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I'd go with D.C. because of the better public transit and, as you said, the 4 seasons. It's also closer to a major body of water. D.C. is very diverse (as is Atlanta) so you'll find something of everything, but if race is so important to you there are plenty of professional blacks in D.C.
Charlotte is in a league down from either of those cities (unless you'r in banking of course) and I wouldnt recommend it unless you were looking to buy a home and start a family.
DC is the best in regards to public transport and having a true urban experience with walkable neighborhoods, awesome architecture, and a large population of black professionals. However, the downfalls to DC are the extremes in regards to weather in terms of winter and summer, as well as the "sticker shock" as others have mentioned.
Atlanta, where I live now, is great for young professionals and has an awesome nightlife scene, as well as a great entertainment scene in terms of live music, pop culture, and fashion. The cost of living is increasing, but still reasonable for a young professional. Also, barring a couple of months during summer, the weather here is great--not to mention you would have the rest of the world within easy reach with the world's busiest airports.
Two other cities worth mentioning are Dallas and Houston--both of which have a very affordable cost of living, mild winters, great nightlife, and a large black professional community.
Honestly, the sticker shock of Washington D.C. shouldn't be that bad at all since the OP is coming from Seattle.
The DC area has much to offer in what the OP wants, including culture, museums, restaurants, malls, book stores, diversity, large amounts of black professionals and has access to them all via public transportation without going through the congested highways.
Since you are a young married couple with no kids and looking to rent an apartment, pricing shouldn't be that bad at all, while having many of the amenities that young couples are looking for in a city.
DC has plenty of career opportunities for a recent graduate with a master's in social work. And with many great schools, DC also has plenty to choose from for the husband starting or finishing up his degree.
Crime is concentrated in pockets, and shouldn't be too much of a concern outside of certain areas.
From what the OP described, DC is perfect for them, it seems like many of the other posters who responded didn't even take the time to read through the post at all.
Last edited by tenken627; 01-23-2008 at 11:48 AM..
DC gets criticized a lot, but it can be a great place to live. Lived there many years and really enjoyed it. I'm not black, but a lot of black people seem to love it there. Nevertheless, I'd probably recommend Atlanta out of the three--better cost of living than DC, more culture than Charlotte. (I must admit, though, I am not that familiar with Charlotte.)
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