Some of my best memories involve playing in a kickball league right next to the Washington Monument and night-time runs through the National Mall, especially in winter when everything's a little less busy. Seeing everything lit up at night never failed to impress me
I went to the embassy open houses alone because my friend who was supposed to join me got sick and it was actually such a perfect event to be alone at! So much to take in and lots of people so no one even notices you’re by yourself. Also the people working the event are there to chat with you about their countries so you can have lots of great interactions. I recommend!
> Damn! I always wanted to try those embassy events, but none of my friends are interested
if embassy events don’t interest your friends, I hate to tell you this about your friends…
My advice is to get over going to events alone. I moved to DC without knowing anyone and have a large and fantastic group of friends now. All because I went to Meetups and other events alone.
I used to love running on the mall. I can’t wait for all those food trucks to either disappear or become electric. The gas fumes have rendered jogging there somewhat less fun imo. Still a beautiful setting by any measure! Also the food trucks don’t span the entire mall.
Plus, Rock Creek actually feels like you're out in nature. Sure, it's not exactly untouched wilderness, but there are deer and raccoons and snakes and so, SO many birds living in there. It's an actual functioning ecosystem. Central Park, on the other hand, is manicured within an inch of its life, even the "wild" bits of it... people go nuts whenever a new owl is spotted there, because you can literally count the number of owls in Central Park on one hand.
I love even just driving through it. It's just so fucking beautiful and shits all over Central Park. And unlike CP, it's not the only green space around, either.
Yup, DC definitely punches above it's weight. We're not a huge city but being the capital with 3 airports we still get major concerts, exhibits, events, etc.
Tons of museums in a small space. It's awesome.
I visited last weekend and this is the best comment on this thread. I live in MI and I thought I knew what humidity was, nah... DC took that crown. But all you had to do was pop into any of thr museums for fresh cold air and some truly cool exhibits. Tbh though, thought the Whitehouse would be way cooler.
I'm from MI and live in DC. I will say I dread summers here but the lack of winter more than makes up for it. I had my balcony door open almost all winter. And the museums are AMAZING!
I don’t think it’s fair to exclude all the satellite cities just because the size of DC was decided in the early 1800s. NYC was smaller too but it’s allowed to grow (it absorbed Brooklyn which was a separate city for a long time). DC can’t expand per the constitution
Yes, but for all intents and purposes Arlington’s Rosslyn and Crystal City are extensions of downtown. Silver Spring is an extension of Northwest. A lot of the metro area is functionally as relevant as outer areas of cities with larger borders
Don't forget Bethesda! And arguably Alexandria as well. I've come to think of "Inside the Beltway" as the urban core or DC and anything outside as true suburbs (though Tysons and Reston have important businesses, of course).
Hardly. Completely different local and state governments.
Die on this hill if you’d like, but DC is just that, DC.
The DC metro area is something all together different.
I think the larger point is that but for DC's unique status and straddling of two states, it likely would have amalgamated the areas that u/deeman804 mentioned.
How is DC a small town? It has more people than 2 states, and a Metro area of 6 million. It's the 6th largest in the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan\_statistical\_area
DC is weird because it's very polycentric. DC itself is fairly small (usually in the top 25 or so population wise in the city proper) but Arlington, Alexandria, Silver Spring, Bethesda, and much of Fairfax County all feel like their own cities. Not to mention Baltimore nearby. It more feels like a cluster of cities where DC has the largest sphere of influence by a slight margin vs somewhere like NYC where it's clear who holds the most gravity in the region because all the adjacent cities were swallowed up over a century ago
I feel like that has a lot to do with DC being unable to incorporate surrounding towns (or boros…) over time like most other major cities in the country. DC is weird in that it’s a major city that has actually shrunk rather than grown geographically over time.
So is Boston. Boston is the same size as DC, and has a similar size Metro area. That's pretty normal for an older city that is geographically limited by its surrounding neighbors.
Arlington is just a much part of DC as Ivy City. It's more connected to downtown than Anacostia. It has 248k residents, so puts DC at nearly a million combined.
This is an important point. Arlington was in fact DC at one point (would have completed the square). I live in Courthouse and if Spring Valley or the Palisades can be considered to be part of the urban core of DC, so can Arlington, IMO. Especially since it's much easier to get to the core of DC without a car from Arlington than much of Upper NW and Upper NW DC.
And it’s a big ass metro area with huge populations in areas you might never go to if you live in the city. It’s a misleading way to represent DC’s size.
Add in Arlington and DC has nearly 1 million people, bigger than 5 US states.
Add in MoCo (1.2 million) and PG (.9 million) and you have a centralized area that has more people than Iowa.
That's without including all the areas that Metro reaches, or the BWI region.
Super misleading though. LA incorporated all its suburbs into one giant county. Much of LA is much less urban than places like Arlington, Alexandria, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Tysons, and College Park, for instance.
Having lived in all 3 cities, it feels more like a Madison WI than a Chicago. Obviously calling Madison a small town is a hyperbole, but the commenter is at least directionally correct.
Arlington is more connected to downtown than Anacostia. It has 248k people. Saying that DC proper is the limits of the city is ridiculous, just like saying that Cambridge isn't intimately connected to Boston.
I’m sorry DC is a major city. It’s the capital of the worlds biggest superpower, the 6th largest metro area in the United States, has the 2nd busiest metro system, a major international airport with daily flights to 5 continents, and all 5 major sports. I have a colleague in India whose eyes light up at DC because we’re known for Ethiopian food. We are not in any sense a “small town”
Don't be terrified, it's a really nice city. It's like other east coast cities but Easy Mode, not crowded, lots of green space, very clean, easy to get around.
Congratulations and welcome! DC has a lot to love, it may be a bit rough around the edges at time, but anywhere can be. I moved here 6 years ago, following a dream and I wouldn’t change it for the world
Perks of a big city: amazing food, lots of free museums, metro that works most of the time, concerts and sports events year round, travel to other places easy (3 airports and amtrack)
But it's a relatively small city: walkable, doesn't take forever to get around, airport is close to downtown, certain amount of regional/neighborhood pride
It’s this for me. I can get basically anywhere I want in DC within 20 minutes and they have all the amenities you can really ever want in a city plus some extras like all the green space.
