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That's "area". I'm talking DC proper. If we're doing metros then NYC has maybe 130 billionaires and the Bay Area jumps up dramatically. 14 is really small for such a large "wealthy" area. Even below Dallas, Chicago and Houston.
Not sure why you're getting defensive. It's a fact that DC doesn't compare to other places when it comes to true wealth. There is nothing wrong with that seeing.. chances are that hardly anyone here will get to that level. This is the capital of the country, and people work for the government.. it's not a big financial or innovation center. It's just an observation and stats - who cares.
DC doesn't have a lot of billionaires because DC simply does not compare to NYC or SF in many, many categories. Billionaires don't need to work. The only reason thousands of people live in the DC Area is to work, period. If it wasn't for a steady upper middle class income, thousands of DC Area residents would much rather live somewhere else. DC is a state of mind that wears people down. No one likes to have to know they might be sitting in traffic for two hours on the beltway any given time of the week. Being completely status conscious at all-times and working insane hours just to afford a house they almost never see and completely bankrupting yourself of a real social life outside of boozing nightly at bars also ages people prematurely in this area.
San Francisco has some of the world's most beautiful scenery. This is not up for dispute as SF always makes the world's most beautiful cities lists. SF also has year round cool weather. DC is hot as hell in the summer and often freezing cold every other day from mid November to mid March. This winter has been particularly harsh although today was nice typical mild weather you would experience in many places in SF year round. SF has an air of freedom, excitement, diverse culture and possibility. There is always something awe-inspiring and interesting to see right in front of your face in SF. DC seems unnecessarily uptight and stuffy in comparison. There are things you can do in SF that, historically, you can't get away with in most big cities. You can walk down the street naked and smoke weed all day in public (try that in the "marijuana arrest capital of the world" in NYC) without fear of getting arrested. SF is a dreamlike laidback bohemian paradise that is inviting to wealthy people. DC is rigid, cold, unfriendly, painfully conventional and tends to be mind-numbingly boring and soul-sucking in the "nice" areas that are not neglected inner city neighborhoods. That is not to say SF does not have its real ghetto areas that are just as bad as any hood in America here and there, but the hood in DC makes up an easily defined full half of the District.
NYC is the ultimate urban experience in America. Endless possibilities. The streets lined with all different types of interesting people of every nationality on the planet, incredibly handsome men and jaw-dropping beautiful women everywhere. Fashion capitol of the world. Endless possibilities for wining, dining, entertainment, limitless cultural offerings. You don't have that in DC. You can experience all DC has to offer in terms of entertainment and culture in a single weekend, let alone a month. Sure, most of the real culture in DC that has been around for decades is in the hood (afterall DC, historically, is the "Chocolate City"), but the hood in DC is extremely unwelcoming to any outsiders. As a whole, DC is full of upper middle class government drones who think they are more affluent and important than they truly are. A big fish in DC is a guppie in NYC. The rest of DC consists of the permanent generational underclass of black people trapped in the ghetto as with every big city in America. 'Nuff said.
Last edited by LunaticVillage; 02-19-2014 at 06:14 PM..
DC doesn't have a lot of billionaires because DC simply does not compare to NYC or SF in many, many categories. Billionaires don't need to work. The only reason thousands of people live in the DC Area is to work, period. If it wasn't for a steady upper middle class income, thousands of DC Area residents would much rather live somewhere else. DC is a state of mind that wears people down. No one likes to have to know they might be sitting in traffic for two hours on the beltway any given time of the week. Being completely status conscious at all-times and working insane hours just to afford a house they almost never see also ages people prematurely in this area.
San Francisco has some of the world's most beautiful scenery. This is not up for dispute as SF always makes the world's most beautiful cities lists. SF also has year round cool weather. DC is hot as hell in the summer and often freezing cold every other day from mid November to mid March. This winter has been particularly harsh although today was nice typical mild weather you would experience in many places in SF year round. SF has an air of freedom, excitement, diverse culture and possibility. There is always something awe-inspiring and interesting to see right in front of your face in SF. DC is seems uptight and stuffy in comparison. SF is a dreamlike laidback bohemian paradise that is inviting to wealthy people. DC is rigid, cold, unfriendly, painfully conventional and tends to be mind-numbingly boring and soul-sucking in the "nice" areas that are not neglected inner city neighborhoods. That is not to say SF does not have its real ghetto areas here and there, but the hood in DC makes up an easily defined full half of the District.
