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Exactly. I'd have to say it would have to be a extremely well-paying job that would give me the edge to moving to DC. The C-O-L issue is way too much of an issue for me personally. I know I could make it work, but it's too nagging for me at this point in time. For example, I'd have to have roommates again if I wanted to live anywhere within the District or in some of the closer-in suburbs.
OTOH, If I had a wife and kids in this point in life, it would be either stay here in Atlanta or go to DFW if I had the right offer.
Yes, I do have a lot to think about. I sort of moved up here to Atlanta sort of half-cocked (I moved up here to go to grad school), and I don't want to make a major decision like that without better planning next time.
I did the same thing pretty much and regret it. I up and moved to Atlanta on a whim, I had a nice time while I was there but I was so ready to leave the last year I was there, it just wasnt the best fit for me. I wish I had researched other areas first before just packin up and going there.
If you're talking about the cities themselves I would pick Dallas for me. Seems so much larger with a much more abundance of shopping, nightlife, restaurants, housing, plus I like its central location for flights to other U.S. cities. Winters are not so bad either. Plus its downtown arts district is quite impressive. Home/condo prices seem twice or three times cheaper than D.C.'s.
If you're talking about the cities themselves I would pick Dallas for me. Seems so much larger with a much more abundance of shopping, nightlife, restaurants, housing, plus I like its central location for flights to other U.S. cities. Winters are not so bad either. Plus its downtown arts district is quite impressive. Home/condo prices seem twice or three times cheaper than D.C.'s.
The arts district in Dallas is the kind of thing that would appeal to me. D.C. has the world-renowned National Gallery of Art.
BTW, Tysons Corner and Galleria in northern Virginia are ranked pretty high among shopping malls in the U.S.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 05-09-2010 at 08:56 AM..
I did the same thing pretty much and regret it. I up and moved to Atlanta on a whim, I had a nice time while I was there but I was so ready to leave the last year I was there, it just wasnt the best fit for me. I wish I had researched other areas first before just packin up and going there.
Don't get me wrong, I had a mission and a plan when I first moved here. Of course, life got in the way, and it was more of a financial setback rather than a personal one for awhile. From what I've seen of your mostly negative comments regarding Atlanta, it seemed that it was way too much of a cultural and racial difference here that you weren't really prepared to deal with.
The arts district in Dallas is the kind of thing that would appeal to me. D.C. has the world-renowned National Gallery of Art.
BTW, Tysons Corner and Galleria in northern Virginia are ranked pretty high among shopping malls in the U.S.
Yes, Northern Virginia alone makes it a formidable shopping destination with Tyson's Corner/Galleria at Tysons II and Potomac Mills. However, I find that DC shopping can be lopsided. My family in PG County is constantly going over the river to VA or down to Waldorf to go to Costco or Sams. PG County is a pretty sizeable county in terms of population, so that says a lot right there. A lot of the residents seem to lament the appalling shopping choices they have there. Yes, there are demographic reasons for this, but DeKalb County here in Atlanta is similar to PG in many ways (demographically, there are a lot of Middle to Upper Class Black neighborhoods in both, but there are neighborhoods that have their issues as well), and yet, they have really done a better job at rectifying the retail issues that are here. Is it perfect? No, but at least I wouldn't have to go all the way to the other side of town or to the next county to go to a Costco. Blvd at Capital Centre and National Harbor are good steps in the right direction though.
Notice I'm not even talking about going to a Nordstrom or a Bloomingdales, I'm referring to having to go to a whole other state or county just for decent grocery shopping.
You won't have this problem quite as much in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. A lot of people lament about the large number of strip malls and stores that are in the area, but people like the convenience, so they are there for a reason.
I know if I were to move to DC, I'd probably live in the Maryland 'burbs close to a Metro station. I have a friend who lives right around the corner from the Largo Town Center station in a reasonably-priced apartment (for the DC area at least).
There's a reason why the cost of housing in Inner (i.e. Inside the Beltway) Prince George's County is so relatively inexpensive as compared to many of the other suburban areas. Inner Prince George's County's violent crime rate is practically equal to that of The District. Prince George's County has a much smaller population than Fairfax County, and yet while the latter has had only 4 murders so far in 2010 the former has had about 30. I live 20 miles west/northwest of the District in Fairfax County, and housing prices even this far out are insane. If I were to renew my lease here on a no-frills 1-BR apartment with no community amenities it would have been $1,350/month. Before long NoVA prices will be the equivalent of NYC prices (with a much lower "excitement" factor to justify it). If you're fresh out of college this is a VERY difficult area in which to reside if you earn a typical $40,000 or so starting salary---you are just barely above the income threshold for subsidized housing, but market-rate rentals are typically priced above a comfortable budgeting point for you as well. I've spent 60% of my income on housing costs this past year. That's ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong, I had a mission and a plan when I first moved here. Of course, life got in the way, and it was more of a financial setback rather than a personal one for awhile. From what I've seen of your mostly negative comments regarding Atlanta, it seemed that it was way too much of a cultural and racial difference here that you weren't really prepared to deal with.
I've seen the same thing but hey let these girls have there time to vent...
There's a reason why the cost of housing in Inner (i.e. Inside the Beltway) Prince George's County is so relatively inexpensive as compared to many of the other suburban areas. Inner Prince George's County's violent crime rate is practically equal to that of The District. Prince George's County has a much smaller population than Fairfax County, and yet while the latter has had only 4 murders so far in 2010 the former has had about 30. I live 20 miles west/northwest of the District in Fairfax County, and housing prices even this far out are insane. If I were to renew my lease here on a no-frills 1-BR apartment with no community amenities it would have been $1,350/month. Before long NoVA prices will be the equivalent of NYC prices (with a much lower "excitement" factor to justify it). If you're fresh out of college this is a VERY difficult area in which to reside if you earn a typical $40,000 or so starting salary---you are just barely above the income threshold for subsidized housing, but market-rate rentals are typically priced above a comfortable budgeting point for you as well. I've spent 60% of my income on housing costs this past year. That's ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong, I had a mission and a plan when I first moved here. Of course, life got in the way, and it was more of a financial setback rather than a personal one for awhile. From what I've seen of your mostly negative comments regarding Atlanta, it seemed that it was way too much of a cultural and racial difference here that you weren't really prepared to deal with.
Well I definitely wouldnt say racial. I would live in DC in a heartbeat and it has similar demographics to Atlanta. I would say cultural yes. It just wasnt the best fit for me personally, but I respect people who come from different cultures and backgrounds for sure.
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If you're fresh out of college this is a VERY difficult area in which to reside if you earn a typical $40,000 or so starting salary---you are just barely above the income threshold for subsidized housing, but market-rate rentals are typically priced above a comfortable budgeting point for you as well. I've spent 60% of my income on housing costs this past year. That's ridiculous.
