DC culture: miss understood??? (Washington: rent, credit, home)

[53rdSEDCBOY]

am born and raised in DC the whole area...DC does not lack in culture...Most if not all DC culture is African american which means it gets miss understood. U street Was the rival to Harlem back in the day alot signifigant African american history went down in DC... Thats why the nickname is "chocolate city"... Yes Washingtonians love Crabs and seafood in general...DC culture: Music DC has its own genre of music which is called go-go the heartbeat of the city...DC does not get alot of credit for things annd normally get looked over beacuse the political aspect of the city is so huge but this city is a hidden jewel an u have be from here to relly know the deal...PG county MD has the most in common with DC its basically the 9th ward Nova is is kinda far so it really doesn't have much in common with the city as far as culture...Like it or not the "ghettos" of DC have alot of influence on this city they are where u get the real DC feel...

[dullnboring]

I think one area in that DC is misunderstood, or perhaps "mischaracterized" would be a better term, is the fact that it's an actual living and breathing city like any other. The city is portrayed in the media as just this grey sea of federal buildings and monuments, filled with staid, soulless, workaholic policy wonks. Little attention is ever given to the non-political aspects of the city, to the rich jazz history, to the colorful neighborhoods with distinctive identities, to the fact that generations of families have called the city home. Whenever I would take out-of-towners around the city on the obligatory monument and museum tour, I always made sure to show them a bit of the city's neighborhoods, taking them into a place like Adams-Morgan, U Street, Eastern Market or better yet, Dupont Circle and would always hear "THIS is DC? I didn't expect the city have something like this."

[vasinger]

I think most northerners see it as southern backwater, and a lot of southerners see it as east coast and snobbish. Neither one of those is really true, of course. Also D.C. is of course the capital, so people associate with cut throat politicos, law makers, and people out to make their names known. Not a very pretty picture. But yes, D.C. really does have a nice culture underneath it all.

[Moth]

Most people think it is either a gigantic slum or, astonishingly, that nobody actually lives there as with only Federal buildings and no city. I can understand the first one, but I have never been able to figure out, especially in the Information Age, where people come up with the second notion. And then try to explain to them that DC is not part of Maryland, but is, for all intents and purposes, a colony with status equal to Puerto Rico and Guam.

If its your thing, DC was also home to a world renouned hardcore punk scene including Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazy, etc

Other notable music natives include, Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, Hot Tuna, Girls vs Boys, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Bros), Ron Holloway and Peter Tork of the Monkees.

Not bad for a bunch of Federal buildings.

[BoredRobot]

DC was never meant to be a home to anyone in the sense of a traditional city way back when the country was just getting started--that's why there's no vote (well, that was the original reason). I guess people still see it only has a home for government.

Nothing like a walk around U street, Shaw, Capitol Hill, Upper NW or Gtown to really see what DC can offer now and what it used to be. Unfortunately, it's not closer to what the capital city of one the most powerfuil countries in the world should be like--the poor management of the city and commuter/racial tension and misunderstanding is ridiculous, but things are improving.

[Moth]

DC was never meant to be a home to anyone in the sense of a traditional city way back when the country was just getting started--that's why there's no vote (well, that was the original reason). I guess people still see it only has a home for government.

Time and change being nebulous concepts to some people, eh?

Nothing like a walk around U street, Shaw, Capitol Hill, Upper NW or Gtown to really see what DC can offer now and what it used to be. Unfortunately, it's not closer to what the capital city of one the most powerfuil countries in the world should be like--the poor management of the city and commuter/racial tension and misunderstanding is ridiculous, but things are improving.

The problem is that DC is not a state but is handed state responsibilities and simply does not have the resources to handle them. But yes, the local government is a sham.

[Cheasare]

Originally Posted by Moth

And then try to explain to them that DC is not part of Maryland, but is, for all intents and purposes, a colony with status equal to Puerto Rico and Guam.

Well the DC Voting Rights bill just failed cloture in the Senate by three votes so it seems that the city is still "for all intents and purposes, a colony"...terribly sad when you think about it. It's like living in your parents basement while paying rent but still having to do exactly what they say and having no control over your life.

C.

[saganista]

Got to get rid of some more Senate Republicans...

[Moth]

They just absorb the city into Maryland.

[StuartSlate]

Originally Posted by Moth

They just absorb the city into Maryland.

That's the solution (IMO). As you all well know today's DC was once Maryland anyway.