NYC is the ultimate urban experience in America. Endless possibilities. The streets lined with interesting people, handsome men and beautiful women everywhere. Fashion capitol of the world. You don't have that in DC. As a whole, is full of upper middle class government drones who think they are more affluent and important than they truly are. A big fish in DC is a guppie in NYC. The rest of DC consists of the permanent generational underclass of black people as with every big city in America. 'Nuff said.
Since when you started disliking the place all of a sudden?
DC doesn't have a lot of billionaires because DC simply does not compare to NYC or SF in many, many categories. Billionaires don't need to work. The only reason thousands of people live in the DC Area is to work, period. If it wasn't for a steady upper middle class income, thousands of DC Area residents would much rather live somewhere else. DC is a state of mind that wears people down. No one likes to have to know they might be sitting in traffic for two hours on the beltway any given time of the week. Being completely status conscious at all-times and working insane hours just to afford a house they almost never see and completely bankrupting yourself of a real social life outside of boozing nightly at bars also ages people prematurely in this area.
San Francisco has some of the world's most beautiful scenery. This is not up for dispute as SF always makes the world's most beautiful cities lists. SF also has year round cool weather. DC is hot as hell in the summer and often freezing cold every other day from mid November to mid March. This winter has been particularly harsh although today was nice typical mild weather you would experience in many places in SF year round. SF has an air of freedom, excitement, diverse culture and possibility. There is always something awe-inspiring and interesting to see right in front of your face in SF. DC seems unnecessarily uptight and stuffy in comparison. SF is a dreamlike laidback bohemian paradise that is inviting to wealthy people. DC is rigid, cold, unfriendly, painfully conventional and tends to be mind-numbingly boring and soul-sucking in the "nice" areas that are not neglected inner city neighborhoods. That is not to say SF does not have its real ghetto areas here and there, but the hood in DC makes up an easily defined full half of the District.
NYC is the ultimate urban experience in America. Endless possibilities. The streets lined with all different types of interesting people of every nationality on the planet, incredibly handsome men and jaw-dropping beautiful women everywhere. Fashion capitol of the world. Endless possibilities for wining, dining, entertainment, limitless cultural offerings. You don't have that in DC. You can experience all DC has to offer in terms of entertainment and culture in a single weekend, let alone a month. Sure, most of the real culture in DC that has been around for decades is in the hood (afterall DC, historically, is the "Chocolate City"), but the hood in DC is extremely unwelcoming to any outsiders. As a whole, DC is full of upper middle class government drones who think they are more affluent and important than they truly are. A big fish in DC is a guppie in NYC. The rest of DC consists of the permanent generational underclass of black people trapped in the ghetto as with every big city in America. 'Nuff said.
I obviously don't know you, so I'm not saying this applies to you, but this is what I hear from people who visit SF. They visit he beautiful area in the northern and western parts of the city and maybe go up to Wine country. They never go to Oakland or see the bad areas. They never see and black or brown people and think that SF is utopia. It's the same with New York. I agree it's the most exciting city on earth, but I definitely think it has it's warts. Most people experience a small part of lower Manhattan and maybe Brooklyn. Tell me if you feel that excitement in the Bronx or Staten Island.
DC is a compact city, so it's east to see its warts and it's harder to move the undesirables out of sight.
The only reasons that NYC and SF have so many rich people is because the industries based there, the financial industry and the tech industry respectively, are the dominant ones in our economy right now.
DC is a cosmopolitan, fun city. Maybe not the most cosmopolitan. Maybe it's not NYC. But this continued idea of San Francisco as a some sort of utopia really irks me.
DC doesn't have a lot of billionaires because DC simply does not compare to NYC or SF in many, many categories. Billionaires don't need to work. The only reason thousands of people live in the DC Area is to work, period. If it wasn't for a steady upper middle class income, thousands of DC Area residents would much rather live somewhere else. DC is a state of mind that wears people down. No one likes to have to know they might be sitting in traffic for two hours on the beltway any given time of the week. Being completely status conscious at all-times and working insane hours just to afford a house they almost never see and completely bankrupting yourself of a real social life outside of boozing nightly at bars also ages people prematurely in this area.
