Move back to DC from Denver (universities, live in, military)

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

If you want intellectual stimulation, you'd better go someplace else. DC is not an "intellectual" area.

It is 100% a career-driven area.

I agree with this characterization, and it's crept north into some parts of Maryland, too. Still, D.C. has its appeal. I really liked living near our Capitol city, and I wish I'd had more time to explore it before we came back west.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Because the only thing people care to talk to you about in D.C. (if you can even finagle a conversation out of them) is their career.

Geez, my BFF from high school has lived in the DC area for almost 40 years now, and she rarely talks about her career (mostly because she's not working right now, LOL). Even when she did work, she'd talk about her job, but mostly the personal stuff (always had a boss who was a jerk, etc), irritating co-workers, the same stuff everyone talks about (don't they?). She also talked about the Goddard Space Center Ski Club, and I went on a few excursions with her in the summer, when they went camping in the DC area (W Va, SW PA, etc.). Other topics of conversation were family, friends, pets, and home improvements. Rarely did we talk politics. Of course, this is the person who didn't even vote in the student council elections in HS, but still.

[D-town 720]

Originally Posted by EastBay-NowDCarea

I don't know if you're aware, but Eastbay is the eastern side of the SF Bay Area. Eastbay is more populated than the entire Denver metro.

Now I'm in DC - moved from the SF Bay area. In CSA Metro population terms, DC has over 8 Million, while Denver has over 2 million: Table of United States Combined Statistical Areas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You claim that downtown DC wasn't centralized. Did you know that when you combine the government buildings in DC it boasts the second largest downtown in America in terms of office space. Only behind NYC. If you take the government buildings out of the picture then it's the third largest downtown behind Chicago.

It's obvious that you have never ever been to DC or SF. For the most part, it sounds like you haven't been outside of Denver.

Are you serious??? I lived in the east bay for the first 28 years of my life!!! Oakland, Hayward, Castro Valley, San leandro.

Lived in SF, Sacramento, Salt lake city, Denver

Been to D.C., Philly, Baltimore, NYC, and countless other cities


Please dont make silly assumptions about where someone has lived or been.


The east bay Fast paced? Dude its a collection of bedroom communites.

The east bay is alameda county and the last time I checked it was 1.4 million not 2.5 million like the denver metro. Even if you add the entire coco county (only a small part of this is really part of the east bay) you still only get 2.4 million. So you're wrong in saying the east bay has a higher population than the denver metro.

Stayed in D.C. for three weeks. I have no idea why you think it has such a centralized downtown. In what sense? D.C. has good density and many amenties but it certainly isnt on any skyline list nor highrise living list. Again, its a different animal than many other U.S. cities. Runs more like a european city.


I dont see how a greater population of a metro makes it more fast paced. LA's metro is greater than NYC but it isnt more fast paced...

Have you been to denver?

[EastBay-NowDCarea]

Originally Posted by D-town 720

Are you serious??? I lived in the east bay for the first 28 years of my life!!! Oakland, Hayward, Castro Valley, San leandro.

Lived in SF, Sacramento, Salt lake city, Denver

Been to D.C., Philly, Baltimore, NYC, and countless other cities


Please dont make silly assumptions about where someone has lived or been.


The east bay Fast paced? Dude its a collection of bedroom communites.

The east bay is alameda county and the last time I checked it was 1.4 million not 2.5 million like the denver metro. Even if you add the entire coco county (only a small part of this is really part of the east bay) you still only get 2.4 million. So you're wrong in saying the east bay has a higher population than the denver metro.

Stayed in D.C. for three weeks. I have no idea why you think it has such a centralized downtown. In what sense? D.C. has good density and many amenties but it certainly isnt on any skyline list nor highrise living list. Again, its a different animal than many other U.S. cities. Runs more like a european city.


I dont see how a greater population of a metro makes it more fast paced. LA's metro is greater than NYC but it isnt more fast paced...

Have you been to denver?

Hi Dtown720, yes I've been to Denver on numerous occasions. Will be in Denver again in early July.

Look Denver is a great city, but it's on a totally different level than DC, SF, and several other cities. Yes I know East Bay is a suburb of SF, but it's a lot more than a bedroom community. A subrub of Denver would be let's say Aurora or Lakewood, and they're not exactly on par with Oakland. I did think that East Bay was more populated than what you quoted, so I admit I was wrong. But you are also wrong on your metro estimate of NYC. NYC is larger in population than LA metro on all metro stats.

Moving on, I'm not saying Denver is slow, but compared to many other bigger metros it's on a different scale: NYC, LA, Chicago, DC, Boston, SF, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Philly, Atlanta, Seattle......

I agree that downtown DC lacks skyscrapers, but it's because of height restrictions. Yet it's very dense, low rise, and very large - and it's probably at least 15 times the size of Denver's downtown. And that doesn't include all the other sites that is very dense and downtown like but it's not offically considered as downtown. In fact, a DC suburb downtown known as Tysons Corner is larger than downtown Atlanta. And I'm pretty sure downtown Atlanta is larger than downtown Denver.

I could go on and on, but I don't want to offend anyone and I actually really like Denver for what it is. I love Boulder especially. I like downtown Denver as well.

Right outside of Denver I love the Rockies - estes park, and all the other numerous great places to see.

