Things DC does really well

Submitted by erichinnw t3_11dea05 in washingtondc

I went to SW/Rubell over the weekend and a couple of things stood out to me. On my way to the museum, I had to use the bathroom, so I went to the SW Library. I've lived in a lot of places (ex-military) and DC Libraries are no joke. It was NICE. New computer equipment, beautiful architecture, comfortable seating, clean bathrooms and it's not just SW. I've been to a bunch of the libraries and they are fantastic. DC has its fair share of issues, but our library system is amazing.

The other thing was that the Rubell had an admission fee, but was free for DC residents with a valid ID. The number of free museums that we have here has completely re-set my expectations. When I travel and go to a museum/attraction and there's an admission fee, it annoys me.

I love to bitch about the crime levels, cat-sized rats, MD/VA drivers, etc... as much as the next person, but man, we do some things really fucking well here.

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demarginator t1_ja854tp wrote

Just came back from a great trip in NYC. Each time I return to DC I remark how much I love how many more trees there are here, and just how much greener it is here in general. NY has some amazing parks, but we have trees everywhere.

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potatopotatoed t1_ja8f9qa wrote

It's the absence of street-punctuating bags of trash that does it for me

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AlienBeach t1_ja99voz wrote

Public tash cans in general. I know the way NYC handles trash is unique to them among American cities. But every time I travel to a different American city, especially on the west coast, I'm always annoyed at the lack of public trash cans. Portland Oregon and San Francisco are particularly bad at this. I wouldn't be shocked if their reputations for being dirty was directly tied to this. In DC/Silver Spring/Alexandria/Arlington etc, the commercial districts and major roads have public trash cans basically on every block, on both sides of the block, and on every bus stop. I always notice it when I travel to a different city and I have trash and I go to where I expect a trash can to be but nothing.

I was in Portland recently and had a candy wrapper I wanted to throw away. I was on a major commerical street, and I had to walk so many blocks to find a single public can, and even then, I had to cross the street to use it

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snarkyturtle t1_ja9y1ty wrote

Berkley, however, absolutely has the public trash can game down though. They even have different compartments for recyclables.

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Milazzo t1_ja8wyyl wrote

Also...whatever that liquid actually is that builds up in the gutters around sidewalk street crossings.

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xiefeilaga t1_jaajh41 wrote

I believe the scientific term is street juice

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Milazzo t1_jaajm4j wrote

I got some splashed on my foot once - it turned into a nasty rash within an hour. Never wore open shoes ever again in the four years I lived there.

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BigLeagueBanker69 t1_ja8a4un wrote

100%. Every time I visit NYC I gain more appreciation for DC.

I think in addition to the greenery, it's also the way that the streets are wider & buildings shorter so you feel like you're truly in the open air / outdoors. Sometimes in Manhattan the masses of cement sky-scrapers going out in every direction can make one feel really caged in.

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demarginator t1_ja8j1cj wrote

So I also like the skyscrapers in Manhattan. It's a totally different feel from here. Sorry, I wasn't trying to make my post a DC vs NY, because I love them both for how different they are yet can feel so similar. It might be the walkability of both that make me feel comfortable going between the two. My husband and I talked about how if we weren't happily settled in DC with our friends, house, and garden we would consider moving there. But (speaking of trees) we want to see the trees we planted in our yard grow into maturity.

I also think that DC is a lot better about tree planting/preservation than most suburbs in the US, where they should have room for more. Instead they have seas of strip malls and nearly empty parking lots. Again, trying to break the DC vs NY narrative I inadvertently started.

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BigLeagueBanker69 t1_ja8kg8m wrote

NO! You must pick one or the other. There is no room for nuance and/or respectful disagreements in the Reddit comments.

Reddit comments section is WAR. Come prepared to die on your hill, or evacuate the hill with your hands up immediately. This is a zero sum game friend. Every compliment to the subject means you're insulting all things other than the subject. You can't tell me you like DC without it being implicit that you HATE nyc. You want to drop a BOMB on it along with all those smelly garbage bags that make the entire city smell like urine on hot summer days.

HEY EVERYONE u/demarginator IS OUR NEW GENERAL. HE IS LEADING THE WAR CRY TO ASSERT DC'S DOMINANCE OVER OVERRATED AND SMELLY NYC. ALL ABOARD THE WAR TRAIN, LOCK AND LOAD BOYS!

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demarginator t1_ja8ls0r wrote

Hahaha! She is leading this war using the long game method: sitting peacefully on top of a tree-covered hill with cleaner air while the New Yorkers choke on their smoke.

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cubgerish t1_jac4r8c wrote

Your "nice" sentiment pretty much encapsulates it.

NYC without a doubt has more diversity and general 'stuff' on almost every block but......

DC streets don't smell like dog piss from April to October.

I love visiting NYC.... But I truly do love living here.

