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I've considered leaving DC for a while now, but everytime spring comes around, those thoughts leave my mind. There are a few things about DC that still leave me in awe after all these years.
1. Driving down the Rock Creek Parkway - Driving up the Parkway is fine too, but I really like the part where you drive past the Lincoln Memorial and then shoot by the Monument on Independence before turning off on Maine Ave. The drive is a very special one at night time, especially if you have a special girl in the passenger seat. The Monument's so close it feels as if you can touch it.
2. Chuck Brown - I hated Go Go when I first moved here, but I've really come to love Chuck. There's nothing like a Chuck show in the Warner Theater or DAR. Or anywhere for that matter of fact.
3. Georgetown on a Sunday - Chillin' at an outdoor table at Dean & Deluca in the afternoon or walking with my girl by the C & O canal on a cool, breezy summer night.
4. Ledroit Park on Saturday mornings/Saturday evenings - I like how the sunlight cascades off all the rowhouses, kids play in the streams of water spewing from hydrants, and young residents lounge on the stoop after a hard day's work at Howard University hospital. The best is on Saturday mornings when the neighbors play oldies and wash their cars.
5. U Street on a warm Friday night after work - Sitting outside at Alero drinking frozen, passion fruit margaritas while watching pretty girls stroll by all night. Need I say more? I also like the fact you get those free nachos.
I've considered leaving DC for a while now, but everytime spring comes around, those thoughts leave my mind. There are a few things about DC that still leave me in awe after all these years.
1. Driving down the Rock Creek Parkway - Driving up the Parkway is fine too, but I really like the part where you drive past the Lincoln Memorial and then shoot by the Monument on Independence before turning off on Maine Ave. The drive is a very special one at night time, especially if you have a special girl in the passenger seat. The Monument's so close it feels as if you can touch it.
2. Chuck Brown - I hated Go Go when I first moved here, but I've really come to love Chuck. There's nothing like a Chuck show in the Warner Theater or DAR. Or anywhere for that matter of fact.
3. Georgetown on a Sunday - Chillin' at an outdoor table at Dean & Deluca in the afternoon or walking with my girl by the C & O canal on a cool, breezy summer night.
4. Ledroit Park on Saturday mornings/Saturday evenings - I like how the sunlight cascades off all the rowhouses, kids play in the streams of water spewing from hydrants, and young residents lounge on the stoop after a hard day's work at Howard University hospital. The best is on Saturday mornings when the neighbors play oldies and wash their cars.
5. U Street on a warm Friday night after work - Sitting outside at Alero drinking frozen, passion fruit margaritas while watching pretty girls stroll by all night. Need I say more? I also like the fact you get those free nachos.
Hey you sold me on DC. Love the descriptions. Every city has special things to offer, including mine and I will miss it. But I loved DC the minute I set foot there. Like you said, on a warm day, its just beautiful the people, sounds, all the great things to do. Its that deal!! Only had 2 visits and I'm packing up next month, to be there. Hoping to stay at least a good 5 years.
I love busy, functional cities that have something for everyone. Love it!!
Yeah, Spring in DC is awesome. Fall is pretty nice too. Add driving down the GW Parkway in the spring to the list... that's really nice.
It's cool living in such an internationally known city. Everyone seems to know it's the capital of the USA. The only other US cities I can think of with such recognition are NYC, SF and kind of LA... you ask someone what they think of when you say NYC and they'll probably say skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty... SF = golden gate... LA = ???
Big city amenities in a city that's not gigantic in population is great too.
Yeah, the GW Parkway is nice. Especially those beautiful 1000 ft scenic drops and Turkey Run Park. The Billy Goat Trail is also another great thing about the region.
There are a lot of things I like about this city--the culture, the parkland, the urban beauty, the good restaurants. There are few cities that offer such a unique combination. But I'm somewhat like Bajan, in that the things that really endear me to the city are the little things that not many people notice or pick up on.
For instance, I adore the Taft Bridge on Connecticut Avenue over Rock Creek Park. Between the park, the buildings of Dupont and Adams Morgan rising over the treetops, the spire of the National Mosque, and the beauty of the bridge itself...it's just gorgeous.
I love walking along the Mall late on a summer evening, when most of the tourists have left and things have quieted down. At one end, you have the glowing dome of the Capitol, and at the other the beauty of the monuments and memorials. Even better: strolling around the lake path of Constitution Gardens at dusk.
I also love the energy of the city's neighborhoods on a warm evening: all of the people out walking, the al fresco dining, the hustle and bustle--putting aside the job opportunities, it's basically the reason why you move to a city like DC in the first place.
Another great thing: "discovering" some new place--a coffee shop, a restaurant, a street, a park--that you've never noticed before, and finding out that it's great. For me, it was recently discovering Litteri's sub shop in the Capital Market. Awe-some.
And there's just something special about the quiet beauty of the city's residential streets. DC is, for me, one of the most pleasant cities simply for strolling. You don't have to have a particular destination in mind, just place yourself in one of the city's historic neighborhoods and start walking. You'll rarely regret it.
One thing I will never understand are people who live in the DC area, but hardly--if ever--come into the city. There is just so much that you miss.
It's nice being around well-educated, cultured, intelligent people who know a bit about the world, who are well-travelled, white-collar, and intellectuals.
It's nice being around wealth and status. If you've ever lived in a poor working class town, you know how people can be cheap--and that's not a good attitude to have in life. Wealth makes life much more pleasant, cordial, and enjoyable.
The nightlife is good. It actually rivals that of Europe, since a lot of famous DJs come to DC.
I like the fact that there are lots of singles and they're very eager to flirt and meet people, AND you know exactly where to meet them. If you've ever been to NYC, there's no "central hub" to singles interacting with each other; if you don't know where you're going, you're screwed. Whereas, in DC there are several designated party areas, which makes life simple.
If you consider yourself an intellectual, I doubt there's anywhere else in the country that's as good as DC--other than perhaps NYC. People tend to congregate in geographic areas that make sense for them. That's why you have the fashion/glamor industry in LA, the wonks and intellectuals in DC, the business/industry stuff in Seattle and Houston, and old-school literary and philosophical traditions in New England.
I'd disagree with the thing about wealth. There's a line between cheapness and materialism, and I think sometimes people around here stray into materialism more than I like.
I'd disagree with the thing about wealth. There's a line between cheapness and materialism, and I think sometimes people around here stray into materialism more than I like.
agreed.
I like Capitol Hill and Georgetown in autumn when the orange leaves are falling... it complements all the brick very nicely.
Another profound thing about DC is that if you live anywhere relatively central or high in elevation, chances are your roof has an amazing view. Even if its obscured by something, you can still see a pretty impressive distance and if you live near the hill between Columbia Heights and U street you can see forrrrever. I love it so much. Gotta thank the height restriction for that one.
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