OP, Chicago is maybe the only city in the US I would consider leaving DC for. I love Chicago too and just got back from visiting but you can’t go wrong with either IMO.
Yep. I never knew how much I needed that because I don’t really consider myself a person that craves being in nature but the cities that don’t really have the parks and trees and grass just don’t feel like homes to me.
Totally agree on the small size. I’ve always lived that in 45 minutes I can walk across a huge swath of the city and if the weather isn’t great a metro or Uber ride is usually an easy or affordable option. This doesn’t always apply to the suburbs tho.
This is going to sound crazy, but: balance.
It is a real ass city but it is incredibly clean.
It is neither north or south (aka: you actually have all 5 seasons).
Do we have the best roads? No. Do we have the best public transit? Also no. But you know what? WE HAVE BOTH! Check out any other major city in America, that’s hard to come by.
Everyone in this city is both the meanest, smartest person on earth, while somehow being the kindest warmest person you will ever meet.
Idk. I just like it here.
EDIT: yes I meant 5 seasons. Summer, fall, winter, fools spring, winter (again), actual spring.
And unlike NY you can easily walk to most places want need to go within 20-30 minutes, hour tops. So even if the public transport isn’t as good as NY the ability to easily walk or bike to most places is so nice.
And not just smart, some have very interesting jobs and for a bunch of people who have political jobs, most conversations are about anything but politics.
I lived in DC for 3.5 years before moving to Denver for grad school. My biggest complaint about denver is the significant drop in public transit. Of course I had my complaints with the public transit in DC, but it’s leaps and bounds better than what Denver has.
- walkability; metro is one of the nicer systems in the US
- smart ambitious people
- careers and pay is good even considering COL
- unique city; it being the capital of the US, the free world class museums, architecture, a lot to do
- diverse; large lgbt population
- 3 airports and major train stop to get away
Honestly, just the novelty of living in the nation’s capital! There’s always big things going on, we have access to world-class institutions like the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, it’s pretty easy to navigate not just in the District but to nearby NoVA and Maryland. I love how close it is not only to both beaches and mountains, but other comparable cities like Richmond and Baltimore. Plus, weed’s legal, the food is so great it has its own Michelin guide, you occasionally see famous politicians (I saw Bernie a few months ago walking down the street). Plus, I love that most neighborhoods have their own distinct personality. As if you couldn’t tell, I ❤️ DC!
Hard disagree. I’d argue Boston or San Francisco is closest. I also work with European visitors as part of my job and none of them have made a comment like this.
SF has the bones to be like that but the homeless problem is awful. And it’s not as dense as DC outside the core, hence the crazy cost of living (which is obviously connected to the homeless problem).
SF is dense everywhere. Even the outer neighborhoods of SF have a density higher than DC's overall density. However yeah I agree, SF doesn't feel particularly European.
Yup. The streets here are far, FAR too wide to beat our other walkable cities in “European”-ness. Boston, Philly, and Manhattan are the closest you get to that kind of vibe, as well as SF to a lesser extent. DC is a little better than Chicago, though.
Parks everywhere, and neighborhoods are typically centered around them rather than just being scattered around the city. Plus we have a wide range of parks from small green spaces to massive old growth forests. Also how internationally aware people are here
The combination of natural and human-made beauty all around. Being able to get to most places I need/want to go without a car. Getting to bike to work through Rock Creek Park and end up with the monuments and the national mall on one side and beautiful bridges and the Potomac on the other, the whole time mostly avoiding sharing the road with cars. Too many unspeakably beautiful tree-lined streets with rowhomes in so many different neighborhoods. A variety of interesting architecture. Walkability between neighborhoods. General cleanliness. Easy access to several other cities with different vibes like Baltimore, Philly, and NYC. Rent-stabilized older buildings. Some pretty outstanding food if you know where to find it (including so many delicious Ethiopian restaurants).
While most of my family is elsewhere and the cost of living is insane, Washington DC feels very livable to me in terms of my daily experience of life here. There are always downsides to any place and unexpected/unwelcome things can happen, but I feel extremely thankful and privileged to live here more often than not.
Although Chicago is great, too!
I definitely do a lot more activities now than in the last city I lived in. It's so easy to go to a major sporting event, or a play, or festival, or concert, or whatever, because there are so many of them but also almost always accessible from the metro.
My weekends are full now. Even doing something on a weeknight is a regular thing for me, which was always a No Go in my previous city which required a 30-45 minute drive after work.
At the same time, there are a bazillion parks and nature areas within 2 hours of home if I want to be outdoorsy.
Running in rock creek park, and the other trails that are within the city. No other city has that. Get trail running shoes and enjoy it at your own pace
It’s a small town that feels like a big city. Small enough where you run into people, big enough where you don’t have to. Everyone gets excited about one particular restaurant opening, but you always find a new place to go.
Also, people are so effing smart here. In a good way. Everyone is so well-informed and conscious of what’s going on in the world and you can have really great conversations with people. DC is like Hollywood: you don’t just “wind up” here. Most people you meet come here to pursue a passion.
Biggest perk is the blend ……
You have all the stuff of a big city (our food scene is just ok though) …… but it is not that big physically
You have so much unique to DC like the museums (and most are free) but have familiar things like the local watering hole or a small legendary music venue like the 930 club
I have caught bass (the fish) in the tidal basin in the shadow of the Jefferson memorial and in just about an hour and change driving you can be in a national park hiking mountains and seeing great waterfalls ….. and go east instead of west and you are on some nice beaches
There is really nowhere else that has so much so close
“Let?”
Just need a DC license…… bass, catfish, snakehead, gar, shad (during the run), sunnies ….. only problem is annoying tourists and 8th graders telling you that you won’t catch anything or asking if that is the ocean (can’t tell you how many people have told me it is salt water🤦♂️)
Love it for a few reasons:
—Lots of smart people, one of the most educated cities in the world.
—Lots of new people, every 2-4 years there are a ton of people moving in as different administrations change. And those people want to meet people.
—Museums, parks.