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hopefulbaconn t1_ja8pdga wrote

You cannot help comparing though because they are two very different cities. NYC is a one of a kind city, full of lives and characters and humanity and rats and trash bags and dirty air and bumpy smelly roads and arts and styles and lights and concrete.

I visited NYC a few days ago and I still found the city so damn exciting even though I had been there so many times before. Then I came back to DC and I realized how nice DC is in every way, and that most of the time, all I really want is ‘nice’ 🥹

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demarginator t1_jaamu3d wrote

Yeah. I think that nice is (part of) what makes DC feel like home.

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gravygrowinggreen t1_ja8tlpw wrote

That's one of the things I like better in NYC! I love seeing tall buildings rising up into the sky.

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sg8910 t1_jac7el8 wrote

very good point about the feeling of spaciousness, open feeling, its so importat for well being and stress:)

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Bithron t1_ja983e6 wrote

One of the number one reasons I enjoy DC so much is the green space. It's everywhere. I also remark on the need for more green space in other cities.

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SeattCat t1_ja990of wrote

I’m from Seattle. The first thing I noticed when I visited before moving here was that there are nice trees. I need trees and greenery.

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someotherbitch t1_jaag8xu wrote

I think DC is just prettier in general. I suspect the lack of skyscrapers plays quite a big part in the greenery being so widespread.

Coming back to DC from NYC feels almost serene. Especially if you ride the metro, you have a good 3 months of loving it after experiencing the NYC subway

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FubarFreak t1_ja9vyam wrote

Don't let NOVA hear about it, they seem to go out of their way to cut down everything in sight

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demarginator t1_ja9zsod wrote

I hope DC listens to our tree praises and tightens protections. It was hard enough when I had to deal with developers holding trees hostage or just not caring and cutting them down. Now I hear they're poisoning special and heritage trees? If the city doesn't protect our existing canopy we will become (edit: Nova).

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squuidlees t1_ja8ochb wrote

My friend from Boston said the same thing about the trees here! Didn’t even think of it, but probably since I moved from Sacramento, which also has a lot of trees lol.

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roomnoises t1_ja9zls7 wrote

> Sacramento, which also has a lot of trees lol

Not enough to keep "city of trees" on the water tower though. Still grumbling about that 6 years later

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stracted t1_jabao6s wrote

Very under appreciated aspect of the area. Was kinda sad to see the trees gone at k st and 14

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joymarie21 t1_ja84ey2 wrote

Moving a lot of the annoying bureaucracy online has been so great. I just paid my auto registration/inspection fee/neighborhood parking pass on line and got my registration card and sticker in the mail in a few days. I remember when you had to spend at least half a day at the DMV to do anything.

I had to go there in person to the DMV a couple of years ago to update my license to a real ID and it wasn't bad at all. Waited less than an hour, all the employees were helpful and cheery. The DMV used to suck so bad.

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london_toby t1_ja85qw8 wrote

My biggest surprise of moving to DC? How nice the people working at DMV are! And efficient! I went to two locations for different issues: taking driving test, getting my license, registering out of state car etc and everyone was so nice and helpful. And know what they are doing! Unlike NYC DMV …

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1800TurdFerguson t1_ja88lnv wrote

That’s a relatively recent development…LOL

The DMV was terrible for quite a few years after I moved here. They lost a copy of my car title when I paid it off, which caused a months-long stand-off between the finance company and the DMV.

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Snow_source t1_ja9nttx wrote

> The DMV was terrible for quite a few years after I moved here.

It highly depends on the service center.

The one off Rhode Island Ave?

They lied straight to my face about what documents they needed to register my out-of-state car. I literally pulled out the lady's business card the next visit and said "Is this you? I talked to you yesterday and this is what you told me I needed."

She suddenly remembered me and registered my car.

The one in Georgetown? I was in and out in 30 min. No issues.

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1800TurdFerguson t1_ja9qw6q wrote

It was the one in Georgetown that lost my title.

I started going to the RI Ave DMV sometime after 2010, and they got significantly better as the decade wore on.

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joymarie21 t1_ja8ei8y wrote

Absolutely, it was terrible. I went to renew my license once and at the time I wore contacts with one eye corrected to see distance and one less corrected for close up. I failed the eye test. I went home, got my glasses, came back, got back in line, waited hours, and passed the test. It took a ridiculous amount of time and two managers to override the failed eye test and approve my license. Sort of my fault, but a crazy amount of time and work to fix.

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CandyCaneCrisp t1_ja96jrl wrote

My mom did the one contact thing and it played hell with her depth perception, which led to her being injured. Do you have the same problem?

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joymarie21 t1_ja97ofw wrote

I did it for years and had no issues. I had to give up contacts though due to dry eyes.

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9throwaway2 t1_ja9jdv8 wrote

I know! I showed up with my paperwork and was out with in 15 minutes. I had so much free time I ended up going to TJ max next door and wasting money on a cat tree. My cat did not like that and ripped it all up. So the efficient DMV actually cost me money.

