Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Recently Graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FLorida. I am looking for something different and have always been attracted to Washington D.C. I need your help. Would you consider Washington D.C. to be a good place for a young professional(preferably architecture) to start a career. Taking into account, Night Life, Affordability, Single Scene, Afro-Entertainment, Overall City Rating, etc. HELPP!!!!...thanks!
Probably so. Population growth is steady, so despite a crunch in some sectors of the credit markets, new office/retail construction and urban development march on in the DC area, as does the renovation of an aging housing stock in the inner and middle suburbs by upscale folks who have looked around and would rather remodel (or replace) than switch. There is considerable potential for all of those trends to continue. There is meanwhile plenty of nightlife and culture here...and it comes in all shapes and sizes. There are lots and lots of singles here, as jumping into DC right out of school is something that a lot of people do, and a higher than average percentage of them is female, as the government in particular has a long record as a prime hirer and promoter of women. The news is not as good when it comes to affordability. DC is a high cost-of-living area. This can come as something of a shock to those coming from a low cost-of-living area. Think of it as a chance to apply your budgeting and alternative-resource skills. DC will definitely be different from Tallahassee, likely in both expected and unexpected ways. If you can swing it, a quick trip in to check things out would be a good idea. You can't see or appreciate everything in a matter of a few days, but if you do some on-line research first, you an narrow your targets down to those that look like they will actually matter to you. Any way you slice it, there is nothing like a little first hand experience to help get a feel for an area...
Recently Graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FLorida. I am looking for something different and have always been attracted to Washington D.C. I need your help. Would you consider Washington D.C. to be a good place for a young professional(preferably architecture) to start a career. Taking into account, Night Life, Affordability, Single Scene, Afro-Entertainment, Overall City Rating, etc. HELPP!!!!...thanks!
For a twentysomething getting out of college, the DC area can be a very good place to work and live FOR A FEW YEARS to get experience, make contacts, etc. The cost of living is horrible there, but there are good job opportunities. The traffic is horrendous, and there is also high crime in DC.
So you should weigh the positives versus the negatives, but also have a PLAN of what you want to do and where you eventually want to be.
Unless you have a lot of money, DC is not a good place to spend a lifetime in if you want to be able to afford a house, save for retirement, and have any kind of good "quality of life" for family.
The DC area is a very transient place, and for good reason. Many twentysomethings move there for a few years, and then work their way back to their homestate or to some other area. Many of them find it fun for a few years, but then the reality of the costs and craziness of the area sets in and they look to move elsewhere.
The cost of living is horrible there...the traffic is horrendous...and there is also high crime in DC.
Would you rather make $30,000 a year and pay $8 for a haircut, or earn $60,000 a year and pay $16 for a haircut? Average one-way travel time to work for those who work outside the home is within a few minutes of half an hour across the region. The overall crime rate in DC is about the same as that in Beaver Falls, PA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Man
Unless you have a lot of money, DC is not a good place to spend a lifetime in if you want to be able to afford a house, save for retirement, and have any kind of good "quality of life" for family.
Hmmm. I came here and was able to do all of those things in spades.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Man
The DC area is a very transient place, and for good reason.
The military, the diplomatic corps, and various other foreign service-related employers regularly ship their people out of here and often back. That is your primary good reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-Man
Many twentysomethings move there for a few years, and then work their way back to their homestate or to some other area. Many of them find it fun for a few years, but then the reality of the costs and craziness of the area sets in and they look to move elsewhere.
Certainly happens. The DC atmosphere and lifestyle don't appeal to everyone. The same is true for Juneau, Peoria, Mesa, and Miami Beach.
Recently Graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FLorida. I am looking for something different and have always been attracted to Washington D.C. I need your help. Would you consider Washington D.C. to be a good place for a young professional(preferably architecture) to start a career. Taking into account, Night Life, Affordability, Single Scene, Afro-Entertainment, Overall City Rating, etc. HELPP!!!!...thanks!
DC has alot of architecture and arch-related careers...You'll love it....
For a twentysomething getting out of college, the DC area can be a very good place to work and live FOR A FEW YEARS to get experience, make contacts, etc. The cost of living is horrible there, but there are good job opportunities. The traffic is horrendous, and there is also high crime in DC.
So you should weigh the positives versus the negatives, but also have a PLAN of what you want to do and where you eventually want to be.
Unless you have a lot of money, DC is not a good place to spend a lifetime in if you want to be able to afford a house, save for retirement, and have any kind of good "quality of life" for family.
The DC area is a very transient place, and for good reason. Many twentysomethings move there for a few years, and then work their way back to their homestate or to some other area. Many of them find it fun for a few years, but then the reality of the costs and craziness of the area sets in and they look to move elsewhere.
I don't know why people like this always have to drag DC down.
Yes, many people come and go. But I know many who came and stayed. People of all ages love living in DC for far more than a few years. Many come, leave, and then come back. I've known many (including myself) who have done that. It is a town driven by career opportunities and the vibrant cosmopolitan, global energy. The people who always complain about DC also almost always live a lifestyle in which they depend on their cars. I've never driven in the city. I've been happy as a clam. So, go urban if you're going to go DC. Otherwise, you will find the cost-of-living, commuting, and being outside the nightlife/cultural life to not be worth it. It's quickly becoming a 24-hour city.
DC is also a city that caters to an emerging new American Dream. People whose goal in life is the white picket fence and retirement always hate DC. But younger generations are shifting their pursuit of happiness away from the suburban dream to a more lifestyle-oriented situation in which one's living space is secondary to one's experiential opportunity. New York has always catered to this lifestyle. It's just expanding now to DC.
As long as you can enjoy a quasi-fast paced city life (not like NY, but far more than Florida), you should be very happy in DC for your line of work. You might want to check out the National Building Museum - it focuses on architectural and city planning issues.
I actually am graduating from FSU grad school this summer and im moving up to D.C. as well. I spent the last two summers (06 and 07) interning in the heart of the city (across the street from the white house...) and i loved being up there. Your going to like it way better than tallahassee. There are alot of things going on all the time...happy hour...jazz clubs...diversity...etc...that you dont find in places like tallahassee. The things that your looking for "Taking into account, Night Life, Affordability, Single Scene, Afro-Entertainment, Overall City Rating" are all there to be found....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
