Is D.C. a good place to live? (Washington: crime, home)

[ImAnEnigma]

Overall are you, and do the people around you seem to be pretty happy in D.C. I'm in my twenties, will be going back to school, and I'm looking for a fresh start from California. How's the dating scene? How's the food? How's the traffic? Are there any good colleges? Thanks in advance!

[Josiah X]

Originally from the Midwest and moved here when I was in my mid twenties. Lived here 5 years an Id say I'm happy with my decision.

-DC is definitely a "single young adult city". Much of the businesses cater to the 20-30 crowd..so much so that many older residents are getting ostracized to an extent. Because of this the dating scene is excellent. I've traveled to all the major cites and I find DC women probably the most gorgeous..competing only with LA

-DC, like most major cities, is very diverse so there are tons of food choices. From the very expensive restaurants to the local "hole-in-the wall- joint

- if you google DC traffic rankings you'll find that its consistently ranked as the #1 in the nation as far as congested traffic and #1 in length of commute.

- There are many highly ranked universities in the area.

[Collateral]

Great colleges, great food and great dating scene.

Horrible traffic.

You will want to live where you work or live somewhere that allows you to metro to work.

[I'm Retired Now]

YES! IF you are very wealthy and can spend a million dollars for a home in NW DC.

Or if you are a 20something professional who either makes lots of money or are supported by your family.

NO!

If you are a blue collar or service worker or make under $50K a year.

[Collateral]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

YES! IF you are very wealthy and can spend a million dollars for a home in NW DC.

Or if you are a 20something professional who either makes lots of money or are supported by your family.

NO!

If you are a blue collar or service worker or make under $50K a year.

While there is truth to that.. DC has awesome suburbs which are much cheaper. The Maryland suburbs are especially good for people making under 50k who still want to live in a relatively nice area. Also, the city is just a15-30 minute metro ride away

[11KAP]

^ according to him, no, if you are not at least bourgois.

[afer1500]

Originally Posted by Josiah X

Originally from the Midwest and moved here when I was in my mid twenties. Lived here 5 years an Id say I'm happy with my decision.

-DC is definitely a "single young adult city". Much of the businesses cater to the 20-30 crowd..so much so that many older residents are getting ostracized to an extent. Because of this the dating scene is excellent. I've traveled to all the major cites and I find DC women probably the most gorgeous..competing only with LA

-DC, like most major cities, is very diverse so there are tons of food choices. From the very expensive restaurants to the local "hole-in-the wall- joint

- if you google DC traffic rankings you'll find that its consistently ranked as the #1 in the nation as far as congested traffic and #1 in length of commute.

- There are many highly ranked universities in the area.

I do not agree that DC has "the most gorgeous" women. Miami, LA and NYC has the most gorgeous women. I think NYC wins out only because the women are less pretentious than Miami and LA.

I don't think DC is even in the top 5. Otherwise I agree with the rest of the post.

[I'm Retired Now]

Originally Posted by Collateral

While there is truth to that.. DC has awesome suburbs which are much cheaper. The Maryland suburbs are especially good for people making under 50k who still want to live in a relatively nice area. Also, the city is just a15-30 minute metro ride away

The only cheap suburbs are fair from major employment areas or they are in crime filled communities such as PG County otherwise they would not be cheap!

[coldbliss]

The economy must really suck in California if you are looking for a fresh start in DC.

Positives & Negatives for DC:
1. Lots of 20-somethings like yourself. You should have no problem meeting new people and making friends.

2. DC has a higher ratio of single females in the 20-something range. Even more single females at local universities. You should be in good shape here.

3. Colleges/Universities. This is where I think CA rules over DC. Sorry but California has the best public university system in the United States...period, end of story. The UC schools are far better learning institutions at graduate levels than what you find at the University of Maryland-College Park, George Washington Univ., George Mason Univ. and so on.

4. Traffic is horrible, awful here. But if you grew up in the Los Angeles area then you wouldn't notice much difference. Freeways turning into parking lots during rush hour is normal here and in LA. Washington, DC does offer a superior public transit network than what you would find in any California city (The SF Bay BART system is comparable though).

5. If you love freshly cooked Mexican or Asian dishes then you will miss California. Washington, DC is not New York City or San Francisco in terms of innovative, five-star restaurants but you could do worse in other cities.

A couple of things you didn't ask but it's worth noting.

You do realize that you are leaving year-round beautiful sunny, cozy warm, low humidity weather in California for a long swampy, steamy summer of hell in Washington, DC. Throw in a few stretches of super frigid winter weather too. Many Californian migrants to DC have a tough time with our weather here.

The cost of living. Washington, DC is an expensive place--especially if you are enrolled as a graduate student. But then again, most Californians adjust very well to sky-high rents and property values in DC because it costs an arm and a leg to live in many coastal urban areas in California. If DC landlords charge $2,000/month for a 600 sq. foot studio, Californians would shrug their shoulders and say "meh, been there and paid that". People from the Midwest and deep South would go into shell shock however.

Originally Posted by ImAnEnigma

Overall are you, and do the people around you seem to be pretty happy in D.C. I'm in my twenties, will be going back to school, and I'm looking for a fresh start from California. How's the dating scene? How's the food? How's the traffic? Are there any good colleges? Thanks in advance!

[Collateral]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

The only cheap suburbs are fair from major employment areas or they are in crime filled communities such as PG County otherwise they would not be cheap!

They are cheaper than the city.