Think long and hard before going to D.C. Although there are many job prospects, living expenses are considerable. Society is heavily influenced by your line of work, and the summers may be brutally hot (and let’s not even mention the insects). The District, as some locals prefer to call it, is a title that no other city in the nation can claim. D.C. also succeeds in combining a more global vibe with a small-town one. The city’s distinctive neighborhoods, which are dispersed across four geographic quadrants that determine street addresses, feature international embassies, various communities, and a diversified cuisine scene. The skyline of the city is formed by stringent development restrictions.

Easy To Get Around

The District rates well among walkable urban districts as a result of the city’s development history and patterns, which created a relatively plain street grid. The D.C. metro region ranked fourth for walkable urbanism in a 2019 analysis from George Washington University, trailing only New York City, Denver, and Boston in terms of places where individuals can fulfill most of their needs close to their homes. In particular, the research noted that Washington, DC, “is a paradigm for walkable urban growth, due to its balanced development of the core city and urbanizing suburbs.” Additionally to being beneficial to your health, doing so will allow you to meet up with friends and go to social gatherings like brunch and happy hour, two staples of life in the District. Additionally, it benefits the environment because fewer people driving or riding in cars results in less pollution and less gas use. Did we mention that the city is a global leader in sustainable architecture?

Parks

According to a recent survey by the Trust for Public Land, which ranked D.C. No. 1 among metropolitan park systems in the U.S., 98 percent of city residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park from Northwest to Southeast. The District’s area is made up of about 5% parks, with a median park size of 1.4 acres. Although the city also maintains a parks department, the National Park Service oversees the majority of these parks. Particularly impressive is Rock Creek Park, which is the oldest urban park in the nation and more than twice the size of Central Park in New York City. (Aside from that, it’s a stunning spot to hike.) The parks in D.C. are valuable throughout the year, whether as locations for picnics and concerts in the spring or as havens during the notoriously humid summer. Take in the grass and trees while relaxing on a blanket and perhaps a book.

Housing

The booming economy and population of D.C. have led to a rise in housing demand. But the supply has not kept up with demand because of zoning regulations, high land costs, and other issues. For many longtime residents as well as first-time homebuyers, the median sales price for a property in D.C. in July 2022 was above $652,000. It was the most expensive July in the previous ten years and was up 4% over the previous year. UrbanTurf estimates that since 2013, the median property price Washington, DC Houses for Sale has climbed by almost 30%. One-bedroom apartment rents, particularly those close to public transportation, can easily go above $2,000 per month. Simply said, the rent is too costly. Although there are some indications that the District’s population growth rate is reducing, the trend is still upward.