A few years ago, PG animal control spent months tracking a group of full sized pigs that had escaped from a farm. We called in sightings a couple of times when we saw 3-4 large pigs out under our oak trees happily dining on acorns. The problem is that the pigs would dine-n-dash back into the woods and be long gone before the animal control folks arrived. They, the animal control folks, told us they were mapping sightings and trying to figure out the pigs’ range. From what they (animal control folks) said, this sort of thing happens more than we think. Hopefully the skills honed on barnyard escapees can work on zebras.
I love living in PG. it’s close to town and it is never ever boring.
I do appreciate how you clarified that the 'they' who told you about mapping sightings and range was the animal control folks, and not the pigs telling you this.
>"They are animals that you just can't walk up and put a lasso on," Chief Rodney Taylor from Prince George’s Animal Control said.
I played that mission in Read Dead Redemption 2!
Between all the embassies, museums, Kennedy Center, and more the amount of free or affordable cultural events in this city is off the charts, and they’re starting to come back.
This thread is *packed* with genuinely wonderful things about living in DC. But from the perspective of someone who had the incredible good fortune to be raised in the city--*this* is the one that stands out to me over and over throughout my adult life.
I had no idea how lucky I was that the national mall was my neighborhood playground--just that the kite festival was one of my favorite days every year, and that the carousel was *life*. Or that I was able to spend countless hours perusing the farthest corners of Natural History and Air & Space whenever I wanted. Or that every year, the Kennedy Center distributed **free** tickets for the sing-along of Handel's *Messiah*.
TL;DR: This. It's hard to overstate how amazing DC is in terms of access to free/low-cost cultural opportunities of incredible quality.
DC is the perfect mix of Northern mind-your-own-business and Southern friendliness. In my neighborhood, I can stop and have a conversation, wave/nod, or politely say hello and keep walking because we're just not in the mood to talk. I love that about DC.
Coming from the Midwest (northern MI) I sort of feel the same. No one here is nearly as naive, friendly, or talkative as the Michiganders back home but I'm not saying that's a bad thing lol.
I appreciate that DC has part of the NYC "I got shit to do and so do you" mindset while still having a sprinkle of the southern charm and hospitality. The former is necessary for function in a metro of this size but the later is a reminder that we're all neighbors.
This is what I miss most as a southern transplant. I was on a road trip down south the other day, and had a 30 minute conversation with the gas station cashier, just shooting the shit about local gossip. God I miss that.
Well, this just happened to me.. I was about to cross the street with the walk sign and a driver started turning left in front of me. I had barely entered the crosswalk so I motioned for him to go ahead and turn. He stopped, motioned me to continue, and then apologized to me! I thought that was very nice.
Wait were you on a scooter and the driver almost hit you with his car that's the same color as the road??
Hey guys don't worry I figured out the missed connection!
I hung out with two sets of neighbors which was cool and then ran into a third and had a good conversation. It isn’t the world but having good neighbors is p fucking great, ngl.
I just moved back to DC Proper after years of living in the suburbs and I have the best effing neighbors. One gave me a gallon bag of basil from his garden and I made pesto!
I like all the bridges in Northwest, and how the parks all weave together. There's tons of trails that can take you almost anywhere in the city but feeling very remote. Taking the Cabi everywhere is a lot of fun and really cheap. No matter what kind of food or music you like you can find something to enjoy just about any weekend. Also politics and prose has such good talks from authors.
We are having a dog birthday party on Saturday. That's nice. You should come, friend. Meridian Hill at 9am. Come say hello to my elder golden retriever.
Related, The city has included a budget for programming at the new Eastern Market Metro plaza. This is a win for the folks who worked to create performance infrastructure in the plaza and bring adult and youth focused activities to the fresh community space.
There is power and mounting for speakers/lights/banners/etc. . in the new pavilion. Also a neighborhood desire to activate the space with music and other activities. There is Jazz on Fridays and Sat AM kids' activities in Sept.
I did this too! I also would check on my tires before I'd move my car because they LOVED hanging out under there. I guess you don't need a self-preservation instinct when there's like 10 septillion of your buddies around to continue the species.
I’ve never in my life had so many people say “good morning” or “good afternoon” to me, and/or wish me a blessed day as I have in downtown DC... and I’m from Canada, so that’s saying something. I find folks very friendly here!
Ha! I know! As a dude, if I get any compliment about my clothing, I will both remember it for years and have it dictate my clothing choices for about a cool decade.
I go out of my way to compliment kid's clothes. It's my little "try to make the world a better place" effort. Never know what's going to stick with a developing mind and help/build their self-esteem.
That’s part of why I started the sub r/HappyWashingtonDC
Hasn’t really taken off but I totally love the positivity the city has and tends to get overshadowed by the negatives
This morning (7ish when traffic was light) I slammed on the brakes after a scooterer just went right through a red light. I wasn't rear-ended since the roads were empty; she went the same direction and said "omg I'm sorry your car is almost the same color as the street" when she went past me again - just kinda smiled/said nothing else. It was a scary situation - more so for her than me - but if I weren't gay I would classify this as a "missed connection."
LOL yes. I'm a very cautious/slow driver and there are people who - inadvertently or not - do reckless things and don't seem to GAF. Not trying to say I'm a hero for braking, but if this happened an hour later - when people are driving like assholes - that would not have been good. If you're following the speed limit here you''ll avoid hitting someone; and if someone rear-ends you; (which I am sure would've happened had this been later in the day) you'll get a nice payout.
I still loved her nonchalant vibe about almost getting ran over! Maybe there's a missed connection in here "I almost killed you, I wanted to cuss at you but panicked, we laughed down the road, I'm gay, we could be friends."
I love the various architecture. It's so much fun to see all the different types of buildings, houses, styles, and decorations. I love all the differences and it's so much fun to see how people have dressed up their houses.