But to summarize my point, I would not consider Denver as a hustling fast pace city as you do.

Again, I love Denver and the Rockies.

[D-town 720]

Originally Posted by EastBay-NowDCarea

Hi Dtown720, yes I've been to Denver on numerous occasions. Will be in Denver again in early July.

Look Denver is a great city, but it's on a totally different level than DC, SF, and several other cities. Yes I know East Bay is a suburb of SF, but it's a lot more than a bedroom community. A subrub of Denver would be let's say Aurora or Lakewood, and they're not exactly on par with Oakland. I did think that East Bay was more populated than what you quoted, so I admit I was wrong. But you are also wrong on your metro estimate of NYC. NYC is larger in population than LA metro on all metro stats.

Moving on, I'm not saying Denver is slow, but compared to many other bigger metros it's on a different scale: NYC, LA, Chicago, DC, Boston, SF, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Philly, Atlanta, Seattle......

I agree that downtown DC lacks skyscrapers, but it's because of height restrictions. Yet it's very dense, low rise, and very large - and it's probably at least 15 times the size of Denver's downtown. And that doesn't include all the other sites that is very dense and downtown like but it's not offically considered as downtown. In fact, a DC suburb downtown known as Tysons Corner is larger than downtown Atlanta. And I'm pretty sure downtown Atlanta is larger than downtown Denver.

I could go on and on, but I don't want to offend anyone and I actually really like Denver for what it is. I love Boulder especially. I like downtown Denver as well.

Right outside of Denver I love the Rockies - estes park, and all the other numerous great places to see.

But to summarize my point, I would not consider Denver as a hustling fast pace city as you do.

Again, I love Denver and the Rockies.

I dont know really how to compare metros but every one I've been in seems to have the same pace. This is of course considering the metro area as a whole and not the cities core of that metro. Even salt lake cities metro ran much like what you'd encounter in the bay - at least outside of SFC.

I dont consider denver a really fast paced city like some that you mentioned. It does do well though in its downtown compared to many other cities. BTW, Denver's central business district is right behind Atlanta's. Atlanta is like 9 and Denver number 10.

There is 30k people that walk from 16th and Glenarm to 16th and Lawrence each day. Certainly not among the top five busiest cites but also not too shabby for a 600k city.

[movementarian]

D-town 720 - Did you see the Capitol building when you were there? You're not allowed to build above that - that is why there are no skyscrapers in DC. Across the Potomac there are - that's Virginia. That kinda makes DC a little different from other big cities - that and all the diagonal streets and circles.

[D-town 720]

Originally Posted by movementarian

D-town 720 - Did you see the Capitol building when you were there? You're not allowed to build above that - that is why there are no skyscrapers in DC. Across the Potomac there are - that's Virginia. That kinda makes DC a little different from other big cities - that and all the diagonal streets and circles.

Yes, saw all the federal sights in D.C. Didnt know they were restricted building over the captial. But it makes sense. Skyscrapers would ruin the cities amazing historical government feel. I agree D.C. is different than many other big cities in terms of its landscape. And this makes it unique. Outside of NYC, D.C. is my favorite east coast city.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by D-town 720

Yes, saw all the federal sights in D.C. Didnt know they were restricted building over the captial. But it makes sense. Skyscrapers would ruin the cities amazing historical government feel. I agree D.C. is different than many other big cities in terms of its landscape. And this makes it unique. Outside of NYC, D.C. is my favorite east coast city.

Yes, in DC itself, they're allowed 13 stories high, that's it.

Over in VA, no limit, thus the highrises in Rosslyn, VA, right on the Potomac. The people in those towers often wave at the pilots coming down-river on their approach to land at National Airport. Some nice rooftop eateries there too.

[jtrowbrid]

Weird. I just moved back here from DC a little over a month ago. I lived in DC for three years (well, Northern Virginia) and managed it well by living a mile from work and within walking distance of an Orange Line Metro stop. I never thought I would say it - but I do miss it - I drove only about 1,000 miles a year and was able to walk to work and shopping. I'm living in the suburbs now and it's going to be a bit of an adjustment. I love the mountains, but I still think it will be a year before I think of this as home again (lived here from 2001-2004) - very relative post for me! I don't miss the traffic - and rude people, but I do miss the tons of diversity and (for the most part) highly educated population. And I certainly miss my office view of the Washington Monument.

[Trkstp Tina]

I lived in the DC suburbs for 18 years and now live an hour outside the city. Not everyone here is career-obsessed and rude. Traffic is a problem, but you learn when to travel or not travel certain roads, and, not everyone here has a horrible commute. After living out West for a few years, I find it easier in some ways to make friends in the East. People seem more open to friendships here, while in the West, it seems people are laidback and nice, but distant. They seem to prefer quiet social lives, hanging out with a small group of friends and family. Nothing wrong with that, but it's hard if you're a newbie in town trying to meet people. I sometimes wondered if it was just me, but I have heard other Easterners out West with similar complaints.

I've never lived in Denver, so I can't comment on what Denver is like--just putting in my two-cents about DC, which seems to get bashed quite a bit. There is more to the city than what you see in movies and TV; we're not all evil politicians, corrupt lobbyists and ambitious media types running around. There are a lot of regular ol' people living here.