This guy literally said it’s perfect 🤣😭😭. ALMOST ANY CITY is perfect IF you go there for a short time( vacation) or if you didn’t grow up there which makes you not truly know the ins and out . Or most importantly you only hang out and visit and frequent the “rich”. You guys got to consider that DC is small and literally the only good part is the monument area and it’s near surrounding hoods /streets . Alll the rest is garbage
I don’t have much to say but I used to live in dc and I still live very close by and I’m gonna be honest crime like everyone above me has said is very common and whatnot, but occasionally it’s fun to visit certain areas, but most of the time and in the capital area it’s kinda boring
Fr I had a guy trying to back up and almost hit me because he blocked 3 lanes of traffic. I saw a cop blowing past intersections and almost hit the car in front of me, only stopping inches from the guy. And it becomes super chaotic when the lights are out. No one knows how to handle a intersection with no lights. All of this happened to me in one day
What, did you go north coming out of the Chinatown metro station? I've lived here for years and I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened
@@mmartins0092actually northeast. Me, my sister and my cousins once visited a station and you could just feel bad vibes from the area, its not as friendly and welcoming as the west of DC
There are also amazing towns within a ten mile drive from DC. So you can get perks like you’re in DC without actually living in DC. All the legit international budget friendly food is in the suburbs outside of DC. There’s so many amazing towns that are adjacent to DC.
Moved to Alexandria about a year ago from Dallas TX and I will say it’s a huge improvement. The city has a sense of history and culture while still having modern amenities and experiences. Everything is so green and the architecture is just beautiful. I feel lucky to live here.
I was never more proud to live in the DC area then when I grew up around the cities and suburbs of Northern VA. Once I moved into DC however... lets just say seeing the monuments from your window is cool, and uh yeah. Many buildings seem just as old as the monuments without the level of upkeep. Expensive, like so expensive you feel like you're paying just to brag on the internet that you can walk to the white house if you wanted to (which like why would you want to?), Norther VA is expensive but I at least felt I was getting my money's worth. Parking, dear god parking is impossible, and the work ethic is crazy toxic, like I am glad you're proud of where you work, but Jesus you shouldn't be afraid to take a day off and risk loosing it therefore your status (plus everything else cause again, expensive). I am happy I got to experience it, but now that I live in Maryland I'm a lot happier, will still go down there every now and again, just to hang out for a day.
Arlington rated the best city in US. Great Falls, over half of congress and Justices live there. But yeah, very very expensive! I lived in Miami, NYC, and Chicago as well, they were reasonable compared to DC. There are bad parts, even those are EXPENSIVE!
@@noneyabusiness2237 You can't bully a community into becoming criminals and then stop and say "The funs over, back to normal!" It's just not how it works. They are victims, it's not random that they commit most of the crime is it? Someone made them that way. The government. And now the government doesn't want to help them, it's what they wanted from the beginning now they don't even have to move a finger, they got their result
Lived near DC all my life - if you aren't into politics, it's really going to be difficult making friends around here. It's all anyone really wants to talk about. It's like nobody has any actual hobbies - just careers, Jose Andres, and politics lol
I've lived in DC since college, so about 25 years. First, in a tiny studio apt in Dupont for several years, now in a large studio in SW Waterfront. DC, like any city, is what you make of it. I have plenty of friends who are not into politics and live in the city. I have never worked in politics myself, and quite love it here. DC definitely has bad spots, but you can say that about EVERY metropolitan area, and many are worse than DC.
I think because so many people here literally work on Capital Hill or in one of the many government agencies physically located here, they are immersed in politics for work. So, in that sense, yes, it's a more common topic of conversation with some people, at least initially. Dpends on how interesting a person is. If all you can do is talk about work, then, well, same would hold true if you worked for an insurance company or something. @@soyuzinstrumentales7605
I’m from the DC area and some of what he’s saying is true. You do get all 4 seasons and the spring and fall are very beautiful and the drivers and roads are really really awful. If your rent was more expensive in DC than LA, you were definitely in a very good part of town because there are lots of homeless people. In the areas with more homeless people the crime rates are off the charts. Idk what was happening but I’ve definitely seen some guys yell at each other outside of a vape shop in a way that looked like a fight was about to start. He is definitely right about the number of Michelin Star restaurants but most of them are not that obvious when walking down the street. I do highly recommend you go to some museums such as the Natural History Museum, the Spy Museum, Air and Space Museum bc all of them are really cool
The money is near the capital and the rich neighborhoods near silver spring anything outside of that is extremely crime ridden. When I was growing up in DC I got robbed on my own middle school playground by a bunch of men with knives.