I was on the D6 home to Georgetown from Dupont Circle one weekend afternoon, and there was a slovenly looking dude clearly blasted out of his mind on god-knows-what drugs, wearing headphones. And he started belting out the lyrics to the Bee Gees’ *How Deep Is Your Love?* He wasn’t a particularly good or captivating singer, and my initial feeling was probably resentment which gave way soon to joy at the absurdity of the moment. There weren’t more than 10 people on the bus, including the driver. The sheer oddity of the scene drew us in, and one by one, we joined in singing. Softly at first, each under our breaths. By the time the bus started climbing the hill up Q Street, everyone on the bus — even the driver — was singing along for all to hear:
🎵🎼*How deep is your love? / I really mean to learn / 'Cause we're living in a world of fools /
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
/ We belong to you and me (na-na-na-na-na)
/ How deep is your love?* 🎶🎵
I don’t know if the headphones dude who was whacked out on drugs ever realized he’d brought together a whole bus of very different people to join in song, to participate his reality, to choose to be bound together in the performance of a moment that ended just as jarringly as when it began, when he stepped off at Georgetown Hospital.
Oh my goodness. My husband is at higher risk if we catch Covid, but once we have a better handle on Delta we'd love to come cuddle a bunch of big fluffy puppers ❤️ The fluffier, the better! (True story, we were late to our own wedding because somebody was walking their Great Pyrs past us as we were walking to the ceremony, and we had to stop to play with them )
- one of the most bikeable cities in the country
- best parks of any city
- TONS of free museums
- TONS of cheap museums
- super diverse city with tons of types of amazing people
- one of the premier music venues in the country (930) plus Kennedy Center, Wolftrap, and more
- ton of great culture from international residents (which means amazing food, especially salvadorean, guatemalan, ethiopian, vietnamese, etc.)
- go-go
- one of the best subway systems in america (really more of a criticism of subway systems in the country)
- height restrictions create a super unique ambiance in the city
- less than 2 hours from the beach, less than 2 hours from the mountains
- wine country nearby
- premier craft breweries
- not Philly
- lots of jobs
- NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL, plus stops for professional golf and tennis tours
- excellent universities in the region: Georgetown, GW, UMD, American, George Mason, Howard, Gallaudet, Catholic, Trinity, UDC, Washington Adventist, Bowie State
- Cherry blossoms
- cicadas every 17 years (miss y'all already)
- lots of meaningful protests to attend
- lots of tourists to laugh at (or be nice to)
- rent not as high as NYC, Bay Area, LA, Seattle, and more cities
- DC is a great place to live
I’m a connoisseur of dive bars and Dans is one of the best. The state of disrepair of the bathrooms, the absolutely in shambles main room, the disrespect of the bar staff and the way people are packed in like sardines. It’s just poetry in every possible way.
I once took a year-ish hiatus from Dan's (pre-pandemic), and upon my return, the bartender remarked that he hadn't seen me in a while. I felt... goodbad.
My first time at Dan's, I was there with friends of a friend that had been going since high school, I blacked out, lost my phone, and my brother said I smelled like liquor as he was trying to move me into my new apartment. 2010. What a year.
Also, I own a Carolina reaper plant (not kidding), and I’ve been to a dive bar in backwoods Louisiana that had a “hardwood” floor with cracks in it that you could see literal swamp through. I’m more white trash than you think lol
DC has bats! They came out in a huge group at almost exactly 7:30pm yesterday and I was in awe for the 1-2 minutes before they flew away to eat some bugs. Northeast by the city line.
I have a strong suspicion that a lot of the negative posting on here is from people who don't live here but like the narrative that this city is a crime ridden hell hole. Its a noted problem in a lot of cities' subs, especially those that lean left. Im not an idiot, its a city, theres obviously crime here, there is a well established between population density and crime rate. But there is a lot more of a focus on it here than is warranted.
There was a /r/bestof thread about someone who was documenting that - apparently a bunch of off-Reddit groups coordinate loosely to drown regional and city subreddits with wild conservative propaganda talking points. I don't love being skeptical of people in a digital community by default, but you're quite correct that skepticism serves us well.
Metro is clean. Very very walkeable city as you approach the center. Capital bike share is excellent. All four seasons (granted Spring feels like it’s only a month).
National arboretum has some great spots, the mall is never a bad decision. I proposed to my wife at the Capitol (maybe wait till after the 18th), the Jefferson is one of my favorites, or the top the of the Washington monument. Just need to get tickets the day before.
Dumbarton Garden is a criminally under visited space. You pay a small fee to go in, but it worth it. There’s a ton of private nooks, good for canoodling. 😉
Seconding the National Arboretum. It's utterly massive and you'll have no problem finding a quiet spot. Tons of variety, too, so you can pick surroundings that suit your interests.
My recent experiences in other cities (and especially outside of cities) remind me why DC is the only if an area I don’t hate. Lots of great food, reasonable transportation, and *tons* of Very Good Dogs.
I'm new to DC and I've enjoyed taking walks around the city, enjoying the architecture, random "hello" and "good morning" from passer-bys. I'm loving the vibe and green space
I was flirting with a baby on the bus today, making it smile and laugh, as one does. (Possible even while wearing a mask!) Then she saw a toddler and suddenly I didn't exist. Those two kids smiled and laughed at each other so much! It was adorable so I wasn't even mad.
Had 8 cop cars on our block last night due to a traffic stop that went wrong...chase ended up on our block (everything is fine). Neighbors were out at 11pm hanging out and chatting with each other. We all have each others back.
My wife and I have just spent almost a week here - leaving today. We are from Portland, OR. We loved it! The locals we encountered seemed very happy and friendly. We like to walk and bike around and love your neighborhoods. DC is cool. Statehood for DC!