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Ok_Culture_3621 t1_ja99fed wrote

Same experience here. I managed to get one of last quick appointments when I moved here in 2020 and no one acted like they quietly debating on whether or not they could get away with killing me. Which has been more my experience in the five other states I’ve lived in.

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thekalby t1_jab6cbv wrote

I felt the same way when I went and I thought it was just me? Big crowd, but I was still in and out in under 20 min and everyone I interacted with was super nice and helpful! What a difference from NJ.

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Alex3M3TI8 t1_ja8vkc2 wrote

We even have a self service emissions inspection kiosk which is basically open 24-7.

https://dmv.dc.gov/page/self-service-vehicle-emissions-inspection-kiosk

No more trying to beat the line at Half Street SW.

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Formergr t1_ja98ivj wrote

Wow, I had no idea!! My inspection is due end of the month and I've been trying to figure out when to shoehorn in a visit to Half Street and fight the line before then.

The info at the link isn't too explicit.

~~If I already renewed my registration (which I did, got new sticker a couple weeks ago), this included the cost of inspection, right? Even if I didn't select that anywhere on an online menu when I renewed my registration?

If so, I just roll up to that kiosk, do the thing, and they'll somehow know and send me a new sticker?~~

Sorry, hate to hit you with questions, but the link is less than forthcoming on the details...

ETA: I just looked it up on Google Maps to get the drive time, and some of the reviews included enough info to answer my questions: >The on screen prompts are easy to follow and a temporary inspection sticker will print for you while one gets sent to your address in the mail.

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Alex3M3TI8 t1_ja9v17b wrote

Yup! I used it the about a month ago for registration renewal on a car with the necessary plug (whatever that thing is that they plug into, I have no idea). It looks like it is in the parking lot of a school building, which I think it is.

You drive up, and the instructions on the screen are pretty comprehensible. You run your car for a few minutes and it was pretty painless and I didn't need amazing automotive skills to understand and get it done.

The registration sticker arrived in my mailbox a little while later. Super easy and Covid-Approved!

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NoNoNext t1_ja8dlzu wrote

I had to go to the DMV a few months ago, and even though I dreaded the wait times, it was actually a super quick and pleasant experience. They’ve really improved things, even my first visit in 2015 wasn’t terrible. I’m also a fan of the DIY inspection kiosks they’ve set up - I no longer have to go to Half St on the weekend and wait behind dozens of cars.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_jaae3wj wrote

Amen. The difference between sitting in a line of cars around the block for five+ hours to get inspected vs. the four minutes it takes today is almost too much to believe. The DMV and inspection station have had a remarkable improvement and deserve a ton of credit.

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Praxiscat t1_jaauxs4 wrote

It was never really that bad in DC. In fact DC always had one of the more painless DMVs. At least compared to where I came from in Illinois.

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joymarie21 t1_jaazasl wrote

I'm guessing you haven't been here that long. It was bad.

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Praxiscat t1_jaazjs0 wrote

I have been here for 16 years. So it's been awhile. I have never experienced any problems with the DMV.

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Strawbrawry t1_ja89yk1 wrote

I come from a college town and our library system was always one of my favorite things. DC has an excellent library system IME.

Protip: Lots of people are unaware that with a library card you also get access to a few apps that rival paid subscription apps, some apps work with what your library has IIRC. Hoopla, Kanopy, Overdrive, and Libby are all great apps to get when you grab a library card. I have also found most libraries have a pretty current selection of media content. Pretty sweet deal for $20 annually (free for DMV residents as I've been corrected, sorry for any confusion).

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20CAS17 t1_ja8bhr5 wrote

Wait, library cards are free, aren't they??

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Strawbrawry t1_ja8bt7m wrote

Oh sorry, yes cards are free to residents. I got my card when I was a VA resident commuting in (I think that was the issue)

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fatboybigwall t1_ja8d80r wrote

I don't think there's a charge for at least nearby MD or VA residents anymore... before moving into DC proper last year, I was living in Maryland (Prince George's County) and I got a DC card for free. I think there are now reciprocal agreements.

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squuidlees t1_ja8oquz wrote

Can confirm for MD residents. I got a DC library card recently free of charge.

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dans_cafe t1_ja98mq7 wrote

there's reciprocity between DC MD and VA. plus, they'll give a library card to just about anyone if you show up with your cable bill or whatever

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Strawbrawry t1_ja8ge5s wrote

¯_(ツ)_/¯

I'll have a free card this year, not sure why I was charged last time.

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thrownjunk t1_jaap4fc wrote

They don’t charge if you have a DC, MD, or VA id. You may have used a different ID then.

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neil_va t1_jaajlgy wrote

Does anyone know if DC libraries have any reciprocity with VA? (I have a card with Arlington’s library)

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spj36 t1_jaantim wrote

All public libraries in the DMV do.