What did he say that was false? If youre from another city you're probably coming for politics of something work related. Not many people stay which is why we have a transient culture where people arent looking to pit their roots here. If its about bad druvers, youre probably one of the bad drivers.
EDIT 😂 DC is not far off from Baltimore except for the areas of gentrification that black people can't afford to live in. Outsiders visit and go to tourist spot and call DC paradise LOL
@@jininberry8204once upon a time DC wasn’t a transient city, but with gentrification we have had to move to the burbs and only the wealthy and the diehards can live in DC proper
I often tell people if they have to choose just one US city to visit, make it DC. It’s the best and the worst of the US in a walkable radius. Hands down my favorite city, though Paris is a close second.
On the surface level, DC is an amazing city. Walkable, good transit, good cycling, beautiful, and it’s a really small city. Then you start to dig deeper. The cost of living has been an increasingly worrying problem… and a lot of it is related to our mayor preferring payouts from big developers over helping struggling neighborhoods. Homelessness and crime has skyrocketed recently. The city isn’t doing anything about it. DC is two cities. The ultra elite and the ghetto. Both of which are blocks from each other, sometimes intertwining with each other. Our mayor doesn’t give a fuck about minorities nor poor peoples. I’m fortunate enough to have lived in Georgetown for my entire life, but traveling just a few miles to different neighborhoods shows how poorly our city is being managed. And also our roads are awful. Surfacing, planning, just everything about them is awful. Anyone who owns a car in DC must be willing to accept that. Your car is going to be scratched, dented, keyed. If you drive a sports car, don’t even bother street parking it anywhere outside of a wealthy neighborhood - I had my window smashed in and my car keyed. DC is amazing if you have a strong corporate or political job (Something that pays 200k+ per year) and live west of Rock Creek Park. You’ll want to live there permanently. But if you live in downtown, you’ll quickly lose love for the city.
@@HazelCat09SE is rapidly increasing. They're putting up condos all over. Many businesses aren't staying open for more than a couple of years because rent is so high. This is a problem with the whole country though. Wages are stagnant and prices for goods and housing keeps going up at record rates.
I lived there about 10 years ago, remmeber sleeping and just gun shots going off, and at first I was like what was that, and my friend Daryl was like, oh it's tuesday. eventually just got used to it. While I do agree it lost a lot of people and character, some of it is positive, like I visited last year to see how it was and the streets were cleaned... I was confused.
Without gentrification there would be no Michelin star restaurants... Dc in it's chocolate city days was wild. (My school bus from NOVA got shot at on Rock Creek parkway in 1990 going to the zoo!)
@@tibbers3755there's not. This guy is making this up. There are homeless but you won't see "rampant" homelessness in any tourist area except maybe right outside Union Station
@@CassieNova-nq7bx You mean Dupont Circle? Yea, its a good one because it has an inner and an outer ring. I prefer ones without a light. I think of them like jump rope. Knowing when to go. Personally I just step on the gas and GO!
Living about 30 miles south of DC and having my dad work there, I’ve been there plenty and had school trips there. Yes, the drivers are something else and there are some spots you do not want to go to. But there are some beautiful and historic spots too!
Been here 5 years, got 3 more until I can leave due to work. The excitement won’t last. It has its perks, but the high crime and bad culture make it not worth the high cost of living. Get out asap
@@tommyreaspeak for yourself. I was born here and I still absolutely love it. There’s festivals and so many different places to visit like the wharf, the zoo, Georgetown, museums, etc.
It’s an antiquated rule designed to ensure nothing was taller than the Monument. The city has toured with repealing it to allow for high rise buildings but I actually love that city streets don’t feel like canyons. Makes the city feel more European.
I love that the “where do you work” / “what do you do” problem is so prevalent that it came up in this video. There are plenty of cool people in DC but the average resident is usually an image-obsessed transplant from another part of the country.
Lived in DC all my life and my mother lived here all her life. That being said did you really explore DC during those 2 years? More Stuff should have been added to the positives.
I'm from Alex, but spent most of my adult life in DC. I'm retired now, and there are still things I haven't explored. I know this guy said some positive things, but two years isn't enough to get the big picture. I was immersed in the deaf community at Gallaudet for three years, for example. Would he be able to talk about Gallaudet? That's just one university, and just one of my DC experiences. You have your own life-long experiences. You could probably do a whole series about DC in video if you wanted with your eyes closed. Honestly, those are the videos I'd love to watch.
