Sinking
Lately I've been struggling with the idea of spending yet another year in DC. Even though I'm usually the one who argues, "oh come on, DC isn't THAT bad," when all my friends trash on it, the prospect of spending the rest of my adult life in this sinkhole creeps me out.
I know there are people who swear by this town. They have DC flag tattoos to prove it. But I can't be one of those people...I've actually lived in other places. New York has a ton of great bars spread all over the city, rather than just one good bar downtown called Recessions. Berlin has a public transportation system actually built for Berliners, rather than a useless metro system built only for white sneaker wearing, American Flag t-shirt-sporting tourists. Austin's got its live music and pretty suburban-like houses downtown. San Francisco has its rolling hills and (comparably) affordable homes. Milwaukee has 10 independently-owned coffee shops per person and real estate Marion Barry could afford. What does DC have?
Well, since it's all the rage these days (and by these days, I'm thinking five to six years ago), I'll make a list. The good and the bad. Check out how trendy I am:
The Good:
Jobs
Recessions
Local music (it's small, but it's there)
Nearby beaches
Fort Reno
Screen on the Green
Interesting architecture (the row houses, not the office buildings)
The Falafel Shop
Barrel House Liquor
Warehouse Next Door
The Black Cat
Maryland Homebrew
The Bad:
No voting rights
Federal Government oversight
Only a few neighborhoods worth spending any time in
Gentrification (which people like me can't help but contribute to)
Impossibly high housing & rental prices
Tense race relations
Interns
Young Professionals
George W. Bush
Segregation
Miserable residents
Disgusting architecture (downtown, not the rowhouses)
Drivers who panic at the first sight of rain, snow, slush, wind, sun, clouds, drafts
An inordinate number of obnoxious bars (See Adam's Morgan Thurs-Sat)
Republicans
Wonderland (obnoxious, but in a different way)
A bus system without buses
A metro system that doesn't go anywhere
George Washington University
Sadly, I ran out of good things to say after three entrees, and I could keep going on the bad for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe I'm just in a shitty mood, but I think the answer is clear. How do you get a German passport?
I know there are people who swear by this town. They have DC flag tattoos to prove it. But I can't be one of those people...I've actually lived in other places. New York has a ton of great bars spread all over the city, rather than just one good bar downtown called Recessions. Berlin has a public transportation system actually built for Berliners, rather than a useless metro system built only for white sneaker wearing, American Flag t-shirt-sporting tourists. Austin's got its live music and pretty suburban-like houses downtown. San Francisco has its rolling hills and (comparably) affordable homes. Milwaukee has 10 independently-owned coffee shops per person and real estate Marion Barry could afford. What does DC have?
Well, since it's all the rage these days (and by these days, I'm thinking five to six years ago), I'll make a list. The good and the bad. Check out how trendy I am:
The Good:
Jobs
Recessions
Local music (it's small, but it's there)
Nearby beaches
Fort Reno
Screen on the Green
Interesting architecture (the row houses, not the office buildings)
The Falafel Shop
Barrel House Liquor
Warehouse Next Door
The Black Cat
Maryland Homebrew
The Bad:
No voting rights
Federal Government oversight
Only a few neighborhoods worth spending any time in
Gentrification (which people like me can't help but contribute to)
Impossibly high housing & rental prices
Tense race relations
Interns
Young Professionals
George W. Bush
Segregation
Miserable residents
Disgusting architecture (downtown, not the rowhouses)
Drivers who panic at the first sight of rain, snow, slush, wind, sun, clouds, drafts
An inordinate number of obnoxious bars (See Adam's Morgan Thurs-Sat)
Republicans
Wonderland (obnoxious, but in a different way)
A bus system without buses
A metro system that doesn't go anywhere
George Washington University
Sadly, I ran out of good things to say after three entrees, and I could keep going on the bad for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe I'm just in a shitty mood, but I think the answer is clear. How do you get a German passport?
posted by Mr. Bottled at Tuesday, July 25, 2006
3 Comments:
Logan,
You have a fabulous blog. Really. I'm not just saying that cause I'm looking forward to our guys night out tomorrow. I do really enjoy it.
I'd like to add to your list, cause I'm opinionated on this topic.
I would add to the good:
Walking into Union Station through the front door, it's really marvelous I think.
Sunday mornings, everyone is dressed up in their sunday best. I like that.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The brass band in Dupont Circle on Sundays
Ethiopian food
The bad:
Georgetown
4th of July and "flag t's"
The bus station
Trying to find cheap lunch in the "golden triangle business district"
Bike Messengers
No streetside booksellers
generally expensive and uninspired food
CVS
Safeway
Metro cops playing solitaire on their in car computer
Every bar has a cutesy name. Where's the Johnny's Bar? Or Jimmy's Pub?
I bet I could come up with more. I know I could. But I have to get back to interning...
To the bad, I would add:
Whole Foods on P St after 6pm.
To the good:
Annie's Paramount Steakhouse.L
Your are Excellent. And so is your site! Keep up the good work. Bookmarked.
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