, safety, excitement, public transit, etc. Even if you live in a relatively affordable "bedroom" community like Brooklyn, it may be removed from the business district of Manhattan but it still feels very urban; in fact, as much so as the residential areas of the district. Hell, I moved from the MD suburbs into a NW neighborhood primarily because it reminded me so much of Brooklyn. Again, I love DC, but we must recognize its shortcomings, which is easy to do when viewing it against another city of comparable size/density/importance.
Yet, skyrocketing housing and rental costs, dealing with brokers, etc. are a real blight on the Big Apple. Even though I've found places in "seedier" Brooklyn neighborhoods that actually cost LESS than places in, say, Columbia Heights or Shaw (which I feel are actually more crime-ridden than Brooklyn), the idea of fucking around with that Broker bullshit is absolutely unappealing.
I think DC is worth the cost, if I didn’t I would move (I might complain once on DCist first). Buying a place in NYC or SF is WAY more expensive per square foot.
There are lots of places to eat cheaply in Adams Morgan such as the falafel place, Peruvian chicken places, Mexican on 18th and Columbia, burgers ant Millie and Als, ½ price happy hour Sushi place, many more. I would like to see a couple NYC buffets by the pound.
There are lots of places to get a cheap drink such as Fox and Hounds, Stetsons, Columbia Station, Millie and Als in my area too. There are lots of places on the Hill too.
Would it be nice to have a 24 hour subway – yes. Would I like a Century 21 – yes.
One thing that I have never understood about DC is why all the people who are unhappy living here just don’t leave. You would be missed, but we’d get over it eventually (within the week).
Really though. Tell me how living on LI, taking the LIRR into the city then onto the MTA is any different than living in, say, Gaithersburg and taking the MARC into the district and then on to the Metro system?
Ok, DC is not the best city in the world for some things. It is also not the worst. I grew up here, in Northeast, and let me tell you, from the mid-eighties to the early nineties (my teen years) this place was a hell of a lot worse than it is now. Let's be positive and proactive. Stop whining and get involved if you don't like the way things are. good grief.
Ryan, I agree with you that Chicago has a relatively high crime rate (certainly it's far higher than NYC.) But, as a native Chicagoan, I have to say it really doesn't affect that many people, with the exception of car break-ins.
I grew up outside of Chicago and lived in the city for the better part of 9-10 years. My family is still there (all over the area - Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, Near West Side, Rogers Park, Edgewater, Gold Coast, downtown, etc.) I myself have lived in Lakeview, Uptown (both Buena Park and "real" Uptown), and Edgewater Beach (that apartment was in the infamous Winthrop Corridor.) So I consider myself reasonably familiar with the city.
I only directly know two people who have been victims of violent crime in Chicago. One was my father, who came to the city as an immigrant in 1957 and didn't know then that it was unwise for a white guy to take the el down to the South Side at night by himself. He got the shit kicked out of him. Other than that, I know a guy who got very drunk a year or so ago, picked up some random Hispanic guy on a dark streetcorner, took him back home for sex, and ended up getting attacked and robbed. Both situations could have been avoided with some forethought, obviously.
In DC, I'd say about 1/3 of the people I know have been mugged or robbed, often at gun- or knifepoint. Some of them in Columbia Heights, some in Dupont, some downtown. The prevalence of violent crime is far greater than in Chicago. And nothing you say will convince me otherwise.
Where are you from, btw?
Um. Saying you're from NYC when you live on Long Island is like saying you're from DC when you actually live in Laurel.
Not necessarily. Brooklyn and Queens (two of the five boroughs) are both part of Long Island and are sometimes referred to as such by their residents.
Gotta call you on that, HR - while you are geographically correct, I've never heard anyone from either borough claim they lived on LI.
I find that DC has more "free" cultural amenities than any other city I have lived in, including NYC and Portland, among others. But then again is surely depends on what you are into. Yes, the Smithsonian for the most part is stodgy and full of odd mannequins, but there are at least a dozen free art museums in our city (the NGA, Sackler and SAAM being some of the best in the country) albeit for contemporary we are a bit lacking. There are tons of free events all over town (it helps if you are a bit of a nerd of course...) but the point is- if you live in the city, the cost of living is high, but you can get a LOT for it if you happen to love the free things offered. I personally think DC has some of the best food in the country (and find that most national/international food critics agree) even in the below 20$ range, the ethnic food can be incredible, but you have to know where to look, and unfortunately so many ethnic places (pan-Asian, south American, European, etc.) have moved out to the burbs. That is something we have to find a way to curb.
