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Depends on what you’re looking for. If you want high energy and city culture and don’t mind paying, NYC is the way to go. If it’s affordability, then Chi. DC is a good enough city — there is a fair amount of liveliness, nightlife, etc. — but it’s not *amazing* in any respect. My experience is that DC can feel a bit hollow/sterile as it doesn’t have much of a city identity
DC’s “city identity” has withered due to the effects of gentrification.
Pros: not as dirty and congested as NYC while still having a lot of options for activities in and out of the city (i.e. wineries & breweries in Virginia, weekend at the beach in DE or MD, camping/fall hikes in Shenandoah). Underrated food scene. Not AS cold as Chicago or NYC. While we will complain about the metro system, it is still a big plus compared to other cities.
Cons: politics…you’ll make friends with people whose career is in politics so even when you don’t try to and are just looking to hang out, politics will slip in at some point.
Re: politics… we are an extremely liberal bunch. I find it a pro in general, though it can be exhausting how closely some people follow some news stories. Even when you work far from the hill, everyone pays a lot of attention. Also, a pro in my book… it’s a a great place for diversity particularly lgbtq community and acceptance. The general diversity also leads to lots of great cuisine choices (and I don’t mean high end dining, I mean go find the places owned by immigrants which are inexpensive, authentic, and sometimes divey… Vietnamese, dumplings, duck, and Ethiopian for example).
Agreed with C1 above. The other thing I would add is that DC has much more mild winters than Chicago or new york (but summers are humid). I also think that DC has better access to nature than Chicago - not sure how it compares to NY. Ultimately though I think it's about the people and network you find yourself in. I find it sterile / hollow at times as well, but still find ways to enjoy it here
agreed with above, other considerations not yet listed
DC CONs:
can feel hollow and sterile (i.e. people dress similarly, commuter city so young people live in DC for 2-3 years and move on (typically))
DC PROs:
-best underground bachata/salsa scene in the US (northern virginia, maryland, DC combined you can go out dancing every night of the week and the community is very welcoming and supportive)
-walkability (DC metro well planned if you do not have a car—compared to other US cities)
-lower cost of living than NYC—better quality of life on the same income
-civic engagement: young people have awareness of upcoming local policies (relative to the rest of US) and typically have an awareness and appreciation for attending town halls, volunteering the non-sexy work of organizing to put pressure on our local representatives)
-strong international community (embassy events…etc)
all that being said—if I were looking to set down roots, I would recommend Chicago or NYC over DC if you don’t mind the brutal cold 9 months out of the year
Pros: There aren’t any guys in DC that will make you rethink your long distance relationship.
Also it’s hard to beat the convenience of DCA relative to getting to JFK/LGA or ORD/MDW, but I’m not sure if there are direct flights to San Diego.
lmao go in on em @ba1
You should be aware that most young professionals don’t live in DC, they live in the va dc metro area.. it’ll be easier to keep your long distance relationship there then it will be in NYC in my opinion, and I’ve lived in both cities.
I would agree the younger and single crowd lives in the most expensive areas in DC. There is a certain disdain for those of us in NoVA by the single DC crowd at all ages, which makes socializing close to home dating hard. (Gay man perspective)