Why is there so many DC haters toward Arlington? (fit in, crime)
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I just moved to the area and live in Clarendon. I get crap all the time from people in DC. They always brag about living in "The District", like its SoHo, or something.
Half the time, they live in Petworth (away from the metro) or Eckington. Neither particularly trendy/urban.
Clarendon isn't SF or Chi. But for a suburb, it's pretty urban. I have metro, stores and food by me and vibrant street life if not 24-7 at least 18-7. I understand someone from Dupont or Logan giving me crap, but why someone from a "small town" neighborhood with no urban amenities or vibrancy? Comparable areas in NY or Bos are considered just as lame as the suburbs.
For a relatively small city, with pretty vibrant suburbs why all the parochialism?
There is a misconception that Arlington is somehow a Mayberry west of the river with nothing but yuppies and people who can't tough it out in DC. It's mostly nonsense. Arlington is just as much, if not more urban than many places in DC. Plus many DC residents don't own cars so they see Arlington as a far off place in between China and Russia. I wouldn't take too much stock in it. Most of their points are invalid if you pay attention to them...
I just moved to the area and live in Clarendon. I get crap all the time from people in DC. They always brag about living in "The District", like its SoHo, or something.
Half the time, they live in Petworth (away from the metro) or Eckington. Neither particularly trendy/urban.
Clarendon isn't SF or Chi. But for a suburb, it's pretty urban. I have metro, stores and food by me and vibrant street life if not 24-7 at least 18-7. I understand someone from Dupont or Logan giving me crap, but why someone from a "small town" neighborhood with no urban amenities or vibrancy?
For a relatively small city, with pretty vibrant suburbs why all the parochialism?
You answered your own question. There are very few DC neighborhoods that offer the type of urban experience you can find in NY, Chicago or SF, so some folks who live in places like Petworth or Eckington compensate by claiming that everyone now wants, or should want, to live in neighborhoods like theirs. People who've settled for densely settled, but newer, suburbs such as the Orange Line section of Arlington are especially singled out for scorn.
Don't take it too seriously - in a few years, a lot of these same folks will have moved someplace else.
I just moved to Arlington (Pentagon city) and I caught some flak from an old co worker who insisted that I live in the city. I get it for the most part...I'm a city person and all things being equal would prefer living in the district. But the city's premier neighborhoods are simply not doable at my price point. Arlington can be expensive too but you get more value from larger complexes that have a ton of amentities and are largely all safe and walkable. Oh and many allow dogs too, which was the first thing that made me start looking across the river.
I think Arlington gets a bad rap for its yuppy playground and faux urban image. I get that but it actually is a walkable, bikeable place with a lot of cool bars and restaurants. Sure I'd prefer a rowhouse near eastern market or even a studio in dupont circle...but hey it's a decent compromise and I can still walk to the metro and be in the city in minutes. I can lose some urban cred in exchange for living here.
Boomboxing captured it well. I don't think anyone's really serious when they poke fun at Arlington. Similar to how New Yorkers make fun of Hoboken, which is their yuppie playground over the river. Nice place to live at the end of the day at a better price and safer, so who cares what other people think?
"Bluefly" is correct again Arlington is basically the DC version of Hoboken/Jersey City in NYC area. Most people view it as a fake city because unlike the district itself it has all the benefits and positives of a urban environment but none of its social ills. So people who live there basically go for a fake perfect city living environment because they don't want to deal with the problems of public housing(crime) and dont want any diversity in their environment. Downtown Bethesda gets the same flack as well.
They have to try and justify why they're not an idiot for paying twice as much just to live in the District. In the end - you win - because you have more disposable income and the views of DC.
They have to try and justify why they're not an idiot for paying twice as much just to live in the District. In the end - you win - because you have more disposable income and the views of DC.
I think you might be underestimating Arlington's cost just a wee bit there.
So people who live there basically go for a fake perfect city living environment because they don't want to deal with the problems of public housing(crime) and dont want any diversity in their environment. Downtown Bethesda gets the same flack as well.
I dont know about the lack of crime and such but the "fake feel" is at least a somewhat fair criticism. I don't think its about having "problems" its about having character. Thats what Arlington seems to lack. On the one hand I loved Arlington and really wanted to move there - nice wide sidewalks, lots of places to eat, drink, go out. Nice newer buildings, reasonably well thought out intersections, beautiful single families, etc. In some ways, it reminded me of Alexandria just a bit more modern.
On the other hand, I hated it because everything just felt so manufactured and, well, fake - like if I pushed hard enough on some buildings the little cardboard set would come tumbling down. I wanted it to have that charm of Alexandria, but it just fell short - there was no discernible character in the architecture or historical value in any location - everything seemed like it had been razed in the last 10 years and built over with concrete and freshly laid sod. Without a non fat latte mocha-frappucino, pink juicy pants and a VW Bug that said 'Girlz Rule' on the bumper, I didn't think we'd fit in.
It reminded me a lot of lincoln park in Chicago say, 10 years ago, newer, trendy, and by and large occupied by young 20 somethings who have suddenly come into some money by working at Booz or one of the other consultancies. Professionals by day, they haven't yet left their undergraduate ways entirely behind them - and Lincoln Park and Arlington let them stretch those years out a little further. Thats not a bad thing per se - Arlington certainly has its benefits - newer buildings, a young vibrant feel, but I couldn't shake the impression that it was trying to be a dupont or an adams morgan when it just wasn't. That said, if I were single and in my mid twenties, it would easily be the top of my list.
Setting aside the manufactured feel, the nail in the coffin for us was simply one of cost: Arlington was nearly as expensive as DC -- and in some cases actually quite a bit more -- and certainly felt inflated overall. We saw a 2 bd single family for $800K.... with no central AC, one bathroom upstairs etc.. The more we looked, the more Arlington felt overpriced for what it was. Personal view is all.
I mostly give my friends ish for living in VA/MD because it's less convenient for us to get together.
They try to sell me to reverse-drink-commute to the suburbs and go to one of their two fun bars, and I counter with the twenty bars we could walk to from my house.
Conversely, I try to sell them on coming to a cool new bar east of 9th street, and they give me ish for spending most of my paycheck to live in a fixer-upper in a neighborhood that terrifies them.
I think we both have our points.
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