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While your general statements are true, I think you are misjudging the density of core San Diego. True, there are four zip codes in DC with about 100k people total where their density is far greater than the densest SD zip codes. After that the cities are about equal. There are about 316k people in DC that are living in zip codes with greater than 9000 ppsm, (including those four dense zip codes) and there are 363k people living in SD in zip codes with greater than 9000 ppsm. That is not a huge density, but it ain't low density surburbia with little vibrancy. My neighborhood is well over 12,500 ppsm and I am 2 miles out of downtown, in a SFH, but with compact urban lots and walkable neighborhoods with vibrant "village" centers for miles around me that I can easily walk, transit, bike or ride share around me- I would never drive.
Adams Morgan, DuPont Circle and Georgetown are absolutely denser, but they are not necessarily that much more vibrant than South/North Park, Hillcrest and University/Normal Heights, where in pockets, they have comparable slices if not as large.
DC has gained close to 100,000 people since the last census in the core. What year is the data you're using from? Is it 2016 data? A better comparison would be to compare how many people are living in zip codes over 20,000 ppsm. Also, how many people are living in neighborhoods over 30,000 ppsm. A neighborhood at 12,500 ppsm would be low density.
This is not really about population density or walkscore though. This is a comparison of the built environment. Neighborhoods like Capital Riverfront, SW Waterfront, NOMA/Union Market, H Street/Atlas District, Logan Circle, U Street, Penn Quarter, Mt Vernon Triangle, Shaw, and Columbia Heights are all very dense built environments with a feel you don't get in San Diego. Those neighborhoods are now the densest in DC and outer neighborhoods like Georgetown and Adams Morgan are actually being left behind in development and density.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 08-28-2017 at 03:49 PM..
DC has gained close to 100,000 people since the last census in the core. What year is the data you're using from? Is it 2016 data? A better comparison would be to compare how many people are living in zip codes over 20,000 ppsm. Also, how many people are living in neighborhoods over 30,000 ppsm. A neighborhood at 12,500 ppsm would be low density.
This is not really about population density or walkscore though. This is a comparison of the built environment. Neighborhoods like Capital Riverfront, SW Waterfront, NOMA/Union Market, H Street/Atlas District, Logan Circle, U Street, Penn Quarter, Mt Vernon Triangle, Shaw, and Columbia Heights are all very dense built environments with a feel you don't get in San Diego. Those neighborhoods are now the densest in DC and outer neighborhoods like Georgetown and Adams Morgan are actually being left behind in development and density.
I totally know and agree with your descriptions. I am an architect and an urban animal, I speak built environment haha! I love nearly everything about dense urban cities, as D.C. clearly had been for 100s of years, just benefiting from that scale of urban development 200+ years ago that has only been built upon as other East Coast cities have.
There are pluses and minuses to both the cities and their types of development as just about everyone clearly understands. I do very much appreciate living in a sweet 100 y.o. house on a wooded canyon as part of one of the largest urban parks in the nation, walking distance to fun village neighborhood centers, as well also to a compact and vibrant enough downtown and the bay with all the amenities that a big city possesses. I couldn't really replicate these qualities in just about any other city in this country, regardless of how much money I have. When I need more city I travel to 'em. But I don't want to give up swimming in the ocean with the leopard sharks and mountain biking on great canyon trails right next to downtown whenever I want.
I totally know and agree with your descriptions. I am an architect and an urban animal, I speak built environment haha! I love nearly everything about dense urban cities, as D.C. clearly had been for 100s of years, just benefiting from that scale of urban development 200+ years ago that has only been built upon as other East Coast cities have.
There are pluses and minuses to both the cities and their types of development as just about everyone clearly understands. I do very much appreciate living in a sweet 100 y.o. house on a wooded canyon as part of one of the largest urban parks in the nation, walking distance to fun village neighborhood centers, as well also to a compact and vibrant enough downtown and the bay with all the amenities that a big city possesses. I couldn't really replicate these qualities in just about any other city in this country, regardless of how much money I have. When I need more city I travel to 'em. But I don't want to give up swimming in the ocean with the leopard sharks and mountain biking on great canyon trails right next to downtown whenever I want.
Agreed! They both offer something very different and unique and it boils down to preference. It's really not fair to compare either city to the other because it's comparing apples and oranges. Both cities are great at what they do.
If a nice climate is all one needs to be happy, then sure, San Diego is great. Those of us with greater needs and desires should look elsewhere.
I mean, imo San Diego offers much more than just the weather. The first day I visited it was cold and rainy but I still had the time of my life because it’s such a fun/beautiful city!
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