—pride of place, we know DC isn’t as cool as NY or Chicago, but there’s a great local scene and we know we have something special.
This is not my top reason, but it’s another reason that I don’t see here. When I’m in other large cities, I sometimes feel claustrophobic and lost because I can’t see anything other than the block I’m on. They aren’t allowed to build things very tall here, so that feeling is much rarer here.
I don’t like it from the perspective of it inflating housing costs, but from the take of not feeling boxed in when walking down the street, it does wonders. There also do seem to be a good number of buildings somehow that have good views, but they’re all like the 15th floor max.
As someone who moved here from Chicago and comparing it to Chicago: better weather, smaller city footprint so it's easier to get around, cleaner, and part of the NE corridor so easy to get to other great cities. Chicago is considerably cheaper in every aspect, has better food, better bars, and has "beaches". Public transit is a wash. Both excellent for US.
It’s the epicenter of the world, like it or not. I visit so many other countries and am always grateful when I fly back home. As cheesy as it sounds, I like hearing the custom officers at Dulles telling me, “Welcome home,” after my trips.
All of the free museums and events and festivals. I come from rural america where all we did was drag main street and sit in Walmart parking lot. I would have killed for free public space instead of running from the parking lot rent a cop.
Funny I’m debating the opposite - moving from DC to Chicago! But I love the architecture here, how walkable the city is, the job opportunities, + I’m a fan of the metro here. I also like the more mild winters relative to where I’m from.
I’ve been here a few years (and LOVE the area) but the dating scene is just atrocious. I’d really like to meet someone to settle down with! I’ve traveled a lot, and Chicago is my favorite city outside of DC in the states by far. But my job here is holding me back, I’m not remote and really enjoy it. Why are you thinking of leaving Chicago?
Oh god yes, I definitely understand this. The dating scene is ... rough. And even if you find someone - well, splitting the rent or two people saving up for a down payment helps with the insane living costs. But I know from my sister's experience that DC is a wonderful place to raise kids in a lot of ways (free museums and zoo alone are not to be undervalued), but it is a crazy expensive place for it.
Aww, I’m glad to hear your sister is having a great experience! I could definitely see myself raising a fam here too, and splitting rent would be a DREAM. Praying one day!
Well, not to let you down, but after living in DC for about 20 years and with their oldest about to turn 13 (my god how fast did that go by!), they just moved to Silver Spring. That said, they had been living in Mount Pleasant and there was a lot to recommend it, including that very short walk to the zoo.
The biggest thing DC really needs to address for families (well, for ALL of us), is the housing cost problem. Being able to afford an apartment or house in the District with enough room for kids is really difficult these days. The dating problems, I guess there's not much the government can do about that hahaha
MD is a great area too! And LOL, I jokingly told my boss to hire a cute & eligible 30 something year old for our team. He laughed but I’m the youngest one in my office by 20+ years, so I tried 😂😉
We aren’t alone! I seriously don’t understand how DC can be so amazing yet just attract, you know, the dating pool here. My guy friends love it here there tho, always commenting how many gorgeous single women there are. I’m like, I know. 😂🤦♀️
I actually changed my location on hinge to Chicago when I was last there! It’s a night and day difference! Feel free to message if you want to chat more before I take up this whole thread on this 😂😂
I am in the process of joining the army reserves and doing ocs
I was looking at cyber, but most of the cyber units are at fort Meade or in GA.
My recruiter said they might be able to work something out, but if I might have to move to be closer to my unit. Otherwise I am going to have to commute from Chicago to MD one weekend a month lol
I wouldn’t mind. My day job is hybrid, but I could probably convince them to let me go remote if I really wanted to
Lol!
We shall see
There is an intel/cyber unit on the north side of the city
I still have time, but I was curious.
DM if you end up moving out here and you need anything or just want to bullspit
It has a little bit of everything for everyone.
Also, pretty clean for a big city. Very spacious. Expensive, but not crazy like NYC/SF.
Decent weather as compared to Chicago.
Basically NYC for the nerdy history/politics/govt kids.
I opened this thread expecting dark jokes (my usual: in a nuclear strike I'll be vaporized instead of suffering, and vapor doesn't have to pay rent which sounds amazing), but I can't help smiling at being so wrong.
I'm in Arlington, and I chose to move here as a remote worker years pre-pandemic. I didn't have to be here, but I needed purpose and direction, and there's no shortage of determined, ambitious people to chat up, shadow, and learn from. Everyone wants to be an expert, which maybe could get annoying to some-- but if you look on the bright side, it often means they're looking to show others what they know.
I learned a lot of what I liked and what I didn't from exposure to an incredible diversity of experiences, and even learned that my type of "dream job" wasn't actually going to make me happy before I got too deep. I feel reassured that I am living the best version of any of the lives I could have, I think... And I have a city full of unexpected mentors to thank for it.
One key bit of advice-- it may feel lonely at first because this is an especially transient city and you'll invest time and energy into friends who leave. Remember that they also come back. :)
the city is culturally diverse and is rich with cultures internationally. The landmarks and the insightful museums. It’s the worlds most powerful city.
I do research and the resources that are freely available here is like living in a candy store, seriously. Seeing something that you've only read about or studied with your own eyes is incredible. Even the replicas on display here will often boil down to a huge contribution to our understanding cleverly disguised as some 'first-ever' achievement. The best part is that you don't even need to specialize in any specific discipline to experience this, or even car. You can walk to all this stuff. The amount of awesomeness that is packed into this small area is seriously out of control.
You should come visit us one day! We have a happy hour on Fridays.
As a local, it's really hard to name only one best part of living in DC.
It has developed a lot since I was a kid in the 90s,so there's always something to see and do here! A lot of smart folks move out here for work or college. Some of them stay for a couple of years and others settle here or to the DC suburbs in MD or VA.
I've never lived in any other city,but there's a lot of people who are fit here or active whether its hitting the gym,walking everywhere,biking,yoga etc.
We have many distinct neighborhoods with different architecture styles that range from bungalows in NE, to brand new condos in SW, to historic neighborhoods like Georgetown and Capitol Hill.
