What's life like in Washington D.C.?

Question

Thinking of moving there.

Answer 1

TBugs is not telling the truth. Crime in DC itself is down, not up, from 2 years ago, part of an overall drop in crime for the last 10 years or more. I should know-- I moved into the city in 1993 and wouldn't dream of leaving now.

Speaking for the city, not the suburbs... it is a very diverse place. We have all cultures here (we've got the biggest population of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia) and there's always an ethnic festival going on, everything from Chinese New Year parades in Chinatown to the Caribbean Festival on Georgia Avenue. We also have some of the world's best museums; you can go to a different museum every weekend (most are free, too!) and still not be done after a year. There's tons of water-related activities, too: rent paddleboats on the Tidal Basin or rent a canoe at Fletcher's and go up the C&O canal. We have tons of nightlife, everything from live rock and roll at the 9:30 Club to live blues/jazz at Bohemian Caverns. There is a ton of stuff to do.

The architecture is beautiful, especially the turn-of-the-century Victorian townhouses. It's relatively easy to find a job if you have some skills or education (better yet, both) because we have the Federal government here, they're a giant employer, and tons of private employers, too.

And we have three airports (well really only one that matters, National Airport is right across the bridge but you can also go to Dulles or BWI) for when you need to get out of town.

Yes, it's a city--- there is some crime, but crime is everywhere. For an urban community, it's definitely safer than others. And yes it is on the pricey side but nothing on the scale of LA or NYC or San Francisco. Shop around, there's good values out there.

So I would say, all in all, DC is the best place to live!!!

Answer 2

It is very expensive to live in Washington DC and the surrounding areas. The crime is through the roof and violent crime such as murder, rape, and beatings are up over 50% from 2 years ago. There is an average of 5 murders each weekend and several more shootings and stabbings. One robber this past weekend had a claw hammer as his weapon and bashed the victims in the face before robbing them. One of his victims was an 80 year old lady. She was on her way to work at 5:30 am as a hotel housekeeper so she could afford to live in DC. Oh yeah, the robber is still on the loose.

Actually, Plain Jane is mighty accurate on what Washington DC is like. I did not exagerate anything in what I said above but it is a very nice city - at times.

The Fall and Spring are great times to visit and to just be in DC. Great museum system with the Smithsonian that includes the National Zoo - and all are free. Pretty good subway system. Crowded during rush hour as are the roads and the Beltway.

I have lived in this DC area for about 40 years and know it pretty good. If I had not liked most of it, I would have moved away.

Answer 3

"tbugs" is buggin'...but it's true. On the other hand, it's hot-sticky-humid in the summer and butt-a*s cold in the winter. Spring and fall are very nice, though.

Frankly, most white people live in NW (the Northwest quadrant of DC); the city itself is somewhere around 65-70% black. Most of the people are fine, wonderful people who either work for the gov't or work for businesses that are in DC BECAUSE of the gov't: lobbyists, lawyers, PR firms, restaurants, etc.

Speaking of restaurants: Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Adams-Morgan/Connecticut Avenue/Dupont Circle and Upper Northwest are great places, as there are literally places to eat serving every conceivable cuisine.

The suburbs are extensive and almost as expensive as DC itself; commuting is a nightmare, but public transportation is pretty good, even from the suburbs. The 'Metro' subway system is clean and fairly easy to use.

Dulles Airport in Virginia and B-W (Baltimore-Washington) Airport aren't real close to DC but are served by limos and buses; Reagan National Airport is right across the river from downtown DC.

The Smithsonian, Zoo, Space Museum etc., are all free.

All said and done, all big cities have crime problems. DC is not the most beautiful place in the world, but it's far from the worst.

Answer 4

It's a city. There will be crime, yes, but any big city you live in is going to have crime. It gets hot and sticky in the summer and pretty damn cold in the winter (especially January and February). It's expensive to live here, but so's anywhere worth living and many places that are not nearly as interesting as DC. Some of the suburbs, especially in Northern Virginia, are even MORE expensive than DC.

One thing I like about DC is the diversity of cuisines. We have the largest population of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia. Adams Morgan, a neighborhood in Northwest, has numerous ethnic restaurants (and a few chain fast food dumps) and bars.

You should visit DC for a few days and see if you like the vibe.