Should you move to Washington, D.C.?

If you’re thinking about moving to D.C., think hard. Employment opportunities abound, but living costs are high. The weather can get brutally hot in the summer (don’t even get us started on the mosquitoes), and much of the culture revolves around what you do for work. Still, no other city in the country can call itself the nation’s capital or, as some locals like to say, the District.

D.C. also manages to blend a small-town feel with a more cosmopolitan one. The city’s skyline is shaped by strict limits on development, and its distinct neighborhoods—spread across four geographic quadrants that determine street addresses—include international embassies, diverse communities, and a varied food scene.

While the federal government undergirds much of the regional economy, the D.C. area is dynamic and evolving. If you don’t believe us, just ask Amazon, which decided to locate its new headquarters in Northern Virginia’s Arlington County, directly across the Potomac River.

But as anyone who’s lived here or visited can attest, the District is getting more expensive by the year. A lack of supply is driving up the cost of housing (already, Amazon’s “prosperity bomb” is resulting in higher home prices), and more people continue to move to the area after decades of population decline in the city’s core. As of July 2018, D.C. had upward of 700,000 residents.

In a 68-square-mile city, these changes add up. The negative effects of gentrification and development have had disproportionate impacts on low-income families, including the displacement of the historic black population who for so many years made D.C. “Chocolate City.” If this weren’t bad enough, D.C. is bereft of equal voting representation in Congress. “No Taxation Without Representation,” huh? So much for that.

All the same, there’s much to cherish about the District, from the monuments and museums to the lively civic groups and passionate people. Below are some key things to consider if you might soon make D.C. your home.

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1. It’s easy to get around on two feet—more so than in many other U.S. cities.

Thanks to the city’s development history and patterns, which established a mostly straightforward street grid, the District ranks high among walkable urban areas. A 2019 report from George Washington University found that the D.C. metro area was fourth for walkable urbanism—places where people can meet most of their needs within walking distance of their homes—falling behind only New York City, Denver, and Boston. “Washington, DC is a model for walkable urban development, particularly due to its balanced development of center city and urbanizing suburbs,” the report said.

Not only is that good for your health, it’s good for your ability to meet up with friends and attend social events like brunch and happy hour—both mainstays of living in the District. It’s also good for the environment: More people walking means fewer people driving or riding in cars, which in turn means fewer emissions and less gas consumed. Did we mention that the city leads the world in sustainable design?

2. Parks are easily accessible throughout D.C.

From Northwest to Southeast, about 98 percent of the city’s residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, according to a recent study from the Trust for Public Land that named D.C. No. 1 among urban park systems in the U.S. Roughly a fifth of the District’s area is dedicated park space, and the median park size is 1.4 acres. Most of these parks are managed by the National Park Service, though the city has its own parks department, too. Rock Creek Park in particular is a gem: It’s more than twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, and it’s the oldest urban park in the country. (Not to mention, it’s a gorgeous place to hike.)

D.C.’s parks are year-round assets, whether as picnic and concert venues during the spring or oases during the infamously muggy summer. Grab a blanket and maybe a book, and enjoy the grass and trees.

3. For sports fans, the District has something for everyone.

D.C.’s professional sports teams that have home stadiums within the city limits include the Washington Nationals (baseball), the Washington Wizards (men’s basketball), the Washington Mystics (women’s basketball), D.C. United (men’s soccer), and the Washington Capitals (men’s hockey). Our NFL team currently plays in Landover, Maryland, but their return to the city may be in the cards. We even have a professional tennis franchise in the Washington Kastles.

Stadiums like Nationals Park, Audi Field, and Capital One Arena have also helped trigger investment across the city. The ballpark area, for example, is now a bustling waterfront district, with more development on the way (and also with some debate about whether subsidizing Nats Park was worth it for the city). There’s been occasional glory: In 2018, the Capitals won the Stanley Cup, and just this year, the Nationals brought home the World Series trophy. Let’s go Caps and Nats!