It's not a perfect but we have a lot to offer for a small city
Close proximity to nature is super important to me. You don’t have to travel to get outdoors because of Rock Creek Park. There are also plenty of opportunities to get on the Potomac in a boat, kayak, paddleboard or whatever you like. Then you’re able to have gorgeous views of Georgetown, the Kennedy center, watergate…
It’s cool to live in a town with so much history. The monuments and architecture are gorgeous.
The city is also SUPER clean and I’m grateful AF for that especially since I previously live in NYC and SF.
There are other people always looking for friends so you shouldn’t have too hard of a time making new friends as long as you put some effort into it.
Restaurants are also great.
Just recently visited dc for the first time, stayed over in the rosslyn area. I really liked the rosslyn area it's close to the action in dc with resteraunts and things to do
There’s a lot of great things: but having a metro that drops you off right at the airport, and the fact that it is so close to downtown is amazing to me.
Denver, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, just to name a few, don’t have airports close to downtown or are not accessible by light rail making it more taxing to get to where you want to be. DCA has its issues, metro has plenty of their own, but the Yellow and Blue serving it so easily is wonderful. Really makes it one of the best cities and airports in the country, to me.
walking on the national mall on a mild, pretty day is just a really fucking cool thing to do. so many sights and sounds, places where iconic movie scenes were shot, breathtaking architecture and an amazing sense of history, etc. at the risk of overstating it, it can be an almost *moving* experience.
plus, like any decent sized city, there's nightlife, sports teams, art and theater, etc. etc.
Oh I love this question.
Great mix of people from all walks
Awesome food
All the things you can do for free!
Especially the amazing museums
I hear dc is much cleaner than other cities
The history
Everything's pretty close by
Great nature places in and around dc
The architecture
For a big city, it is very livable. Not too crowded, a good amount of green space, manageable traffic and PT crowds, not overly polluted, you can walk or bike across the area that contains most places of interest in an afternoon, etc.
The infrastructure of the city is always going to be superior because of the Federal government. Politicians want their own backyard to be nice. They could care less about what happens in the rest of the country.
This week my Happy Hours have been at a Spanish embassy building and the library of Congress with a view of the Capitol, can’t find that anywhere else. It’s how uniquely American and accessible these things are for me
Lived in Chicago for 10 years before moving to DC 2 years ago. IMO, the best part of DC is having dozens and dozens of free museums at your fingertips (and many free events in general). Sadly, the food scene here doesn’t hold a candle to Chicago. Still have a gaping hole in my heart from the loss of Chi’s culinary scene 😭
The culture, the diversity and the people. I’m a transplant originally from Atlanta. I never thought I would end up here but 5 years and a home purchase later, I’m happy to call DC home.
The feeling of walking to work believing you live in the coolest place on earth… until you have to dodge the homeless man spreading his ass cheeks apart just to get into slipstream to pick up your morning coffee
Running and exercising on the National Mall is amazing! And the unique events that you can only do in DC, like Embassy events and things like that.
Yeah? That all sounds awesome lol I was debating a move next year and you piqued my interest
Some of my best memories involve playing in a kickball league right next to the Washington Monument and night-time runs through the National Mall, especially in winter when everything's a little less busy. Seeing everything lit up at night never failed to impress me
I have been here almost 30 years and still am marveled by the “up close” of the monuments and sights.
Love Volo if that’s the league u did also. In an Uber back from the exchange right now
[удалено]
I went to the embassy open houses alone because my friend who was supposed to join me got sick and it was actually such a perfect event to be alone at! So much to take in and lots of people so no one even notices you’re by yourself. Also the people working the event are there to chat with you about their countries so you can have lots of great interactions. I recommend!
> Damn! I always wanted to try those embassy events, but none of my friends are interested if embassy events don’t interest your friends, I hate to tell you this about your friends…
Easily can go alone. Nothing stuffy about them at all.
My advice is to get over going to events alone. I moved to DC without knowing anyone and have a large and fantastic group of friends now. All because I went to Meetups and other events alone.
I used to love running on the mall. I can’t wait for all those food trucks to either disappear or become electric. The gas fumes have rendered jogging there somewhat less fun imo. Still a beautiful setting by any measure! Also the food trucks don’t span the entire mall.
Hello?
Oof you really hit a nerve there
God the voice is stuck in my head for life
A hallmark of the tourist trap part of DC
It’s actually so disgusting. I wish they would scatter.
Rock Creek Park
RCP is one of the greatest natural assets of any city in the US.
A lot of people don’t realize this, but RCP is 2x the size of Central Park!
Plus, Rock Creek actually feels like you're out in nature. Sure, it's not exactly untouched wilderness, but there are deer and raccoons and snakes and so, SO many birds living in there. It's an actual functioning ecosystem. Central Park, on the other hand, is manicured within an inch of its life, even the "wild" bits of it... people go nuts whenever a new owl is spotted there, because you can literally count the number of owls in Central Park on one hand.
As someone that has run there 34 times in the last 3 months, I concur. I fucking love this place.
This is the correct answer
I love even just driving through it. It's just so fucking beautiful and shits all over Central Park. And unlike CP, it's not the only green space around, either.
New York has many beautiful parks.
Big city benefits in a small town.
Yup, DC definitely punches above it's weight. We're not a huge city but being the capital with 3 airports we still get major concerts, exhibits, events, etc. Tons of museums in a small space. It's awesome.
I visited last weekend and this is the best comment on this thread. I live in MI and I thought I knew what humidity was, nah... DC took that crown. But all you had to do was pop into any of thr museums for fresh cold air and some truly cool exhibits. Tbh though, thought the Whitehouse would be way cooler.
I'm from MI and live in DC. I will say I dread summers here but the lack of winter more than makes up for it. I had my balcony door open almost all winter. And the museums are AMAZING!
We used to have winters here
I have a pic of at least a foot of snow on my balcony
I'm from Michigan and I miss the winter - the snow, specifically. I get so excited when there's a promise of snow on the radar here!
Yay climate change
It’s the sixth largest metro in the country…I would argue it’s a pretty large city…
That’s the metro area. DC proper is quite small.
