The Pros & Cons of Washington, DC

Ever since I moved my friends have been constantly asking me how things are going, what I've been up to, how is the city, blah blah blah.

Since nothing else really interesting has happened to me lately (other than working two weeks in a row without an off-day and falling in love with raspberry beer) I've decided to answer everyone in-masse. Who knows, maybe new DC residents will find this list helpful? Probably not.

We'll start with the good and move onto the bad.

DC's Pros:
- MUSIC SCENE. Since living here I've seen We Are Scientists, and on Tuesday I'll be seeing Of Montreal. Last month I missed the Crystal Method, and this weekend I will be missing Vampire Weekend and Beach House, but down the line I can look forward to the Foals, Benny Benassi, Sara Bareilles, Klaxons, Stars, Rogue Wave, The xx, Rob Zombie, and Interpol, just to name a few. Will I actually make it to all of those events? No, I'm too poor, but I'll certainly be at some of them. Having so many different wonderful shows come through the area not only has me thrilled but overloaded. In addition I just so happen to live within two miles of the Black Cat and the 9:30 Club, which makes life even sweeter.
- FOOD. Gone are the days of McDonalds, Waffle House, shitty produce from Wal-Mart, and redundant chain restaurants. If I want to eat cheap I can pick up wallet-friendly yet delicious ethnic food from one of the many restaurants near my apartment, or from one of the food trucks, if I want to spend some cash I have so many ridiculously good places to choose from I have no choice but to use Urbanspoon as a decision maker. Grocery shopping is fun, you have your staples like Whole Foods, Safeway, Giant, and Harris Teeter, but you also have your farmer's markets, bodegas, and other small local markets that carry a delicious inventory.
- WEATHER. Sure, it's been pretty hot lately, but compared to the beaches of Alabama, it's nothing. The cooler days have been fantastic and I'm thrilled for fall and winter to arrive. Seasons are nice to have after living somewhere that has a persistent summer and a few chilly days.
- PEOPLE. I've met so many awesome people in DC, heard so many different opinions, and learned so many new things, it's awesome. Who knows how many people I could meet in a years time, let alone five years time.
- ART. Whether it be films, photography, paintings, graffiti, it's everywhere, the new, the old, the classy and respected, and the gritty and offensive, and I love it.
- IKEA. Okay well technically it's in Maryland and not really a big deal, but I love IKEA so it's going on the list.
- IT'S THE CAPITOL. I don't care much about the monuments, and the National this and the National that, but I think everyone who lives here has to admit, it does feel nice to live in the most politically powerful city in the world.
- GAY PEOPLE. They're everywhere, and every time I run into a fabulous gay man I want to grab him by the hand and run off to Georgetown and buy chocolates at Dean & Deluca and just have a jolly good time. (Disclaimer: I was raised by lesbians, and various gay men are as close as I got to having any father figures, so I'm just destined to want to bond with them all.)
- ROCK CREEK PARK. If you come to DC, go there, if you live here and don't like it, fuck you. RCP is sooooooooo awesome, I feel like I'm nowhere near DC when I'm there and that is a feat my friend.

DC's Cons:
- PARKING TICKETS. I'm very nearly convinced the parking enforcement people that work in DC are Nazi's. Where to park, when to park, and how long to stayed parked, has been on the forefront of my mind ever since I got here. I've spent so much money on tickets, it's not even remotely something I want to joke about.
- TRAFFIC. It's gotten to the point where if my destination is over 3 miles away, I usually don't go. If you call me while I'm driving in DC, pretty much the entire time I'm just going to be yelling at people that can't even hear me and flipping off cab drivers. There's also this stoplight on New Jersey Ave, right before the M St intersection before you turn onto New York Ave by 395, that I have to go through everyday to get to work, and I swear to you, the light only stays green for FIVE FUCKING SECONDS. I want to take that stoplight, tie it to a large heavy object, and sink it into the middle of the Pacific ocean so I never have to look at it again.
- PEOPLE. I know I listed people as a pro, but it's also a con. Homeless people begging you for money all the time and then giving you dirty looks when you don't give in. Assholes on the Metro who stand on the left side of the escalator and don't board the trains correctly. Any and all tourists. Snooty pretentious bitches. Creepy guys. There's a great deal of annoying people here, but really that goes for any large city.
- METRO. I used to really love the Metro, enjoy riding it, and thought it was the bee's knees. Then I had to use it to get me to work, and all those happy feelings went flying through the window. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Metro, I do still enjoy it when I'm not in a hurry and I do feel it's superior to many other cities public transportation, but you can only deal with so many delays and fuck-ups before you just give up.
- PUBLIC SERVICES. Need a trash-can? Well it's not easy to get one. Need a driver's license? It's not easy to get one. Need a parking pass? It's not easy to get one. What happens if you don't get these things? Fines. 'Nuff said.
- H ST CONSTRUCTION. If you don't have to deal with it you're lucky, I feel like I'm killing my car every time I drive down H St.

Obviously, the pros far outweigh the cons for me and I love this city. You can greatly reduce your daily stress by not owning a car and just riding a bike everywhere. I'm glad I'm finally back in my hometown, and I don't know if I'll ever leave again.

By the way, if you're up for arguably the best sandwiches in DC, come see me at work at Taylor Gourmet, the K St location at the corner of 5th. I promise we'll cure your munchies.





PS. The awesome photos in this post are taken by Danilo Lewis, and appear here.

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