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borneoknives t1_jadkqal wrote

> Does anyone know if DC libraries have any reciprocity with VA? (I have a card with Arlington’s library)

RECIPROCAL JURISDICTIONS

District of Columbia

Maryland Counties of: Frederick Montgomery Prince Georges

Virginia Cities of: Alexandria Falls Church Manassas Manassas Park

Counties of: fairfax Arlington Fauquier Loudoun Prince William

Takoma Park Md is NOT in the COG

https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/c.php?g=726085&p=5445065

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resdivinae t1_ja846ww wrote

I like the city's amount of green spaces and parks. I also like that DC has actual bars, unlike VA.

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fidel1o t1_ja8slxu wrote

what do you mean VA doesnt have actual bars? thats just not even true

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MFoy t1_ja8tbb1 wrote

Yes it is. All establishments in Virginia have to sell a certain percentage of their total sales in food if they want to have a liquor license. You can't just sell alcohol. There are also extreme limitations over happy hour specials and even advertising them. Until just a few years ago, you couldn't put a sign outside telling what happy hour specials an establishment had.

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moonbunnychan t1_jaa7cmx wrote

Also since all bars have to also technically be a restaurant, you get WAY more people bringing their kids to what is very clearly an adult environment and that gets annoying fast. Some places have a no kids after a certain time policy, but not many, and even the ones that do often don't enforce it.

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fidel1o t1_ja8v4bd wrote

okay so they have to sell food, how does that not make it a bar?

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MFoy t1_ja8wpa5 wrote

Because if you serve hard liquor, you have to maintain a 45%-55% food to mixed drink ratio (beer and wine don't count). You can't have a hole in the wall establishment that focuses on selling alcohol.

If you have a beer/wine only license, you have to sell $4,000 in food a month, no matter what. $2,000 of that must be in entrees.

Exceptions have been carved out over the years for entertainment venues, vineyards and breweries where alcohol is brewed on-premise, but these laws date back to the end of prohibition, and have basically stopped all dive bars from existing in Virginia.

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BirdLawyerPerson t1_ja9sipv wrote

There's a floor plan requirement, too, where at least half of the seats in an establishment must be at tables or booths, rather than at the bar. So there aren't the traditional narrow bars like in most cities, where you walk in and it's a few high tops plus the bar itself.

Throw in the food requirement (and more importantly, the requirement that the kitchen always be serving full entrees while alcohol is being served), and you basically don't have bars in Virginia.

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TechnoBagels t1_ja8wntb wrote

i think it's reasonable to categorize something as a restaurant or bar based on whether it sells mostly food or drinks

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resdivinae t1_ja8v1rh wrote

Legally, VA does not have stand-alone bars. There are only restaurants that serve alcohol. Any establishment that serves alcohol must earn 51% of its revenue from food sales.

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BirdLawyerPerson t1_ja9rlxf wrote

Not only that, they must also have a certain percentage of their floor space and seats in a traditional dining room setting.

So even if they're serving enough food to cover the revenue requirement, it'd be illegal to open a bar that just has a bar and barstools.

Plus they're not allowed to keep the bar open for drinks unless the kitchen is also open for food orders.

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XcXBOX360 t1_ja92rfn wrote

How does that work if they happen to get a bunch of customers who only buy booze and throw off the ratio? Do they just stop selling drinks until enough people have bought food again?

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resdivinae t1_ja94gyv wrote

I'm not sure, tbh. But judging by the lack of generous happy hours around here, I think that might be one tactic used.

Also, one time I went to the Brass Rabbit in Clarendon for a $3 wine night. Of course, it turned out that was too good to be true. Wine was only $3 is you ordered it with food.

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NorseTikiBar t1_ja9ogzt wrote

It's more in how you'll see square footage allocated. There's always going to be a few extra tables next to a dance floor, and the kitchen is likely to stay open longer. They're mostly subtle things that you wouldn't think about, but it does mean that a small bar like Showtime couldn't work in VA.

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marcove3 t1_jaak1gc wrote

Does this apply to breweries? Or only for places that sell spirits? I feel I've been to breweries/wineries in VA that dont sell food or just have food trucks that dont seem to be affiliated to the establishment.

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mthchsnn t1_jaavqxz wrote

If you produce alcohol it's a different kind of license, and if you do it on a farm it's another different kind of license. The rule doesn't apply to wineries, for example.

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gobias t1_jab8rpz wrote

There are some good dive bars that get by the food sales rule by having some awesome stuff on the menu, like Cue Club in Annandale, and also Mark’s Pub in Falls Church. There’s also Dogwood, 4 P’s, Spacebar, etc…but all of these places are forced to focus a huge amount of their attention on having a large food menu and not just be a bar.

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dirtypinksweatshirt t1_ja87658 wrote

Obviously the metro can and should be improved, but compared to most other cities’ public transit infrastructure it’s really good. Lots of stops, relatively clean stations and cars, and well integrated with an enormous bus system that, together, will help you get anywhere.