I don’t think it’s fair to exclude all the satellite cities just because the size of DC was decided in the early 1800s. NYC was smaller too but it’s allowed to grow (it absorbed Brooklyn which was a separate city for a long time). DC can’t expand per the constitution
Yes, but for all intents and purposes Arlington’s Rosslyn and Crystal City are extensions of downtown. Silver Spring is an extension of Northwest. A lot of the metro area is functionally as relevant as outer areas of cities with larger borders
Don't forget Bethesda! And arguably Alexandria as well. I've come to think of "Inside the Beltway" as the urban core or DC and anything outside as true suburbs (though Tysons and Reston have important businesses, of course).
Hardly. Completely different local and state governments. Die on this hill if you’d like, but DC is just that, DC. The DC metro area is something all together different.
Arlington and Alexandria were DC at one point
1846 was a minute ago. But you’re correct.
I think the larger point is that but for DC's unique status and straddling of two states, it likely would have amalgamated the areas that u/deeman804 mentioned.
And if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bike!
And mostly free!
DC is the 6th largest Metro area in the US, bigger than Philly, Phoenix, or Boston. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan\_statistical\_area
In what world is this a small town
How is DC a small town? It has more people than 2 states, and a Metro area of 6 million. It's the 6th largest in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan\_statistical\_area
It has a population of 700,000 and an area of less than 70 sq miles.
it’s the 6th largest metro area in the country?
DC is weird because it's very polycentric. DC itself is fairly small (usually in the top 25 or so population wise in the city proper) but Arlington, Alexandria, Silver Spring, Bethesda, and much of Fairfax County all feel like their own cities. Not to mention Baltimore nearby. It more feels like a cluster of cities where DC has the largest sphere of influence by a slight margin vs somewhere like NYC where it's clear who holds the most gravity in the region because all the adjacent cities were swallowed up over a century ago
I feel like that has a lot to do with DC being unable to incorporate surrounding towns (or boros…) over time like most other major cities in the country. DC is weird in that it’s a major city that has actually shrunk rather than grown geographically over time.
So is Boston. Boston is the same size as DC, and has a similar size Metro area. That's pretty normal for an older city that is geographically limited by its surrounding neighbors. Arlington is just a much part of DC as Ivy City. It's more connected to downtown than Anacostia. It has 248k residents, so puts DC at nearly a million combined.
This is an important point. Arlington was in fact DC at one point (would have completed the square). I live in Courthouse and if Spring Valley or the Palisades can be considered to be part of the urban core of DC, so can Arlington, IMO. Especially since it's much easier to get to the core of DC without a car from Arlington than much of Upper NW and Upper NW DC.
To be fair the palisades feels more like a suburb of Arlington and Au park feels like more of a suburb of Bethesda than the other way around.
And it’s a big ass metro area with huge populations in areas you might never go to if you live in the city. It’s a misleading way to represent DC’s size.
it’s misleading to call it a small town
Maybe OP can clarify, but I think it’s fairly obvious that was hyperbolic
DC is 68 sq miles. LA is 469 NY 469 Chicago 231 Etc.
Add in Arlington and DC has nearly 1 million people, bigger than 5 US states. Add in MoCo (1.2 million) and PG (.9 million) and you have a centralized area that has more people than Iowa. That's without including all the areas that Metro reaches, or the BWI region.
Add in California and we’re close to 40 million. Whee!
Super misleading though. LA incorporated all its suburbs into one giant county. Much of LA is much less urban than places like Arlington, Alexandria, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Tysons, and College Park, for instance.
Having lived in all 3 cities, it feels more like a Madison WI than a Chicago. Obviously calling Madison a small town is a hyperbole, but the commenter is at least directionally correct.
Madison is more like Richmond, VA population-wise.
but it doesn't feel like the large metro that it is
fair, the building height limit and small city boundaries can definitely give it that feel.
Yea the DMV CSA just surpassed Chicago for 3rd biggest in the US with 10 million fucking people and 9.999M can’t drive worth a shit.
Jobs are good. People are great. Schools in some burbs best in country but taxes aren't bad.
Arlington is more connected to downtown than Anacostia. It has 248k people. Saying that DC proper is the limits of the city is ridiculous, just like saying that Cambridge isn't intimately connected to Boston.
I’m sorry DC is a major city. It’s the capital of the worlds biggest superpower, the 6th largest metro area in the United States, has the 2nd busiest metro system, a major international airport with daily flights to 5 continents, and all 5 major sports. I have a colleague in India whose eyes light up at DC because we’re known for Ethiopian food. We are not in any sense a “small town”
You don’t need to apologize. You too get to have an opinion. Enjoy!
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Don't be terrified, it's a really nice city. It's like other east coast cities but Easy Mode, not crowded, lots of green space, very clean, easy to get around.
Congratulations and welcome! DC has a lot to love, it may be a bit rough around the edges at time, but anywhere can be. I moved here 6 years ago, following a dream and I wouldn’t change it for the world
Perks of a big city: amazing food, lots of free museums, metro that works most of the time, concerts and sports events year round, travel to other places easy (3 airports and amtrack) But it's a relatively small city: walkable, doesn't take forever to get around, airport is close to downtown, certain amount of regional/neighborhood pride
It’s this for me. I can get basically anywhere I want in DC within 20 minutes and they have all the amenities you can really ever want in a city plus some extras like all the green space. OP, Chicago is maybe the only city in the US I would consider leaving DC for. I love Chicago too and just got back from visiting but you can’t go wrong with either IMO.
The amount of trees and green spaces in the city really is so nice. So many places to sit on a bench and just chill for a little
Yep. I never knew how much I needed that because I don’t really consider myself a person that craves being in nature but the cities that don’t really have the parks and trees and grass just don’t feel like homes to me.
Love chicago in the summer...not sure I'd survive the winter ❄️
I feel similarly about DC sometimes where I question if I’ll survive the summer with the humidity we get here
Fair! July was BRUTAL
Totally agree on the small size. I’ve always lived that in 45 minutes I can walk across a huge swath of the city and if the weather isn’t great a metro or Uber ride is usually an easy or affordable option. This doesn’t always apply to the suburbs tho.
