So I've only been in the city since the 20th, but I'm an observer and have already noticed somethings about the city.
1. People don’t say, “Hi” – 9 times out of 10 if you smile at a stranger as you pass they will not return the smile. I don’t think that it’s because they are mean, but usually they are staring at the floor or they are so shocked that you acknowledged their presence that there isn’t enough time in passing for them to register your actions and respond.
2. Nobody wants to burn a bridge – In LA if someone is not feeling your conversation they will give very clear cues for you to shut up and not engage in conversation, but in DC they will continue to talk to you giving some of the same cues. Here they keep talking and smiling, but you can tell they don’t want to talk. It’s like this is the city of networking and they don’t want to burn any bridges by being unsociable. On the other hand the people are very friendly and helpful. I think it’s because it is a tourist city so they know a lot of people are tourists. I feel like I can ask ANYONE for help/directions and they will either help or direct me close enough for me to figure the rest out.
3. Most people use a BMW – I saw a lady on the Metro with about $10,000 worth of jewelry on. Her ring alone was about $7,000 and ½ the size of her ring finger. Even she was using her BMW (Bus, Metro and Walking – I stole that from Helsa). I don’t feel alone….lol.
4. There are citywide cliques – If you are not a Student, Professional Student or Professional then you are considered “The Other People in DC”. I feel like being in school or having a “fancy” job automatically places you in a particular clique; like wearing Greek letters that the whole city recognizes.
5. They don’t play on the Metro – The Metro is serious business. When the sign says don’t smoke, eat or drink PEOPLE DON’T! I swore the Metro was gonna be dirty, but is relatively clean.
6. They have diverse social spots – In LA clubs there is a Hip-Hop, Techno, etc night and they usually sector off by racial boundaries. Although there are some of those here I’ve noticed that the social spots section off by profession. It may be that I’ve only been here for a short time so we’ll see if that changes.
7. Gentrification is REAL – I assumed gentrification was a subtle process, but in DC you can stand on one street and see the gentrification simply by looking left to right.
8. DC is going green – Did you know that DC charges 5¢ per plastic bag? So if you go to the grocery store and get 10 bags to carry your food, you will get charged and extra 50¢. It may be harsh, but I guarantee they have drastically cut down on the plastic bags used in the city.
9. It is definitely a young professional’s city – At first I didn’t see as many suits and briefcases as I thought I would, but people kept telling me it depends upon where you go and what time of day. They were right. I hoped off at the Metro Center exit and walked to Chinatown for fun around 12noon and I saw suits galore.
10. I think I could get used to living here – It’s only been a few weeks, but so far I like DC! I’ll keep you posted.
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