The Vibe: Washington, D.C.’s Movers And Shakers Aren’t Who You Think They Are
As the Capital of the United States,
Washington, D.C. is the land of politicians, lawyers, journalists, and suits galore. The District has long-since faced comparisons to cities like
New York which obviously held the unfair advantage of excitement.
But this isn’t the same D.C. of years past. If you think of the District as a stuffy non-city filled with old, white men, then you’re about a generation behind. Today’s Washington, D.C. is incredibly diverse—in age, race, and business. You’ll find plenty of 20- and 30-something year-old’s working here. And you can curb those Millennial jokes because working in D.C. means working harder and longer than most other places in the country, too.
As of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported D.C.’s population median age at 34 years old, making it the lowest age of all 50 states. So, while the movers and the shakers still overrun the District, get used to looking at a brand new (and much younger) face. They’re here to change the world and they’re making D.C. much younger and more hip in the process.
Local Flavor: Culture Floods The D.C. Streets
Yes, D.C. is the capital. But the District is much more than just Capitol Hill. The area is extremely diverse, ethnically and culturally, marked by many distinct neighborhoods, great people, and delicious food. All of these things can be experienced at the Around The World Embassy Tour in which most international embassies open their doors for tours, cultural demonstrations, and an awesome array of snacks from countries including South Africa, Ecuador, and Tunisia.
Locally, Chinatown is just one shining example of how vibrant the cultural celebration here can be with awesomely authentic local restaurants, shops, and a fun parade to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
The District also has an extremely informative and historical Heritage Trail system downtown with a self-guided tour of signs that combine stories, photographs, maps, and information one everything about the rich political, military, ethnical, and cultural backgrounds of each area. You can take the walking tours while stopping to explore the many shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars throughout D.C..
Cuisine: Old Food Habits Die Hard
This might not be last century’s D.C., but the District has managed to hold on strong to their favorite foods.
Half Smokes are a D.C. delicacies, a sort of a hybrid of what an outsider would call sausage or a hot dog only way better. Try one from Meats & Food where they’re done right, not bogged down by ridiculous toppings. Ben’s Chili Bowl is an iconic name in the District and although some will swear it’s just for tourists, others vow their lifetime loyalty.
Also, don’t underestimate the importance of knowing how to properly crack a crab. A lot of people assume that crabs are just a Maryland thing in this area, but D.C. is close enough to the Chesapeake to enjoy the blue crab haul, too. Keep in mind, a little Old Bay never hurt anyone.
Nightlife: Washington, D.C. Is Business In The Front, Party In The Back
If you’re going to try to compare D.C.’s nightlife to what you find in NYC, it’s pointless. They’re two very different cities with their own strengths, weaknesses, and unique characteristics and nightlife is no exception. But just because D.C. is a city that actually does sleep (because, you know, someone has to keep the country running) doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty to keep you entertained.
Happy hour is a huge deal in the District. People here work hard, put in a lot of hours, and take their careers very seriously. So, it’s no surprise that unwinding over a few drinks and maybe a little more work is so popular. Everyone has a favorite happy hour spot and it’s not unheard of to make reservations for 20 or even 30 people at a time. You’ll find plenty of whiskey in the hands of the happy hour crowd, too. Namely the Rickey, a whiskey-gin-lime-seltzer water combo that is the favorite drink in D.C..
Bar-hopping and karaoke are other popular ways to have fun when the lights go down in the District.
Weather: It’s All About The Cherry Blossoms
Summers in Washington, D.C. are warm but the humidity can make you feel like the molten goo inside of a Toaster Strudel left in the toaster two minutes too long. Fall is a beautifully crisp and typically colorful time of year when being inside feels cruel. Winters are cold and see an average of 14 inches or so of snow.
But when you live in Washington and your out-of-town friends ask when they should come visit, you will undoubtedly tell them to visit in the spring. That’s when the weather is the most beautiful and the landscape is exploding with cherry blossoms as far as the eye can see. Peak bloom usually occurs between the first and second weeks of April, right in the middle of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Safety & Crime: The District Is Much Safer Than You’ve Been Told
Back in the 1990s, Washington, D.C. was dubbed the Murder Capital of the U.S. due to murders peaking up to 491 in one year. However, the numbers quickly began to decline after that and have continued to do so. D.C.’s reputation for being an unsafe place to live has never fully recovered, though.
But the District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute reported in 2010 that D.C.’s high-crime areas were so deeply concentrated to specific areas, that 5 percent of city blocks in the District accounted for over one-quarter of the crime.
The reality of the safety of the D.C. streets is much different. The affluent neighborhoods of the Northwest are generally pretty safe, from Capitol Hill to The Palisades. In fact, The Palisades are 60 percent safer than the rest of the District.
Commute: Driving In The District Takes Its Toll
Driving in D.C. is a special kind of torture. The streets and navigation are laid out as though they were intended to get people lost. Traffic circles seem easy enough but apparently not everyone agrees, judged by the amount of people who hold them up. Motorcades quickly become the bane of every driver’s existence. And the commute times in D.C. are second only to New York City, with an average time of 34.5 minutes, according to American University Radio.
Walking and taking the Metro are perfectly reliable ways of getting around the District, though, and will induce much less frustration. D.C. has a Walk Score of 74 and a Transit Score of 70, but those numbers increase the closer to Downtown D.C. you are.
Cost Of Living: Washington, D.C. Is A Tale Of Two Cities
If you want to live in a desirable neighborhood in Washington, D.C., you’re going to pay for it. Against a national index of 100, the District’s cost of living index registers at 136. There are relatively few middle- and working-class neighborhoods in The District. Neighborhoods are either lower-income or extremely affluent. The more popular neighborhoods like The Palisades even have a cost of living index number of 194, nearly double the rate of the national average.
While nothing around here comes cheap, it’s the housing that is the real expense here. At $443,000, the median value for a home in The District is 144.2 percent higher than the rest of the homes in the country on average.
The Only DMV Worth Lining Up For
Most people can’t stand going to the DMV. But in D.C., those letters have a different meaning. Along with standing for the Department of Motor Vehicles, it also stands for D.C.,
Maryland, and
Virginia, representing the metro area for D.C. There are even milestones that very clearly define the areas that account for Washington, D.C. alone, known as boundary markers.
It doesn’t matter how much you love D.C. or how loyal you are to the District, when you live in D.C., you will spend a lot of time in the DMV. From shopping in
McLean to taking in one of the awesome sporting events like a Washington Nationals game, the DMV is part of life here, including all of the crazy traffic that comes with it.
Living In The District Makes People Enthusiastic Spectators
There’s nothing anyone can say or write that can do justice to the spectacular system of museums in Washington, D.C., but that hasn’t stopped anyone from trying. That’s because living in Washington, D.C. comes with the unique luxury of access to a wealth of the world’s most amazing monuments, historic information, priceless art, and so much more.
History, science, aerospace technology, Native American history, anthropology, archeology, American politics, world politics, intelligence gathering, journalism, literature, and every last bit of information covering the battles and wars of the world—whatever you can think of, there’s a way to not only learn about it in D.C., but to see it and touch it.
The way D.C. displays information even makes you feel like you’ve come this close to living it at times. You get to be at the doorstep of the place where the country makes historic rulings and witness the country change right before your eyes. It’s an extraordinary gift and one of the greatest benefits to living in the area, one that anyone would be crazy to take for granted.
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