D.C.-What's it like?

Thought I'd throw in a response or two to what others have said:

Columbia Heights is ****. Be prepared to be randomly beat up (or have rocks thrown at you). It doesn't happen all the time, but often enough.

Places like Georgetown that don't have Metro are oftentimes well-served by MetroBus. You can easily grab a 30s bus all along Wisconsin and M St. and be at Farragut Sq in a short while.

Crime stats in DC are weird, imo. You'll hear, for instance, about murders in NW. Unfortunately that tells you nothing, because most of the city is NW. NW is huge and the quality of living varies quite a lot. That said, I wouldn't live in NE.

Making friends in DC can be tough, I've heard. But there are so many 20-somethings in this town, I just wonder if the people who say this aren't trying. Like others have said--get involved. If you'll be working on the Hill, you'll have a huge group of ready-made friends to get drunk with and fool around with (if all the stories are true anyway), and summer interns for fun too.

And if, by chance, you move into my condo and live above me and throw a party, be warned: I will ask you once to end it, then I will call the cops. They respond very quickly in my neighborhood. The real meaning of this is that just because you rent near a university doesn't mean you live in a land of constant parties and no rules.

Enjoy. It's a great town.

b

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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And if, by chance, you move into my condo and live above me and throw a party, be warned: I will ask you once to end it, then I will call the cops. They respond very quickly in my neighborhood. The real meaning of this is that just because you rent near a university doesn't mean you live in a land of constant parties and no rules. Enjoy. It's a great town. b
I was hoping Bitchy Bob would make an appearance Thanks for the advice.

I have nothing to add, I just like to post in the DC threads.

^ Now that's a username I haven't come across in a while.

Where will you be working? If it's Capitol Hill, you may want to live there. It has much more of a neighborhood-y feel than other areas of D.C.

Originally Posted by Manton

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It was OK. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. I probably should have appreciated it more.

Live on a Metro line, or your life will be hell.

My thoughts exactly. Me and my wife can't wait to move back to NYC.

Originally Posted by Connemara

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I'm told that rent in Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill is around $1200 for a single, maybe a little less for a studio. Does this sound about right? I would imagine a lot of younger folks that live in D.C. have roommates.

$2300 -- 1 bdrm in 5 yr old building + underground parking @ 14th and P.

My building is about $1700 for a 1 bedroom...I think.

On craigslist today I found a room in what looks like a pimp house in Woodley Park for $1075 a month. To be shared with 4 others though. For that price it has to be a HUGE bedroom or a mansion. From their pictures it seemed like a large row house.

If I was in the market (will be in about 4.5 months) I would check it out.

What are some "surprise expenses" for young professionals? Anything out of the ordinary?

I realize that food/drink tends to be pricey, and I am almost positive I won't have a car, so parking/insurance is not a concern. What else?

rdawson...no parties? That sucks.

Speaking as a young professional who lives in Silver Spring --

If your job offers pretax Metro benefits, get as on that as you can.
Capitol Hill -- esp. Eastern Market/the 8th St corridor, from roughly 2nd St NE to the Navy Yard on the south end -- is a fun place (it kinda wasn't, seven or eight years ago; they've done a good job).
If you've got a bicycle, it's easy to use it often, but wear a helmet and be prepared to occasionally ignore laws in favor of self-preservation.
Live within half a mile of a metro station.
You will have no trouble at all making friends, especially if you join one of the ubiquitous kickball/dodgeball/ultimate/whatever leagues.

I'm the third generation of my family to be born in the city... and while I've lived a few years here and there in other areas, DC's got a pretty unique crazy vibe. If you can overlook the annoyances (crime, social oddities, brusque natures, mostly incompetent service industries...) then it's a blast.

Social oddities? Do tell

Originally Posted by Jodum5

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Social oddities? Do tell

The combination of things that make it DC -- type A personalities falling over each other, the guy selling StreetSense on a corner, popped collars crawling over Georgetown, the big hullabaloo with every administration change and governmental event, protest marches regularly balling everything up...

Originally Posted by randallr

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rdawson...no parties? That sucks.

9pm? Fine
2am? I will kill you.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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9pm? Fine
2am? I will kill you.

Who the hell ends a party at 9?

I party till the sun comes up!