Living in Washington DC vs NYC

The old DC vs NYC battle rivalry has gone on for years. This year marks my 20th year living in DC. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the truly baffling. It’s not all cherry blossoms and charming rowhouses. Can you make it work, or will this city chew you up and spit you out? Here’s my honest, unfiltered take on what it’s really like living in DC.

I’m Melissa Terzis, DC Real Estate Mama. I help people buy and sell homes in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Here on YouTube, I talk about all things real estate, so message me if you want to chat.

I don’t know the lens from which you are viewing, I need to tell you one thing that I didn’t realize prior to moving here

DC vs NYC, but, DC isn’t New York

This could just be me, but growing up right outside New York City, I thought all cities were like New York City so that was how I initially approached DC. After living here, and after extensive US travel, I realize how wrong I was. In my 20’s, I used to be disappointed when I visited another city thinking it would be just like home. (“What do you mean they roll up the sidewalks at 8 p.m.?”) Now, I am happy other cities aren’t New York.

The premise of DC not being at all like New York City could actually go one of two ways. It could go the snobby, “New York is the best city in the world” way where we look down our nose at everyone who isn’t New York. Or it could go the “Thank goodness this isn’t the New York with pizza rat.” 

I used to be in the first camp. In fact, after 10 years living in DC, I got a job offer in New York and I started to cry. I said, “I’m finally going home.” When it came to DC vs NYC, I was squarely on the NYC side. Then, I didn’t take the job. And here I am. Still here. Hi. So that’s got to say something about how I feel about living here.

I’ll take both sides of the New York comparison for $1000 please Alex. This video isn’t really comparing DC to New York, but, I am using it loosely as a “barometer.” 

Why Living in DC is Awesome!

1) DC Has Ethnic Food on LOCK (with one exception)

If they make it, it’s here. You can find pretty much every single ethnic food you could want. I often tout Ethiopian food, but there’s Afghan, Argentinian, Brazilian, Belgian, French, Greek, Indian, Korean, Laotian, Middle Eastern, Peruvian, Spanish, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese. I alphabetized that for you all. And I missed probably a couple dozen others. 

One exception is that there is Italian food here, but this is where in the DC vs NYC battle, New York wins. In New York, there’s Italian food on every block. And rare is the place with the red and white checkered tablecloths with food that tastes like your Italian Grandma made it here in DC. You have to go the burbs or Baltimore for that.

2) Green Space & Walkability: Loved Universally in the DC Area

The parks and trails here are pretty awesome. Many connect and go from one trail to another. You can bike or walk to George Washington’s House in Mount Vernon from DC. You can bike or walk from Arlington to Purcellville Virginia. You can bike or walk from Georgetown to Bethesda – and eventually that trail will be extended over to Silver Spring and Rock Creek Park. 

Maryland generally seems to preserve more green space than Virginia but both states have their share of parks and greenery. This all leads to walkability, which is a critical factor that people who live here use to evaluate their lifestyle. In New York you also walk, for miles sometimes. But it’s all sidewalk, and there’s nothing peaceful about it. In this DC vs NYC battle, I think DC wins.

3) DC vs NYC: DC’s Airport Proximity is Ace

I’ve never lived 13 minutes from an airport. But yes, at 5 a.m., I am 13 minutes from the airport! Otherwise, it’s more like 25 minutes. The other places I’ve lived (NY, Atlanta, Miami) it was always a colossal production to get to the airport. I find it super easy here. You can even take public transportation!

4) The Weather

I’m fine with it. But, you need to take what I’m saying here with a grain of salt, lovers. I like heat. Not humidity, but heat. If it’s 99 degrees with no humidity, I’m outside without sunscreen and without complaint. 

I hate winter. If you hate winter and snow, the only months here to dread are January and February. For the eight great months we get from March to November, I’m fine. I’ll take it. Again, growing up outside New York, I had zero idea that skies could be blue. Have you seen the sky up there? It’s grey – all the time. NO. THANK. YOU! DC vs NYC on the color of sky alone – DC wins.

5) DC vs NYC: DC Has Jobs

There’s a world of opportunity in New York across many industries. That is obviously a draw. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, right? But New York is not as recession-proof as DC. (Although our current administration seems to be testing that.) We may not have fashion, but there is a ton of tech here. Stats say that 70% of the world’s internet traffic comes through Northern Virginia. How’s that for a claim to fame and job security for the techies?

6) Walk Left, Stand Right is Genius

I know DC isn’t the only city to do this, but it is incredibly efficient for navigating the long metro escalators!

7) Inner Loop, Outer Loop, Also Genius

Describing a highway that loops around a city seems to be difficult for other cities. In Atlanta, they called it the “perimeter,” and it was always “Northbound from this road to this road, there’s a backup.” And you would have to decide which northbound it was – the traffic on the west side of the city or the east? 

Here in DC, it’s the inner loop, which travels clockwise, and the outer loop, which travels counterclockwise. New York doesn’t have any such loop around the city aside from a moat, so not sure how to compare DC vs NYC in this category.

Why Living in DC Sucks!