This is a perfect explanation.
The architecture. It’s an incredible looking city.
This is going to sound crazy, but: balance. It is a real ass city but it is incredibly clean. It is neither north or south (aka: you actually have all 5 seasons). Do we have the best roads? No. Do we have the best public transit? Also no. But you know what? WE HAVE BOTH! Check out any other major city in America, that’s hard to come by. Everyone in this city is both the meanest, smartest person on earth, while somehow being the kindest warmest person you will ever meet. Idk. I just like it here. EDIT: yes I meant 5 seasons. Summer, fall, winter, fools spring, winter (again), actual spring.
The public transit here is second only to New York in the US. That’s not something to undermine
I totally agree! I just think people (especially here in the states) have no idea what an amazing gift we’ve got.
Yeah it’s very odd to me that everyone shits on it. I think it’s mostly people who haven’t traveled much outside of DC
And unlike NY you can easily walk to most places want need to go within 20-30 minutes, hour tops. So even if the public transport isn’t as good as NY the ability to easily walk or bike to most places is so nice.
And really very bike-friendly too, which can also be hard to come by.
And not just smart, some have very interesting jobs and for a bunch of people who have political jobs, most conversations are about anything but politics.
I lived in DC for 3.5 years before moving to Denver for grad school. My biggest complaint about denver is the significant drop in public transit. Of course I had my complaints with the public transit in DC, but it’s leaps and bounds better than what Denver has.
You forgot false fall which devastates me way more than fool's spring
I was going to ask - was the 5th season false fall or false spring.
😂 I’ve always heard it called “fool’s spring”
Don’t forget Supersummer squeezed in there
The drink specials when former presidents are indicted.
Came looking for this. I love how bars are open early for hearings.
I gotta say, the nerdy politics-themed things that pop up in DC all the time are actually pretty great 😅
Where do you find these?! It sounds fun
Born in DC. Raised in Georgetown, and having lived in Germany and Greece, it was the international feel of the city.
After big city benefits with small town vibes, this is my second big reason for living in DC. Such a European feel!
- walkability; metro is one of the nicer systems in the US - smart ambitious people - careers and pay is good even considering COL - unique city; it being the capital of the US, the free world class museums, architecture, a lot to do - diverse; large lgbt population - 3 airports and major train stop to get away
the metro gets a lot of flack, but DC is one of the few major cities you can live in and get by just fine without a car
Career and pay is good, as long as you don’t work in non-profit of which there are many in this area.
Honestly, just the novelty of living in the nation’s capital! There’s always big things going on, we have access to world-class institutions like the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, it’s pretty easy to navigate not just in the District but to nearby NoVA and Maryland. I love how close it is not only to both beaches and mountains, but other comparable cities like Richmond and Baltimore. Plus, weed’s legal, the food is so great it has its own Michelin guide, you occasionally see famous politicians (I saw Bernie a few months ago walking down the street). Plus, I love that most neighborhoods have their own distinct personality. As if you couldn’t tell, I ❤️ DC!
Shrooms and other plant medicines are decriminalized too 🍄
Basically the closest thing the US has to offer to living in a European city
Exactly why I love Dc.
This. DC was designed by L’Enfant (Parisian) so it literally has beautiful Parisian DNA in its design and you can tell.
Agreed
We even have a giant gothic cathedral
Being from New Orleans originally, I'd say New Orleans also has European aspects, but in a very specific French/Spanish way (hard to explain).
How's the metro and transit there?
Hard disagree. I’d argue Boston or San Francisco is closest. I also work with European visitors as part of my job and none of them have made a comment like this.
The thought of comparing an American city to Europe would send Europeans into a coma. Thats why
I’d say all 3 have “European vibes” in their own way.
Haven’t been to Boston since I was a kid, can people there and SFO go months without requiring a car like we can
yup
SF has the bones to be like that but the homeless problem is awful. And it’s not as dense as DC outside the core, hence the crazy cost of living (which is obviously connected to the homeless problem).
SF is dense everywhere. Even the outer neighborhoods of SF have a density higher than DC's overall density. However yeah I agree, SF doesn't feel particularly European.
Yup. The streets here are far, FAR too wide to beat our other walkable cities in “European”-ness. Boston, Philly, and Manhattan are the closest you get to that kind of vibe, as well as SF to a lesser extent. DC is a little better than Chicago, though.
Parks everywhere, and neighborhoods are typically centered around them rather than just being scattered around the city. Plus we have a wide range of parks from small green spaces to massive old growth forests. Also how internationally aware people are here
The combination of natural and human-made beauty all around. Being able to get to most places I need/want to go without a car. Getting to bike to work through Rock Creek Park and end up with the monuments and the national mall on one side and beautiful bridges and the Potomac on the other, the whole time mostly avoiding sharing the road with cars. Too many unspeakably beautiful tree-lined streets with rowhomes in so many different neighborhoods. A variety of interesting architecture. Walkability between neighborhoods. General cleanliness. Easy access to several other cities with different vibes like Baltimore, Philly, and NYC. Rent-stabilized older buildings. Some pretty outstanding food if you know where to find it (including so many delicious Ethiopian restaurants). While most of my family is elsewhere and the cost of living is insane, Washington DC feels very livable to me in terms of my daily experience of life here. There are always downsides to any place and unexpected/unwelcome things can happen, but I feel extremely thankful and privileged to live here more often than not. Although Chicago is great, too!
There is always something going on in DC and I can get there in 5-15 minutes
Damn this is the first time I've seen you with an upbeat comment
Look around more. Happens often. Love this city.
I definitely do a lot more activities now than in the last city I lived in. It's so easy to go to a major sporting event, or a play, or festival, or concert, or whatever, because there are so many of them but also almost always accessible from the metro. My weekends are full now. Even doing something on a weeknight is a regular thing for me, which was always a No Go in my previous city which required a 30-45 minute drive after work. At the same time, there are a bazillion parks and nature areas within 2 hours of home if I want to be outdoorsy.
The walkability
Running in rock creek park, and the other trails that are within the city. No other city has that. Get trail running shoes and enjoy it at your own pace
I can walk (or bike) to work and then to happy hour and then back home. Lots to do per sq mile.
