The original plans for the Nation’s Capital were drafted by a Frenchman, Pierre L’Enfant, so it seems only logical that Metro Washington would develop into a vibrant international crossroads. You don’t have to look far to find some of the ingredients for this melting pot of people and traditions.
It’s Chinatown, where the spirit of cross-cultural friendship is symbolized in the glittering archway that spans the width of a thoroughfare. It’s Adams Morgan, where native Latinos, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Jamaicans, and others have forged a neighborhood of extraordinary contrasts, a place where many of the 100 or so restaurants serve global cuisine. It’s Embassy Row, where the diplomatic corps—several thousand strong from over 150 nations—embodies the meaning of international communication, cooperation, trade, and goodwill. It’s Arlington, where Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians, Koreans, Thai, Filipinos, and other Asian groups have prospered as merchants and small-business owners. It’s virtually anywhere in the region where you’ll find proud people who fled war-torn, famine-ravaged, economically distressed, or brutally oppressive homelands to begin life anew here in professions as disparate as cab driver, banker, store clerk, police officer, computer technician, engineer, maintenance worker, craftsperson, scientist, and artist. It’s the presence of institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organization of American States that speaks volumes about living and working in a global economy and a drastically shrinking world.
During the 1990s the immigrant population boomed in the Washington area, with most jurisdictions doubling the number of residents born outside of the United States living within their borders. And unlike previous immigrants, who mainly settled inside the city, most have made the suburbs home. In all, nearly 395,000 immigrants arrived in the Washington area in the 1990s. From 1990 through 1999, immigrants took up residence in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia, at a rate of about 10,000 in each county, each year. Immigrants now account for 26 percent of Montgomery County’s population and 23 percent of Fairfax County’s residents, according to the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey, a national sample of households taken along with the census. These two counties rank near the top nationally for the percentages of households where foreign languages are spoken, from Korean to Farsi. By comparison, immigrants make up only 12 percent of the residents of the District of Columbia.
Patterns of immigration become apparent as you drive around the metro area and simply look out the window. In Annandale, Korean restaurants and shops line the roads. Langley Park in Prince George’s County is overwhelmingly Latino. Falls Church’s Seven Corners is home to what is reportedly the nation’s largest Asian-oriented shopping center, Eden Center, with more than 100 Vietnamese and Chinese stores and restaurants. The largest immigrant population in the area, some 75,000, hails from war-ravaged El Salvador.
This chapter offers a glimpse of Metro Washington’s colorful and diverse character. Note that diversions such as ethnic dining are not covered here, so please see the Restaurants chapter for suggestions on gastronomic globetrotting.
With its population of highly educated, affluent residents working everywhere from the White House and the Smithsonian to the booming biotech corridor in Montgomery County, the Washington area is a prime destination for many recent graduates and career changers from around the country. The metro area has one of the highest annual household incomes in the nation. It also has the highest rate of residents holding graduate degrees in the United States.
At the same time, however, Washingtonians pay a price for living in the Nation’s Capital. Despite a recent softening in the market, housing prices are among the highest in the nation, although there has been a tremendous amount of fluctuation in the real estate market in 2008 and 2009 due to the nationwide economic turmoil. Thus, it’s become extremely difficult for experts to predict future real estate trends in terms of pricing for homes, condos, apartments, and other housing options in the region. One thing is for sure, however—the area does suffer from an overpopulation of cars, which causes severe traffic in many regions in and around D.C.
If you’re planning a move to the area, work closely with a reputable Realtor (www.realtor.com) and mortgage broker (if applicable), plus perform your own online research to determine the state of the housing market and figure out what you can afford based on current conditions.
In addition to an unsteady housing market in 2009, Washingtonians have to put up with some pretty mercurial weather, too. Expect hot, humid summers; crisp falls; moderate winters, with a few small storms that bring an average yearly snowfall of about a foot; and spectacular springs, with cherry blossoms, daffodils, tulips, and other blooms abounding throughout neighborhoods.
Here’s a summary of average temperatures you can expect throughout the year:
Month High Low
Temperature Temperature
January 44 30
February 46 29
March 54 36
April 66 46
May 76 56
June 83 65
July 87 69
August 85 68
September 79 61
October 68 50
November 57 39
December 46 32
In this chapter we’ll take a look at buying a house or renting an apartment in Washington’s booming real estate market. Subsequent chapters cover such important information for newcomers as child care, education, health care, senior citizens, worship, and media.