930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Thousand Made-Up Loves on October 26, 2010, 02:07:41 pm
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I went to the DC Financial Planning Day at Bell HS on Saturday so I had the privilege to spend my day in the District's most overrated, overpriced, overcrowded shithole, Columbia Heights, and I noticed I had to step over no fewer than FOUR people sleeping in the middle of sidewalks. One guy on Irving by BOA, one guy on 16 by the HS, one guy on 14th in front of the mall entrance and one time on Mt. Pleasant (yeah, I know, not CH).
But it occurred to me: We don't have this phenomenon in my beautiful Ward 6 neighborhood, so why do so many people feel encouraged to just plop in the middle of a busy sidewalk and sleep off their buzz/catch a few winks in Columbia Heights? Is CH now too expensive that people can't afford to sleep on benches? Harassment from MPD? A few too many burritos at Chipotle? Not enough shelter space at DC Gen? (Yeah, I know about La Casa).
I thought with the random shootings and bullets flying around in CH this problem would take care of itself. That's what happens when you let the invisible hand of the free market solve problems.
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Wait, you live in Ward 6 and yet you consider Columbia Heights a shithole? :D
More importantly, what is the purpose/value of your post?
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1) CH is "overrated" yet there are "random shootings and bullets flying around"? weird.
and 2) "the District's most overrated, overpriced, overcrowded shithole" = georgetown.
you're welcome.
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and 2) "the District's most overrated, overpriced, overcrowded shithole" = georgetown.
Yeah, this.
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TMUL, i think you need to have sex at some point or you'll lose your mind...
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really most of dc is overpriced at this point...and a lot of it is overrated
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that's what you get when live in warshington.
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really most of dc is overpriced at this point...and a lot of it is overrated
Fully agree! You pay extra for the distinction of adding 'DC' at the end of you address.
Some Hipster
666 X St.
Washington, Drains Cash
20500
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Allow me to introduce you to....
Civil Sidewalks (http://civilsidewalks.com/)
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Actually, what I'm paying extra for, and it's totally worth it, is not having to spend two hours of my life each day commuting to work. Indeed, I figure since commuting time can actually be considered unpaid work time, it's basically evening out. I don't give a @#!# about how my neighborhood is rated, or what my address is. :)
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My door to door from Springfield to DC is an hour each way. Are you saying your morning commute time is zero minutes, each way? And while I'm commuting, I'm getting 40 minutes of reading in each day.
How is it "evening out"? Are you paid by the hour?
I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
Actually, what I'm paying extra for, and it's totally worth it, is not having to spend two hours of my life each day commuting to work. Indeed, I figure since commuting time can actually be considered unpaid work time, it's basically evening out. I don't give a @#!# about how my neighborhood is rated, or what my address is. :)
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i'd pay a lot to live at 666 x st.
the city doesnt matter though
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My door to door from Springfield to DC is an hour each way. Are you saying your morning commute time is zero minutes, each way? And while I'm commuting, I'm getting 40 minutes of reading in each day.
How is it "evening out"? Are you paid by the hour?
I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
Actually, what I'm paying extra for, and it's totally worth it, is not having to spend two hours of my life each day commuting to work. Indeed, I figure since commuting time can actually be considered unpaid work time, it's basically evening out. I don't give a @#!# about how my neighborhood is rated, or what my address is. :)
My commute is 15 minutes each way. On a bicycle. So if we assume you work a 50 week year, your two hours a day translate into 20 FULL DAYS of commuting. My commute is 1/4 yours, therefore I am only spending 5 days out of my life each year commuting, and it's actually fun to ride a bike. I get my reading done on my deck or at a cafe (which is nearby, since I live in the city).
If we assume we both start work at 8:30 am, I leave my front door at 8:15, by which time you've already been in traffic or on a train for 45 minutes and are probably just reaching the 14th Street Bridge.
as for people who live in DC and commute to VA... it's definitely a better commute than the other way around, and if you value the ability to walk to restaurants and clubs in your free time, there's nothing dumb about it. Personally I'd prefer never to take a job in VA, but people don't always have that choice.
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I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
if the missus and junior are your life, then the burbs are awesome. but if you're a young person who likes to go out, all your friends are in the district, etc, living in DC no matter where your work is is a very understandable choice. after i first moved to DC, i found out that my client was out in reston/sterling. no way in hell i would live out there. being able to walk home from shows and sports events, bike to hundreds of restaurants and bars, etc was worth it to me. i'm sure i'm not the only one.
this week i'm working at corporate HQ in tysons. this place is oppressive. my team-mates were excited when they heard we'd be working "in DC" for week. you should have seen the looks on their faces when they first saw this area... "horror" about sums it up. they're mostly recent college grads.
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At 43, I've discovered there is more to life than restaurants and clubs. I guess when I was 23 I probably valued proximity to them more. Though I didn't have any money to actually partake.
