Bona Fide City Girl

Every once in a while living in the city you get the question "Why do you live in DC?" After all, there are plenty of bright, shining suburban communities surrounding DC. They would be more convenient to live in and cheaper, the argument is. You could drive to the grocery store. You could have a yard, a dog, laundry in your apartment, more space, a latte at Starbucks... The question is generally delivered in a tone of voice that implies the asker of the question thinks you are a little crazy. It's as if they are asking you "Why did you visit Canada for vacation in the middle of winter?"

Well, askers of this question, those who live in the suburban forests surrounding the city, here is my reply:

I live in the city, D.C. proper, because our nation's capital is one of the greatest cities on the Eastern Seaboard. I live in D.C. because that way, I can say I live two miles due north of the White House. I live in D.C. because if the Prez and First Lady happen to be out and about, I may run into them. I live in D.C. because I delight in seeing motorcades when I walk home from work. I live in D.C. because if I want to see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian, I can. I live in D.C. because if I want Chinese at 1 a.m. I can order it. I live in D.C. because the 'burbs are not! cheaper, especially when you consider time spent commuting and the difference in lifestyle. I live in D.C. because I can walk anywhere and everywhere in half an hour, whether it is to the Farmer's Market (see, the country comes to me), a bar, a coffee shop, a metro stop, a bookstore, a great restaurant, one of the dozens of great museums, theater, shopping... and the list goes on. I live in D.C. because it is a beautiful city and if I need green space, I go to a park which I do not have to maintain myself.

And on a more serious note, I live in D.C., I live in cities because I love the mix of people and cultures. Just in my tiny neighborhood I can get: Chinese, Indian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Ghanaian, Italian, English, French, Moroccan, Japanese, Belgian, El Salvadoran, Brazilian, Peruvian, Argentinean, and of course American food. My neighborhood is nearly a third, a third, a third white, Hispanic and black, with a small Asian population mixed in. My neighbors are young and old, black and white, purple and green, gay and straight, married and single. This mix of cultures and peoples just feels right to me. And that is why I live in D.C.

What's more, I have always loved living in the city. Since I moved away from my Midwestern hometown to go to college, I have lived in dense, urban areas, the only exception being the summer I spent out West. And to those who, as a follow up to asking me "Why do you live in D.C.?" tell me that when I have kids, I'll flee to the 'burbs if I don't before then, I have a few parting thoughts. While I am not going to promise I will never leave the city, any city, I will say that if I have to go someone is going to have to drag me out, kicking and screaming.