But really I think that no "cost of living," "quality of life" study will ever make sense or apply to DC. DC is like no other city. Of the "6.5 million people by 2012" all but maybe 1mil or 800K will NOT live in the city at all, but in the blob-like never ending, soulless, characterless suburbs. After all DC is the only city that is surrounded by millions of people who call themselves "Washingtonians" but would never actually want to live in Washington! So the cost of living studies apply to Fairfax county as much as Ward 6, and are ALWAYS bullshit.
DC proper is a strange and odd city. I have lived in Capitol Hill for 8 years now, I own, and I see the neighborhood like a very small town. Like a small town I know all the neighbors, can walk across the street to get bread and coffee in the morning, walk my dogs at 3am for hours with no worries, and can garden on the weekends. But I also have access to about 8 different international cuisines within walking distance, can bike to some of the greatest museums in the country, can catch a great band almost any night of the week, and have access to events that only a huge capitol city like Paris or London would normally attract. For the most part that is the appeal of DC, small town vibe with big city amenities. It's not a style or party city- there is just no chance. If you don't get it, or aren't that style yet (i.e. still in your early 20's) then it can just suck.
Complaint #1: I do complain almost daily though about the lack of freaks as some other posters mentioned, I think I can really just say the general lack of "hipness" although I hate that f*king word. When I visit friends/family in Portland or SanFran I almost get sick with jealousy on that front, just the freedom and being around so much creativity is really refreshing, you really loose that in DC. But then again when they visit me and go out five nights a week on 14th, U and the new H, and spend a day kayaking from fletchers boat house, and then wandering the halls of the SAAM they don't want to go home either.
Complaint #2: Even though there are million vegetarians or more in the metro area, DC has one of the largest populations of anywhere (if you can believe statistics) there are strangely few vegetarian/vegan options for eating out when compared to any other city I have even been in. That just blows.
Complaint #3: Crime, oh get over it, it's DC for Christ’s sake, you can't make it 30 minutes here without G.fabulous street smarts. A pit bull from most other cities would have his choke collar and chain stolen in fifteen minutes here... I mean a crack head literally drove through a street festival last weekend! Where else do you get that refined level of absolute insanity. That being said I have lived in CapHill for 8 years now, and haven't had my car stolen in the last 6, so things are looking up I tell you!! Crime is to DC as light is to Paris, it's just part of the ambiance.
Yeah I'm in awe of those hip Baltimore freaks, but sometimes it's fun to be a freak among so many squares in DC.
Almost without exception it was older folks (50+) I heard saying "Long Island" when they actually meant Queens. I've also heard younger people say it to others who were unfamiliar with the distinctions between the 5 boroughs.
I know alot more people who have been subject to violent crime in Chicago than in DC. I was born and raise in Cleveland Park DC and now am in my third year the the University of Chicago. I actually like the neighborhood and feel it is pretty safe (although we are near some pretty bad neighborhoods....). Honestly I feel as though where you have lived compares to my upbringing in DC (although I went to school in Brookland for 6 years...I never really understood why people were afraid of that place...). The difference you see in Chicago and DC is that the pockets of crime are soooo isolated because they are so far away from any real source of mass transit, and the city is 3.5x the area of DC. The whole south side is a totally different place that is very hard to get to (with some of the best food I'd add...please tell me that you've been to Harold's).
Anyway everyone is going to have different experiences. Honestly through my 18 years in DC and the last 3 being there periodically (with extensive travel in the last in the city in the last 6 or so) I can honestly say they I have never really felt scared of my surroundings.
Has anyone ever seen a report like this that does not apply to the dreaded "Greater Washington Area." I was born in DC, and have lived here most of my life, and have never seen a report like this that just focuses on the city itself? Actual DC. Fairfax county and Montgomery county were both included in this "report," they are both a lot bigger than DC (in pop. and size), they are also completely different worlds. And that is just an example of how common analysis does not really work here. Does this report really mean anything at all to a DC resident? It's sort of like a report on NYC included all of Jersey and Connecticut as well.
Hey Ryan,
Actually, I just remembered a third "Chicago" violent crime incident. When I was in high school, one of the guys in my AP US History class was carjacked in his driveway in Highland Park by some escaped convict from Lake County. Not really indicative of a trend or related to Chicago per se, but I figured I'd mention it in the interest of full disclosure.
I've never been to Harold's, actually (I know, a moral failing), but I did used to love going to Mello Yello on ... what is it, 53rd St.? 51st?)