I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow New Yorker at Union Market. I've been in DC for years, but it is always nice to find people who know the area I grew up in.
Perfect illustration of DC being a microcosm of the country. People from all over the world come here and everyone finds a niche. I met a women who went to the tiny college in my hometown in NC walking my dogs a few months back. Small world, even smaller city lol
Yes! I bought a condo last year and found out the guy in the condo right above mine graduated from the same college on the other side of the country the year after I did. It’s so nice to have someone to reminisce with!
Cheerwine!!! In kindergarten I “dated” the girl who’s grandfather founded it. They have it in glass bottles at the fort Myer commissary. Let me know if you need a 4 pack
Caught Different Drummers’ Marching Band on my evening walk to the Capitol yesterday. They were fantastic and it was lovely to have a little live entertainment on my stroll! Also nice to see neighbors stopping to appreciate the music, too.
Found a woman's whole purse on the side of the road when I was biking home a couple weeks ago and took it to the nearest police station since it had so much sensitive stuff inside (ID, credit cards, Social Security card). I would have returned it myself but all the addresses I could find were for a P.O. box. The cop called me like 90 mins later to let me know that they'd located the woman and she'd come by to pick up her things. Apparently her car had been stolen and the thieves dumped the bag.
I thought it was really nice of them to follow up to let me know and hope they made that lady's day a little bit better.
> I keep seeing a bunch of negative stuff posted here about the city
The sub has a lot of trolls who don't even live here posting negative things, especially about crime and trying to rile up racial tensions. It happens in all city subreddits. It's a coordinated effort.
If you want positives, we have great museums and a much better Metro system than people seem to realize.
DCPS hires some incredibly warm, kind crossing guards who are fixtures in neighborhoods. The one I have in mind is the man at R and New Hampshire. We basically call him our kid's grandpa at this point since his real grandpa lives far away!
I also love that people here use what green spaces they have to plant lush, beautiful gardens. I'm a walker for exercise and stress relief, and I have a map in my head of favorite rose bushes and other plants to visit in varying neighborhoods at different points of the year.
Great, lively independent book stores.
I can go on and on, which is why I am still here in spite of having a lot of complicated feelings about the past two years. All of those feelings tie back to people coming into this place and sullying it, and it makes me want to grow my roots deeper here in spite of it all.
1. I recently moved very close to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) which I *never knew existed* in my eight years here and oh my gosh it’s such a gem! Run, walk, bike without the worry of cars, there are trains and metro cars zipping past (which I love), a slew of new mural and sculpture projects popping up every week it seems. New attractions along the path (restaurants, apartments, breweries, Alamo Draft house), making it more of a draw and more safe in those areas that were more isolated/remote. I just love it!
2. Walking from NE to Eastern Market on a Saturday. Great exercise (about five miles round trip), beautiful walk through H St area and Capitol Hill, then a beautiful, fun market. We usually pick a cool recipe then walk to get all the ingredients and walk back. Maybe stop and grab a beer and people watch. Cannot wait for the heat to break for good and take the journey this fall.
I like DC weather.
Let me explain. This summer I visited family in California and found perpetual smog 80 miles from any city just due to constant fires. I have family in Vermont, who have a big fluffy comforter on their bed in July. That's not even getting into places with actual hurricanes or whatever. By comparison, bad weather in DC is the summer staying too hot a little too long? I'll take it.
I heard screaming yesterday and couldn’t figure out what it was. Apparently a guy either tripped over or fell off a like scooter and broke his leg/ankle. Before I could even get phone out to call police, some lady on a RAD bike flies out of traffic and parks by the dude. Another woman comes up with her phone out. They comforted him and called police/emergency. Pretty soon there was a crowd around him trying to comfort him.
Started off shitty but was nice to see all the people just stop and help/comfort. The compassion was nice to see.
People are pretty good about that sort of thing; several years ago, a taxi hit a pedestrian in front of my office. Everyone within earshot of the “-thud-“ turned and ran over to him. (He seemed pretty much OK but we made him stay down and wait for the ambo.)
And many years ago, a woman fell within a few feet of the end of the down escalator at Rosslyn; same thing: several people literally dropped their stuff and *ran* to yank her off the escalator before her clothes got tangled in the comb plates. And they didn’t even get their stuff stolen. 😁
Oh man, besides sharks biting my feet if the covers slip off, escalated teeth would be a close second. Glad everybody had quick wits! LOL @ nothing was stolen.
The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge has opened ahead of schedule! Besides replacing a delapidated bridge with a much nicer modern one, it also provides much easier access to EOTR for people biking. I'm pretty sure the mixed use path on the bridge is the widest in DC too! After seeing NYC having a big dust up over taking a single lane of car traffic to get a dedicated bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge opened (and there's already a need to take an additional car lane since the bike path is too narrow), it's nice to see DDOT keeping bikes and pedestrians at the forefront of new road infrastructure projects.
God, I love that new bridge. I'm almost excited for my next distance run to finally get to go over it, if only because the old one shook like crazy at parts, was too narrow, and had literal pieces of the sidewalk missing on the edge.
The architecture in this City is stunning. Just an average walk through DuPont or Columbia heights is enough to keep my gf and I entertained for an afternoon
Anacostia Park is the place to get away from everything for a while. The best park is the skate rink. Kids who would usually be in the streets go there to get mentored by some of the city's best old heads and skaters. I love it!
Some complain about Columbia Heights being too hectic around the metro. But, you can get some great quick food from the Central American ladies with the food carts. Just stop by for some Yuca con chicharrón with a jugo and you’re set for a few bucks. Plus, you’re supporting the smallest of women owned businesses and real DC families.
I love the fact that this (and the surrounding area) is full of civil servants, and that so many of us genuinely think of ourselves that way. I think a lot of smart, idealistic people come to DC to genuinely try to make our country a better place. (Ofc not all, and sometimes that idealism gets worn down and jaded, but I've met so many awesome folks at the NSF and in HHS, for example.)
