DC: Best City to Live In?

Originally Posted by Hard2Fit

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Wasn't Conne about to move here?
I hear he has a stool with his name on it at The Fireplace.
That should be enough, no?
(sorry Conne)

Please don't use "stool" and "the fireplace" in the same sentence.

Also if the Metro were open 24 hours maybe we could see a downtown that was actually a true downtown!

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+1! I say that as a hardcore, red line suburbanite.

For starters, as I understand it, DC only fell into this catagory with Outside because it has a small city population--the metro population would have put it waaaay over the top.

But why is it good?

Museums
Green space (more than any other city per capita or per sq mile or something)
Good restaurants (if not the cutting edge best).
Metro
Access to other nearby outdoor stuff
Proximity to other great places
Job opportunities for the well-educated


Bads:
Metro doesn't nearly cover the city--but it was never meant to.
General funding problems with public transport in the metro area
Traffic
People can be kinda rude (myself included)
Tourists.


And I've been to Atlanta a couple times and it was booooring. Nothing going on at all in the downtown. You had to go out to the suburbs to do anything. DC has small patches where that's true, but the city lives after dark.

b

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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Good restaurants (if not the cutting edge best).


b


Not quite sure about that one.

Originally Posted by Roikins

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Not quite sure about that one.

re: Restaurants.


My point is simply that DC has good restaurants--highly regarded chefs and establishments. Are they the best in the world? Probably not. But for the average person, you can find plenty of good eating here. Most people are not looking for Three Star Michelin rated restaurants (because 1. I couldn't tell the difference, and 2. it's too expensive).

I think that's a fair assessment.

b

Originally Posted by mmhollis

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Personally, I think there are a good number of restaurants maybe not enough diversity though.

I think where the DC- area shines is the ethnic food. There's fantastic Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Guatemalan, Salvadoran & Ethiopian here, but they are, except for the last, mainly in the "˜burbs. If, however, you are looking for a good variety of Japanese, Italian & French, what must "˜Murricans call furrin' food, then look elsewhere.

I've never been to DC (never really wanted to), but I've had good experiences in San Antonio (clean, nice people, but not overly exciting), Minneapolis/St. Paul (good restaurants if you know where to look).

I absolutely hated Detroit. Yuck.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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re: Restaurants.


My point is simply that DC has good restaurants--highly regarded chefs and establishments. Are they the best in the world? Probably not. But for the average person, you can find plenty of good eating here. Most people are not looking for Three Star Michelin rated restaurants (because 1. I couldn't tell the difference, and 2. it's too expensive).

I think that's a fair assessment.

b


Well, I would agree, as the capitol, it definitely does provide a good number of decently enjoyable restaurants for the average person; however, it probably only has about 5 outstanding places, which surprised me given the politician/lobbyist crowd. I would also agree with bcate that most good places are going to be ethnic places since the area draws the international crowd.

Originally Posted by mmhollis

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How? I was bored out of my mind when I visited Atlanta and Austin. I think your the first person who has told me they were bored in Atlanta and Austin for that matter. When did you go? With the University of Texas in Austin its hardly EVER boring, even in the summer with the great music festivals, film festival and food festivals. Atlanta is one of America's most exciting cities, great bars, music, women and food and hell the Hawks even made the playoffs! I guess, the A/C on the Metro is a positive thing. I just believe that WMATA wastes so much money on things that I don't find important, but I guess are for others. Instead of A/C I'd rather have a train that gets me to work on time and a plan that made sense (why does the Green Line extend to Ft. Totten ONLY after rush hour). Also if the Metro were open 24 hours maybe we could see a downtown that was actually a true downtown!
Never been to Austin, but Atlanta did nothing for me. Too spread out (like LA), nothing that really moved me beyond the shake clubs. As for Metro, for all the complaints it's the second busiest system in the US, by far the cleanest. Could it be more convenient? You bet, but some of that has to do with all the other jurisdicitions involved in planning. Not to say that WMATA doesn't have its issues. Also, you mean the Yellow Line extends to Ft. Totten only after rush hour, and that will change soon enough.

Originally Posted by bcate3

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I think where the DC- area shines is the ethnic food. There's fantastic Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Guatemalan, Salvadoran & Ethiopian here, but they are, except for the last, mainly in the "˜burbs. If, however, you are looking for a good variety of Japanese, Italian & French, what must "˜Murricans call furrin' food, then look elsewhere.

+1

Most of the best [ethnic] food is to be found outside of the city.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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For starters, as I understand it, DC only fell into this catagory with Outside because it has a small city population--the metro population would have put it waaaay over the top.

But why is it good?

Museums
Green space (more than any other city per capita or per sq mile or something)
Good restaurants (if not the cutting edge best).
Metro
Access to other nearby outdoor stuff
Proximity to other great places
Job opportunities for the well-educated


Bads:
Metro doesn't nearly cover the city--but it was never meant to.
General funding problems with public transport in the metro area
Traffic
People can be kinda rude (myself included)
Tourists.


And I've been to Atlanta a couple times and it was booooring. Nothing going on at all in the downtown. You had to go out to the suburbs to do anything. DC has small patches where that's true, but the city lives after dark.

b

I think Madrid has the most green space. At least, that's what I was told.

Add atrocious schools to the list of the Bad.

Originally Posted by Teacher

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I've never been to DC (never really wanted to), but I've had good experiences in San Antonio (clean, nice people, but not overly exciting), Minneapolis/St. Paul (good restaurants if you know where to look).

I absolutely hated Detroit. Yuck.
How is Grand Forks?

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

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Please don't use "stool" and "the fireplace" in the same sentence..
+1. Two Connes, one fireplace.

Originally Posted by greekonomist

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Add atrocious schools to the list of the Bad.
The public schools in the city are bad, but the public schools in the surrounding suburbs (where most families with school-age children will be living) are some of the best in the country.

I really liked the blog why.i.hate.dc until I read it more regularly. Rusty needs to get out more.

Originally Posted by RJman

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How is Grand Forks?

Excellent quality of life and education but not the most exciting place in the world (big shock, right?). However, I will say that we have two of the best restaurants I've ever been to that a teacher can justifiably afford, and if you're ever in town I'll take you to both of them.

Originally Posted by Teacher

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Excellent quality of life and education but not the most exciting place in the world (big shock, right?). However, I will say that we have two of the best restaurants I've ever been to that a teacher can justifiably afford, and if you're ever in town I'll take you to both of them.
Thanks -- if I'm ever in town I'll take you up on that.

What are the Forks in question? A natural formation?