Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
It's a zero-sum place and a one-industry town. Everyone's status turns on their power vis-a-vis government. There's only so much of that, so no one gains unless someone else loses. Loved where we lived there, but I don't regret leaving.
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I love where you lived. I visit family there frequently. I spent most of my time there in the late 90s in Foxhall. Walk down Exorcist steps, bar hop through Georgetown. It was really great back in the day when it was less pricey. More charming.
Now it's NY/SF prices, and a different vibe, but still great. Loads of different cultures blending, lots of great food (albeit $$$$ rather than $$ and $$$). Better conversation than most towns (if you avoid the lobbyists and career govt types who can be a bit narrow in terms of conversation topics).
But unlike the rest of the expanse between DC and NY, DC has a future. It's growing generally and has a vibrant tech sector running north toward Baltimore (unfortunately for Baltimore, not reaching anywhere near Baltimore). True, the reliance on govt narrows the focus, and everybody still talks about the beltway as an ozone layer outside of which nothing matters, but is that much worse than everybody talking about finance, or the most boring of all things - pharma? I'm as bored by lobbyists as the next guy, but they beat the "meds and eds" industry crowd you get in Philly and Baltimore.
Please, tell me more about how the university is expanding, or about the grant financing for your hospital's new annex... riveting stuff.
Where you are now is of course better, but it's also the extreme outlier. You can't compare that area to any East Coast city (or any other city anywhere, really). You're very lucky, or very smart, or both. And yes, I'm jealous.
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