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Not sure if I agree with #5. But I can confidently say #3 and #8, you are in for a nasty surprise.
Agreed 100%.
Sasha, maybe you lucked out on #3 and #5. Not everyone is friendly, and there appears to be an undercurrent of resentment towards tourists. For example, there's an unwritten rule for using the metro escalators... if you want to stand and not walk up/down the moving escalators, you should stand on the right, allowing people who DO walk up/down the escalators to pass by on the left. Walk left, stand right. Anyone who breaks that rule will leave DC saying "wow, what an unfriendly and rude city!" And that person would actually be partly correct.
As for #8, it may be a "short drive" on PAPER, but once you hit the road... just wait till you see the TRAFFIC!
All other points Sasha made are correct, and indeed positive points about DC which I appreciate. Except I dislike catfish
I'll put it this way: you can afford to live in the heart of DC and mainly commute via the walking shoes or bike, then perhaps you have got it made. Otherwise, your vehicle should be supplied with plenty of good reading material, maybe even a video game system attached to a monitor on your dashboard. It makes it hard to compensate for what are some great benefits that you and DCNative correctly allude to. May the force be with you. God bless who ever attempts it. I'm praying for you.
I'll put it this way: you can afford to live in the heart of DC and mainly commute via the walking shoes or bike, then perhaps you have got it made. Otherwise, your vehicle should be supplied with plenty of good reading material, maybe even a video game system atatched to a monitor on your dashboard. May the force be with you.
Yep, I lived in dupont circle for a year, and I didn't even need a car. It was so wonderful and I totally had it made - UNTIL - I ran up a budget that tracked my finances and discovered that I had indeed been breaking the bank
So I moved to MD, got a "steal" on an apartment rental, and I use both metro and car.
Yes, I have the horrific stories about the traffic. I always fly to DC and use the Metro so I have not experienced driving. I have say though, I think Boston is worse than DC traffic-wise. But again, not having driven in either city -- just visited-- I can't say for sure. I knew about the Metro escaltor from my time in Europe. Everyone stands right and walks left. Out of habit, I started doing that everywhere. I noticed DC abided by the rule, too which probably helped me divert ugly confrontations from the locals. I have never been dissappointed with anyone I met in DC. I go at least twice per year and have since about... 1994 ... I think. All good experiences, but I'm sure living there is quiet different from visiting for a few days.
I really liked Newport, RI. Close to Boston, NY and DC... by close I mean within a day's drive. However, I am not sure how the "old money folks" welcome newbies without money. LOL!
Sasha, I know Boston, NY, and DC well, not to mention other various cities like Chicago. I've heard the stories and experienced it at times: everyone claiming their town is the worst for traffic. Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, NY, Miami, Phoenix, Bay area in particular it seems. The only place I would say could give DC a run for its money is Los Angeles. Trust me: it is a living nightmare of epic proportions in DC.
Boston has improved despite all the scandals with the Big Dig. Boston I would consider more of the messy variety in terms of streets, not freeways. DC is a mess whether your in the capitol district, whether you are trying to get out of Alexandria, whether your in suburbia outisde the beltway, whether you are on 66, 495, 270....doesn't matter. And it starts early in the day! 2:30 (flex time is a killer benefit for gov't workers, hey?)
As for Boston, I can also get to the T easily and it is convenient from all directions well away from the hub-Riverside to the west, Oak Grove to the north, Quincy or Braintree to the south. Even the nightmares of Logan are exaggerated-Revere T is minutes away and parking is a few dollars a day: it drops you right off at Logan. Some of NY and Boston's gridlock is easily avoidable: why some would bother with driving into Boston or Manhattan for work, I am at a loss for words. If you pick and choose your time and consider alternate routes, it isn't that blasphemous. Its not that simple w/ DC. Yes it is possible, but not that simple and just not a way of life in the area. Be very wary. I couldn't bear it even in the same breath that I tell you that there is much of DC that I do find very positive.
Wow... could you imagine DC traffic without the Metro? It would stay in gridlock.
Yikes!
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