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Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OleSchoolFool
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Why did you move to DC then? You say overpriced is exactly why you left, but it doesn't make sense to escape from that there just to come find it here.
Right... I didn't plan on it being THIS expensive. Once I made the decision to leave San Francisco (pricey on its own as I'm sure you can find out or already know), I figured I'd get some kind of break, which I did, but once I ventured out on my own, I realized it was pretty comparable.
I really banked on the "other" stuff making up for the rent difference. I couldn't believe how comparable rents were but I figured for the real-world experience, it would be worth it for me to pay as much to live here.
It's been worth it in some ways but as I've said on other threads, not worth enough for me to pay less to live in Richmond and come up once a month to do what I have to do here in town.
As I've said before, I do not regret spending two years here. It's been awesome. I'm especially grateful I spent a year of it EOTR where I've lived among the "real" locals as opposed to fellow transplants.
The main issue was that everything I write about is centered here (the Fed, govt, etc) and in California, I felt behind (Asian markets opened by the time I went to bed) but I can easily cover all that from Richmond for way less and still manage to get up here every few weeks to report on the events I need to be here for without living in the DC hood just to afford being close to the action. Not that I hate it here, I love my apartment and love this neighborhood, it just seems a bit excessive with no sign of settling down anytime soon. DC has no idea there is such a thing as a recession in most of the country. I can't handle that kind of delusion.
I still would never talk anyone out of moving here - like you - if you think it'll benefit you or be worth it. It's just worth managing expectations is all...
Right... I didn't plan on it being THIS expensive. Once I made the decision to leave San Francisco (pricey on its own as I'm sure you can find out or already know), I figured I'd get some kind of break, which I did, but once I ventured out on my own, I realized it was pretty comparable.
I really banked on the "other" stuff making up for the rent difference. I couldn't believe how comparable rents were but I figured for the real-world experience, it would be worth it for me to pay as much to live here.
It's been worth it in some ways but as I've said on other threads, not worth enough for me to pay less to live in Richmond and come up once a month to do what I have to do here in town.
As I've said before, I do not regret spending two years here. It's been awesome. I'm especially grateful I spent a year of it EOTR where I've lived among the "real" locals as opposed to fellow transplants.
The main issue was that everything I write about is centered here (the Fed, govt, etc) and in California, I felt behind (Asian markets opened by the time I went to bed) but I can easily cover all that from Richmond for way less and still manage to get up here every few weeks to report on the events I need to be here for without living in the DC hood just to afford being close to the action. Not that I hate it here, I love my apartment and love this neighborhood, it just seems a bit excessive with no sign of settling down anytime soon. DC has no idea there is such a thing as a recession in most of the country. I can't handle that kind of delusion.
I still would never talk anyone out of moving here - like you - if you think it'll benefit you or be worth it. It's just worth managing expectations is all...
I see. I live in an expensive area now so it's not gon be as big of an issue cuz I'd be ready to deal with it. Way I see it for me-NJ costs just as much as DC and NYC costs even more and while there are many govt jobs here, it's not nearly as many as in DC obviously, and govt jobs pay the same or less here, they don't give a f#ck NYC costs outrageous. For example, NYPD officers start out at about 45k (few yrs ago it was 25k, yea believe that). After 6 months they get 46k. Cops in Portland, OR start at 45k and get 55k after 6 months, while COL is 3 times less-no exaggeration so even with a high COL I'll still be better off in DC financially, that's a no brainer. The question remains whether I will like DC enough on a personal level to decide to move there cuz if I move that's gon be it-I will stay there. I hate moving and I moved enough already. In America it's common to relocate all the time just cuz of jobs, but I am not like this and I'd rather get paid less but live where I like.