Also, if you include the larger metropolitan area, DC has an enormous variety of immigrant food. Beyond the well known classics like Ethiopian (everywhere) and Vietnamese in Eden Center, you can find SO many cuisines to explore - Pakistani, Caribbean, Korean, West African, Central American of all sorts, Malaysian, Laotian, Filipino, the list goes on and on.

And if you’re a cook or home chef in DC, you can find almost any ingredient or specialty kitchen tool you could possibly imagine. There are soooo many good, local farmers and ranchers in MD, VA, WV, and PA who sell in the city, meaning you can get produce and proteins that are as good as the best stuff used in Michelin-starred restaurants. Just go to the DuPont farmer’s market in the Spring if you want to see for yourself. Foraged mushrooms, incredible salad greens, 40-month aged ham that’s as good as the best ham you could import from Spain, pasture-raised duck and chicken, and award-winning bloomy rind cheeses, just to name a few. For instance, the chef at The Dabney (Michelin-started and named Washingtonian’s top restaurant in the city) and I can get produce and local meat from the same local vendors who sell at Dupont. He’s better at cooking it, but we both get to use the same amazing, high quality ingredients.

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romulusjsp t1_jaafe8m wrote

Hey, you’re on r/washingtondc, did you forget the rules??? Metro is always bad according to me, a person who hasn’t ridden the train for years. Also fare evaders should be executed on sight or something

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potatopotatoed t1_ja827ga wrote

Getting interest on my apt security deposit! Never heard of this elsewhere.

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NorseTikiBar t1_ja84wnb wrote

Renter's rights in general are pretty good compared to the surrounding jurisdictions.

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joymarie21 t1_ja83bcn wrote

I was surprised by this when I moved from a place I rented for 20 years. Ka-ching!

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dwinva t1_ja8fese wrote

How much was initial deposit versus payout?

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joymarie21 t1_ja8fu4a wrote

My deposit was $850 and ending rent was $2200. I don't remember how much the interest was but over $100. It was nice, unexpected money.

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Oldbayistheshit t1_ja865hb wrote

What do you mean?

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PalpitationNo3106 t1_ja8auqi wrote

Your landlord holds your security deposit in a separate bank account (and it has to be a DC bank account) after one year whatever interest your account accrues is yours when it is returned to you. It’s not a lot of money, but it helps keep landlords honest about

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Rude_Macaroon3741 t1_jac7tbm wrote

Wow never heard of that and certainly didn’t get a higher deposit back when I was a renter here? Thank you - I need to go look into this bc we are about move to London for a few years and plan to rent out our house while we’re gone.

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PalpitationNo3106 t1_jac94ja wrote

Well interest rates for escrow accounts have been almost nothing for years. But yes. You must open an escrow account at a bank in DC. You must tell your tenants what bank you are using, and every six months what the interest rate for the previous period was. Just remember that the security deposit is the tenant’s money, not the landlord’s

For a small landlord, or for any individual tenants, it’s a small amount of money (my last security deposit in DC was $500 (I lived there for 13 years so it’s been a while) even over that time at .25% it’s not much. But imagine being bozzutto, and having $2000 from each of 5000 tenants. The temptation to use that $10m for an investment must be high.

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laborpool t1_jaa1vfp wrote

I thought this was the law everywhere. The deposit money is supposed to go into escrow where it gains interest. The landlord isn’t supposed to spend it. Your money is being held and to compensate for that you get to keep the interest earned on it (because theoretically you could have invested it or placed that money into a savings account).

I’ve earned interest on security deposits in Richmond and Columbus OH.

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CandyCaneCrisp t1_ja93x03 wrote

DC is remarkably pretty for a city of its size. I first came in the winter and it was the nicest looking of the big East Coast cities I had seen. The cherry blossoms cinched the deal.

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mr_grission t1_ja9pm1z wrote

The walkability is awesome. If you live anywhere near downtown you can pretty easily walk to a ton of places that scratch different itches. I can go to Eastern Market, to a Smithsonian museum, to Nats Park, to U Street, etc just on foot pretty easily.

You can get around the downtown core even as a newcomer thanks to the basic organizational system of letters and numbers.

DC has enough to do to keep yourself entertained but not so much that it's overwhelming.

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borneoknives t1_ja8jqcz wrote

My buddy is the branch manager of the southwest library. She is an awesome person and an excellent librarian. She would be happy to see this.

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nakoros t1_ja8oueg wrote

It's so great, they do an amazing job. My daughter loves the kids area. One of the saddest things about putting her in daycare is that she can't go to their storytime anymore!

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Rude_Macaroon3741 t1_jac7mjz wrote

We live just a few blocks away and love it ! My toddler points out the library whenever we pass by and don’t stop in. We also learned about Dolly Parton’s free books bc of one of the librarians there :)

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dcsnarkington t1_ja86bj0 wrote

Everything is close, 20 minutes in an Uber. You can go to lunch in Georgetown, a baseball game, and a ballet in the same day and you won't spend more than an hour getting between venues.

