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I have been living in the DC area since 1994. I am have been thinking about relocating from the DC area but I still remain conflicted. I work in the non-profit association sector and I am currently single.
So I have to draw up a list of advantages and negatives about the DC area.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Recession Proof Economy. While the rest of the United States withers in economic recession, federal government spending will keep many businesses afloat and many people on the payroll. The job market is very strong for non-profit association managers like me.
2. Diversity. You can meet people from so many different countries. A healthy mixture of African-American, Latino, Asian, Indian, and African cultures.
3. Culture. DC is not NYC by a long stretch. However, I can visit tons of live theater studios, art galleries, music venues, etc. Wonderful ethnic restaurants in every major neighborhood.
4. Good Weekend Getaways. I can visit ocean-front beach property in Maryland or go camping in the mountains of West Virginia within a day's drive.
NEGATIVES:
1. The Ego-Driven Culture. People come to DC to build an impressive resume and seek power in their chosen field of work: lawyers, IT entrepreneurs, policy wonks etc. People here tend to be more self-centered, inconsiderate of others, and money hungry.
2. Dating Scene is really atrocious. Women judge you by your resume, somebody important that you know, and where you went to college. Yet, women complain that they can't find a suitable man. Ha-Ha! Oh the irony there.
3. The Cost of Living. Because the DC metro area has a high number of well-paid professionals, the cost of living has become prohibitive here. The large concentration of lawyers, doctors, IT executives, engineers, scientists, and executive salary government workers drive up the costs for everyone.
4. The traffic. Major highways are parking lots during rush hour. Metro trains break down with increasing frequency causing more delays and crowded train cars. Buses never follow the scheduled time pickups.
And you can't find those negatives in other cities????
Well if it's not working out for you hang out in some town you might think of moving to. Try to get a vibe for the place and if it works then you're set.
For what it's worth, I left DC about 5 years ago and am coming back. I had all the gripes you have about it. But I spent some time in NYC and, while it has far more, it also has far more of all the negatives you listed. I now live in Boston, which is just the most overrated city ever.
I actually miss the concentration of power in DC - the fact that people there aren't just there to make a living, but to make a change. Maybe you need to go away to turn that negative to the positive side, or maybe that's just not for you - there are very few cities where you get that sense of purpose.
2. I agree that your negatives outweigh your positives, BUT, never underestimate the value of a recession-proof economy. That's pretty significant.
3. I'm quite leery of this cost-of-living I'm about to get myself into when I make my move to DC in 8 days. If you want to talk about places that are way less expensive to live and offer a higher standard of living, send me a PM.
There are thousands of young, energetic professionals who are devoting many hours to non-profit organizations. The problem is that the income from non-profit jobs doesn't compete well with private sector salaries.
If the cost of living here wasn't so grossly unjust, I wouldn't have any problems. It's incredibly hard to make a living here on a non-profit position salary. When you have tons of corporate lawyer associates making $250,000 per year before their 30th birthday, it's hard to afford much of anything in most DC area neighborhoods.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluefly
For what it's worth, I left DC about 5 years ago and am coming back. I had all the gripes you have about it. But I spent some time in NYC and, while it has far more, it also has far more of all the negatives you listed. I now live in Boston, which is just the most overrated city ever.
I actually miss the concentration of power in DC - the fact that people there aren't just there to make a living, but to make a change. Maybe you need to go away to turn that negative to the positive side, or maybe that's just not for you - there are very few cities where you get that sense of purpose.
For what it's worth, I left DC about 5 years ago and am coming back. I had all the gripes you have about it. But I spent some time in NYC and, while it has far more, it also has far more of all the negatives you listed. I now live in Boston, which is just the most overrated city ever.
I actually miss the concentration of power in DC - the fact that people there aren't just there to make a living, but to make a change. Maybe you need to go away to turn that negative to the positive side, or maybe that's just not for you - there are very few cities where you get that sense of purpose.
The East Coast is similar from DC to Boston. If you really wanted something different, the West Coast would have been a more interesting choice.
The East Coast is similar from DC to Boston. If you really wanted something different, the West Coast would have been a more interesting choice.
I didn't mention this because it wasn't relevant, but I just spent several years living in a beautiful, isolated city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the south shore of Lake Superior. Dog sled races right through downtown and UFOs dancing over the vast body of Superior water made for possibly the most interesting (and unpredictable, even for me) choice I could have made in the continental US.
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