Mistes t1_iw7oei8 wrote on November 13, 2022 at 4:28 PM

I grew up in DC and eventually moved to NYC. They are very different cities.

DC has some very good communities if you're into bicycling (bike party DC), it has a clean metro that doesn't come as often as NYC's but is generally nice (more $ though if you are going further than 4 stops). The city also has free museums on the national mall if you're a museum fanatic, it's zoo is free, and it's not very large so you can get most places you want to go . It has a bubbling art scene that's kind of tight knit. For the hip places we have union market, Dupont circle (night life), Adams Morgan (night life), and some varying bars and convert venues around U street. However a lot of the venues will have the same crowd so you might not sink into anonymity or have a large variety to choose from for venues.

It's also a little more a commuter's city around the capitol area so it can be really quiet at night. I highly recommend doing a quiet nighttime bike ride around the tidal basin during cherry blossom season if you move there. You might also enjoy the Georgetown waterfront area and the canal.

DC has the dca airport literally right there on the metro and there's construction for direct metro access to Dulles airport. Amtrak from Union Station is also fairly accessible.

For NYC, it's VERY big and has a LOT of people compared to DC. You get the best and worst (!) of people here but you really get everything. Large concerts, a multitude of venues, a ton of choices for amazing food, dozens of neighborhoods that each have a different culture or a unique vibe - infinite nightlife (COVID put a bit of a damper on this but still decently strong). There are some communities like house dance, roller skating events, or a vibrant drag scene or things you just can't find anywhere else with such a force and voracity. However, the mta will be less clean because of the sheer amount of people ( and a few other reasons like operations and maintenance throughout the years/it's oldddd), it will have some absurd delays , but they'll figure out a way to get you there eventually. The subway is also really expansive - so you can go to Ikea (almost) and it can get you pretty close to some airports, but you have to bus the final distance usually.

You have to choose your neighborhood with a lot of thought in NYC - research the heck out of it and visit it twice and walk around. Figure out how long it takes to get into Manhattan (unless you're already in Manhattan lol) and add 10 minutes just in case for waiting for trains and such.

There's really no place quite like NYC - though don't judge it based on the shittiness of times square and port authority (where most buses drop you off at) - explore the different neighborhoods and make a more nuanced decision.

I love NYC and I never considered myself a city person before - it has late night eats and great beats, and no one cares what you wear. There's some absolutely fabulous parks and their ferry system is also super great if you get to live near any of them.

Afterthought - NYC is colder than DC if you find yourself being warmth/cool obsessed. Still gets really cold in both places, but DC is usually around 4 degrees F warmer on average.

BangaiiWatchman t1_iw7wg0k wrote on November 13, 2022 at 5:22 PM

Thank you for this thoughtful response.

On the cold thing-and this is just a matter of personal preference- if we’re gonna have 4 seasons I’d rather it be actually cold in the winter rather than DC where I have to take a jacket with my in January but I’ll end up sweating through it if I have to walk around in the sun. So I’m cool with that. bu fun tss

Mistes t1_iw7y5j5 wrote on November 13, 2022 at 5:34 PM

To be fair DC does still get pretty cold and it will snow, with once every 5 years we get like 4 feet of snow... Though in NYC it's probably every other year.

I think both cities have some random warm spurts in the middle of winter for no reason. NYC will be a little windier when it's cold but they both definitely get four seasons.

Feel free to ask any questions on either city btw! Love them both, but I know why moved away.

BangaiiWatchman t1_iw80elh wrote on November 13, 2022 at 5:49 PM

Yeah it’s actually pretty cold out today, but it never really snows here I think that makes winter pretty ugly.

Is it easy to make friend in New York? Do you think you’d ever move back to DC?

Mistes t1_iwat2vx wrote on November 14, 2022 at 6:36 AM

I think it's hard to make friends if you don't have a plan in any city. I recommend trying to join some group activities and seeing if you click with anyone there. Ex. Biking events, skating events, small concerts, art events, conventions, neighborhood, etc...

Most of my friends in NYC were extensions of friends I created elsewhere - so a friend of a friend or more. I think that's probably the easiest way though I was lucky.

Also surprisingly - reddit meetups for my neighborhood or part of the city were effective in me meeting some rad people who are friends till this day.

I probably wouldn't move back to DC, but it's for a variety of reasons you probably don't have. Growing up in the area meant I knew most of the venues and people with my hobbies. They keep things fresh, but I needed a personal change (maybe some parental distance) and NYC had a job that allowed me to try that new city. I think you appreciate a place more once you leave, and DC definitely has some great spaces and a lot to do - but it is different from NYC in many ways. Would it be a city I recommend trying? Always. I just wouldn't move back.