It makes logistics easier if you're going to have an armed mob assault the Capitol to be able to store your stuff close by.

Okay? DC is not the one saying DC residents don't have a vote. That's decided by Congress.

DC doesn't require anyone to lose their voting rights. That's decided by Congress - and as you noted no one who lives in DC has a vote.

I would drop Dupont/waterfront from Day 3 and spread Day 2 over both 2 and 3. Dupont Circle and the waterfront are okay for going out for dinner but not worth a full day unless you have some particular connection to them.

Rent a car instead of driving your car. You can do one way rentals and not have to worry about parking.

The next "greatest bull market ever" will probably happen a couple of times in your lifetime. You want to be as invested as possible before that happens and nobody can predict when it will.

If you need that money for other priorities that's one thing. Go spend it on that instead. If this is money for retirement then it isn't doing the job you assigned it while it is parked in cash.

It's the smaller parks littered throughout the city that are the problem. NPS doesn't take good care of them but refuses to let the city do it.

I love the idea of National Parks but the longer I live in DC the more I come to hate whoever is actually running the show at NPS. The way they operate here is more about maintaining a fiefdom than actually having great parks for the public.

Selling a house takes time and you aren't guaranteed to be able to sell at a price that will break even, let alone be profitable. Counting on being able to sell later when the chips are down is not something I would do.

When you say max out retirement accounts, you do know just putting the money in isn't enough and you have to invest it, right? So many people make that mistake that it's worth checking.

The wiki here has a flowchart that is really good. Your situation doesn't need a financial advisor. Just follow the flowchart. Keep enough liquid savings to cover your needs based on how likely you are to lose your job and invest the rest.

Why are you even considering DC? If you have social commitments in NoVa you won't enjoy schlepping between there and DC all the time. Plenty of places outside of DC that are more likely to fit your budget and won't require you to drive in DC if you hate that.

Sherry's is the closest one to you I can think of that has a surprisingly broad selection. It's more impersonal than Calvert Woodley so if you want a person to tell you what to get that's the better store even though their range won't be as interesting.

It's further, but I really like Ace Beverage. I'm more of a rum drinker and their selection is unparalleled within city limits. In general they have a surprisingly sophisticated selection given it's across from a big school (American University) and I've been impressed by the other stuff they carry in other categories. Bonus, they offer delivery (and do it themselves, not with some janky delivery service) within DC for a nominal fee which I use a lot because I live about as far from them as you can get.

Or people are just stealing the cool looking lights? Did they leave a note? "Dear Sir/Madam, because I hate Halloween I have stolen your purple and orange lights. Cease celebrating this holiday which I despise, or next year I will wait until late November and strike again!"

Find a new bank or credit union and save yourself the hassle of average daily balance requirements. Otherwise, keep the amount you're required to in the account.

I knew a guy who claimed he was good enough with Bloomberg's API that he didn't need a terminal. If you're tech savvy and want to do financial things then maybe API access (still costs money but cheaper than a terminal) is right for you. If you want actual hands on experience then you will probably have to pay for one yourself or get a job that has it.

You should have itemized bills from before and after. Look at them. Where is the difference coming from on the bill?

In general, attempts to game your income for qualifying purposes will not help you and may hinder you.

Yeah as one friend put it, "the rich have a revealed preference for more money."

That wiki is the best "real world" advice I have ever seen for personal finance. What exactly do you think is missing?

Read the wiki. It covers the basics including what you should invest in. If you don't know what you're doing (and also even if you do), then buying and holding using a "three fund" portfolio is almost always the best choice when it comes to maximizing returns over the long term.

No expert, but in my experience I was shocked by how prevalent tattoos are everywhere else in the US after living in DC for awhile. Depends on industry and friends and who you know and etc. I don't think having them is necessarily a problem. But compared to California tattoos are definitely going to be unusual.