4. Housing costs are steep, whether you’re buying or renting.

D.C.’s burgeoning economy and population boom have created a surge in demand for homes. But due to zoning restrictions, high land prices, and other factors, supply has lagged. In July 2019, the median sales price for a home in D.C. was more than $592,000, a figure out of reach for many longtime residents as well as first-time homebuyers. It was the highest July price in the past decade and up 4 percent over 2018. According to UrbanTurf, the median home price in D.C. has increased roughly 20 percent, or nearly $100,000, since 2013. Rents for one-bedroom apartments can easily exceed $2,000 a month, especially near public transit. The rent is just too damn high.

There are some signs that the District’s rate of population growth is slowing, but the direction is still positive. And Amazon’s new Virginia campus is likely to draw new residents who need homes. “Without substantially more housing production at a wide range of rent levels and price points,” said a 2018 report by the Urban Institute, “the challenges of rising affordability pressures and lengthening commutes will intensify, and more households will experience hardship.”

5. There are more ways than ever to get around the city, but traffic remains a nightmare, and public transit has gaps.

It’s not just Metro anymore: The city now has electric scooters, electric bikes, and electric mopeds, plus Uber, Lyft, Via, Capital Bikeshare, Car2Go, the D.C Circulator, and the D.C. Streetcar. More and more, the District feels like a lab for multimodal experimentation.

As a 2019 Washington Post headline declared, however, “the car is still king in the Washington region.” “A clear majority of area residents, 62 percent, use their own cars daily to get around, a big contrast with other transportation options such as commuter rail (1 percent) and Metrobus (5 percent),” the paper reported, based on the results of a poll it cosponsored with George Mason University. “Only 7 percent of Washington-area residents say they ride Metro daily.” Suburban commuters gripe about sitting in traffic for hours, while Metro riders complain about wait times for buses and trains. Perhaps unreliable Metro service and extensive car use are related?

6. D.C.’s museums-and-monuments game is on point.

We’re not just talking about the top of the Washington Monument, reopening in 2019 after being closed for more than three years for repairs. From the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, iconic Americana dot the District, providing bountiful opportunities to reflect on U.S. history and the nation’s place in the world. Then there are the Smithsonian Institution’s roughly 20 museums and galleries, many of them architectural beauties. Among them: the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

D.C.’s non-Smithsonian museums pack a punch as well. We’ve got historic houses, private art collections, the National Building Museum, and the expansive National Arboretum. At any given time, it can be challenging to compile a list of all the upcoming exhibits in the District. But this is not an embarrassment of riches; it’s a pride of them.

7. The city’s universities and embassies attract people from around the world.

Schools such as Georgetown University, Howard University, George Washington University, American University, and Catholic University are not only scholarly sites, they’re some of D.C.’s biggest employers and cultural institutions. Filled with domestic and international students, they host community events and are part of the fabric of their neighborhoods.

The same goes for the scores of embassies and consulates in the District. Throughout the year, foreign missions open their doors to visitors, who can participate in cultural exchanges without ever leaving the nation’s capital.

8. D.C. doesn’t have a vote in Congress.

Despite decades of effort by residents to make the District the 51st state, a majority of Americans still say they oppose D.C. statehood, according to a 2019 Gallup poll. Local residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and contribute to the U.S. as other Americans do; they just don’t have a full House representative or senators to advocate for their interests when it comes to national policy. This ironic inequality is garnering more attention with Democrats currently controlling the House, but no major changes to D.C.’s voting status seem to be on the horizon. (The District does have a congressional champion in longtime delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who pushes for local autonomy and casts votes in committee.) Hence why many newcomers to D.C.—particularly the politically minded—lament losing their democratic voice.

Fortunately, since the 1970s, the city has had Home Rule, meaning that residents elect their own mayor, councilmembers, and, as of 2014, attorney general. So, beneath the aura of the federal government, D.C. for the most part operates like any other U.S. city.

