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I concur and some of the best rental buys in the city exist north of Van Ness along the Connecticut Avenue corridor up to the Chevy Chase neighborhood on the DC-MD line. There isn't a nearby Metro stop but the Van Ness station is within a 10-minute walk in most instances and the Connecticut Ave buses are very frequent in less desirable weather. Check out buildings like Connecticut Heights, Ellicott House, The Frontenac, 4801 Connecticut, The Chesapeake and The Brandywine which are in a heavily wooded area just a few blocks west of Rock Creek Park trails. It's a very safe area with consistent patrols of DC Police, Uniformed US Secret Service (due to the embassies in the area) and US Park Police, plus its walkable to every amenity imaginable.
Well they specifically said 'working in a school district', they didn't say teacher. They could work in administration, facilities, security, HR, or finance.
BTW, DCPS teachers have a starting salary of $55k, and can earn up to ~$30k additional by signing on as for after school programs, hall monitors, etc. The average teacher earns over $75k (which is some of the highest earnings in the nation). This is much higher than the average DC resident earns.
That’s not enough to live in DC. It’s good money for other places however.
There are a lot of neighborhoods in DC that meet your walkable criteria--MtP, Columbia Heights, Georgetown, SW Waterfront, Capitol Hill, Tenleytown, Shaw, Brookland.
What do you consider extreme weather? DC has very hot, humid summers--we usually have stretches well over 100 degrees, and these stretches will get longer and more frequent in the coming years. That can make it quite difficult if you are reliant upon walking in that weather to get around, or even if you are reliant upon waiting for buses.
We do also occasionally experience hurricanes, although it's pretty rare that DC's experience is anything more than heavy rain.
As already said, what is your budget and what kind of housing are looking for? DC is a very expensive place to live.
People always exaggerate the heat in D.C. It's almost never actually over 100 degrees in D.C.. Temps usually top out high 90s and that's typically just a few days in a summer. What is a reality is that most days between late May and late September will be between 80 and 95 featuring medium to very high humidity with the occasional soggy and extremely humid 70s day thrown in when storms move through.
It's not worse than one would experience in low-lying areas anywhere in the Southeastern U.S. incl. the Eastern 2/3 of Texas. In fact, it's the DFW area that's far more likely to see stretches of extreme heat above 100 degrees in summer than D.C.
I think the rep for D.C. having particularly bad summers comes from the fact that so many people from all over the country go through D.C., and that D.C. is the southernmost extension of the NE corridor, so coming down from Boston, New York and Philly..D.C. will appear just that extra bit hotter. Though qualitatively the weather of all those East Coast cities is pretty similar because it's typically influenced by the same weather events. Really, anyone from east of the Mississippi River and south of Chicago would be familiar with D.C. type summer weather from back home.
Some may be interested to know that DC and Philly have pretty similar weather conditions.
In 2022, for instance, both cities had a high temperature for the year of 99 degrees. Philly had a low temperature for the year of 7, while DC had a low temperature for the year of 9.
DC received 13.2 inches of snow in 2022, while Philly received 12.9 inches of snow in 2022.
DC received 43.5 inches of rain in 2022, while Philly received 42.5 inches of rain in 2022.
People always exaggerate the heat in D.C. It's almost never actually over 100 degrees in D.C.. Temps usually top out high 90s and that's typically just a few days in a summer. What is a reality is that most days between late May and late September will be between 80 and 95 featuring medium to very high humidity with the occasional soggy and extremely humid 70s day thrown in when storms move through.
It's not worse than one would experience in low-lying areas anywhere in the Southeastern U.S. incl. the Eastern 2/3 of Texas. In fact, it's the DFW area that's far more likely to see stretches of extreme heat above 100 degrees in summer than D.C.
I think the rep for D.C. having particularly bad summers comes from the fact that so many people from all over the country go through D.C., and that D.C. is the southernmost extension of the NE corridor, so coming down from Boston, New York and Philly..D.C. will appear just that extra bit hotter. Though qualitatively the weather of all those East Coast cities is pretty similar because it's typically influenced by the same weather events. Really, anyone from east of the Mississippi River and south of Chicago would be familiar with D.C. type summer weather from back home.
This is true, but I think DC really does have particularly bad humidity compared to other cities. It's because of the topography. The city is in a bowl of hills right next to a large river. The humidity just sits there, which is why the Mall can get so uncomfortable. You can feel a massive difference in comfort by just going from the Mall to upper NW, which is a little higher and has more trees. Other Southern cities aren't like that. They at least have a coastal breeze or some natural escape hatch for some humidity. Honestly, DC isn't the best location for a city.
To relate back to the OP, this is also another reason to look to upper NW to live.
