Now I got some fam in DC doing really well. They are doctors and lawyers tho.

But my other folk? Not so much.

My boy is a preacher. Doesn’t even pay rent/mortgage and he’s still feeling the pain. Another friend works in medical sales and is struggling to sell his condo. How??? How the fuck can’t he sell his condo in DC? Shit is crazy.

My boy asked me if I’m still thinking about moving to Northern VA before the kids start school.

Hell to the no.

Not sure why he is having trouble unless if he is trying to get an unrealistic amount for it.

>My boy is a preacher. Doesn’t even pay rent/mortgage and
>he’s still feeling the pain.


Literally the only major cost difference with living in DC or any other expensive city is the cost of housing. It's not like gas is $12/gallon in DC, or eggs are $19.99/dozen.

What I have noticed is that people that move into expensive metro areas seem like they have expensive tastes to match. Always eating out, going out, buying clothes & shoes, new phones, catching ubers/lyfts, taking vacations and trips, $4 coffees every morning, etc.

DC, NYC, SF, LA, etc. Wealth is always in your face in these cities and those little things that wealthy people can easily afford are right there for everyone else to spend money on too. It's part of the reason I stopped going into Manhattan on the weekends.Being in the city for more than 4 hours always leads to me eating at a restaurant I shouldn't be eating at.

looks like everyone is doing so well, but folks are being pushed out of housing within the city.

houses where I grew up are now 450k, but folks further away from jobs and other resources.

Yep, I noticed that everyone that lives in ATL, lives out in Timbuktu, which means their commute is trash. A shitty commute is a quality of life issue.

and yes, they also were living above their means prior to moving to DC but the COL has humbled them.

https://imgur.com/gallery/Os6FWl1

Popcorn is about 3.50 a bag in dc, San Antonio 2.98
Hot dog buns are about the same
Loaf of wheat bread that had three weeks of life instead of 1.5 weeks $2
Keebler waffle cones 2.33 ... 3.79 in dc
I did the large six pack of eggs instead of a full , $1.24


I could go on.

We have a Teeter, Whole Foods, Walmart, Aldi, Lidl, Earth Fare, Publix all within a 5 mile radius.

Trader Joe’s is 8 miles away.

But I’m not sure how you compare unless you compare the same store.

I want to do 90-100% of my shopping at a single store
That includes mainstays/name brands like aluminum or coke or little debbies
I don’t really do store brands but if I do I want it to be better than or different enough that I’ll buy the alternative (like no thank you to TJ’s sodas)
In dc I did my beefs and chickens at Harris Teeter and produce, I used to do TJ for that but their produce just stopped lasting
I’d buy aluminum and national brand stuff at Safeway/Giant
And fish at Whole Foods
Not only was that a lot of driving but a lot of inconvenience
With HEB I get the same quality across the board
And at a good price
Only thing I don’t get there is salmon (not a fan of their salmon meat)

We don’t have a Whole Foods by the house but it’s close enough for delivery with Amazon or there is one right by my job.

My biggest issue is picking the right one for the best sale.

I sill do paper and detergent at Walmart regardless. It’s always the cheapest.

>I sill do paper and detergent at Walmart regardless. It’s
>always the cheapest.
>


Costco is the move for these items, IMO.

didn’t really see much of a savings when comparing paper prices vs Super Walmart.

up spending $100 bucks at those box stores when you just wanted some tissues and paper towels. the bulk load make it enticing to buy more shit.

and for us, none of those stores were convenient.

In NYC my Lyft/Uber from UWS to Brooklyn was never less than $60.

DC is way more affordable than NYC. Housing might be outrageous, to purchase, but there's an okay amount of affordable rentals in decent neighborhoods.

What D.C. neighborhoods do you recommend for a single/childless woman in her 30s.

Hundreds of new and not fully occupied apt developments with tons of amenities and move in incentives.
Less expensive than the Shaw right now, and great transportation options, with plenty of grocery and entertainment options in walking distance.

https://www.liveat77h.com/
https://www.theapollodc.com/
https://www.avaloncommunities.com/district-of-columbia/washington-apartments/ava-h-street
https://www.360hstreet.com/
https://www.senatesquaretowers.com/
https://codaonh.com/
https://www.liveunionplace.com/

And there are plenty more, I've lived in two different buildings in that list, both offered at least two months of no rent to move in.

Thank you!