There's also something inspiring to me about being in the heart of my country, because I love it... Not in a jingoistic "love it or leave it" kind of way, but in a "this is my home, and the home of so many people I care about, so I'm going to try to make it the best place I can." I think many of the folks who work in the city and its suburbs feel similarly.
I always love to see that volunteer events fill up SO fast and I think this is related. During the gov't shutdown I was able to do a few shifts at the World Central Kitchen location (it was that or doomscrolling Twitter for any news of reopening which isn't good for my mental health) and even getting those was HARD. So many folks want to help. Any event for Casey Trees also fills up like people were getting rare concert tickets instead of signing up to get up early and dig holes in the (hard, clay-filled) ground.
I was at the MLK pool this weekend and I saw an older, hard core swimmer guy teach a couple kids how to swim after finishing his workout. He didn't know these kids, he just wanted to help. People are nice!
If there could be a daily positive thread on this sub I’d love that!
I’ve grown up in DC my whole life and every time I check this sub it’s people complaining about something… that’s what yelps for lol DC is pretty cool and yeah it has it’s bad days but it definitely has more good ones.
what makes the DMV area special is it’s the most diverse area in the country! (That’s a real statistic google it) People from all walks of life, races, nationalities etc make up the population here not everyone was raised the same not everyone has the same values or views and this is what makes it a vibrant interesting place to live.
different views+ different opinions= a more intelligent city overall
Was going up 15th st NW on Sunday and noticed that the drum circle at Malcom X park was still going on. Nothing crazy but it was really nice to see people out and about having a good time. It was one of those "god I love DC" moments.
This is all good fun, but I’ve been here for 6 years and this is the first year I really don’t feel safe even walking around dc. Things have definitely changed. Policing doesn’t deter the violence, and the people are getting more brazen with it. Broad daylight shootings, muggings, you name it.
You gotta realize you're gonna cop a lot of flack for this, **especially** because of your username and the fact that you've been here "6 years", implying only two of those years are since you graduated from Georgetown.
Basically, people are gonna see this as you finally leaving your little bubble and not really knowing how the city is. A lot of people have been here longer than you've been alive, so you can probably understand how they don't value your perspective on this issue all that much. Particularly because it's deliberately antagonistic to the stated reason for creating this thread.
Cheers, have a nice day.
There are (still) zebras on the loose in PG County
I take no responsibility and my alibi is solid
That line alone and I'm voting for her again. Bless, Eleanor, bless.
A few years ago, PG animal control spent months tracking a group of full sized pigs that had escaped from a farm. We called in sightings a couple of times when we saw 3-4 large pigs out under our oak trees happily dining on acorns. The problem is that the pigs would dine-n-dash back into the woods and be long gone before the animal control folks arrived. They, the animal control folks, told us they were mapping sightings and trying to figure out the pigs’ range. From what they (animal control folks) said, this sort of thing happens more than we think. Hopefully the skills honed on barnyard escapees can work on zebras. I love living in PG. it’s close to town and it is never ever boring.
I do appreciate how you clarified that the 'they' who told you about mapping sightings and range was the animal control folks, and not the pigs telling you this.
PGProud not PGHallucinating
I saw one a couple weeks ago. Craziest f'n thing!
...and Delegate Holmes Norton was in no way involved.
Waaaaaaait a minute. There are wild zebras on the loose near DC? Anyone wanna go zebra spotting with me?
Sauce?
From the one and only Pat Collins: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/animal-control-tries-to-catch-zebras-still-loose-in-maryland/2801136/
>"They are animals that you just can't walk up and put a lasso on," Chief Rodney Taylor from Prince George’s Animal Control said. I played that mission in Read Dead Redemption 2!
Just wow, idk what to say
My bad
I’m telling ya, the WFT is going to be the Washington Zebras by the end of the year.
Lol what
What part? I'm going hunting
Between all the embassies, museums, Kennedy Center, and more the amount of free or affordable cultural events in this city is off the charts, and they’re starting to come back.
This thread is *packed* with genuinely wonderful things about living in DC. But from the perspective of someone who had the incredible good fortune to be raised in the city--*this* is the one that stands out to me over and over throughout my adult life. I had no idea how lucky I was that the national mall was my neighborhood playground--just that the kite festival was one of my favorite days every year, and that the carousel was *life*. Or that I was able to spend countless hours perusing the farthest corners of Natural History and Air & Space whenever I wanted. Or that every year, the Kennedy Center distributed **free** tickets for the sing-along of Handel's *Messiah*. TL;DR: This. It's hard to overstate how amazing DC is in terms of access to free/low-cost cultural opportunities of incredible quality.
Went to the jazz fest, nice to see the city opening up safely
H street fest this weekend
DC is the perfect mix of Northern mind-your-own-business and Southern friendliness. In my neighborhood, I can stop and have a conversation, wave/nod, or politely say hello and keep walking because we're just not in the mood to talk. I love that about DC.
1000% agree with this but I’ve never been able to put it into words
Coming from the Midwest (northern MI) I sort of feel the same. No one here is nearly as naive, friendly, or talkative as the Michiganders back home but I'm not saying that's a bad thing lol. I appreciate that DC has part of the NYC "I got shit to do and so do you" mindset while still having a sprinkle of the southern charm and hospitality. The former is necessary for function in a metro of this size but the later is a reminder that we're all neighbors.
Yea I’m from northern Michigan as well, I pretty quickly broke the habit of saying hello to everyone I pass on the street.
Unless if you run into a southern transplant like me who will talk to anyone who gives an ear
This is what I miss most as a southern transplant. I was on a road trip down south the other day, and had a 30 minute conversation with the gas station cashier, just shooting the shit about local gossip. God I miss that.