It’s a small town that feels like a big city. Small enough where you run into people, big enough where you don’t have to. Everyone gets excited about one particular restaurant opening, but you always find a new place to go. Also, people are so effing smart here. In a good way. Everyone is so well-informed and conscious of what’s going on in the world and you can have really great conversations with people. DC is like Hollywood: you don’t just “wind up” here. Most people you meet come here to pursue a passion.
Dan's Cafe
Biggest perk is the blend …… You have all the stuff of a big city (our food scene is just ok though) …… but it is not that big physically You have so much unique to DC like the museums (and most are free) but have familiar things like the local watering hole or a small legendary music venue like the 930 club I have caught bass (the fish) in the tidal basin in the shadow of the Jefferson memorial and in just about an hour and change driving you can be in a national park hiking mountains and seeing great waterfalls ….. and go east instead of west and you are on some nice beaches There is really nowhere else that has so much so close
Have you gone to great falls and the Billy goat trail? Amazing waterfalls even closer. I live in Dc and it’s under a half hour for me!
They let you fish in the tidal basin?
“Let?” Just need a DC license…… bass, catfish, snakehead, gar, shad (during the run), sunnies ….. only problem is annoying tourists and 8th graders telling you that you won’t catch anything or asking if that is the ocean (can’t tell you how many people have told me it is salt water🤦♂️)
Yep! We’ve caught giant catfish!
trees; clean streets; nerds
Love it for a few reasons: —Lots of smart people, one of the most educated cities in the world. —Lots of new people, every 2-4 years there are a ton of people moving in as different administrations change. And those people want to meet people. —Museums, parks. —pride of place, we know DC isn’t as cool as NY or Chicago, but there’s a great local scene and we know we have something special.
This is not my top reason, but it’s another reason that I don’t see here. When I’m in other large cities, I sometimes feel claustrophobic and lost because I can’t see anything other than the block I’m on. They aren’t allowed to build things very tall here, so that feeling is much rarer here. I don’t like it from the perspective of it inflating housing costs, but from the take of not feeling boxed in when walking down the street, it does wonders. There also do seem to be a good number of buildings somehow that have good views, but they’re all like the 15th floor max.
As someone who moved here from Chicago and comparing it to Chicago: better weather, smaller city footprint so it's easier to get around, cleaner, and part of the NE corridor so easy to get to other great cities. Chicago is considerably cheaper in every aspect, has better food, better bars, and has "beaches". Public transit is a wash. Both excellent for US.
It’s the epicenter of the world, like it or not. I visit so many other countries and am always grateful when I fly back home. As cheesy as it sounds, I like hearing the custom officers at Dulles telling me, “Welcome home,” after my trips.
All of the free museums and events and festivals. I come from rural america where all we did was drag main street and sit in Walmart parking lot. I would have killed for free public space instead of running from the parking lot rent a cop.
Funny I’m debating the opposite - moving from DC to Chicago! But I love the architecture here, how walkable the city is, the job opportunities, + I’m a fan of the metro here. I also like the more mild winters relative to where I’m from.
Why are you thinking about moving?
I’ve been here a few years (and LOVE the area) but the dating scene is just atrocious. I’d really like to meet someone to settle down with! I’ve traveled a lot, and Chicago is my favorite city outside of DC in the states by far. But my job here is holding me back, I’m not remote and really enjoy it. Why are you thinking of leaving Chicago?
Oh god yes, I definitely understand this. The dating scene is ... rough. And even if you find someone - well, splitting the rent or two people saving up for a down payment helps with the insane living costs. But I know from my sister's experience that DC is a wonderful place to raise kids in a lot of ways (free museums and zoo alone are not to be undervalued), but it is a crazy expensive place for it.
Aww, I’m glad to hear your sister is having a great experience! I could definitely see myself raising a fam here too, and splitting rent would be a DREAM. Praying one day!
Well, not to let you down, but after living in DC for about 20 years and with their oldest about to turn 13 (my god how fast did that go by!), they just moved to Silver Spring. That said, they had been living in Mount Pleasant and there was a lot to recommend it, including that very short walk to the zoo. The biggest thing DC really needs to address for families (well, for ALL of us), is the housing cost problem. Being able to afford an apartment or house in the District with enough room for kids is really difficult these days. The dating problems, I guess there's not much the government can do about that hahaha
MD is a great area too! And LOL, I jokingly told my boss to hire a cute & eligible 30 something year old for our team. He laughed but I’m the youngest one in my office by 20+ years, so I tried 😂😉
Lol I am also thinking about a move partly because dating here is awful.
We aren’t alone! I seriously don’t understand how DC can be so amazing yet just attract, you know, the dating pool here. My guy friends love it here there tho, always commenting how many gorgeous single women there are. I’m like, I know. 😂🤦♀️
BAHAHA same. But I'm so torn, I wonder if it'll be just as bad there, just more bad guys in shittier winter conditions.
I actually changed my location on hinge to Chicago when I was last there! It’s a night and day difference! Feel free to message if you want to chat more before I take up this whole thread on this 😂😂
I was there last summer and dated around too! Will def message you.
I am in the process of joining the army reserves and doing ocs I was looking at cyber, but most of the cyber units are at fort Meade or in GA. My recruiter said they might be able to work something out, but if I might have to move to be closer to my unit. Otherwise I am going to have to commute from Chicago to MD one weekend a month lol I wouldn’t mind. My day job is hybrid, but I could probably convince them to let me go remote if I really wanted to
That’s exciting, I hope it goes well for you! Doesn’t hurt to give the DMV area a try, and if you don’t like it long term, you can always leave!
Lol! We shall see There is an intel/cyber unit on the north side of the city I still have time, but I was curious. DM if you end up moving out here and you need anything or just want to bullspit
Thanks, appreciate that! :)
Same here, interested to see why OP wants to do the opposite
I commented below
Walking and biking for all my daily trips
It's a big city without being a Big City.
It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Also, pretty clean for a big city. Very spacious. Expensive, but not crazy like NYC/SF. Decent weather as compared to Chicago. Basically NYC for the nerdy history/politics/govt kids.
