Yes, another "Where should I live in NoVa?" post! (Arlington: best neighborhood, real estate)
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should live in DC...I would still stick by the "west of Rock Creek" rule, to stay safe. Last time my car was broken into, was near the Capitol, that was 15 years ago, haven't been robbed or victimized since.
should live in DC...I would still stick by the "west of Rock Creek" rule, to stay safe. Last time my car was broken into, was near the Capitol, that was 15 years ago, haven't been robbed or victimized since.
A lot has changed over 15 years. Ruling out everything east of Rock Creek Park rules out most of the most vibrabt neighborhoods in the city such as Dupont. It would also rule out all of Capitol Hill which has multi-million homes. Basically, it is an extremely outdated and inaccurate measure of safety in DC.
A lot has changed over 15 years. Ruling out everything east of Rock Creek Park rules out most of the most vibrabt neighborhoods in the city such as Dupont. It would also rule out all of Capitol Hill which has multi-million homes. Basically, it is an extremely outdated and inaccurate measure of safety in DC.
I disagree. I lived in NE DC when I moved here in 2001. But it seems to have actually gotten more dangerous since then. I think of the young dad who was beaten nearly to death recently near Eastern Market--and the numerous people attacked at random in Chinatown. Does it sound vaguely racist to say that 3/4 of the city is too dangerous for a person with other options to choose? At first, yeah, I get that; it kinda does. But only at first blush. It's the kind of thing I will say in the confines of my mind--or to a very close friend--and yet I know I'm not the only one. Anyone with means (regardless of race)--and the wisdom to recognize that monsters really do exist--will most likely choose elsewhere in DC. Wealthy black folks (just like wealthy white folks) who prize their personal safety don't live in those areas; it's just the hipsters now. Until they get mugged. Which they probably view as some badge of "authenticity."
I'm not sure where I'd steer the OP. Happy hours, and you work in J. Square? But you wanna drive there? That's a tough one. I'd say W. Falls Church (big park/ride lot)--but by the time you get home after leaving work, happy hour might be over. (And are there bars in WFC anyway?) Definitely, give up on the idea of parking in DC unless you're OK with paying a lot of money to do so. (And that would be cheaper than paying higher rent to live near work.)
Gut-level recommendation: Look for apartments on Lee Highway and near the outer Metro stations (Vienna, WFC, Dunn-Loring). On the days you're gonna hit the bars, stick to the ones near work in DC. And then just pay the $70 cab fare home. You will still be saving money over living in DC. And you're less likely to be a crime victim.
Last edited by Carlingtonian; 11-25-2012 at 07:00 PM..
I disagree. I lived in NE DC when I moved here in 2001. But it seems to have actually gotten more dangerous since then. I think of the young dad who was beaten nearly to death recently near Eastern Market--and the numerous people attacked at random in Chinatown. Does it sound vaguely racist to say that 3/4 of the city is too dangerous for a person with other options to choose? At first, yeah, I get that; it kinda does. But only at first blush. It's the kind of thing I will say in the confines of my mind--or to a very close friend--and yet I know I'm not the only one. Anyone with means (regardless of race)--and the wisdom to recognize that monsters really do exist--will most likely choose elsewhere in DC. Wealthy black folks (just like wealthy white folks) who prize their personal safety don't live in those areas; it's just the hipsters now. Until they get mugged. Which they probably view as some badge of "authenticity."
I'm not sure where I'd steer the OP. Happy hours, and you work in J. Square? But you wanna drive there? That's a tough one. I'd say W. Falls Church (big park/ride lot)--but by the time you get home after leaving work, happy hour might be over. (And are there bars in WFC anyway?) Definitely, give up on the idea of parking in DC unless you're OK with paying a lot of money to do so. (And that would be cheaper than paying higher rent to live near work.)
Gut-level recommendation: Look for apartments on Lee Highway and near the outer Metro stations (Vienna, WFC, Dunn-Loring). On the days you're gonna hit the bars, stick to the ones near work in DC. And then just pay the $70 cab fare home. You will still be saving money over living in DC. And you're less likely to be a crime victim.
This post is incredibly inaccurate on many levels. Have you been to Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Capitol Hill? All east of Rock Creek Park. All some of the most expensive apartments and homes in the city, full of the wealthy white people you erroneously say avoid these areas. Hipsters were priced out of Dupont a long time ago. That is precisely why they have been gentrifying neighborhoods to the east for years now.
As for the Hill, it's completely backwards to say that it's "just hipsters now" and no wealthy white families. I live here and it is FULL of wealthy white families--that's about the only people who can afford a rowhouse a few blocks from the Capitol. There are few hipsters here. You are more likely to have a Senator or Congressperson for a neighbor than a hipster.
Now for the argument that because of widely reported in the media stories like the Eastern Market beating and the Chinatown assaults, DC is less safe. Believing that is like believing that murders are up in America because of the terrible shooting at the theater in Colorado.
Actual statistics matter, not sensational stories that the media focus on. If you look at violent crime per capita in DC, you'll see that it has fallen since 2001, as the chart here shows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Washington,_D.C.
This post is incredibly inaccurate on many levels. Have you been to Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Capitol Hill? All east of Rock Creek Park. All some of the most expensive apartments and homes in the city, full of the wealthy white people you erroneously say avoid these areas. Hipsters were priced out of Dupont a long time ago. That is precisely why they have been gentrifying neighborhoods to the east for years now.