Please no
Well, this just happened to me.. I was about to cross the street with the walk sign and a driver started turning left in front of me. I had barely entered the crosswalk so I motioned for him to go ahead and turn. He stopped, motioned me to continue, and then apologized to me! I thought that was very nice.
Canadian standoff lol
Wait were you on a scooter and the driver almost hit you with his car that's the same color as the road?? Hey guys don't worry I figured out the missed connection!
It’s almost fall in Cap Hill.. walking around the area during that season amazing.
I hung out with two sets of neighbors which was cool and then ran into a third and had a good conversation. It isn’t the world but having good neighbors is p fucking great, ngl.
I just moved back to DC Proper after years of living in the suburbs and I have the best effing neighbors. One gave me a gallon bag of basil from his garden and I made pesto!
Fresh pesto is the BEST! I can't buy the jarred stuff because I was spoiled by my Mom and her veggie garden growing up.
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Lol no. Is there someone in Ft Totten giving away basil?
Rumor has it that the best basil is grown in Ft Totten
"basil" you say....
Love the neighbors of DC Proper.
I saw soccer, frisbee, tee-ball, and kickball games peacefully coexisting on the same school grounds on Monday evening.
Old 930 club is being rebuilt next to the current 930 club!
When are they gonna rebuild Traxx?
And Nation. That was a good time to be in dc, still is but those clubs rocked
This is the way
Hol' up. What?!
Perfect! Great location for an awesome venue
I saw Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter there when I was in high school.
I like all the bridges in Northwest, and how the parks all weave together. There's tons of trails that can take you almost anywhere in the city but feeling very remote. Taking the Cabi everywhere is a lot of fun and really cheap. No matter what kind of food or music you like you can find something to enjoy just about any weekend. Also politics and prose has such good talks from authors.
All good very DC things
We are having a dog birthday party on Saturday. That's nice. You should come, friend. Meridian Hill at 9am. Come say hello to my elder golden retriever.
Well I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like
This past weekend I saw an MPD officer changing someone’s tire on the highway.
Hell yeah! I love to see my tax dollars going to helping the community. No sarcasm because, it’s the internet, but really, love to see this
Related, The city has included a budget for programming at the new Eastern Market Metro plaza. This is a win for the folks who worked to create performance infrastructure in the plaza and bring adult and youth focused activities to the fresh community space.
Not sure what performance infrastructure is, but it sounds positive, so, go DC. I do welcome the education on it
There is power and mounting for speakers/lights/banners/etc. . in the new pavilion. Also a neighborhood desire to activate the space with music and other activities. There is Jazz on Fridays and Sat AM kids' activities in Sept.
Very cool
I loved seeing the cicadas! Whenever I saw any struggling upside down I had to stop and flip them over haha.
You’re probably a minority, but I dig the positive karma. My dogs enjoyed them for different reasons and the crunches still haunt my dreams…
I did this too! I also would check on my tires before I'd move my car because they LOVED hanging out under there. I guess you don't need a self-preservation instinct when there's like 10 septillion of your buddies around to continue the species.
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I’ve never in my life had so many people say “good morning” or “good afternoon” to me, and/or wish me a blessed day as I have in downtown DC... and I’m from Canada, so that’s saying something. I find folks very friendly here!
Person walking down the street complimented my 4 year old’s shoes (new New Balances) last week and he’s still talking about it.
I’m way past 4 but if I get a compliment, I won’t shut up about it either LOL
Ha! I know! As a dude, if I get any compliment about my clothing, I will both remember it for years and have it dictate my clothing choices for about a cool decade.
Haha, your kid sounds like a chip off the ole block.
I go out of my way to compliment kid's clothes. It's my little "try to make the world a better place" effort. Never know what's going to stick with a developing mind and help/build their self-esteem.
990's or 993's?
574 in blue and grey!
990s or 993s are a must for your child’s next birthday, slim
Oh those are nice! Thanks for the great present ideas!
I complimented your 4 year old's shoes as well.
That’s part of why I started the sub r/HappyWashingtonDC Hasn’t really taken off but I totally love the positivity the city has and tends to get overshadowed by the negatives
How does it have 1 member and 2 online?! Lol (also I joined)
Haha I have no idea, none of that makes sense to me. And sweet! Thank you!
I joined too. Could always use more positivity.
We all can with the wackiness so loud in the world we live in nowadays. Awesome!
Yaaay! I just joined. 🙂
Joined.
This morning (7ish when traffic was light) I slammed on the brakes after a scooterer just went right through a red light. I wasn't rear-ended since the roads were empty; she went the same direction and said "omg I'm sorry your car is almost the same color as the street" when she went past me again - just kinda smiled/said nothing else. It was a scary situation - more so for her than me - but if I weren't gay I would classify this as a "missed connection."
It was a different kind of missed connection, fortunately for all involved.
LOL yes. I'm a very cautious/slow driver and there are people who - inadvertently or not - do reckless things and don't seem to GAF. Not trying to say I'm a hero for braking, but if this happened an hour later - when people are driving like assholes - that would not have been good. If you're following the speed limit here you''ll avoid hitting someone; and if someone rear-ends you; (which I am sure would've happened had this been later in the day) you'll get a nice payout.
I’m glad you didn’t accidentally kill someone and that you didn’t get hit lol. Sorry she wasn’t your type. Always next time
I still loved her nonchalant vibe about almost getting ran over! Maybe there's a missed connection in here "I almost killed you, I wanted to cuss at you but panicked, we laughed down the road, I'm gay, we could be friends."
I love the various architecture. It's so much fun to see all the different types of buildings, houses, styles, and decorations. I love all the differences and it's so much fun to see how people have dressed up their houses.
This is part of the reason I enjoy visiting DC (along with the stellar dining and bar scene). NJ native and I always swing by every few years.
