great ammenities but crazy to live
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6/2/2009
I lived in the Northern VA suburb of Sterling in 2004. I grew up in the Midwest and found the East Coast to live up to its reputation: busy, snotty and expensive to live. I rented a TINY bedroom in a 3-story condo with two others and my share of the rent was only $500. Who can complain about that for the area? The worst thing for me was nowhere to fnd a place to park your car and too much traffic. Rush hour is a nightmare, even on minor streets. Avoid the Gerogetown Parkway at all hours of the day, especially near the Tysons Corner area. And dont ever take your car into the District. Its common to actually have to sit in your car to wait for a parking space anywhere. Taking the METRO subway is the only viable way to get into the District, but the subway is complex and can get you anywhere.
The best thing about living near DC was the cultural ammenities and numerous museums. Most of them are free, I think. The Museum of American History at the Smithsonian is the best. The parks are great places to people watch. Being single in the Washington Metro area is really good, with all the things to do.
People in the Metro area are usually well-off (except in the southeats part and the inner Maryland suburbs) in socioeconomic status and usually work in government, education, healthcare, high-tech industries, research, the media, or aerospace industries.
All in all, my experience living near DC was OK. I MAY do it again under the right circumstances.
Darren | Phoenix, AZ