1) Maryland Drivers are Indeed the Worst

I have no clue what is on the Maryland Driving Test, but it’s nothing like the other 49 states, I can assure you of that. To Marylanders – Left lanes aren’t for passing, they are for creeping along like a snail, parallel parking looks more like perpendicular parking and four-way-stops for Marylanders are a disaster. They stop then they go. They don’t know what “taking turns” or “first to the painted line” means. If Marylanders miss their exit, you better be driving a padded bubble. They will cut across 4 lanes of highway, leaving a flaming 27-car pile-up in their path. 

They don’t care. I have never seen anything like it. Each and every Marylander who learned to drive in Maryland is a menace. You’ve been warned.

2) The Local DC, Maryland and Virginia Governments are all DRASTICALLY Different

DC has lots of problems. The city has had a lot of fraud and corruption in their politics. I’m not talking about our national government; I’m talking about the city. We have a Mayor and then an 8-member Council with one member representing each of eight wards. Many councilmembers over the years have gone the way of corruption. Even past Mayors have. Then they get re-elected. It’s absolute bananas. 

Currently, the Ward 8 Councilmember, born and raised in the Ward he serves, was caught taking bribes ON VIDEO. Then he was re-elected. Make it make sense. This guy was the first elected official to say we needed the National Guard in DC, and then when they arrived, he walked that right back and said we need to take care of our own issues. Yeah, like he took care of his own bank account at the expense of the people he serves.

The Deputy Director of DC’s Building Permit department was terminated after it was discovered she was working remotely – at two full time jobs! Fleecing the city of not only the salary paid, but the severe lack of attention to the business of building permits, resulted in a lot of properties with severe issues. 

Virginia and Maryland do not have such problems – at least not to this extent. There are more layers of government in the states and more checks and balances. There has been issues of fraud and corruption, but it’s nothing like what happens in DC.

3) DC is Filled with People Who are High Strung & Inconsiderate

There are a lot of lawyers here, a lot of doctors and a lot of tech people. Pretty much all the Class Presidents of your High Schools are here. These are people with serious jobs and not a lot of time for witty banter. Everyone is always in a hurry. Out in the wild, people aren’t particularly friendly. You won’t be able to make idle chatter with someone in a slow line at a store.

In New York, they would be suspicious of you. In DC, I think they just don’t have time for you. If someone smiles at me here, before they even open their mouth I say, “You’re not from here, are you?” And they always say, “Is it that obvious?” to which I say, “yes. You’re nice.”

And those nice people may have a hard time understanding how inconsiderate people can be. My one huge complaint on this is driving in the city. If someone is being picked up by a driver, and I’m looking right at you every Uber Driver from Maryland and Virginia, they stop in the middle of main roads and block traffic to get their people. Even when there are plenty of spots to pull out of the way of traffic. It’s maddening. You beep and they just don’t care.

4) DC is a Great Place to Own Property Except DC’s a Terrible Place to be a Landlord

Rents only go up in DC. But the property rights extended to tenants for property they don’t own is astonishing. It is a travesty to property owners to trample their rights. The power DC holds over property owners is outrageous. You have to have a rental license. It involves an inspection. Inspections are done by “members of the public” (read: people with no skills) to go through a checklist. They are paid per inspection, so they are incentivized to fail perfectly rentable properties. They want you to file a business license tax. It’s a whole money-grab that is frankly, insulting.

The rental voucher program is a disaster. I found myself on the phone this past summer, advocating for a client who has a voucher tenant in his property. The new director is from another state. When I spoke with her, she said she had never seen anything like this before where tenants have such strong rights and it puts the property owners at such risk. She sees it. But I’m sure she’ll be drinking the Kool Aid soon enough.

5) DC Crime (is) (Was) Atrocious

Notwithstanding the deportations, I’m going to say it. The National Guard coming here definitely sent many little street punks packing. I know people didn’t like it because they believe we should fix our own problems in DC. I too believe this. I believe in what our founding fathers set up for DC to be independent of any state and to have its own authority. The problem is, the Mayor has a lot going on. People criticize the crap out of her, but I don’t see how she can solve all these issues. Everything falls under the Mayor – the police, the schools. The city has a lot going on. 

The bad part of the National Guard was that they were focused downtown. The neighborhood commissioners in the rougher neighborhoods said they weren’t in their area, and had they connected with them, they could have told them what the hotspots are. Where the trap houses are. Who the dealers are. This was a huge missed opportunity. 

DC vs NYC: Final Thoughts

DC is generally less sarcasm and wit of the old school New Yorkers with their tough as nails attitude, but you will be surrounded by intelligent people doing intelligent things. And that’s pretty cool. I’ve loved raising the girls here where they have access to so much, a diversity of friends and great educational opportunities. Plus, they are very picky and they eat Ethiopian food!

Does the good outweigh the bad? I believe so. I try to minimize my experience with the bad parts and focus on the good. And the truth is, while DC isn’t perfect, I have no idea where it would be better. DC vs NYC isn’t even a comparison. We’re DC. We may not own the motto “If you can make it here you can make it anywhere,” but we do own the motto “DC is just Hollywood for ugly people.