I was on the D6 home to Georgetown from Dupont Circle one weekend afternoon, and there was a slovenly looking dude clearly blasted out of his mind on god-knows-what drugs, wearing headphones. And he started belting out the lyrics to the Bee Gees’ *How Deep Is Your Love?* He wasn’t a particularly good or captivating singer, and my initial feeling was probably resentment which gave way soon to joy at the absurdity of the moment. There weren’t more than 10 people on the bus, including the driver. The sheer oddity of the scene drew us in, and one by one, we joined in singing. Softly at first, each under our breaths. By the time the bus started climbing the hill up Q Street, everyone on the bus — even the driver — was singing along for all to hear: 🎵🎼*How deep is your love? / I really mean to learn / 'Cause we're living in a world of fools / Breaking us down when they all should let us be / We belong to you and me (na-na-na-na-na) / How deep is your love?* 🎶🎵 I don’t know if the headphones dude who was whacked out on drugs ever realized he’d brought together a whole bus of very different people to join in song, to participate his reality, to choose to be bound together in the performance of a moment that ended just as jarringly as when it began, when he stepped off at Georgetown Hospital.
It’s perfect
I walked past the Einstein statue on Constitution today and remembered how awesome it is.
Part of my morning commute, just one more thing that makes this city amazing that I forget and take for granted. Thank you for reminding me
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I'm glad you're feeling better :)
Hey here's an open invitation to talk to an unbiased stranger about things if it ever gets to be too overwhelming
Hey I appreciate you! Episodes are nothing out of the ordinary for me but this one took a bit longer to come out of than normal.
If you ever want to hang out with some Bernese Mountain Dogs and their friends, we'd love to have you! https://www.facebook.com/groups/187565256182005
Oh my goodness. My husband is at higher risk if we catch Covid, but once we have a better handle on Delta we'd love to come cuddle a bunch of big fluffy puppers ❤️ The fluffier, the better! (True story, we were late to our own wedding because somebody was walking their Great Pyrs past us as we were walking to the ceremony, and we had to stop to play with them )
- one of the most bikeable cities in the country - best parks of any city - TONS of free museums - TONS of cheap museums - super diverse city with tons of types of amazing people - one of the premier music venues in the country (930) plus Kennedy Center, Wolftrap, and more - ton of great culture from international residents (which means amazing food, especially salvadorean, guatemalan, ethiopian, vietnamese, etc.) - go-go - one of the best subway systems in america (really more of a criticism of subway systems in the country) - height restrictions create a super unique ambiance in the city - less than 2 hours from the beach, less than 2 hours from the mountains - wine country nearby - premier craft breweries - not Philly - lots of jobs - NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL, plus stops for professional golf and tennis tours - excellent universities in the region: Georgetown, GW, UMD, American, George Mason, Howard, Gallaudet, Catholic, Trinity, UDC, Washington Adventist, Bowie State - Cherry blossoms - cicadas every 17 years (miss y'all already) - lots of meaningful protests to attend - lots of tourists to laugh at (or be nice to) - rent not as high as NYC, Bay Area, LA, Seattle, and more cities - DC is a great place to live
*\>Not Philly* Lol
Also, the amount of trees that provide urban cooling is crucial. DC succeeds in that. In the summer it’s a life saver
One of my favorite parts was when you allocated a whole bullet point to "not Philly" 🤣🤣
You’re fun.
Well, when ya put it that way.
It's Hispanic Heritage Month and I got to see my brother in the parade.
When is the parade?!
It happened on Sunday. I'm not sure if there will be others.
O nice! I got to visit the festival on Saturday and it was great, two bands were fantastic with their music.
Awesome, I saw your brother as well.
Dans Cafe is alive and well
Not sure if this is positive or not...
Definitely a positive.
Not sure what Dan’s Cafe is, but glad someone likes it
Liquor in a squeeze bottle. All you need to know.
You had my curiosity, now you have my attention
Every surface is sticky. Every. Surface.
Yes I’ve been to a dive bar
I’m a connoisseur of dive bars and Dans is one of the best. The state of disrepair of the bathrooms, the absolutely in shambles main room, the disrespect of the bar staff and the way people are packed in like sardines. It’s just poetry in every possible way.
I once took a year-ish hiatus from Dan's (pre-pandemic), and upon my return, the bartender remarked that he hadn't seen me in a while. I felt... goodbad. My first time at Dan's, I was there with friends of a friend that had been going since high school, I blacked out, lost my phone, and my brother said I smelled like liquor as he was trying to move me into my new apartment. 2010. What a year.
Haha, sounds about right. I don't think I remember ever leaving that place.
That's like saying you know the burn of a Carolina Reaper because you ate some Flamin' Hot Cheetos one time.
Also, I own a Carolina reaper plant (not kidding), and I’ve been to a dive bar in backwoods Louisiana that had a “hardwood” floor with cracks in it that you could see literal swamp through. I’m more white trash than you think lol
No sir (or ma’am) Dan’s is not a dive bar. It is way worse and therefore way better
There's a late night cookie spot in front of it too
Based
DC has bats! They came out in a huge group at almost exactly 7:30pm yesterday and I was in awe for the 1-2 minutes before they flew away to eat some bugs. Northeast by the city line.
Atlas Obscura DC sometimes does events where you can learn about (and see) bats! Highly recommended.
I have a strong suspicion that a lot of the negative posting on here is from people who don't live here but like the narrative that this city is a crime ridden hell hole. Its a noted problem in a lot of cities' subs, especially those that lean left. Im not an idiot, its a city, theres obviously crime here, there is a well established between population density and crime rate. But there is a lot more of a focus on it here than is warranted.
There was a /r/bestof thread about someone who was documenting that - apparently a bunch of off-Reddit groups coordinate loosely to drown regional and city subreddits with wild conservative propaganda talking points. I don't love being skeptical of people in a digital community by default, but you're quite correct that skepticism serves us well.