My 20 days of commuting translate to 3.4 days of driving, 13.2 days of reading, and 3.4 days of walking. The latter two which I enjoy. Though I'm sure many commuters have commutes that are less fortunate.
My door to door from Springfield to DC is an hour each way. Are you saying your morning commute time is zero minutes, each way? And while I'm commuting, I'm getting 40 minutes of reading in each day.
How is it "evening out"? Are you paid by the hour?
I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
Actually, what I'm paying extra for, and it's totally worth it, is not having to spend two hours of my life each day commuting to work. Indeed, I figure since commuting time can actually be considered unpaid work time, it's basically evening out. I don't give a @#!# about how my neighborhood is rated, or what my address is. :)
My commute is 15 minutes each way. On a bicycle. So if we assume you work a 50 week year, your two hours a day translate into 20 FULL DAYS of commuting. My commute is 1/4 yours, therefore I am only spending 5 days out of my life each year commuting, and it's actually fun to ride a bike. I get my reading done on my deck or at a cafe (which is nearby, since I live in the city).
as for people who live in DC and commute to VA... it's definitely a better commute than the other way around, and if you value the ability to walk to restaurants and clubs in your free time, there's nothing dumb about it.
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What i think you're starting to see this boils down to is that what makes sense is different for every person and their circumstances in life.
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(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_urSQl6wUA5g/SD5GOUPvFnI/AAAAAAAAB9I/fW8pMPYNbS8/s400/bush-confused.jpg)
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I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
if the missus and junior are your life, then the burbs are awesome. but if you're a young person who likes to go out, all your friends are in the district, etc, living in DC no matter where your work is is a very understandable choice. after i first moved to DC, i found out that my client was out in reston/sterling. no way in hell i would live out there. being able to walk home from shows and sports events, bike to hundreds of restaurants and bars, etc was worth it to me. i'm sure i'm not the only one.
this week i'm working at corporate HQ in tysons. this place is oppressive. my team-mates were excited when they heard we'd be working "in DC" for week. you should have seen the looks on their faces when they first saw this area... "horror" about sums it up. they're mostly recent college grads.
What i think you're starting to see this boils down to is that what makes sense is different for every person and their circumstances in life.
Well put on both counts, esp. Sweetcell's "f you're a young person who likes to go out, all your friends are in the district, etc, living in DC no matter where your work is is a very understandable choice."
I moved to the District while I was still working in Maryland, and did the reverse commute for six years.
Now I work in the District, and I'm glad that my commute is shorter and doesn't involve driving. However, if I were married with kids, I'd probably have different priorities.
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For the record, I'm 40, married and have kids, and have lived in the city for almost 20 years. The idea of living in the suburbs, especially the D.C. suburbs, has absolutely no appeal. I could go on and on but I don't want the 'burbers to get mad (lol).
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For the record, I'm 40, married and have kids, and have lived in the city for almost 20 years. The idea of living in the suburbs, especially the D.C. suburbs, has absolutely no appeal. I could go on and on but I don't want the 'burbers to get mad (lol).
you being forty . . . not so much, but you having kids somehow intrigues me.
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Well if it helps to complete the portrait, I've also had a vasectomy.
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I'm not sure how that would complete the portrait.
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Of course its better to live in DC if you can afford it.. its ridiculously overpriced..1750 per month rent for a junior one bedroom?
I mean if you want to leave in Petworth and get shot riding your bike thats great.. but when you have a family.. a small child.. you got to do what you got to do
I mean DC is a big place.. WHere in DC are we talking about?
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me too and agreed on all counts....well except for the 40 part :P
For the record, I'm 40, married and have kids, and have lived in the city for almost 20 years. The idea of living in the suburbs, especially the D.C. suburbs, has absolutely no appeal. I could go on and on but I don't want the 'burbers to get mad (lol).
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all 4 or 5 jobs i've had in the area have been in the suburbs so i never saw a reason to live in dc. especially those parts of dc that look like suburbs
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You've got to also remember that not everyone likes living in an urban environment. Even with all its benefits, glitz, glamour and conveniences, too often it's just too dirty, rat infested, dangerous and stressful for some people.
Some people prefer having a little space around them with trees, birds (not just those ghetto birds you find everywhere), deer, grass, usually better parking, a slower pace and a sense of being able to get away from it all. Granted, not all suburban spaces are like that but it usually does have a sense of being a bit less congested. Going rural is even more appealing to some, like Walky, but then you're usually adding that much more of a commute, even just going to the grocery store. It's all personal priorities.
I love them all but have grown in to preferring a bit of getting away from it all in my life. Other than for occasional visits, I would have hated it while I was younger. If I was well off, I'd have a nice penthouse in the city with my own private parking and a really nice spread in the country. In the meantime, I need my one and only place to be more of a retreat than smack dab in the middle of an overpriced madhouse.
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as for people who live in DC and commute to VA... it's definitely a better commute than the other way around, and if you value the ability to walk to restaurants and clubs in your free time, there's nothing dumb about it. Personally I'd prefer never to take a job in VA, but people don't always have that choice.
