I’ve accepted a job in Washington DC. “Je change de cap de capitale” as Camille puts it. I’ve spent less than a week there but here are a few of my observations, a list of DC-isms if you will.
a) List-servs: Many of the contacts I initially made offered to send out messages on their list-servs for housing opportunities. My host notes, “People still do yahoo groups here”
b) Five Guys- This burger joint is originally from Arlington but has now become a national chain. Much like Seattle and Starbucks, DC is secretly proud.
c) Themed Happy Hours- They’re everywhere.
d) Silly 20-30 something events i.e. A giant viral snowball fight during last year’s “Snowpocalypse”, commute to work sans pants day… These kinds of activities and themed happy hours may be a kind of release from the stress of government internships, administrative non-profit work, and the like.
e) Go Go music Here’s a mini-documentary about this music endemic to DC
f) People ask you which terminal degree(s) you have, employers request to see your transcripts, and graduate school is assumed.
g) Racial/Ethnic distribution map I’ll be moving to a predominantly African American neighborhood with an Eritrean cultural community center, an Ethiopian minority, and a Salvadoran community nearby.
h) Gentrification- The neighborhood is changing quickly. The Washington Apartments used to be “the projects” in the 70s but have since been renovated and are now an affordable leasing option for people of all backgrounds (including me!). On one block you may encounter a boarded-up, abandoned building, an expensive town house, a historical row-house which had been nearly destroyed in the riots and is being protected and restored by the city, a new store front, an empty lot, a CVS and a community garden. This indicates the rapidly changing nature of downtown DC.
i) Respect for the metro and its serenity Talking on your cell phone in the metro is frowned upon- literally. Radios and audible music are prohibited and metro users follow the rule. Nearly no one eats or drinks aboard. The metro is a communal space that is kept clean and quiet.
j) Attire: Lots of people dress business casual or The Gap meets J Crew meets United Colors of Benetton most of the time with some hipster styles thrown in the mix. It’s not like NYC where anything goes…
k) Reggaeton on at Whole Foods
