DC is not nearly as large of a city as you think- it’s a mid-sized city ranking with Mid-West cities
People think it’s bigger than it is because of its portrayal in media- that’s why it’s New York, Los Angeles, DC when it should be Oklahoma City, Fresno, DC in terms of population
With that said- DC has a much bigger metro area than most mid-level cities and the DMV does compete in metro area size
So, two things when you move here:
Don’t insert your rural culture into DC and be a dick because things are different. Every urbanite hates that but it’s especially disliked in DC due to the transient population and the myth of “the city owned by the people”- no, this is a local city with its own long time/generational residents and culture.
Don’t fall into the overcompensating “DC purist” bullshit that new residents fall into- you will sound unhinged when you start lecturing people on your opinions about why your NW neighborhood is the only real DC and start shit talking people who live in other quadrants or the DMV. Gentrification and economics have pushed a lot of people into MD and NoVa to survive- not because they want to be white picket fence suburbanites. You can have friends in Arlington or Silver Spring.
angelvvitch t1_jac1gel wrote
Reply to how to thrive in dc with no big city experience? by Fresh_Dragonfruit702
DC is not nearly as large of a city as you think- it’s a mid-sized city ranking with Mid-West cities
People think it’s bigger than it is because of its portrayal in media- that’s why it’s New York, Los Angeles, DC when it should be Oklahoma City, Fresno, DC in terms of population
With that said- DC has a much bigger metro area than most mid-level cities and the DMV does compete in metro area size
So, two things when you move here:
Don’t insert your rural culture into DC and be a dick because things are different. Every urbanite hates that but it’s especially disliked in DC due to the transient population and the myth of “the city owned by the people”- no, this is a local city with its own long time/generational residents and culture.
Don’t fall into the overcompensating “DC purist” bullshit that new residents fall into- you will sound unhinged when you start lecturing people on your opinions about why your NW neighborhood is the only real DC and start shit talking people who live in other quadrants or the DMV. Gentrification and economics have pushed a lot of people into MD and NoVa to survive- not because they want to be white picket fence suburbanites. You can have friends in Arlington or Silver Spring.