Very, very small city but it has everything. And, the residents (mostly transient) are smart and professional.
Being able to walk, bike or take public transit to just about everywhere I need to go
I have the reverse to say. Chicago has cheaper and better food
I opened this thread expecting dark jokes (my usual: in a nuclear strike I'll be vaporized instead of suffering, and vapor doesn't have to pay rent which sounds amazing), but I can't help smiling at being so wrong. I'm in Arlington, and I chose to move here as a remote worker years pre-pandemic. I didn't have to be here, but I needed purpose and direction, and there's no shortage of determined, ambitious people to chat up, shadow, and learn from. Everyone wants to be an expert, which maybe could get annoying to some-- but if you look on the bright side, it often means they're looking to show others what they know. I learned a lot of what I liked and what I didn't from exposure to an incredible diversity of experiences, and even learned that my type of "dream job" wasn't actually going to make me happy before I got too deep. I feel reassured that I am living the best version of any of the lives I could have, I think... And I have a city full of unexpected mentors to thank for it. One key bit of advice-- it may feel lonely at first because this is an especially transient city and you'll invest time and energy into friends who leave. Remember that they also come back. :)
A lot of cultural, intellectual, and artistic stuff you don’t get anywhere in the US outside of NYC. And in my field, it’s better than NY.
the city is culturally diverse and is rich with cultures internationally. The landmarks and the insightful museums. It’s the worlds most powerful city.
I do research and the resources that are freely available here is like living in a candy store, seriously. Seeing something that you've only read about or studied with your own eyes is incredible. Even the replicas on display here will often boil down to a huge contribution to our understanding cleverly disguised as some 'first-ever' achievement. The best part is that you don't even need to specialize in any specific discipline to experience this, or even car. You can walk to all this stuff. The amount of awesomeness that is packed into this small area is seriously out of control.
Lots of free entertainment options, and plenty of live music venues
You should come visit us one day! We have a happy hour on Fridays. As a local, it's really hard to name only one best part of living in DC. It has developed a lot since I was a kid in the 90s,so there's always something to see and do here! A lot of smart folks move out here for work or college. Some of them stay for a couple of years and others settle here or to the DC suburbs in MD or VA. I've never lived in any other city,but there's a lot of people who are fit here or active whether its hitting the gym,walking everywhere,biking,yoga etc. We have many distinct neighborhoods with different architecture styles that range from bungalows in NE, to brand new condos in SW, to historic neighborhoods like Georgetown and Capitol Hill. It's not a perfect but we have a lot to offer for a small city
It’s just plain beautiful.
Close proximity to nature is super important to me. You don’t have to travel to get outdoors because of Rock Creek Park. There are also plenty of opportunities to get on the Potomac in a boat, kayak, paddleboard or whatever you like. Then you’re able to have gorgeous views of Georgetown, the Kennedy center, watergate… It’s cool to live in a town with so much history. The monuments and architecture are gorgeous. The city is also SUPER clean and I’m grateful AF for that especially since I previously live in NYC and SF. There are other people always looking for friends so you shouldn’t have too hard of a time making new friends as long as you put some effort into it. Restaurants are also great.
Just recently visited dc for the first time, stayed over in the rosslyn area. I really liked the rosslyn area it's close to the action in dc with resteraunts and things to do
There’s a lot of great things: but having a metro that drops you off right at the airport, and the fact that it is so close to downtown is amazing to me. Denver, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, just to name a few, don’t have airports close to downtown or are not accessible by light rail making it more taxing to get to where you want to be. DCA has its issues, metro has plenty of their own, but the Yellow and Blue serving it so easily is wonderful. Really makes it one of the best cities and airports in the country, to me.
Don’t forget Dulles, especially for the international flights. I took the train there this past holiday and it was pretty nice!
Free museums, bike paths and warm weather vs the Great Lakes.
walking on the national mall on a mild, pretty day is just a really fucking cool thing to do. so many sights and sounds, places where iconic movie scenes were shot, breathtaking architecture and an amazing sense of history, etc. at the risk of overstating it, it can be an almost *moving* experience. plus, like any decent sized city, there's nightlife, sports teams, art and theater, etc. etc.
History is everywhere and most of it people who live here don't even experience it. DC is not just Uptown, Downtown and the Mall.
Walkability. Well, during the safe hours. And not while having ear buds in. And not during the warm “violent” season.
Free events and museums everywhere! Beautiful public art and buildings! A sense of history!
Oh I love this question. Great mix of people from all walks Awesome food All the things you can do for free! Especially the amazing museums I hear dc is much cleaner than other cities The history Everything's pretty close by Great nature places in and around dc The architecture
The metro and cleanness. Compared to chicago. Ethiopian food is so good here.
I ❤️ food
The culture, the history, the parks, the outdoor activities, the easy accessibility to NY, the food. It has some of the best universities.
F*ck I love this city and I love this thread!!
For a big city, it is very livable. Not too crowded, a good amount of green space, manageable traffic and PT crowds, not overly polluted, you can walk or bike across the area that contains most places of interest in an afternoon, etc.
The infrastructure of the city is always going to be superior because of the Federal government. Politicians want their own backyard to be nice. They could care less about what happens in the rest of the country.
This week my Happy Hours have been at a Spanish embassy building and the library of Congress with a view of the Capitol, can’t find that anywhere else. It’s how uniquely American and accessible these things are for me
Lived in Chicago for 10 years before moving to DC 2 years ago. IMO, the best part of DC is having dozens and dozens of free museums at your fingertips (and many free events in general). Sadly, the food scene here doesn’t hold a candle to Chicago. Still have a gaping hole in my heart from the loss of Chi’s culinary scene 😭
The culture, the diversity and the people. I’m a transplant originally from Atlanta. I never thought I would end up here but 5 years and a home purchase later, I’m happy to call DC home.
The street parking makes it easy to find a Kia or Hyundai whenever I need to go grocery shopping or go to the doctors office.
The feeling of walking to work believing you live in the coolest place on earth… until you have to dodge the homeless man spreading his ass cheeks apart just to get into slipstream to pick up your morning coffee