can't stand the DC area (smog, travel, work)

[vasinger]

If you think DC is bad, you're really asking for it in Baltibore.

[painfulnv]

Originally Posted by DC resident

I agree in any city you have to know where to go and where not to go. Secondly DC doesn't have the hottest downtown but they are improving and it working. Just look at everything from Gallery Place (7th St NW to say 12th St NW)..the place is lively after 5 now. To say Bmore is a real downtown...downtown in the harbor, the aquarium and a bunch of chain restaurants.. what kind of downtown is that..in B’more u gotta go to Canton or Fells Point to get liveliness

Yea, in retrospect the downtown wasn't great. It was my first time, but the other things I noticed seemed better than DC- for a person like me anyway.

[slim04]

I know what you mean about soulless, boring people. I'm one of them! The DC area has a large concentration of political types, lobbyists, law firms, government workers, think tanks, trade associations, national nonprofits, PR firms, military, defense contractors, and scientists. Talk about boring people! But it pays the bills. Too bad you can't get those kinds of high paying jobs in Baltimore. I'd love to do happy hour in Fells Point everyday in my favorite dive bar after work.

[mark2544]

Part of it has to do with the mindless kind of people that work for the Government. You know, the place where achievement goes unrewarded, and mediocrity and incompetence rule the day. Sometimes, I even think Phoenix has more style than people in DC.

[saganista]

Hmmm. I've worked (and played) with some of these mindless, boring people pretty much every day for thirty years. Never been bored or lacked for intellectually stimulating conversation. In fact, I'd find that as a rule, the people in DC tend to be a good deal more informed, more involved, more erudite, and more interesting than say those in the Northeast, or the Midwest, or the South, or out on the West Coast. I guess it just depends on who you know...

[slim04]

My only complaint with DC people and gov't people in general is that they obsess way too much about things 90% of the country could care less about. For example, whether or not the firing of U.S. Attorneys were motivated by politics. Ah, who cares? What are U.S. Attorneys? would have been my responses prior to moving to DC.

I sometimes remember my simpleton life as a Midwesterner, when our dinner party conversations revolved around the Bears, who was sleeping with who, and whether I should buy a Harley. I then snap out of it, and then join the conversation on how to reform the nation's immigration policy or how No Child Left Behind is ruining our school system before eating dessert.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by slim04

My only complaint with DC people and gov't people in general is that they obsess way too much about things 90% of the country could care less about.

Well, they talk about the surf in Hawaii, too.

[Tuneful]

Maybe I’m dense but you say “DC, NV AREA,” do you mean you are originally from Nevada, or living on Nevada Avenue, or mistyped “NW”? Anyway...
I’ve been here for over 15 years, as hard as it is for me to believe. Do I wish I’d left sooner… have I met some interesting people here… have I put together a pretty good career from virtually nothing… have I felt it really sux at times... answer to all is yes.
I have found DC people to be very work oriented and often quite snobby (sometimes on a laughable basis) and agenda-driven, compared to many other places… not to mention the fact that there are a lot more single women than men (all the single women I know bemoan how hard it is to meet guys, period, let alone guys who are non-policy-wonks :-). Also, I’m not deeply into politics and related issues. Civil servants and customer service in DC are a nightmare.
I dated a guy from Baltimore for awhile. I was glad to have Balto. to visit as a change from the DC area (reminded me in some ways of Boston), although the crime situation was a lot worse. I used to be glad if my non-s**tbox car was still there and intact in the morning, if no one had broken into the house while we were out or asleep or mugged us (or worse) on a date, or if the drug pusher a few doors down was being relatively discreet that day. That said, I'll take some of their restaurants, bars, and museums anytime.
Trust your gut, if something isn’t “you” it isn’t you. If you don’t have to stay here, don’t, make your plans to leave, knowing that no place is perfect, it's really which set of pros and cons you prefer.

[M TYPE X]

hahaha "Baltibore" hahaha

... I'd take metro Baltimore or metro Pittsburgh over metro DC.

[painfulnv]

I meant Northern Virginia. The more I think about, this is my real problem right now. I could tolerate DC easily if Northern Virginia was the only alternative. Here, it's go home-go to work-go home-go to work-go home-be rude-be a rude driver-go to work-go home-be a jerk-go home-high mortgage-high rent-be a rude driver etc..I'll figure it out though. This forum is helpful.