You're right about the fact that most pockets of crime in Chi are isolated from transit, although you do find a few remaining shitholes on the North Side. They're fewer and far between, though, now that the city's pretty much demolished most of Cabrini Green. I remember coming home one night last summer - I got off the Bway bus at the Argyle el stop, and we stumbled into the beginning of a mini-race riot. I don't know what was going on, but about half a dozen black guys, including one in a wheelchair, were on the north side of Argyle, facing off against a similar number of Vietnamese guys running out of their restaurants on the south side of the street. A couple of us called 911 on our cell phones, and the cops descended en masse in about 2 minutes to put a stop to it.
That said, since I moved to DC in October, there have been at least 4 shootings within a couple of blocks of my place that I know of. And I've heard gunshots, which I never did in Chicago or NY, or anywhere else I've lived. Yeah, that creeps me out.
It's one thing to know that Argyle east of Bway, or Winthrop south of Bryn Mawr, is sketchy - you can deal with that, factor it into your travels, or just scurry through the two or three blocks on your way home. But while crime in Chicago is highly localized, in DC it's far more pervasive, at least if you're out of the lily-white areas of upper NW.
The premium people pay to live right near a Metro stop is very steep in DC.
And worth every penny. Try catching a bus on a Sunday. Even during rush hour, the buses seem to go down CT Ave. AT MOST once every 15 minutes (the "posted rate" might be 10 minutes).
DC can't compare with NYC or Chicago. DC should be compared with SF and Boston/Cambridge/Somerville. DC at least is a bit cheaper than SF, but Boston is less expensive than DC and you can get to various parts of the city within a reasonable amount of time, both because the traffic isn't excessively bad and because the T runs more frequently.
Yeah I'm in awe of those hip Baltimore freaks, but sometimes it's fun to be a freak among so many squares in DC.
This is what's called "looking on the bright side."
Also, people in DC are friendlier and more social than they are in Boston. I'm not sure this is a great place to live and settle, but it's certainly a great place to move to for a job.
sounds to me that this thread has dwindled into the familiar pissing rights of the cool-conscious. i find it interesting that most of the criteria the posters here rely on in their critiques serve individual needs, and speak less of community and an otherwise overall community value. i've lived in the "DC vicinity" for eight months and once accustomed to the nauseating rent, have enjoyed it for what it is. Argue for the ethereal trophy and you've already sold yourself on the limits of this place (both good and bad). Go live in the Mid-West or somewhere completely different for twenty years and then come back and compare NY hamburgers to DC hamburgers. You might just notice that, like most things in this country, the cool conscious are the cool conscious, the relaxed are the relaxed, and stoli cocktails taste like stoli cocktails across the land. To be fair, city services in DC are not as great as NYC or Chicago, but then again....they have a state legislature to back them up, no?
o man, Jason, you have alot to learn about south side cuisine. admittedly though my experiences with north side cuisine are limited to gene & judes and the house of sushi and noodles. at least i still have a year....
dude the cta is a piece of crap. wmata is a billion times better. also transportation in chicago just sucks in general. imagine if the 270/495 junction ran through downtown DC. thats what its like to drive through chicago. even on some saturdays.
Eh, the grass is always greener on the other side. When I first came to DC, I missed Minneapolis. Then I went to Mexico and missed DC. Now that I'm back in DC, I sometimes miss Mexico. Each place has its respective merits. Minneapolis has the best thrift stores and cafes. DC has the best dance nights and public transit, and is the prettiest. Mexico (Oaxaca) is the cheapest and has the best weather. Better I think to just become subsumed in where you are and exploit the local riches, of which DC has many.
I totally agree with you on the CTA, Ryan. Although the newly renovated Jackson/Dearborn station is just smokin' - I can't believe how bright it is (although it still smells like urine, so some things never change.)
As to South Side cuisine, you've definitely got me there. My knowledge of places to eat on the South Side is limited to Mello Yello, Medici on 57th, Phoenix, Emperors Choice, and some other place at the SE corner of the Wentworth strip in Chinatown (can't remember the name.) And Emperors Choice had really crappy food the last time my mom and I went there.
Three Happiness is good for dim sum, also, but I haven't been able to eat there since it got closed down by the city for major infestation back in the 90s.
Oh, and the taco places in Pilsen are awesome (although that's really West Side, not South.)
Justin: My wanting a decent burger has nothing to do with 'cool-conscious', whatever that is. It's about wanting a decent burger. I don't want a cool burger. I don't want a hip burger. I want one that doesn't suck, and isn't served to me with complete indifference.
wankers
"In DC, you may wait upwards of an hour, it'll be room temperature, and bland. And served with a side of surly. It's never quite so bad that you feel obliged to complain or refuse to pay, but it's not really good either."
You either go to TERRIBLE bars or the word on your being a shitty customer is out. Suffice it to say, this has never been my experience. Ha. OFFICIALLY CANCELLED OUT.