Should I move to DC from Austin? (Atlanta, Anna: crime, daycare)

[skynard72]

Hi,

I am totally bored with Austin. I'm a 35, own a house 4 miles from downtown, and have lived here for 12 years. Besides being single, I am extremely comfortable here. I have a nice house with a backyard, and everything is mapped out - trips to grocery store, doggie daycare is on the way to work, plenty of friends, etc.

I've had an itch to move for quite some time. I'm thinking DC. I have a pretty good job prospect there.

I'm an African American female, and Austin ain't the best place for that. Although I have a good social network, I'm still single, and I haven't had floods of date requests as of late, so I'm getting antsy.

My question to all you sage former DC dwellers who have lived in Austin, is, given all that I've got going, should I make a move to DC?

Thank you kindly.

[popalnet]

You might want to make the same post in the DC forum. From what I hear, for its size it's, Austin is a fun city with lots of stuff to do and live music. If you do make the move, no matter how much you like DC, you will miss your friends. Have you ever been to DC?

[Dr.Mom]

DC is also pretty expensive, especially for housing. You may want to check one of those cost of living calculators on the net before you follow up on your job prospect so you'll know if the salary is realistic or not. Other than that, it's a fabulous city!

[Unsettledmd]

so funny, I say the same about dc! Bored and ready to move to austin....is the grass always greener? So did you move?

[Runemaster]

I grew up in DC. If you move there, be prepared for crime. It was the nation's murder capital for years and from what I understand, not much has changed in that respect. There is a lot to do, great clubs for live music or dancing, lots of sports, great museums, and you also have quick access to Baltimore and Annapolis. But, it's far from the safest place a single woman could choose to live. You should definitely make a few trips there (not just one weekend) before pulling the trigger on a big move.

[TopSecretAdam]

NO! I moved to DC from Austin in 2004... It was horrible! Although the above poster has it right, there is lots to do. Great night spots with classy people... if you can even get them to chip a block of ice of thier hearts first oops.... Haha...

DC is pretty, and ugly... I eventually wound up back in Austin. Coming back was like waking up from a nightmare haha... Glad to be back.

[tongpa-nyi]

A few people in this thread mentioned the itch to move. If you have an itch that persists, I recommend scratching it unless the itch is being caused by something internally that will move with you to a new place.

If you can afford the time and travel, I'd suggest checking out Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham on your way to investigating DC.

It would be sad for Austin to lose you. The reasons that keep you single are the reasons Austin needs more people like you, not fewer. There's no substantial African-American presence in this city. I see scattered Black people in Whole Foods and other places but other than that it's all shoved to the side and there doesn't seem to be a very cohesive community compared to places east.

[airboat5]

You almost have to be a good nascar driver to get around the loop in dc.but DC is a very cool place to live.

[Zippy7fo]

DC is a great place to live....the place has jobs, tons of smart people, and a ton to do. I was never bored living in DC. The only complain I ever had was the cost of living which is insane...but its a beautiful and wonderful area.

-Oh the talk about crime is jibberish...its mostly drug game related crime..people who know each other.....

[Nomadic9460678748]

If you get a job offer which affords you an opportunity to live comfortably and explore what DC has to offer I think you should go for it. Maybe you'll meet someone special and who knows, if she's willing, you can always come back to Austin (or another suburban D.C. area?). Do what feels right for you.