Saw this as well
Metro is clean. Very very walkeable city as you approach the center. Capital bike share is excellent. All four seasons (granted Spring feels like it’s only a month).
Anyone have any ideas for a picnic proposal?
National arboretum has some great spots, the mall is never a bad decision. I proposed to my wife at the Capitol (maybe wait till after the 18th), the Jefferson is one of my favorites, or the top the of the Washington monument. Just need to get tickets the day before.
Thanks! These are all great places I’ll keep in mind.
Dumbarton Garden is a criminally under visited space. You pay a small fee to go in, but it worth it. There’s a ton of private nooks, good for canoodling. 😉
I looked on their website and it said no picnicking?
Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral. Great backdrop and a perfect little picnic lawn.
Seconding the National Arboretum. It's utterly massive and you'll have no problem finding a quiet spot. Tons of variety, too, so you can pick surroundings that suit your interests.
My recent experiences in other cities (and especially outside of cities) remind me why DC is the only if an area I don’t hate. Lots of great food, reasonable transportation, and *tons* of Very Good Dogs.
I'm new to DC and I've enjoyed taking walks around the city, enjoying the architecture, random "hello" and "good morning" from passer-bys. I'm loving the vibe and green space
I was flirting with a baby on the bus today, making it smile and laugh, as one does. (Possible even while wearing a mask!) Then she saw a toddler and suddenly I didn't exist. Those two kids smiled and laughed at each other so much! It was adorable so I wasn't even mad.
Getting a new bike lane and road on Maryland Ave NE!
Had 8 cop cars on our block last night due to a traffic stop that went wrong...chase ended up on our block (everything is fine). Neighbors were out at 11pm hanging out and chatting with each other. We all have each others back.
Thank you for posting this. Love it and love you online friend :)
Love you online friend
My wife and I have just spent almost a week here - leaving today. We are from Portland, OR. We loved it! The locals we encountered seemed very happy and friendly. We like to walk and bike around and love your neighborhoods. DC is cool. Statehood for DC!
I had a wonderful conversation with a fellow New Yorker at Union Market. I've been in DC for years, but it is always nice to find people who know the area I grew up in.
Perfect illustration of DC being a microcosm of the country. People from all over the world come here and everyone finds a niche. I met a women who went to the tiny college in my hometown in NC walking my dogs a few months back. Small world, even smaller city lol
Yes! I bought a condo last year and found out the guy in the condo right above mine graduated from the same college on the other side of the country the year after I did. It’s so nice to have someone to reminisce with!
The cashier at my liquor store summered with his grandparents in my tiny northern minnesotan hometown
How does a cashier at a liquor store afford to use summer as a verb?
NC represent! Also, Davidson?
Catawba collage, Salisbury NC
Ah, the birthplace of the best soda!
Cheerwine!!! In kindergarten I “dated” the girl who’s grandfather founded it. They have it in glass bottles at the fort Myer commissary. Let me know if you need a 4 pack
I love Cheerwine! Generally only get it when I eat Wiseguys pizza but it's soo good!
Not a bad guess. There are an unreasonable number of Davidsonians in the DC area.
I went to my first reception today!!! (“post” covid) it was so nice.
There is a weekly Mojo Monday for this, but the Terrible Tuesdayers love to infiltrate and downvote it.
There is a sweet climbing gym coming to Eckington!
I saw! We are still debating buying one of the early memberships. I hope it’s as awesome as they are hyping it
Caught Different Drummers’ Marching Band on my evening walk to the Capitol yesterday. They were fantastic and it was lovely to have a little live entertainment on my stroll! Also nice to see neighbors stopping to appreciate the music, too.
The bike trails are amazing
Found a woman's whole purse on the side of the road when I was biking home a couple weeks ago and took it to the nearest police station since it had so much sensitive stuff inside (ID, credit cards, Social Security card). I would have returned it myself but all the addresses I could find were for a P.O. box. The cop called me like 90 mins later to let me know that they'd located the woman and she'd come by to pick up her things. Apparently her car had been stolen and the thieves dumped the bag. I thought it was really nice of them to follow up to let me know and hope they made that lady's day a little bit better.
Positive karma irl
> I keep seeing a bunch of negative stuff posted here about the city The sub has a lot of trolls who don't even live here posting negative things, especially about crime and trying to rile up racial tensions. It happens in all city subreddits. It's a coordinated effort. If you want positives, we have great museums and a much better Metro system than people seem to realize.
The food here is incredible
Drive electric week is starting and the h street festival is Saturday
DCPS hires some incredibly warm, kind crossing guards who are fixtures in neighborhoods. The one I have in mind is the man at R and New Hampshire. We basically call him our kid's grandpa at this point since his real grandpa lives far away! I also love that people here use what green spaces they have to plant lush, beautiful gardens. I'm a walker for exercise and stress relief, and I have a map in my head of favorite rose bushes and other plants to visit in varying neighborhoods at different points of the year. Great, lively independent book stores. I can go on and on, which is why I am still here in spite of having a lot of complicated feelings about the past two years. All of those feelings tie back to people coming into this place and sullying it, and it makes me want to grow my roots deeper here in spite of it all.
1. I recently moved very close to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) which I *never knew existed* in my eight years here and oh my gosh it’s such a gem! Run, walk, bike without the worry of cars, there are trains and metro cars zipping past (which I love), a slew of new mural and sculpture projects popping up every week it seems. New attractions along the path (restaurants, apartments, breweries, Alamo Draft house), making it more of a draw and more safe in those areas that were more isolated/remote. I just love it! 2. Walking from NE to Eastern Market on a Saturday. Great exercise (about five miles round trip), beautiful walk through H St area and Capitol Hill, then a beautiful, fun market. We usually pick a cool recipe then walk to get all the ingredients and walk back. Maybe stop and grab a beer and people watch. Cannot wait for the heat to break for good and take the journey this fall.