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thrownjunk t1_jaavrdw wrote

If you bikeshare it can even be faster and you can mostly do it all on trails separated from cars. I’ve done Berliner to wharf to Nats to Kennedy center. Highly recommend

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ClusterFugazi t1_ja9idj1 wrote

I called 311/911 for various issues and the city responded QUICKLY. Here’s a list:

  1. Our blocks trash was not picked up, the city sent a trash truck a few hours later.
  2. Alley lamp was out behind our house and within the week it was fixed.
  3. Street lamp was out on our block (parts of the block was pitch black), the city fixed the lamp with 24 hours.
  4. Bundy field in Shaw had nearly all of the flood lights out for nigh soccer. Within a reasonable time all of the lights were fixed. Within a year later they upgraded to LED lamps.
  5. Shooting on the corner of Quincy Pl NE and North Capitol last summer, police showed up within 3min?
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Gorf_the_Magnificent t1_jaazwwi wrote

Man, I’m glad to hear that. I lived in D.C. in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, and I called the non-emergency number on two occasions (one hit-and-run - minor car damage, but I was driving a government vehicle - and one illegal parker who had impossibly blocked my car when I needed to be somewhere). When the police arrived, they literally whined about how much work I was creating for them and encouraged me to drop it. There were also multiple WaPo stories about ambulances that took 20-30 minutes to get to their destination. It soured me against living in D.C. ever since. But I must say I’ve been hearing better things lately.

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Littlecat10 t1_jacrtcz wrote

I bitch about DC like it’s a part time job (I’m a reluctant transplant from Texas). But now that you mention it… the routine-type city services actually are amazing here. And the roads! The layout is pure chaos, but the lack of potholes is incredible. Credit where it’s due, I suppose.

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sardine_succotash t1_ja899yy wrote

Flag design. Minimalist but elegant. Simple but distinctive.

Not gaudy like Maryland or bizarre like Virginia.

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lobotomy42 t1_ja96hsn wrote

Playground quality is best in the nation.

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thrownjunk t1_jaapjfe wrote

My friends from MD were so confused that we could walk with our toddler to a dozen parks. The thought it was hard to raise a kid in the city.

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walkallover1991 t1_ja8jwhx wrote

DC provides a decent amount of resources for first-time homeowners compared to other cities I have seen.

They also provide funding for homeowners to install rain gardens and rain barrels, which I thought was neat.

The local network of Fresh Farm Markets is pretty great and I like that the District government has a decent spread of food waste/composting drop-off points.

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orionstein t1_ja84o7q wrote

Echostage has really good acts if you're into the current edm festival scene

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ChucktheUnicorn t1_ja9tk3b wrote

The music venues in DC are pretty great. Lots of variety in genres and sizes.

Protip- buy tickets in-person the box offices to avoid "service fees"

14

erichinnw OP t1_ja866pq wrote

I saw DeadMau5 there on New Year's Day. It was awesome.

13

orionstein t1_ja88a08 wrote

We were at that show too! We worried whether they would hold up, but it was still a pretty fun show. Kind of hilarious to see him looking bored and chainsmoking up on stage though!

We've been going far too often though. Going to the Excision show on Saturday.

We realized how good we had it when in just one week, they had Loud Luxury, Disco Lines, Benny Benassi, Nicky Romero, and Afrojack. We like dubstep and hardstyle (rip) more, but even that's not a bad lineup anywhere.

I tried to check out the scene in Atlanta and Philly when I visited, and it feels like a lot of other cities just don't have the names coming through that we do. They have smaller/more underground djs, but if you like the big name festival acts, Echostage is actually really good. So many acts that Steve Aoki is playing on a Wednesday!

8

sh-ark t1_ja9gv4k wrote

they have incredible production, but they oversell shows so much it’s not that fun unless you can afford VIP imo. it’s just sooo crowded

2

orionstein t1_ja9i75w wrote

Really it depends on the crowd. When we went to BTSM or Shaq it was overcrowded but the crowd had some really good vibes, and everyone was there for that, so we were happy and had a lot of fun. When we went to Meduza it was overcrowded but everyone was acting like they were out at a nightclub instead of a show, so it kind of sucked.

3

Ornery-Classic-894 t1_ja84wxn wrote

Libraries can be hit or miss, but that SW one is brand new and really impressive. I lived there with the old library and it was just fine. They did a great job redoing it

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lmboyer04 t1_ja8kay4 wrote

MLK library is also relatively recently redone and quite nice. Both done by pretty well known architecture firms, Mecanoo (MLK) and Perkins & Will (SW)

15

Tulrin t1_ja8oy0q wrote

The original MLK Library design is by Mies van der Rohe, so it's a great visit if you're into architecture. They did an excellent job on the redesign, updating it while keeping a Modernist look. I love the main stairwell.