Location: the wrong side of the tracks Richmond, VA
585 posts, read 2,015,434 times
Reputation: 794
Quote:
Originally Posted by OleSchoolFool
I see. I live in an expensive area now so it's not gon be as big of an issue cuz I'd be ready to deal with it. Way I see it for me-NJ costs just as much as DC and NYC costs even more and while there are many govt jobs here, it's not nearly as many as in DC obviously, and govt jobs pay the same or less here, they don't give a f#ck NYC costs outrageous. For example, NYPD officers start out at about 45k (few yrs ago it was 25k, yea believe that). After 6 months they get 46k. Cops in Portland, OR start at 45k and get 55k after 6 months, while COL is 3 times less-no exaggeration so even with a high COL I'll still be better off in DC financially, that's a no brainer. The question remains whether I will like DC enough on a personal level to decide to move there cuz if I move that's gon be it-I will stay there. I hate moving and I moved enough already. In America it's common to relocate all the time just cuz of jobs, but I am not like this and I'd rather get paid less but live where I like.
Are you in law enforcement (sorry if I missed earlier in the thread)? I bet you could do better in another area but again, don't want to talk you out of DC either. The money's here but law enforcement is up in many other areas as well, I don't see the point in "wasting" the COL in DC when you could live more comfortably in other areas that are heavily recruiting. If you're not, don't think that you automatically get compensated for DC's high cost of living - I write about accounting and know a lot of new grads are barely making ends meet, you aren't going to get some $8000 bonus because you live in expensive DC.
I think as long as one manages expectations and understands one's own financial limitations, it worth it AT LEAST trying out DC once. Every American should live here at least for a year once in their lifetime as far as I'm concerned. Better now than later when it gets crazier, the unrealistic DC COL isn't showing any signs of letting up any time soon.
I would highly recommend getting into a situation that you can easily get out of if it appears to be less than you wanted/expected, that way you aren't stuck here for another year or two while you suffer it out. And if it works out for you, awesome!
Comparing DC to NYC won't get you anywhere, you have to look at DC for what it is - the + and the -. It is not NYC. It will never be.
Very few people move to DC with the intention of staying here forever. Keep that in mind.
I am not LE, I was just using examples. I plan to do something LE or national security related. Other places only offer street cop jobs, and I'm not interested in that. I know DC is not NYC, I am just saying that DC got more opportunities for me cuz all the senior govt positions (thus more pay) are in DC.
In regards to me being stuck somewhere-it's not like I got a lot of alternatives, ya know? I only like the east coast, NE in particular. I am not moving back west or south or whatever. Therefore, my only other option in case DC doesn't work out would be Philly cuz it's cheaper, but it's gon be hard to find a job that I want in Philly. Boston is expensive too so no point.
Last edited by OleSchoolFool; 08-15-2012 at 09:34 PM..
I am not LE, I was just using examples. I plan to do something LE or national security related. Other places only offer street cop jobs, and I'm not interested in that. I know DC is not NYC, I am just saying that DC got more opportunities for me cuz all the senior govt positions (thus more pay) are in DC.
In regards to me being stuck somewhere-it's not like I got a lot of alternatives, ya know? I only like the east coast, NE in particular. I am not moving back west or south or whatever. Therefore, my only other option in case DC doesn't work out would be Philly cuz it's cheaper, but it's gon be hard to find a job that I want in Philly. Boston is expensive too so no point.
For the record, my 2 favorite cities in the U.S. are NYC and DC. I have no desire to live anywhere else outside these metro areas (except possibly when I retire).
You're gonna start as a beat cop in any municipal or state police department dude. If you wanna do detective work or special assignment work you need to earn your stripes as they say.
Something to consider...the DC area economy is wayyyy to dependent on federal tax dollars - 85% of the businesses here are dependent on federal spending. If some these far right wing anti government crazies come into power, they will obliterate this region's economy and turn it into Detroit.
Can't say about DC yet, but NYC is good to visit, not to live.
I've heard that about NYC from a LOT of ex-New Yorkers over the years. Too many in fact. I've also known so many people who left DC for NYC and within a few years they either boomeranged back to DC or moved on from the east coast entirely. NYC is probably the toughest city to manage comfortably in the U.S. for most people. I admire people who can stick it out and make it in that city over the long term.
I'd be happy with north Jersey though. You want to trade places? Seriously though, if I couldn't live in one of these two metro areas, I wouldn't be happy anywhere else in this country. I would want to leave the U.S.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 08-16-2012 at 09:31 AM..
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Seriously though, if I couldn't live in one of these two metro areas, I wouldn't be happy anywhere else in this country. I would want to leave the U.S.
