| I've lived in the area my entire life, and DC proper for around the past 7 years. I love living here and am without question biased but I'll do my best to give you some objective advice. - As others have said, it's a very transient city. A lot of people live here for 5 years then move. Most of my friends/family live here so this isn't an issue for me but take this into consideration. - There is definitely a tech presence outside of the defense industry, especially in the suburbs as others have mentioned. The scene is not nearly as big as San Francisco or NYC though. That said, if you are able to get a security clearance - do it. Without question do it. It opens a ton of doors around here and you can have an extremely lucrative career with one. DC also has the highest rate of remote workers out of any city in America, so you really don't need to work for a company around here if you don't want to. - Not sure what you're into for fun, but it's very much a "drinking" city. A lot of socializing revolves around going to bars, breweries, concerts, brunch, etc. - Despite what some may tell you, the suburbs right outside DC (Arlington and Montgomery County) are not cheaper than DC proper by any means. In recent years rent in Arlington on average is more expensive than DC. Parts of these suburbs though are highly developed, and if you didn't know better you'd probably think you were in the city anyway. - The whole area is expensive. No way around that unless you move to Baltimore. - DuPont and Logan Circle have a ton of transit and are very walkable. Two of the best neighborhoods in DC. Consider ditching your car. I haven't had one for 10 years and I can't think of many places I'd need to get to that aren't accessible by transit/walking/biking. If I do need a car, we have something called ZipCar which is a car rental service that charges by the hour for quick trips. - Traffic is absolutely absurd. To me, it's worth it to pay more than commute from the further out suburbs. Anything beyond Reston, VA will be a miserable commute. - DC is actually a pretty small city relative to other major US cities. I like this about it, but I've heard this come as a surprise to people that have moved here. - Certain parts are pretty dangerous. The city is gentrifying quickly (for better or worse), but have some awareness and you'll be fine. - If you do end up moving here. Venture out to the neighborhoods away from the mall and downtown. This is where the fun stuff happens. Hope this helps. Happy to answer any questions if you have any as well. |
> Certain parts are pretty dangerous.
It always felt pretty compartmentalized to me, but it's also where a lot of the cool shit and "culture" is. Shaw, H St. corridor, Columbia Heights and Petworth. Even Navy Yard, as broey as it is, has a lot of amenities but always feels a bit sketch.