Joe Stump: Your city sucks (And so does mine)

I'm from Austin and I've blamed transplants from other States for the exact same problems. I've decided if I can't beat them it's time to join them and I've got a long plan (years) to move up to Seattle and become a transplant myself!

I lived in DC for 7 years. Some of these are redundant.

pros:

1. public transit. Metro is pretty good, bus is fantastic within the district. A car is a liability in the district. Outside the district ... well why would you want to go there anyway?

2. Diverse neighborhoods. Gentrification has been creeping west to east across the city, but between lily white Georgetown and what remains of "Chocolate City" in Southeast are a number of incredibly diverse communities.

3. I think the food is pretty good. The K St/downtown area it's pretty lousy, but its not hard to get good eats in Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Dupont, U St, and parts of Northeast. If you can find the real thing, the half smokes are damn good.

4. Ambitious people who give a shit about interesting things. Bars are packed with 20 somethings who work for nonprofits saving the gay ostriches of Namibia. Yet almost everyone is cynical enough that they don't actually expect to change the world.

5. Exceptional parks. Decent hiking in Virginia national parks. Not far from decent beaches.

6. Surprisingly good biking despite the dumb fucks on their cell phones. The city is packed with bike messengers who are aggressive and keep the cabbies in line. Traffic is bad enough that cyclists are more worried about hitting a car than vice versa.

7. Not nearly as dangerous as it's made out to be. Crime is for tourists and dealers. Take a stroll through some of the Northeast neighborhoods and you'll get mugged. Live in those neighborhoods and you'll be fine.

cons:

1. The rest of the country sends their most ambitious lawyers to DC. Fortunately, most of them live in NoVa or never leave Capitol Hill so you probably won't have to actually interact with them.

2. Crap tech scene. Mostly gov and large contractor stuff who have piss poor standards.

3. Rent. Although, if you aren't a prick you can find some decent places in the "rougher" parts of Northeast.

4. Southeast is a little bit of Beirut circa 1980. No, you will never have to go there, but knowing that it exists is kind of a constant bummer.

5. Local politics is ridiculous. Marion Barry is a national punchline, and he's definitely not the worst of DC politics. Congressional control + the landlord lobby makes for a giant clusterfuck.

6. The weather is disgusting.

One of the most surprising things I've learned in the last few years is that american cultural norms of how one should live one's life really do have at least some upsides, and "growing up" can be a lot of fun.

And these things are big - changing how you dress, and who you live with, and where, will change your life. But looking at these things logically, and predicting outcomes can be hard.

I don't make analytical choices about these questions any more, I've found my gut better than my brain here. And if you want "grow up" not doing so because you might be lonely, or have a hard time making ends meet seems like a poor decision to me. On the other hand if your gut says live with roomies when you're 50, I'd advocate that as well.

The driving in eastern Massachusetts is pretty horrible, especially during rush hour (7:30am - 9:30am | 4:30pm - 6:30pm). Inside Route 128/I-95 expect to see many one-lane roads with traffic lights everywhere. Very slow moving at times with over-saturated roads. The Worcester area is just as bad. So are some communities in between I-495 and 128/I-95.

Public transit in the state is great IF you work/live near a train or subway line. Driving/parking to stations can be time consuming and expensive. Plenty of bus routes inside 128/I-95, though they have to deal with road traffic.

I lived in Boston for a bit without a car near the subway. Super-easy (and cheap!) to get around. It's definitely a very walkable city so long as you have something warm to wear in the winter. Having a car in Boston is expensive mostly due to parking. There is street parking, but good luck getting a spot! :)

Very nicely summarized. I would like to add one minor note regarding entertainment, just in case anyone considering Vancouver is a concert addict:

I find myself driving to Seattle for concerts more often than I would like. Lots of acts come to Vancouver but lots of acts skip Vancouver, usually (from what my music biz contacts tell me) because of two main reasons.

1. It doesn't make sense to add a border crossing to their schedule if it would mean doing just one show in Vancouver before returning back to the states or elsewhere.

2. Some acts have also quit coming to Vancouver because the audience attitude has made shows less enjoyable to perform here. It is sad but doesn't surprise me. I have watched audience enthusiasm progressively fade here, during the last decade especially.