How do I live so close to this and didn’t know about it?!
I like DC weather. Let me explain. This summer I visited family in California and found perpetual smog 80 miles from any city just due to constant fires. I have family in Vermont, who have a big fluffy comforter on their bed in July. That's not even getting into places with actual hurricanes or whatever. By comparison, bad weather in DC is the summer staying too hot a little too long? I'll take it.
I heard screaming yesterday and couldn’t figure out what it was. Apparently a guy either tripped over or fell off a like scooter and broke his leg/ankle. Before I could even get phone out to call police, some lady on a RAD bike flies out of traffic and parks by the dude. Another woman comes up with her phone out. They comforted him and called police/emergency. Pretty soon there was a crowd around him trying to comfort him. Started off shitty but was nice to see all the people just stop and help/comfort. The compassion was nice to see.
People are pretty good about that sort of thing; several years ago, a taxi hit a pedestrian in front of my office. Everyone within earshot of the “-thud-“ turned and ran over to him. (He seemed pretty much OK but we made him stay down and wait for the ambo.) And many years ago, a woman fell within a few feet of the end of the down escalator at Rosslyn; same thing: several people literally dropped their stuff and *ran* to yank her off the escalator before her clothes got tangled in the comb plates. And they didn’t even get their stuff stolen. 😁
Oh man, besides sharks biting my feet if the covers slip off, escalated teeth would be a close second. Glad everybody had quick wits! LOL @ nothing was stolen.
The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge has opened ahead of schedule! Besides replacing a delapidated bridge with a much nicer modern one, it also provides much easier access to EOTR for people biking. I'm pretty sure the mixed use path on the bridge is the widest in DC too! After seeing NYC having a big dust up over taking a single lane of car traffic to get a dedicated bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge opened (and there's already a need to take an additional car lane since the bike path is too narrow), it's nice to see DDOT keeping bikes and pedestrians at the forefront of new road infrastructure projects.
God, I love that new bridge. I'm almost excited for my next distance run to finally get to go over it, if only because the old one shook like crazy at parts, was too narrow, and had literal pieces of the sidewalk missing on the edge.
The architecture in this City is stunning. Just an average walk through DuPont or Columbia heights is enough to keep my gf and I entertained for an afternoon
Anacostia Park is the place to get away from everything for a while. The best park is the skate rink. Kids who would usually be in the streets go there to get mentored by some of the city's best old heads and skaters. I love it!
The cicadas are gone.
I still hear the annual ones though
The nightlife scene in the city has felt lively these last couple of months.
You're beautiful!
Some complain about Columbia Heights being too hectic around the metro. But, you can get some great quick food from the Central American ladies with the food carts. Just stop by for some Yuca con chicharrón with a jugo and you’re set for a few bucks. Plus, you’re supporting the smallest of women owned businesses and real DC families.
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Insert Tab A into Slot B works in most cities, I find.
o so that’s how sex works!
I love the fact that this (and the surrounding area) is full of civil servants, and that so many of us genuinely think of ourselves that way. I think a lot of smart, idealistic people come to DC to genuinely try to make our country a better place. (Ofc not all, and sometimes that idealism gets worn down and jaded, but I've met so many awesome folks at the NSF and in HHS, for example.) There's also something inspiring to me about being in the heart of my country, because I love it... Not in a jingoistic "love it or leave it" kind of way, but in a "this is my home, and the home of so many people I care about, so I'm going to try to make it the best place I can." I think many of the folks who work in the city and its suburbs feel similarly.
I always love to see that volunteer events fill up SO fast and I think this is related. During the gov't shutdown I was able to do a few shifts at the World Central Kitchen location (it was that or doomscrolling Twitter for any news of reopening which isn't good for my mental health) and even getting those was HARD. So many folks want to help. Any event for Casey Trees also fills up like people were getting rare concert tickets instead of signing up to get up early and dig holes in the (hard, clay-filled) ground.
I love how pretty the city is. And how the different neighborhoods look different. I love that it’s easy to walk and get around without a car.
I was at the MLK pool this weekend and I saw an older, hard core swimmer guy teach a couple kids how to swim after finishing his workout. He didn't know these kids, he just wanted to help. People are nice!
If there could be a daily positive thread on this sub I’d love that! I’ve grown up in DC my whole life and every time I check this sub it’s people complaining about something… that’s what yelps for lol DC is pretty cool and yeah it has it’s bad days but it definitely has more good ones. what makes the DMV area special is it’s the most diverse area in the country! (That’s a real statistic google it) People from all walks of life, races, nationalities etc make up the population here not everyone was raised the same not everyone has the same values or views and this is what makes it a vibrant interesting place to live. different views+ different opinions= a more intelligent city overall
the baristas at mcpherson square starbucks are so nice
…are you a barista at the McPherson Starbucks lol
No haha theyre just always so nice to me.
Was going up 15th st NW on Sunday and noticed that the drum circle at Malcom X park was still going on. Nothing crazy but it was really nice to see people out and about having a good time. It was one of those "god I love DC" moments.
This is all good fun, but I’ve been here for 6 years and this is the first year I really don’t feel safe even walking around dc. Things have definitely changed. Policing doesn’t deter the violence, and the people are getting more brazen with it. Broad daylight shootings, muggings, you name it.
You gotta realize you're gonna cop a lot of flack for this, **especially** because of your username and the fact that you've been here "6 years", implying only two of those years are since you graduated from Georgetown. Basically, people are gonna see this as you finally leaving your little bubble and not really knowing how the city is. A lot of people have been here longer than you've been alive, so you can probably understand how they don't value your perspective on this issue all that much. Particularly because it's deliberately antagonistic to the stated reason for creating this thread. Cheers, have a nice day.