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Have you seen the latest survey of cities on Travel and Leisure? As usual Washington DC is rated as a very unfriendly city. Why would this be true? The City is in the south, beautiful, there is lots to see, economy is pretty good and nearly everyone is from outside the area and are looking for friends.
You would think Washington DC and the metro area would be one of the nicest friendliest places in America.
C'mon...anyone that would subscribe to that magazine is looking for 'servants' to 'pamper' them from the airport to their hotel, and give them a tour and on and on and on.
DC is an internationally well-known working city...it's not Key West or the Bahamas.
Have you seen the latest survey of cities on Travel and Leisure? As usual Washington DC is rated as a very unfriendly city. Why would this be true? The City is in the south...
I always find it interesting how people categorize D.C. as being in the South. It's really not LoL Yes, I know - Mason-Dixon and all that, but culturally? No.
DC area people are just busy, not unfriendly. People come to this area to make money ... so, chit chat is not really among the priorities. That's what vacations are for.
DC area people are just busy, not unfriendly. People come to this area to make money ... so, chit chat is not really among the priorities. That's what vacations are for.
I call BS on this. I NYC they are busy, and DC people are just jerks. They go out of their way to be obnoxious. There is a difference between being busy and just being rude. The difference is really quite apparent. I go anywhere in DC/Virginia area, and I'm just treated with nasty attitudes. It's really uncalled for.
DC isn't southern..... eff a Mason-Dixon line I've been living between NYC and DC for almost 3 years now and it has more in common with NYC/Philly than it does with Richmond or Hampton Roads (7 cities).
If you are miserable in NYC then most likely you'll be miserable in DC as well.
If you're going to the places teeming with tourists (like people answering a survey from Travel and Leisure are), or walking by some guy whose only purpose in DC is to go to work, work and leave, I think a brusque attitude is to be expected. So maybe overall, I can see it as a fair characterization.
However, If you walk up to random people in DC, fewer than 1 in 3 will actually be a DC resident, so the article's comment about the behavior of DC 'locals' is suspect.
I completely agree with Tiger Beer's assessment. This isn't Key West, this isn't Vegas, this isn't even Yosemite - where the attractions are either built entirely for tourists or the accommodations are built to accommodate the attraction. The White House and the Capitol are places of work that are open to the public, not places of leisure open to the public. People there aren't all going to be strolling by with a pina colada and not a care in the world interested in idle chit chat. The Monuments are away from the rat race, but it's entirely populated by tourists - so blame for the rude behavior there can be spread evenly around the country.
I think living here opens up a much more accommodating DC. You're going to places that aren't a crush of tourists and people working. You're clued in to all of the great events and places in the city. You know to stand right, walk left. You know inauguration is going to be an unmitigated logistical nightmare. etc etc. Outside of the socioeconomic and/or racial tensions that flare on occasion, I find living here fairly pleasant.
#1. That alone creates tension between natives and transplants. The city is going through gentrification and a lot of residents are still bitter about the demographic shift in the city and their neighborhoods.
#2. There is competition between immigrants and its like a rat race with them. Ethiopians have a large stronghold in the taxi industry and liquor stores in the DC area as well has gas stations and 7-elevens and they own a lot of other businesses. Asians also have the liquor store industry on lock as well and of course they own all the nail shops, beauty supply, and carry-outs. Dominicans and Africans own almost every black and Spanish salon in the DMV. Regular black people have the local government on lock, from METRO to Housing Authority. Now a lot of times when the different groups try to expand to each others territory it just "stuff" gets started. Another thing, immigrants self segregate themselves a lot here. Hispanics and Africans cohabit with each other and that's it just look at Langley Park, Riverdale, Chillium, Takoma Park around Flower ave/Piney Branch, Culmore, Columbia Pike.
#3. A lot people in DC are arrogant, cliquish, and *******s..
#4. There are more natives in the DC area than you think, try visiting areas that are on the eastern side of the metro area.
#5. "nearly everyone is from outside the area and are looking for friends."
Haha I agree with comments that DC/Northern Virginia is definitely not the South. Maybe someone from NY might say that but trust me sooo not true. There's a big difference between here and my hometown!
I don't think everyone is unfriendly. People just tend to keep to themselves on public transportation. I try to approach tourists who look like they need help cause I remember feeling a bit lost when I first moved here but it's not like I go out of my way to make small talk otherwise.
All you got to do is read the other thread 'perspective on living in DC' and see how folks jumped all over the OP for suggesting they move out of the way or be less picky when ordering food. It is a town of DEFENSIVE folks who get mad when others ask them to realize they are not the only people on earth. NYC is like this as well. So are a lot of other towns.
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