San Francisco has some of the world's most beautiful scenery. This is not up for dispute as SF always makes the world's most beautiful cities lists. SF also has year round cool weather. DC is hot as hell in the summer and often freezing cold every other day from mid November to mid March. This winter has been particularly harsh although today was nice typical mild weather you would experience in many places in SF year round. SF has an air of freedom, excitement, diverse culture and possibility. There is always something awe-inspiring and interesting to see right in front of your face in SF. DC seems unnecessarily uptight and stuffy in comparison. There are things you can do in SF that, historically, you can't get away with in most big cities. You can walk down the street naked and smoke weed all day in public (try that in the "marijuana arrest capital of the world" in NYC) without fear of getting arrested. SF is a dreamlike laidback bohemian paradise that is inviting to wealthy people. DC is rigid, cold, unfriendly, painfully conventional and tends to be mind-numbingly boring and soul-sucking in the "nice" areas that are not neglected inner city neighborhoods. That is not to say SF does not have its real ghetto areas that are just as bad as any hood in America here and there, but the hood in DC makes up an easily defined full half of the District.
NYC is the ultimate urban experience in America. Endless possibilities. The streets lined with all different types of interesting people of every nationality on the planet, incredibly handsome men and jaw-dropping beautiful women everywhere. Fashion capitol of the world. Endless possibilities for wining, dining, entertainment, limitless cultural offerings. You don't have that in DC. You can experience all DC has to offer in terms of entertainment and culture in a single weekend, let alone a month. Sure, most of the real culture in DC that has been around for decades is in the hood (afterall DC, historically, is the "Chocolate City"), but the hood in DC is extremely unwelcoming to any outsiders. As a whole, DC is full of upper middle class government drones who think they are more affluent and important than they truly are. A big fish in DC is a guppie in NYC. The rest of DC consists of the permanent generational underclass of black people trapped in the ghetto as with every big city in America. 'Nuff said.
That's what I figured.
Seems like a good place to work but it's not a "dream city" like NYC, SF, LA, London, Paris, etc. Doesn't attract the glamour and the international gazillioniares as the glitzy cities above because it doesn't have that "it" factor.
I obviously don't know you, so I'm not saying this applies to you, but this is what I hear from people who visit SF. They visit he beautiful area in the northern and western parts of the city and maybe go up to Wine country. They never go to Oakland or see the bad areas. They never see and black or brown people and think that SF is utopia. It's the same with New York. I agree it's the most exciting city on earth, but I definitely think it has it's warts. Most people experience a small part of lower Manhattan and maybe Brooklyn. Tell me if you feel that excitement in the Bronx or Staten Island.
DC is a compact city, so it's east to see its warts and it's harder to move the undesirables out of sight.
The only reasons that NYC and SF have so many rich people is because the industries based there, the financial industry and the tech industry respectively, are the dominant ones in our economy right now.
DC is a cosmopolitan, fun city. Maybe not the most cosmopolitan. Maybe it's not NYC. But this continued idea of San Francisco as a some sort of utopia really irks me.
Seems like a good place to work but it's not a "dream city" like NYC, SF, LA, London, Paris, etc. Doesn't attract the glamour and the international gazillioniares as the glitzy cities above because it doesn't have that "it" factor.
Let's be honest. You figured that before you ever posted. It just took some angry, misguided person to post what you were looking for all along. Misery loves company, as it were.
Lunatic Village is obviously mistaken (for example, position yourself near metro and there's no 2 hours of miserable traffic, plus plenty of people I know simply enjoy living here in the city for far more than just a job).
You don't seem to grasp the economy here. It's never going to attract the super rich because their industries are not here. It has widely distributed wealth across many well educated and very smart people.
That culture, rather than a few isolated elites, is what makes DC great in its own rite.
Was asking about rich people. Look at the title of the thread.
And I was contrasting your title with your very first sentence:
Quote:
Originally Posted by George V
I always read about "median incomes" in Washington DC being high, yet
If you want to be around super-rich "international gazillioniares" who giggle about their "glamour and glitz" while stepping on the heads of starving child beggars, if Louis XVI or Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" are your idea of paradise, then you should try Mexico City, Johannesburg, Sao Paulo, or Dubai. Just make sure to watch your back, and don't come crying for the good, middle-class, civil-servant Washingtonians at the US State Department when things go awry.
Oh, and a basic understanding of middle-school math might come in handy at some point. "Gazillionaires" like to count their money.
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