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Transportation is my main issue with D.C. It’s actually a great place for Black professionals but I can’t get past the cost of living when I consider what the city fails to offer.

The traffic is garbage. That, coupled with the hours, price, poor service and lack of expansiveness of the WMATA/Metro system, leaves a lot to be desired. Like, I know mad negroes who are out in Woodbridge but that suburb doesn’t have a Metro stop to drive to. Ugh!

To live where I’d want to live in D.C., I’d have to pay as much as I would in NYC, specifically Harlem. And at least in NYC, I’d have access to a subway and could go without a car.

This is literally why I’m trying to get back to NYC, even though I should be looking at D.C., too. If I have to live in a expensive city or a metro area, I want real city amenities. Amazing food, a real subway, culture galore. Plus, it’s less conservative.

If I had a family, I’d just take my ass to Chicago. Probably Bronzeville or the south ‘burbs (see: Homewood).

I want to take a trip there tho. Never been before and heard good things.

I understand. I’m a native Detroiter, and I built up a tolerance for Midwest winters.

I think a lot of people would move to the Chi, if weather wasn’t an issue. The city has a lot to offer.

not so good infrastructure, overpriced everything, and gentrification (it pains me).
i'm almost ready to go. of course i'll miss this place and i do love the bike
paths/lanes but, everything else leaves much to be desired. i'm ready for
something less bloated and more scenic.

>not so good infrastructure, overpriced everything, and
>gentrification (it pains me).

Gentrification is jacking up everything.

U Street in D.C., downtown Hyde Park in the Chi, Leimert Park in LA. The list goes on. ;-(

but aint to many other places in the states we would live
South is out
Northeast too cold
Midwest...done it
Southwest...she done it
West coast.....no
only area we have look ated in Northwest....which may be coming soon
but unless we go to Seattle or international .....well be here

and Cali.

The idea always sounds nicer than the actual every day tho.

I’m guilty of this. As a somewhat artsy/left-of-center/progressive/ Black woman, I’m always looking for places with creatives, a strong Black community, tons of Black cultural amenities and a decent number of transplants. + families where parents are older.

I could never move to Phoenix, Seattle, Austin, Portland, Twin Cities, San Antonio, etc. because they’re not enough Black people or a specific kind of Black people.

And my issue with a lot of Southern cities like Richmond is how young families are, how traditional people seem.

I don’t want to move to a city where people look at you funny for being 30+ with no partner or child.

Not sure I could go back tho.

I think sometimes we want that old thing back but those days are gone.

That’s kind of why I like Charlotte. While it definitely has a lot of improving their are opportunities to create something new without losing it all.

Then again, I hear about folks who live in apartments uptown who pay DC prices. It has a city feel but it’s an easy commute uptown.

Black Arts is lacking tho but that creates an opportunity to fill the void.

But being that is who I am, it has everything and more that I want from a place to live. If I/we ever do wanna go out, it's there. If not, cool I got folk that can just come through. I'm good here. Can't really see myself leaving unless it's for some crazy good job opportunity for one or both of us. Easy access to the beach, mountains and DC if we ever want to hit any of them.

- Can't afford to buy property, have to have a landlord again
- Rent gonna be 2x-3x what your mortgage was
- Probably can't afford a car
- Public schools are probably wack
- Everything seems based around consumerism and events (which suck for people like me)
- NYPD
- Crowded


The best thing about NYC is the variety of women there, but since I already have a chick that point is moot.

which is the draw to most large international cities...
only reason i wouldnt move to NYC is the weather

Plenty of ways to live in NYC without being miserable, especially if you just want to finally live within, arguably, the epicenter of the world.

People don't have cars in NYC not because they can't afford them, they don't need them.

As far as housing, you can still find rentals in the 5 boroughs for under $1,500 a month.
https://streeteasy.com/building/7_11-seagirt-avenue-queens/a18b

Public schools may be largely segregated, but plenty are still excellent.

Everything is based around everything, not simply consumerism you can do anything in NYC, especially recreational.

NYC has single family homes with lawns.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/24338-144th-Ave-Jamaica-NY-11422/32210309_zpid/

But you'd have to live in Far Rockaway. Let's not pretend it's the same as living closer to civilization.