700k people live in DC proper and over 6 million in the metro area. Plentyyy of happy hours here where they don't ask what you do for work right off the bat 😅
It's a great place to live. I've been here since the late 80s. However, you are correct about it being expensive!😢 It would be wise to live in Md. or Va. rural areas and visit.
Your gonna need to go an hour+ out. The counties surrounding DC in MD and VA are among the richest countries in America and in MD at least, one of the highest concentrations of old Black wealth as well. Wolf Trap is a cute rural area on Hannibal and in reality it's a "picking apples in Burberry and ferrying them in our Bentley" rural with a huge arts center. MD is even fancier.
I was just in DCA Reagan Airport today on Aug 11 !! But yeah i was born in DC and it is great! lots of museums and very great views so yeah . Also my fav museum is the African American museum by the Washington Monument
This guy literally said it’s perfect 🤣😭😭. ALMOST ANY CITY is perfect IF you go there for a short time( vacation) or if you didn’t grow up there which makes you not truly know the ins and out . Or most importantly you only hang out and visit and frequent the “rich”. You guys got to consider that DC is small and literally the only good part is the monument area and it’s near surrounding hoods /streets . Alll the rest is garbage
I’ve lived here all my life including on the edge of where the bad neighborhoods start. Atvs and dirt bikes zooming through alleys, gun shots and fireworks(idk why) daily, baby mamas yelling about child support, it’s basically if early 2000s rap culture was a place.
Couple things: 1. D.C. isn't really a "city", it's a business district more than anything else and has a bedtime (meaning there's less people outside after hours making it more open but most places are closed) 2. Baltimore has the worst drivers. I live in Baltimore and there are constantly people doing 90+ in a 55 weaving lanes.
Lol I was at that rooftop bar you featured towards the end with my now husband and his work friends and when someone asked me where I worked I said, "Hot Topic in Annapolis mall." Lmao I was still figuring my life out at the time. I'm DMV born and raised so DC will always be in my heart.
Only if you have a great job and make tons of money. Rent is superexpensive. Otherwise, you end up in the seedy. dangerous areas of the city. Tons of homeless, some of them psychotic or drug addicts. aggressive panhandling too. Parks full of rats.
As a native of the area, I was in the habit of not asking people where they worked. I don't need to know everything, and people can volunteer information as they wish. I met a lot of wonderful people there and I'd love to be back.
A lot of this depends on your age. This person is obviously younger and hitting nightclubs for happy hour. If you're older and raising kids, the story is very different. DC is a wonderful place to raise kids (if you want city life vs more suburban), with lots of parks, free museums, and kid-friendly activities. Diversity of people here is great, so children grow up exposed to many different cultures and types of people, which is something the suburban/exo-burban life doesn't generally offer. Unfortunately, crime has become a major issue lately.
Somehow, Baltimore is even worse than DC. It’s super crowded and drivers are so aggressive, they won’t give a shit about hitting a pedestrian on the sidewalk if it means they can beat another car to a parking spot.
Depends on what part of the DMV you are in. We don't just cut a magic line around the city, the area is all integrated with the city and suburbs, hence, the DMV. Some of the nicest suburbs are in the DMV, but yea, expensive. I have no idea what you are talking about with the terrible food comment????
@@michaelspraggins5419 this video was specific to DC. There's like one nice crime free area left in DC. Even Capitol Hill now regularly has murders DURING DAYTIME.
Amen on the food. I don't know where this guy was eating, but for a major US city and world capital, the food scene here is complete hot garbage: overpriced menus, pretentious atmosphere, mediocre food, and I have never had a waiter that I didn't want to stab by the end of the meal rather than tip. Even the hostesses are rude when you walk in, like they're doing you a favor seating you. DC also lacks "neighborhood" places, like the pizza joints you find in NYC or the cheesesteak places in Philly (there is exactly one, Ben's Chili Bowl, and while it's a great vibe, the truth is the food there isn't all that).
@@gravityissues5210 you must be someone who is rude then. I have found maybe a few rude waiters while visiting but I wouldn’t say it’s every single person.
As someone who lives in Arlington VA which is 15-20 away from DC w/no traffic and works near Chinatown in DC and visits DC for family/fun, trust me when I say DC is not perfect. Tons of poverty spots, and although they try to help their residents of DC you basically have to be homeless or flat flat broke to get any kind of financial help. This person was only living at the richer/whiter area :/
On point. Even when Marion Barry was mayor, I lived in the city and experienced zero crime. You can't live in a sketchy neighborhood and must take the necessary precautions as you would anywhere around the world.
