Have a choice to move to either city. Regardless of which one I go to, I plan for this move to be the last one I make for a solid 20 years. I've never been to San Francisco, but I've spent at least 6 weeks in DC and loved every minute of it. Help me make my decision, Clutchfans.
20 years? DC, but you honestly can't go wrong either way How about some additional info like what you value or what you absolutely can't tolerate
I live in DC now, it's alright depending on the neighborhood. I'm also a college student, so I'm in a bit more self-contained environment and probably have different priorities. What's the situation (single,married,kids etc.) and what neighborhood are you thinking in DC?
Both will be expensive, but I would go with DC. There is more on the East Coast closer to travel to then on the West Coast. What are your interests and hobbies?
Well there's obvious factors to consider: climate, transit, cost of living, education/schools, attractions, culture, crime, food, economy, etc. I get the feeling I'd like SF's weather more, being as temperate as it is. The extremes of the seasons are quite annoying to me. DC is relatively well rounded in this aspect compared to a place like Houston, but the highs and lows are nothing compared to SF. DC's transit system is wonderful to me. SF has tons of ground transport, but the DC Metro is just a step above. SF has greater density though, so it's more walker-biker friendly. I think it's a wash, all told. But if I had to pick one, I'd go with DC. Cost of living is a total ballbuster in SF, and would possibly force me 30+ minutes outside of the city proper. Winner is DC there, but not by a ton. Education? No idea. When I say 20+ years, basically I mean I plan to raise a family there. Both are well educated cities, but the part of DC I'm looking at is one of the most educated places in the entire US. Attractions... the free museums and whatnot all over the place in DC are nice. SF has more natural attractions I suppose. I guess the heart of this is two-fold. Attractions as in nightlife for singles, and attractions as in tourist stuff. Not sure who wins that. SF's culture is probably too liberal even for me. I have no problem with keeping stuff weird, but I do value being on time and formality in my business dealings. DC is liberal too, but it seems to have more diversity. Crime, food, economy? Not sure. I'm guessing DC has worse crime. SF probably has better food. What's the future outlook for either place's job market? They seem relatively equal.
If you can afford it, SF and it's not even close. I'm outside of SF and I love it. Moved here a few years ago, best decision I've made.
Lived in Arlington, VA for a couple of years and loved every second of it. Plan on getting back there one day. I enjoyed the bar scene (pretty diverse, IMO), public transportation, easy access to other major cities, food, and walkability of the city. Really, there's nothing other than cost that I didn't like about living in the DC area.
One thing you may want to consider is how difficult it will be have a car in SF if you live relatively close to the city center. I've vacationed in SF and have visited relatives in the DC area many times. The freedom to actually have a car in the DC suburbs was incredibly valuable.
Girls in San Francisco who are 7's think they're 10's because there aren't enough 10's there. In DC, the rotation of hot young naive female interns who think they're going to make a difference in the world are endless. Of course, none of this matters if you're already settled down. Actually, if that's the case, San Francisco might be the better town.
After thinking about it, unless you could actually live in San Francisco itself, I would choose DC. Lviving in the suburbs up here suck imo.
DC unless you can afford SF. SF to me would be a top 3 city behind NYC and Chicago. DC is in my top 5 or 6. They're both great cities, DC will be much more affordable though and probably better bang for your buck overall. Agree with you on the transit, DC has arguably the second or third most extensive public transport in the country. If you can shell out a weekend to go to SF though, do it. It helps when you can have an idea of how both cities are in person.
San Francisco, if you can afford it. It's one of my favorite American cities. Live there, and visit Washington!
It depends on your tastes. They are both great cities, but they are very different. I am an east coast guy and I like being a quick train ride away from Philly, NY, and even Boston. Really great cities close by. I also like seasons with a bit of snowfall. SF's weather is fantastic, but rarely any variation and can get boring for me. You might have different tastes. Public transportation is amazing in DC as you know. SF is very good as well in this regard. BART and the DC Subway are both relatively new and modern systems, but I'd give DC the edge in coverage. SF has taller buildings if you're into that. But they also have earthquakes there if you're worried about those. I'd go with DC just because I like being in the center of things, and you can't get closer to the center than DC. They are both fantastic cities though, and you are in an extremely fortunate to be in the position where you get to choose between those two. Good luck.
The Bay Area traffic is terrible. If you don't live in SF and have to commute to the SF plan for a good 1-1.5 hours. Also what do you do? If you are a software engineer obviously the bay is where you want to go.
Like many others have said, if you can actually afford to live IN San Francisco, then it's possibly one of the best cities in the WORLD to live in. However, if you live in the suburbs, then it can become one of the worst due to cost of living not lining up with the benefits you gain from it. I've never spent an extended amount of time in D.C., so I couldn't speak as to the pros and cons of living there, but I've heard great things. I'm guessing that the suburbs of D.C. are probably a little more palatable for the wallet, though.
I lived in Alamo, California (Bay Area) for 4 years and loved every minute of it and would happily live there the rest of my life. Can't tell you anything about DC.