This is true, but I think DC really does have particularly bad humidity compared to other cities. It's because of the topography. The city is in a bowl of hills right next to a large river. The humidity just sits there, which is why the Mall can get so uncomfortable. You can feel a massive difference in comfort by just going from the Mall to upper NW, which is a little higher and has more trees. Other Southern cities aren't like that. They at least have a coastal breeze or some natural escape hatch for some humidity. Honestly, DC isn't the best location for a city.
To relate back to the OP, this is also another reason to look to upper NW to live.
I agree regarding upper NW versus downtown neighborhoods in reference to heat tolerance. With upper NW there's significant mature tree cover in/around Rock Creek Park along with both the Connecticut Ave and Massachusetts Ave corridors plus some elevation, versus flat and virtually treeless in much of the downtown area. As a native Floridian who lived in DC for many years I do feel the humidity aspect is widely overstated given the couple of months in question, versus nearly year-round.
This is true, but I think DC really does have particularly bad humidity compared to other cities. It's because of the topography.
Your thought appears incorrect. Here is some data for your review.
Annual Average Relative Humidity in Select US Cities (data from readings over a 30-year period)
Las Vegas, NV - Daily average 30%
Phoenix, AZ - Daily average 37%
New York, NY - Daily average 63%
Washington, DC - Daily average 64%
Baltimore, MD - Daily average 66%
Philadelphia, PA - Daily average 67%
Atlanta, GA - Daily average 68%
Virginia Beach, VA - Daily average 69%
Richmond, VA - Daily average 70%
Los Angeles, CA - Daily average 71%
Miami, FL - Daily average 73%
Houston, TX - Daily average 75%
New Orleans, LA - Daily average 76%
The above link also includes a list of cities with the highest afternoon humidity. And you guessed it right. No, DC isn't in the top 10 on that one either.
There is one list that DC is on.
Cities With Low Humidity in the USA (data from readings over a 30-year period)
1. Las Vegas, Nevada 30.3
2. Phoenix, Arizona 36.6
3. Tucson, Arizona 38.3
4. Denver, Colorado 52.0
5. Salt Lake City, Utah55.3
6. Fresno, California 60.5
7. New York, New York63.0
8. Washington, DC 64.3
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 64.9
10. Dallas, Texas 65.4
"Much higher than the avg DC resident earns". So apparently it's enough. DC doesn't revolve around the posh NW side.
The Northwest side isn't entirely "posh" or unaffordable. The Connecticut Ave corridor north of Van Ness, along Wisconsin Avenue north of Georgetown, Cleveland Park and Woodley Park near the Metro, Glover Park, Massachusetts Ave corridor north of Wisconsin, Tunlaw and Palisades being prime examples.
I'm at a point in my life where I'm looking to settle down permanently. I'm a female, white, single, no kids, 30s, I can't drive due to disability. I grew up in Upstate New York and have a particular fondness for the Northeast, but I have lived and traveled almost everywhere. Right now I'm working in a school district in Texas. A lot of people have suggested that Washington, DC would be a good fit for me. I have been to DC a few times but haven't spent enough time there to get a good feel for the city. Not sure if it's truly right for me or which neighborhoods would be best. What neighborhoods do you think would be best suited for me? Feel free to list other cities you'd think would be a good fit. Thanks so much in advance!
Must haves
-a dense, walkable environment where you can get to everything by walking (grocery, stores, movies, etc)
-Easy access to nature, mountain/forest area, trees, parks
-Left leaning politics
-Strong economy/job opportunities
Nice to have but not needed
-public transportation (I prefer walking to where I need to go as opposed to taking public transportation but sometimes I'll take Uber, subway, or buses)
-Non extreme weather
-Fun things to do/leisure (I like zoos, theme parks, cafes, libraries, adventure parks, being out in nature, etc)
Thanks for your input!
Given your criteria I'd consider Boston/ Cambridge way before than DC.
-a dense, walkable environment where you can get to everything by walking (grocery, stores, movies, etc)
TRUE IN SOME PARTS OF NW DC
-Easy access to nature, mountain/forest area, trees, parks
NOT AT ALL. DC FEELS LIKE A CITY OF CONCRETE, WITH ONLY ROCK CREEK PARK TO OFFER A BREATHE. MOUNTAINS, FORESTS, OCEAN ARE ALL FAR
-Left leaning politics
MORE LIKE FAR-LEFT, EXTREME BUBBLE WITH LITTLE CROSS-PARTISAN DISCOURSE
-Strong economy/job opportunities
ONLY IF YOU WORK IN POLITICS OR IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
BOSTON SOUNDS LIKE A BETTER BET TO ME...
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