Eating chili half-smokes at Bens Chili Bowl. Photo cred to my friend Johnathan (link to his blog below).
Recently, a friend (from out of town, who is looking at PhD programs across the country) that I was having brunch with asked what it was like to live in Washington DC versus Chicago, where I used to live. So I thought I would share some of my reflections on the one place versus the other. I think I have sufficient distance from Chicago to answer such a question without getting choked up about the people and places that I left behind.
Cost: Washington DC is leaps and bounds more expensive than Chicago. Real estate is hard to come by, and the rental market is inflated by a rate of turnover that is higher than anywhere else I have ever lived. I would compare the cost of living in DC to living in New York–I think they would likely be (surprisingly) similar. I know some people that decided to live as cheaply as humanly possible, and are bunking up four to a studio apartment. And they still pay a ridiculous amount in rent. Of course, like any city, you pay more for the neighborhoods that have more restaurants (and safer streets, and better public transportation, and…well…white people), so NW is the quadrant that is the most expensive. We decided that we felt comfortable living in a place that was a little less expensive, for the trade-off of being careful when we come home at night. But we can’t complain–we live just over a mile from the capitol building, and we’re within three blocks of a metro stop. We also lucked out with a fantastic landlord and a quiet street where the neighbors seem to look out for one another.
Culture: When we first moved here, we couldn’t believe all of the dinners and coffee dates we suddenly had. Almost every time we told someone we were new to town, and let them know what we were doing (“He’s in law school, and I am starting a PhD in International Relations”), we received this response: “Oh! You have to meet my friends _______ and _______. You would love them!” We quickly developed a network, but had to get used to the fact that it was a wide network rather than a deep one. DC is a city of connections. Alternatively, in Chicago we met people that we know will be lifelong friends. We didn’t know as many people, but the relationships that we did have ran deep. Part of it is the region, I’m sure–East Coast versus Midwest. But part of it is the purpose of the city. People come to Washington DC to have influence and impact, and that is certainly reflected in the way to go about forming relationships.
Fun: What I wouldn’t give to live in Chicago for the summer again. Chicago packs a year of fun into May through August, with outdoor concerts, rooftop bars, Cubs games (and Sox games too, I suppose), farmer’s markets, and general merriment. Chicago is the winner of culture in the summer. In DC, however, there is always a happy hour to go to, always a networking event to drop in on, always a free lecture or reading to attend. Being in “The Capitol City” has its advantages–it is the center of power, and with power comes activity.
So there you have it; just a few of my thoughts on living in DC versus living in Chicago. Oh, and by the way, the “in the District” phrase is just what people say around here–”Do you live in Nova [northern Virginia] or in the District?”
Photo cred: Photo taken by Johnathan Hayward, who is also on wordpress, right over here. who has his own blog. To view it, head on over to here.
When the photo of the Situation Room was released, depicting our leaders and decision-makers as they watched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, my own eyes automatically flickered to Clinton. Hand over her mouth, she looks visibly shaken at the seriousness of the mission.
I would venture to guess that between 1/3 and 1/2 of my friends are on the job market at the moment, and things aren’t looking great for them. Some are even considering career changes, starting to walk away from their dreams, or just going to graduate school until things get better.
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