DMV is no worse than any other DMV I’ve dealt with

Tax implications will be the biggest impact. Someone else will know more but I assume your taxes might be less bc you’re currently paying Montgomery county tax on top of state and federal.

I like DC over Maryland because MoCo/PG play second fiddle in state politics behind the Annapolis-Baltimore-Columbia region despite being the two counties being the economic engine of the state.

Overall tax burden is comparable.

> I’ve heard DMV (or MVA) as it’s called out here, Motor Vehicle Administration, is hell in DC but that may just be speculation.

It’s fine? Idk. It’s something you do once and then forget about, certainly not enough to make an entire where to live decision based on.

Interesting hasn’t thought of that.

Yeah I don’t mind the DMV experience. Worst ever DMV experience was in Nevada so don’t thing DC could be worse.

Income taxes may be slightly lower in DC. I also found the DC rec department, pools, and parks easier to access than Montgomery county’s. A lot of MOCO amenities like that are car focused, which is a drag. You have several good park and rec options in georgetown. Also georgetown just has a bunch more going on than Chevy chase. And close to downtown.

If anything, the DMV (at least in SW) is pretty easy to deal with—definitely the easiest experience I’ve had registering my OOS car compared to the 6 other states I’ve lived in. It’s very organized, and the employees are generally helpful.

do you like having actual representation in congress? If yes, stay in MD. If not, sure, move to D.C.

It probably depends on expectations. I assume it’s likely to take me all day. So I go at the crack of dawn, with all my paperwork.

I went to the DMV once over the last year and it was incredibly fast, there was no line and I was there at 9:30 on a Thursday.

[deleted]

Consume cannabis? Such weird phrasing lol

Wait OP is driving to Baltimore for weed? What an idiot. It’s legal in DC. Anyone over 21 can walk into a grey market dispensary and get whatever they want. It’s almost certainly better than any Baltimore trash they’re buying. People here buy fancy weed. We’ve got options

DMV is probably the most competent city agency. I can get there early on a Saturday and be done in less than an hour. Sometimes, I'm still filling out forms when I get called. The other city agencies I've had to deal with are awful.

Think about your parking situation. Unless you have your own spot, it can be rough getting a decent parking spot in Georgetown. There's also street cleaning and you will have to move your car to avoid a ticket.

lol at "fancy weed". there are dispensaries in Baltimore and they cost less than the ones in DC. That doesnt start or stop at the 65 square miles of DC

[removed]

Here's some info that was published about tax comparrisons:

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/02/19/ask-eli-does-virginia-washington-dc-or-maryland-have-the-most-favorable-taxes/

For tax purposes it is likely better to register in DC.

> With my employer I now work 100% of my time at home.

Sounds like you could live anywhere. Have you considered buying in another (cheaper COL) metro area?

Tax burden is decently lower in DC, but I’d run the numbers personally. (VA vs DC is a different cup of tea).

Both DC property and income tax is lower than MoCO. Sales tax is pretty much equal. Rent west of rock creek and inner Bethesda/CC are a wash. Really only difference is schools and services. DC has better services broadly speaking (parental leave, etc), but MoCo has better schools. I don’t think OP has kids yet.

OP is thinking of moving to Georgetown. Hard to replicate that other than in Boston, Charleston, or Savannah. Maybe a few other (equally expensive) places.

I went to the DMV on a Saturday afternoon, it took about an hour to get everything done. That included a trip back home to get the correct copy of a form!

IMO, DMV is a roll of the dice. As of late, it's been rolling surprisingly in my favor.

I personally don't think it is as bad as people make it out to be, but shit can always go wrong, but we know that, because it's a DMV.

It sounds like you need to figure out what you want. The cost of living in DC can be higher in some cases, less so than in others. It sounds like you're worried about ... really bizarre and incongruent variables.

You need to just figure out what it is that you want ... or even what it is you're really trying to ask. The Pros/Cons are fairly standard for any metro/suburb comparison and can be subjective. Some people like quiet comfort, and other people like getting smashed at mediocre bars on the weekend.

I think you have to factor in the travel to Baltimore to derive the proper value of the cost savings. Gas + time, is it worth it? Frankly, I'm suspecting that OP is not the sharpest tool in the shed anyways lol

OP doesn’t have a medical card so they can’t use medical dispensaries in Baltimore. They’re buying black market fully illegal to sell weed. DC also has black market dealers and they’re cheaper than Baltimore dealers

How do you know what OP has?

I would move every couple months if I worked 100% from home.

If no one has mentioned it, check with your auto insurance provider (if you have an auto) to see what your insurance rate will be. It may be different than what you currently pay.

Chevy Chase is very metro accessible. Georgetown is not if that matters to you. Also, having a car in DC is expensive. If you don't have a car - you may want to move somewhere closer to a metro station. And figure out how to use the circulator.

And if you switch from MD to DC plates you automatically become a better driver

Can you elaborate on why you compared Georgetown to those cities? I love Charleston and Savannah, and I was curious what made you compare those to Georgetown.

At least 50 blocks of housing and shopping in a historic town center that has mostly original buildings. Doesn’t really exist out of a very small subset. You could add the French quarter to that list. old town Alexandria is good too. But you need homes, shops and restaurants in buildings that are at least 150 years old.

Most other places demolished their equivalents. DC came close, but the freeway riots stopped them just in time. (The key bridge was going to be demolished for an interstate and the entire neighborhood would have become an on-ramp)

Thanks for answering!

The NW DMV is probably the most crowded. Go early in the morning to the SW one and you’ll be in and out super fast.

Georgetown is probably more of a change than simply moving into DC. They don’t really have a metro station there. You walk to Foggy Bottom, DuPont, or Rosslyn depending on vicinity

[deleted]

[deleted]

Yeah that was my understanding too

SW DMV was the nicest DMV experience I’ve ever had, between a couple of states across the country