Yeah, I've been to all those places--many times. There have been a lot of assaults/muggings/stabbings in those areas recently. And you're misquoting me; I didn't say all wealthy whites avoid those areas. I said that all people who can afford it *and who value their personal security, regardless of race* don't live in those places. Peggy Cooper Cafritz doesn't live in NE; she lives way up in NW. Same with Sheila Johnson (also black). I think a lot of us go through an "invincibility phase" in life. I suspect that successful African Americans (many of whom came from rough areas) are well aware that bad guys live in bad neighborhoods--and so they have no qualms about steering clear of those areas. They have nothing to prove.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stateofnature
As for the Hill, it's completely backwards to say that it's "just hipsters now" and no wealthy white families. I live here and it is FULL of wealthy white families--that's about the only people who can afford a rowhouse a few blocks from the Capitol. There are few hipsters here. You are more likely to have a Senator or Congressperson for a neighbor than a hipster.
And wait till one of the family members encounters a criminal or one of the kids gets to elementary school. Then those families will ditch DC for NoVA--or possibly NW DC if they can afford the taxes and private school. I'm not saying it's pretty; I'm saying it's reality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stateofnature
Now for the argument that because of widely reported in the media stories like the Eastern Market beating and the Chinatown assaults, DC is less safe. Believing that is like believing that murders are up in America because of the terrible shooting at the theater in Colorado.
Actual statistics matter, not sensational stories that the media focus on. If you look at violent crime per capita in DC, you'll see that it has fallen since 2001, as the chart here shows: Crime in Washington, D.C. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Post did a very large piece on who violent crime rates are spun by city police departments; there is no one consistent standard for reporting. If it were one incident like the above, you'd be right. But it's not. It's a pattern. Yes, statisticis matter--when the statistics are reliable and not being spun by people with a political/career interest in the facade of improvement.
Yeah, I've been to all those places--many times. There have been a lot of assaults/muggings/stabbings in those areas recently. And you're misquoting me; I didn't say all wealthy whites avoid those areas. I said that all people who can afford it *and who value their personal security, regardless of race* don't live in those places. Peggy Cooper Cafritz doesn't live in NE; she lives way up in NW. Same with Sheila Johnson (also black). I think a lot of us go through an "invincibility phase" in life. I suspect that successful African Americans (many of whom came from rough areas) are well aware that bad guys live in bad neighborhoods--and so they have no qualms about steering clear of those areas. They have nothing to prove.
And wait till one of the family members encounters a criminal or one of the kids gets to elementary school. Then those families will ditch DC for NoVA--or possibly NW DC if they can afford the taxes and private school. I'm not saying it's pretty; I'm saying it's reality.
The Post did a very large piece on who violent crime rates are spun by city police departments; there is no one consistent standard for reporting. If it were one incident like the above, you'd be right. But it's not. It's a pattern. Yes, statisticis matter--when the statistics are reliable and not being spun by people with a political/career interest in the facade of improvement.
How do you know how someone will respond to a crime in their area? How do you know they will leave? I'm sure some will, but also some will stay. And many leave in these neighborhoods for decades and never are a victim of crime. I know that because I know people like that personally.
As for your dispute about violent crime statistics, yes it's a possibility that the stats are being spun, but do you have any evidence that the stats are indeed being spun now more than they were ten years ago, and that if not for this spinning, the crime rates would actually have gone up? I see no reason to think this. The fact that entire neighborhoods that were once seen as no-go zones for safety--U Street, H Street, for example--are now full of new businesses and street traffic give plenty of reason to give benefit of the doubt to the crime stats.
So you actually believe anyone who chooses to live in Dupont and the Hill does not value their personal safety? I can't say you're wrong because it's your personal opinion, but it seems like a very paranoid view compared to how people who live in the city actually live. We're not fearing for our lives like you think we should be.
Don't you think those neighborhoods would be a lot cheaper if they were as unsafe as you claim? I guess it's possible that we're all just reckless idiots for living in these neighborhoods, but you would think if it was that bad Dupont or the Hill wouldn't be some of the most expensive parts of the entire metro area.
I think you've been scared by reading about a few incidents and now you have a false sense of security that you are safe by living in NoVA. Well there is no such thing as perfect safety. Live in DC and you have a higher risk of being exposed to violent crime, yes. But you also drive less and as a result are less likely to be in a car accident. Annually there are more per capita injuries by car in the US than there are violent crimes per capita in DC.
2009 US Census data that I just googled shows 2.2 million injuries from car accidents (not counting deaths) out of a population of about 300 million. In 2010 there were 1,330 violent crimes in DC out of a population of about 600,000. And of course, many, if not most, of those violent crimes are drug trade-related or otherwise between people who knew each other, not just random assaults like the ones that make headlines.
So you're really going to stand by your statement that Dupont and the Hill are "just hipsters"?
Also, do you believe that the many Senators and Congresspeople who choose to live on the Hill have gone through their "invincibility phase" or are they still in their immature hipster phase? I mean, seriously, give me a break.
If you were just talking about gentrifying neighborhoods like Petworth then your argument would carry some weight. But the fact that you are grouping well-established neighborhoods like Dupont and the Hill, which are full of older, affluent residents, with younger gentrifying neighborhoods is just perplexing, bizarre and off-basis with reality.
Also, do you believe that the many Senators and Congresspeople who choose to live on the Hill have gone through their "invincibility phase" or are they still in their immature hipster phase? I mean, seriously, give me a break.
If you were just talking about gentrifying neighborhoods like Petworth then your argument would carry some weight. But the fact that you are grouping well-established neighborhoods like Dupont and the Hill, which are full of older, affluent residents, with younger gentrifying neighborhoods is just perplexing, bizarre and off-basis with reality.
The Hill, Dupont, Logan, etc., are certainly safer than say Petworth, Columbia Heights, and the such. But they are less safe than random neighborhoods in upper NW.
Peggy Cooper Cafritz doesn't live in NE; she lives way up in NW. Same with Sheila Johnson (also black).
Sheila Johnson lives on a horse farm in Middleburg.
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