>As far as housing, you can still find rentals in the 5
>boroughs for under $1,500 a month.
>https://streeteasy.com/building/7_11-seagirt-avenue-queens/a18b
>

My office-mates lived in the Poconos, Connecticut, deep into LI, all throughout NJ, Philly, Delaware, Allentown. Even I commuted from D.C. for three years.
Far Rockaway is NYC...and is on a got damn beautiful beach...which is also free.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/63-Post-Ave-APT-33-New-York-NY-10034/2109404155_zpid/

A 300 SF studio in Inwood for $1500 with access to the 1 and A trains.

Welp.

I thought you could get a 500 SF 1BD for that price.

https://streeteasy.com/for-rent/manhattan/price:-1500?sort_by=price_asc

Thanks!

>- Can't afford to buy property, have to have a landlord
>again
>- Rent gonna be 2x-3x what your mortgage was
>- Probably can't afford a car
>- Public schools are probably wack
>- Everything seems based around consumerism and events (which
>suck for people like me)
>- NYPD
>- Crowded
>
>
>The best thing about NYC is the variety of women there, but
>since I already have a chick that point is moot.

Not everyone wants to own a crib, and even if they do, there’s always Queens, Jersey, Long Island burbs, etc.

And there’s plenty to do that is FREE.

Plain and simple.

Probably not enough to move back but my sister works for Calvin Klein and I asked her to hook me up and she was like “you want to move back?”

Nah. Not really. My biggest concern is my daughters. Gotta make sure they are in the best situation.

The spaces from the 90s and early 00s like Shelter, Vinyl, Sound Factory/Twilo, Limelight, etc.

I especially miss the old shelter. That Phazon sound system (Twilo's old system) they had was AMAZING. Think they bought it from one of the other clubs when they shut down. Vibrated everything in me. Nothing like being able to go out at 12am, dance to earth quaking 4/4 until 5am and the spot is still rocking for hours after I've left.

The things I liked most about NYC were scenes that no longer exist. I wish there was an all-night club playing house & disco with one of these systems. I was too young to take advantage until the late 90s, so I only caught the tail end.

I was more of a Freaknick, Jones Beach vibe but never went to the clubs in NYC

I did the smaller clubs and hip hop joints but that was mid 90’s.

and got it basically out of my system by the time I was about 35 or 36.

The main reason I'm still here is my industry is highly concentrated here and I don't feel like going through the process of selling my place.

I I had been renting the whole time I would have gone back to Philly back in like 2012 or 2013.

It's a lot of fun, even still, but I don't need to have all that fun, anymore. I'm past that. I'm down for the quiet, out of the way life.

>The main reason I'm still here is my industry is highly
>concentrated here

Admittedly, one that I overlook because my industry (IT) is almost everywhere.

I can see how certain careers might require a move to NYC (or any other really expensive urban area) in order to advance, or even get a job in the first place since these jobs only exist in those cities.

Another reason is the subway. I think NYC has the most comprehensive system in the country. I love being able to catch a train 24 hours a day when I'm up there. Philly's would be closer if all of our trains & trolleys and more buses were 24/7 night owl routes.

Stayed away from the pyramid board games
Broke it down to a neighborhood slang
Cash befoe fame

My fam in the suburbs own so much useless shit.

My life in DC is a happy medium. My condo is very affordable and I am within 10-20 minutes of so much free stuff. I have private parking so I can own a car without stressing. I don't buy shit because I have no place to put it. My money is spent or saved on fun experiences.

I often feel like an underachiever for staying in DC but it really works with my minimalist lifestyle.

DC people can be a little Boughetto. But PG county is fun with lots of attractive, middle class black people. Most black DC folks are "low income barely surviving blacks" or "highly educated/I only date non-blacks" types.

Now, New York is probably the next best but it is just so dirty and so hard to be friendly on a regular basis. But I love NYC and the ease of getting there, quirky people, getting out and getting around. I like the apartment culture that doesn't require owning and shopping for a bunch of junk.

>or "highly
>educated/I only date non-blacks" types.
>

Really?? My read is more "highly educated/only date other highly educated"

Like sure there's interracial dating in DC area but nowhere near the level one could see in other places, imho anyway

Seems like its classism that's more potent.

Which, to be fair, might intersect with race to some degree.. like if someone was only willing to seriously date somebody that had a certain education level and/or worked a certain type of job there may or may not be many black mates in that pool.

But even accounting for that, I still feel like I never saw "that" many interracial couples given how diverse the area is *shrug*

I was amazed how many black women I seen with white men in Manhattan back in the day.

Well, for affluent types.

Pretty sure Pittsburgh is the #1 city in America for IR’s.