7

Animaled t1_ja85b73 wrote

Yeah, last time I checked Foggy Bottom was still flooding the children's section due to a bad reno job.

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robotnique t1_ja9dtn7 wrote

We're not having that issue any longer.

10

Animaled t1_jacsafy wrote

It took a few years to solve that issue, I dated someone who worked there so I got to hear the gossip but it has been years since she transferred to another location.

1

robotnique t1_jacvxdk wrote

Yeah Jen has been gone for like three years now.

1

BoogerPresley t1_ja9hv2t wrote

Capital Bikeshare- DC did it early and did it well*.

*(after learning from the mistakes made with SmartBike)

26

ChucktheUnicorn t1_ja9u5u2 wrote

Similarly, the bike lanes, at least compared to other U.S. cities. Still room for improvement of course, but biking is usually the quickest way to get around the city.

12

marcove3 t1_jaajpi1 wrote

I love cycling around the city. We have amazing trails and many places are reachable using only bikelanes. Still dream of the day they make them all protected. Maybe even raise some to sidewalk level. 15th street would be an amazing place to start.

4

morganwr t1_ja89t2p wrote

Walking city and transit, 311 Bulk Pick Up Service, Tenant's Rights, Libraries (yes!), green space, and Ethiopian food of course.

24

EhrenScwhab t1_ja8ko04 wrote

Being a military dude who has lived her a couple times, whenever friends or family come to visit, I always tell them that there is no better place to do good stuff for "free" than Washington DC.

23

Devastator1981 t1_ja9fnca wrote

Did DC libraries make a decision a few years ago to “have fun” with the architecture of their libraries? Love them. They are inviting unique designs.

20

layzie77 t1_ja9ozki wrote

The parks, so many museums, the train system (for American standards), the Salvadoran,Vietnamese and Ethopian food is really good.

I also think we do well for things to do and see as a tourist.

The Architecture in this city is one of the best.

I am being bias since this is my hometown. Any DC natives or long term residents here who moved far away from the DMV? What do you miss the most?

18

Kenearionlloyd t1_jaacj5c wrote

DC born and bred, now living in Mt. Vernon. Working on an assignment in DC now and realize it is no longer my home. Grew up by RFK, DC General, old DC jail, Armory…. Well remember the East side West side beef! DC no longer feels like home.

6

BigLeagueBanker69 t1_ja8kzqq wrote

How beautiful and relatively easy driving and/or flying in or out of the city is (outside of rush hour). At least if you're coming/going from the VA side. I will die on the hill that the flight into DCA on a clear day, is one of the most beautiful landing views of any airport on earth. Same with driving out to VA/Alexandria on the Arland D Williams Memorial Bridge. It's literally a stunning view as you're crossing out of the city. Normally you're met with project buildings, industrial zones, etc. as you cross over the city limits.

Manhattan is a classic example, you have to drive through the valley of ashes and industrial wasteland every time you come or go from the city. There's like 30 minutes of driving through absolute hellscapes before you get to any form of nice / inhabitable suburbs or greenery. Flying in is the same. Whether you come into JFK / Newark / LaGuardia you're going to have to trek through a lot of mess to get into Manhattan. Also hard to get much of a pretty view of the skyline when you're stuck in traffic under the tunnel!

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colglover t1_ja9cii3 wrote

Very much agree with this. DC FEELS like an imperial city in ways that even places like London, Rome or Paris fail to do. There’s no “AHHH” moment of arrival.

6

thrownjunk t1_jaaw56l wrote

Rolling into Gare du Lyon on a 200 mph TGV sipping wine beats Union Station on a delayed Acela.

5

colglover t1_jaay8gw wrote

I mean yeah, nobody is arguing that trains are better in the US

2

truce_m3 t1_jaadn69 wrote

DC is very lush for a major city.

Also, the city does a lot of things free or for little cost -- public transportation, museums, etc,.

14

marcove3 t1_jad97sq wrote

They could improve the cost of metro though. It upsets me a little bit that I have to pay more during rush hr and that there are like 5 different fares based on distance.

​

Just give us a flat fare like NYC does. or at least a low fare for local rides and a slightly higher one if you cross state lines or go to IAD.

2

Rtstevie t1_ja9z75g wrote

Went to Paris a few years ago and went to the national French military museum because I’m that guy, where the tomb of Napoleon is also located.

There was a fee for the museum itself, and another one to see Napoleon’s tomb.

It just made me reflect and how here in DC we’d never consider charging people for our public museums or charge people to go see say, JFK’s grave at Arlington. Would be antithetical to us.

13

nakoros t1_ja8omd3 wrote

On the subject of city services, I absolutely love the Ft Totten Transfer Station. I never thought going to a dump would make my day, but every time it's been a great experience. Employees are friendly, helpful, and I get junk out of my house. Went to Benning Road, since Ft Totten was/is closed, and it was also a good experience

12

dafishinsea t1_ja9bhfl wrote

Being the right size. Not overly crowded or hectic, but dense enough for walkability, or for investments in public transit/pedestrian infrastructure to be feasible.

