do you love/hate about it?

I've been thinking about moving for a long while now. I'll always love the DC area but I think I've gotta experience different "cultures" of this country while I'm relatively young and not tied down with anything.

I've a few places in mind but I figure I'd ask some people that actually live there for a more honest answer. So I guess I'll go first.

City:
Washington, DC
Love:
Socially - Tons of fine culture. It's pretty diverse here with not too much of an overwhelming number of one type of race over another. People from all over the country and world move to DC. Can meet some pretty cool and smart people here. Good/bad areas of the city are relatively distinctly defined and people kinda stay out of the bad areas. Gorgeous women here.

Professionally - Govt jobs with good pay. Good job opportunities if you're well qualified and are willing to work retarded hours.

Hate:
Socially - It's all about status and power here. Not necessarily monetary but in terms of education and family. A lot of people won't hesistate to make you look and feel dumb. Single's walk around with their resume's attached to their foreheads. Everyone is really into themselves as well. People can be stuck up and really rude. Gorgeous women here that think they're the shit and have an elitist attitude. Real estate is very expensive.

Professionally - Govt jobs are fucking boring as hell. Long hours. Work way before play in most cases. If you think you're the shit, there are 20 others out there that make your qualifications look elementary.


So I think that sums up DC from my experiences.

Sacramento, Ca

Love:
La Bou! - I drool just thinking about it.

I feel it's a pretty diverse city. I've always been around plenty of whites, Latinos, Asians and I think the exposure has helped me to become a very open-minded and well-rounded person.


Hate:
Most people who grow up here tend to stay here. There are too many community colleges, plus Sac State, and UC Davis just 15-30 minutes away depending on where you live. Instead of getting up and leaving, a lot of people go straight from high school to community college - and this becomes like high school all over again. And there are a lot of cases of people going to community college for YEARS or even dropping out. Even those who go to Sac State or UC Davis sometimes ending up staying.

I think it's sad that they just can't see that the world is bigger than Sacramento. There is so much out there that many, many people are missing out on.

"I am American mentally with Japanese tendencies." - Lupe Fiasco

"Movies are fake." - Richard Walter, Professor and Screenwriting Faculty Chairman, UCLA

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Some kids piss their name in the snow. Chuck Norris can piss his name into concrete."

Pros: almost everything about the place

Cons: the cost of living

EVERYTHING begins with a good de-pantsing! Sunny, June 20th '08

I wouldn't trust you to run a bath, let alone a fucking restaurant!!Gordon Ramsay, Kitchen Nightmares

Love:

- The diversity of people
- Nightlife
- Whatever you want/need, is here!


Hate:

- There's nothing to hate, is New York City bay bay!!

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" - Confucius

Small City/Backwater, GA -

Pros:
1. Very low cost of living. I rent a 3BR/2BA duplex that I live in by myself with a yard and everything for the cost that my friends in the big city rent a studio apartment for.
2. Friendly and hospitable people. Most everyone will talk to you on the street and smile.
3. Lack of congestion. I can be anywhere in town in 20 minutes. A traffic jam is 20 cars at the same stop light.
4. Weather. Even though it's hot as hades during the summer, it's sunny most of the time and we do not experience a lot of bad weather, except for thunderstorms or a hurricane once in a while.

Cons:
1. Uneducated labor and lack of growth. The few people who grow up here and get an education flee from this city because they want to move to a bigger city and experience more culture and employment opportunities. That leaves generations of barely-literate people who are trying to compete for jobs, for which there are few. Because business is looking for cities with an educated labor base, the city isn't gaining any new commerce.
2. Lack of cultural resources. Unless you count the Hooter's and one movie theatre.
3. Lack of entertainment. On a Friday night, you can eat at a chain restaurant, go to a movie, or stay home and make another mouth to feed. We have one mall that was built in 1976 and has never been renovated.
4. Poor population/crime rising. More than 25% of the city's population is on some sort of public assistance. Crime has been skyrocketing and my neighborhood is really becoming The Hood. A family was tied up and robbed 6 months ago and they live one block from me. I really am amazed when my car is in my driveway every day.
5. No city pride. The residents all hate it here too and it shows. The stories in the paper are all negative and there's really no hope for the future. The population remains the same decade after decade and there aren't any exciting changes on the horizon.

I'm actively looking for jobs elsewhere, but there are only 459 commercial airports in the US and that makes looking for a job more difficult. I'd like to move to ATL, but the cost of living is 31.3% higher, and the salaries are only 8.9% higher; my purchasing power would actually drop if I moved.

Loves:
We got them all! Cozy small picturesque towns to a big modern city. Its a proud nation of communities with one of the oldest history yet with diverse culture, ton of entertainment, fine dining, great schools, creative minds, scenic coast lines, major sports teams that we all can be proud of, growing & innovative businesses and fine women . It's a previlage to live in this fine city .

Hates:
Blast damn winter snow, Bit pricey to live, Horrific Traffic, inconsistent architecture and bit too conservative, NOT TOO BAD over all