Well said I live in the dmv. Get out if you can what he didn't tell you. So expensive it sucks you dry makes it impossible to leave the city state for some people they are trapped here.
I've been in DC since 2010-ish and boy everything he says is 100% accurate. I'd say stay 3-4 years. 4 is pushing it but the contacts you make here could last a lifetime.
It’s amazing how all of this factual information describes the nation’s capital. It should always be a grandiose city of remarkable nature! Because of its grand history!
Yes the fall and the spring are great. Summer will make you question every life choice you've ever made about living anywhere near a swamp in 100 degrees with full humidity
I’ve lived in DC all my life & I’ll tell you the worse drivers are NOT DC natives. They are either visitors, come in to the city for work from VA or Md or they moved here from somewhere else. Like you did!!!!
If you’re in circles where everyone talks about politics, find another circle. DC ain’t perfect but I’ve been here since 96 and I love it for most of the reasons you said.
Okay being a Washingtonian born and raised here…the city is NOT perfect!!! However, there are some great sights and areas. The museums are very nice! Concerts here are DA BOMB!!! Sports fans are diehard here! And the fact the beltway is a huge circle. You can drive around all day and be in Maryland then DC then Virginia in a hop, skip, and jump! Now, SE sucks! Where I am from. It’s worse now than back in the days. It was more community back in the days and people caring for one another. The crime here has gotten bad the last few years. With people moving here from all over…the crime has SKYROCKETED! All around are good and bad area! However, crime is ending up in some nice quiet good areas! Are people coming from North or South??? NY, PA, NJ came down here in droves and THINGS CHANGED BIG TIME! Not to offend anyone from these places but man it’s some bad things coming to the area. We had our problems back in the days but this crime is definitely out of control. The speeding on the roads is HORRIBLE!! We never had this. Trash and graffiti is more in the suburbs…we didn’t have all this. Now back in the 80s the crack epidemic was bad…however things got better over the years/decades. The last 5 years things around the city has gone down even with all of the gentrification. 🤷🏾♀️
I worked in DC. for 30 years. I don't miss it. Initially, it's kinda cool. Eventually, however, you will see that it's aggressive, transient, and superficial. Upside is, since it is so expensive, a salary tends to be on the high side. .
I’ve lived in the DC area for almost two years and I don’t talk about politics with any of my friends. Before I moved here people said that’s all people ever talk about but you find people who like what you like. Ps: I love it here!!
I grew up there and raised a family there. I think you're nuts. Road rage, traffic, crime, politics, being stuck for over an hour anytime the president needs to fart, Metro prices, Summers that feel like Florida Winter is it feel like Maine, and that's just the top of my list.
This is purely objective from his experience. I have lived in NOVA for 5 years. It’s nice but I’m over it. It’s very expensive and while there are nice restaurants, the night life is sub par and he didn’t mention that weed is decriminalized in DC. While I don’t mind the smell, just know that you can’t go two blocks anywhere downtown without getting a strong wiff of the Mary jay. There is plenty to do in DC. Just know it’s super crowded (like any city) and no matter where you go (good or not) it’s expensive
As a local of dc I must say the winters here are the worst it’s rarely ever snowy and cold as heck but I do love using the metro for basically all transport
Literally worst city because of politics and liberal predisposition. Also everyone thinks they are Jason Bourne (cringe). City is ugly, lots of brutality zigurat style buildings no identity of its own (its based on Paris layout). Too many insecure people gather here that rely on their academia to cope with their social inadequacies. Basically all the nerds and losers from high-school that never matured congregate here to make relevance of their existence through belief that atleast they are doing something meaningful with their lives by working with government. Sad "city" if you wanna call transplant work grid a city.
I am a 7th or 8th generation Washingtonian. I think if you hung out with DC natives, you'd see a much more interesting DC. As far as natives go, the first question I always get is, where did you go to school. This is something transients don't understand.
As someone who lives in DC, everything this man said was 100% *C A P* Everything is expensive depending on where in DC, and since DC was gentrified to hell...living in NW or certain part of NE is expensive. keep in mind that you only scratched the surface of DC my guy, fukk around and go to SW or SE you'll see the true side of DC.
if i can say one rhing about living in dc or dmv. u can never get bored. There is always something to do. and the only people that really ask about ur job are the people that are new to the city or trying to prove themselves. true washingtonians, we dont ask that crap.