11

let-it-rain-sunshine t1_ja8qudd wrote

We do Happy Hour(s) really well. There are some places that this sort of discount alchohol is not permitted. How sad.

10

goba101 t1_ja8wpsz wrote

It’s diverse, but not hectic as NY. You have a good amount of fine dinning options, the metro is so much better than many metro in other parts of the country. Buying a property here makes economical sense, since the fed government is here and has most of the workforce.

10

miles-1243 t1_jaacuuw wrote

I grew up in DC and it wasn’t till my 20s that I realized any museum charged admission.

10

romulusjsp t1_jaafvgx wrote

Everyone rightly talks shit about how awful DC summer is. Winter isn’t great either, though it’s far from as bad as someplace like Chicago. DC in the spring and autumn, though, is absolutely fucking beautiful*

*i do not get bad seasonal allergies, YMMV

10

thekingoftherodeo t1_jadfg1n wrote

I think the weather by and large is pretty benign here which is a benefit imo. Basically don't have to worry about hurricanes/tornadoes/blizzards or stuff like the grid going down (looking at you Texas).

3

marcove3 t1_jad9ymm wrote

I LOVE those 2-3 weeks of early spring and 2-3 weeks of mid/late autumn. The weather is perfect to be outside and the city looks beautiful.

1

LeucasAndTheGoddess t1_jaah0on wrote

Bookstores - new and especially used. I’ve lived in Boston, London, and NYC, and DC/the greater metro area is hands down the best for an inveterate bibliophile like me.

10

Panda_alley t1_ja8oe81 wrote

The public recs and public pools are fantastic, at least my neck of the woods.

8

missjennielang t1_jaa43no wrote

We’re pretty good at monuments and memorials

8

bhu87ygv t1_jaa0k0k wrote

Clean downtown; clean, decent metro; beautiful architecture (residential and government).

6

moonbunnychan t1_jaa7n2t wrote

The theater scene here is probably only behind NYC in scope. There's SO many shows!

5

Sad-Cupcake-3919 t1_jab2ni3 wrote

We also have the best recreation centers, distribute it all across the city that I have ever seen in any other urban city.

5

Sad-Cupcake-3919 t1_jab4hnp wrote

I agree with everyone’s celebration of free, museums and access to the public zoo. But those things are only free to us because we live here. We should remember they are owned by the federal government. Your tax dollars pay for all those free, museums and the zoo. So it only makes sense in other cities you would have to pay for museum entry

3

filstolealan t1_jab6djt wrote

Pools and golf courses are underrated. You’re never more then 20 mins from an indoor pool with lap lanes.

2

LumpyPumpkin21 t1_jab1y48 wrote

DC leaves potholes unrepaired super well and then repair them incompletely also very well

1

mycorona69 t1_jacjc7c wrote

Give out parking tickets

1

MusignyBlanc t1_ja92eox wrote

Very true. Lots of under-appreciation.

For example, I got my catalytic converter removed in under 2 minutes. AND is was free!!!

0

thrownjunk t1_jaawq4t wrote

Curious how DC is different here? Same happened to family in Texas.

3

PlaceAdHere t1_ja97uv1 wrote

I like being able to drive into DC (as a visitor in the last and local now) and be able to drive and more importantly park without a massive headache or financial hardship.

0

JaapHoop t1_jaa8qck wrote

Handjibbers. Nobody gives a good ‘old fashioned’ like a Washingtonian. Over the pants, under the pants. It’s crazy.

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DCJoe1970 t1_ja8m9kq wrote

Make politicians rich!

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RepresentativeOk6588 t1_ja8rgad wrote

DC is not remotely close to NYC in any respect

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IamMe90 t1_ja91exq wrote

What's the point of this? The OP didn't even mention New York. I love NYC too but why don't you go appreciate it somewhere where it's the actual subject of discussion? Unless you just enjoy shitting on DC in its own sub for sport or something, in which case, you do you I guess 🤷‍♂️

14

NoDesinformatziya t1_jaaa1ee wrote

Because he's a New Yorker and it's both their birthright and a compulsion to interject how cool NY is into every conversation without noticing how little people care or want to hear it. Bonus points if they manage to ruin their own night by complaining so often it takes them out of whatever experience they're currently having.

5

XcXBOX360 t1_ja92wxm wrote

It's kind of close geographically. Not too far for a weekend trip

9

__mud__ t1_ja8yrz3 wrote

It's not too bad if you take the Acela ba dum tsss

7

romulusjsp t1_jaag9cc wrote

NY bagels and pizza are overrated as fuck

1

RepresentativeOk6588 t1_jaap8i3 wrote

Sure if that is the best you can come up lol everything else is better in nyc then

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