9. Handling snow isn’t the city’s strong suit, and summers can be exhaustingly hot.

If it snows more than a just a few inches in the District, be prepared for the federal government to close its offices and for Metro service to incur delays. In this area of city life, D.C. isn’t Chicago or Boston; it’s not even New York. More than once the city has shut down for very little snowfall. Partly, it’s a mid-Atlantic thing—we’re just not used to big blizzards—but also the roads can get pretty treacherous. (And who doesn’t like a snow day?)

As for summer, here are some words that might give you a basic sense of how awful it can be: balmy, swampy, blistering, steamy, oppressive, soupy, stuffy, scorching, stifling. Spring and fall are pretty nice, though.

10. Speaking of spring, D.C.’s cherry blossoms are a world treasure.

The annual festival celebrating the Yoshino trees around the Tidal Basin is always a big occasion for the city, with more than 1.5 million visitors descending on D.C. (Guessing when the trees’ blossoms will hit peak bloom is also a fun way to test your prescience.) Even if you’ve seen them before, the blossoms’ flawless beauty never gets old. What does take its toll: trudging through tourists.

Unfortunately, climate change and rising tides are endangering these century-old trees. Federal and conservation groups have launched a multimillion-dollar effort to mitigate impacts.

11. The DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) region offers quick getaways from the stresses of urban life.

From beaches and recreational trails to cabins and cottages, you can’t go wrong with a weekend spent outside the city proper. To the west, the scenic Shenandoah Valley will make you feel at one with nature; to the east, the shores of Maryland and Delaware will bring you closer to the sea. Organize day trips to Harpers Ferry, Baltimore, Annapolis, and Alexandria for added pleasure. These places are all within driving distance and will give you a different perspective on the mid-Atlantic region.

12. You won’t lack for stunning houses of worship.

Whatever your faith, the District has a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other spiritual gathering space for you. Denominations and sects run the gamut, and various neighborhoods feature impressive religious buildings. Just to name a few, there are: the Washington National Cathedral, the Islamic Center of Washington, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Adas Israel Congregation, the Sixth & I Synagogue, Foundry United Methodist Church, and All Souls Church Unitarian. Each has its own unique story and architecture.

13. Attention animal lovers: There’s only one U.S. National Zoo, and it’s in D.C.

Laid out across 163 acres and tucked into Rock Creek Park, the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park houses roughly 2,700 animals of more than 390 species. That includes pandas (giant and red), elephants (Asian), lemurs (red-fronted, red-ruffed, and ring-tailed), alpacas, and all manner of reptiles, insects, and fish. (Pro tip: Check out the fennec foxes.) It’s fun for the whole family, or just yourself. And in the winter, the annual ZooLights event brightens up the zoo with 500,000 LED lights. Walk right up, upright: It’s a sight to see.

14. The music and performing arts scene is bumping.

In addition to being the home of “Godfather of Go-Go” Chuck Brown and “Prince of Motown” Marvin Gaye, the District has a bunch of live-music venues, from the Black Cat and the 9:30 Club to the Anthem and Capital One Arena. The city’s annual Jazz Festival brings tens of thousands of visitors as well. On the performing arts side, there’s the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, the Lincoln Theatre, the Atlas Performing Arts Center, the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, and other venues. For a town that ostensibly revolves around politics, you might be surprised at how many artists and actors live among us.

15. D.C. restaurants are having a moment.

We’ll defer somewhat to our friends at Eater on this one, but no denizen of the District can ignore how many cuisines and concepts the city’s food industry now represents. Pizza? Check. Tapas? Yes. Ethiopian? Of course. Modern Indian, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese? You bet. Celebrity and up-and-coming chefs making names for themselves by stretching our taste buds and making our bellies sing? That—and the friendly service you’ll find at most neighborhood spots—may be the best part of all.