No, it's not easier.
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but then you're usually adding that much more of a commute, even just going to the grocery store. It's all personal priorities.
I dunno, sometimes you have to leave the city for a particular store and what not, or basically, go to Pentagon City area.
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I know/have known some people who rent/bought in Washington, DC and commuted to their jobs in Northern VA. Now that's dumb.
if the missus and junior are your life, then the burbs are awesome. but if you're a young person who likes to go out, all your friends are in the district, etc, living in DC no matter where your work is is a very understandable choice.
this week i'm working at corporate HQ in tysons.
Tyson's sucks b/c there is no sidewalk to walk except for Greensboro. I missed that a bunch when I worked in that area.
C'mon, don't stipulate living in DC to just single people and married folks w/ kids to living in DC.
Best of both worlds could be Arlington / Alexandria - close enough, but far enough with walkability and restaurants, bars, etc. etc. Expensive, but a little breathing room and cleaner. (not necessarily an opinion just observing)
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(not necessarily an opinion just observing)
i think you got that backwards, because your statement is in fact an opinion. close enough/far enough, walkability, a little breathing room and even to some extent cleaner - these are opinions.
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1750 per month rent for a junior one bedroom?
You do realize you can live in a reasonable hood in the District and not have to pay $1750/1BR, right?
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Hell, you can rent the swanky 1BR apartment in my basement for $1200/month and it includes a separate laundry room. This is in the Eastern Market/Lincoln Park neighborhood.
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Hell, you can rent the swanky 1BR apartment in my basement for $1200/month and it includes a separate laundry room. This is in the Eastern Market/Lincoln Park neighborhood.
That is more along the lines of what I was thinking. Down grade the 'hood and upgrade from the basement and you can still do better.
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When did this board become an old folks home?
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Hell, you can rent the swanky 1BR apartment in my basement for $1200/month and it includes a separate laundry room. This is in the Eastern Market/Lincoln Park neighborhood.
I'm not sure I want you as my landlord... no offense... :)
No, what I meant was that I need a lot more space.. and if one can rent out a junior one bedroom for $1750 it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that it would cost a lot of benjamins to get three or four times that space in an area of dc where one would want to live.
by the way: love eastern market area... was our other pick and hope to live there at some point... just love capitol hill ... we were between that and arlington but we just couldn't swing capitol hilll.. we were seeing townhouses renting for $2000 with corner liquor stores, long walks to metro etc.. sketchiness..and not even close to orange line..
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When did this board become an old folks home?
September 26, 2006
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i find it nice. you can learn a lot from the reading. like a living newspaper.
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When did this board become an old folks home?
September 26, 2006
hmmm i think know where you are going with this date...
but i was going to say when Facebook and Twitter came online
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I assumed that it was Smackie's 30th birthday... but not really sure. Maybe it was the day he moved out of DC. He thinks like that, you know. ;)
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(not necessarily an opinion just observing)
i think you got that backwards, because your statement is in fact an opinion. close enough/far enough, walkability, a little breathing room and even to some extent cleaner - these are opinions.
thanks for clarifying...hmm. nope, still an opinion based on what people commented earlier. cleaner is relative. okay?
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Hell, you can rent the swanky 1BR apartment in my basement for $1200/month and it includes a separate laundry room. This is in the Eastern Market/Lincoln Park neighborhood.
What's the square feet? (again, feel the need to clarify not debating, just asking)
A friend moved to EM and about 700 sq. ft decent price but she had to get rid of just about everything she owns to fit.
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I went to the DC Financial Planning Day at Bell HS on Saturday so I had the privilege to spend my day in the District's most overrated, overpriced, overcrowded shithole, Columbia Heights, and I noticed I had to step over no fewer than FOUR people sleeping in the middle of sidewalks. One guy on Irving by BOA, one guy on 16 by the HS, one guy on 14th in front of the mall entrance and one time on Mt. Pleasant (yeah, I know, not CH).
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1260/5118376500_8f705b7c12.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexdc/5118376500/)
Columbia Heights (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexdc/5118376500/)
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(http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2008/06/funny-pictures-new-york-cats-hate-their-apartments.jpg)
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I assumed that it was Smackie's 30th birthday... but not really sure. Maybe it was the day he moved out of DC. He thinks like that, you know. ;)
I think it's the date I officially became a dirty old man (http://www.930.com/forum/index.php?topic=5451.msg89250#msg89250)...
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By Jove, I've think you've got it!
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When did this board become an old folks home?
September 26, 2006
but i was going to say when Facebook and Twitter came online
I was in fact referring to the day Facebook became a system open to anyone with an email address instead of a closed system to students on chosen campuses.
I assumed that it was Smackie's 30th birthday... but not really sure. Maybe it was the day he moved out of DC. He thinks like that, you know. ;)
March 2, 2004.
August 1, 2003.
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great minds think alike ;) my thought it might make been a big 40 crossing for another boardier...