DC as a 'transitional' city

As a lifelong DC area resident, nothing pisses me off more than people that slag DC as a 'transitional' or 'transient' city.

The people that slag it with this label are the assholes that are the problem!

To anyone near the front right of the stage at Belle and Sebastian may have seen/heard a perfect example.

A tall (six foot something), lanky college kid had to push himself near the front right of the stage just before B&S came on. When people started giving him shit he ignored them and pulled 4 friends up with him. Then he argued, "God, this city sucks! The people here are no fun! They're just grumpy…it's such a 'transitional' city!!! I can't stand it! I need to go back to Texas." After telling him he should transition his ass back now. He just bitched some more, "You don't understand. I got on stage with them at the Constitution Hall show!!!"

After drinking the two mixed drinks he dragged up with him he started passing out and saying "This show sucks…This city sucks…".

And to you I say, go back to Texas. Have fun with your newly found flamboyant lifestyle that you obviously haven't come to grips with judging by the amount of alcohol you consumed. They'll love you in Texas!

You'll soon realize. It's you! Not the city that sucks!

But the city really does seem to be a transitional city. Most of the people I have met here grew up somewhere else. Infact the only people I have met who are from here are the odd old taxi drivers.

Did the majority of people you know here grow up here?

Originally posted by I am Markie. Annoy Mattie:
But the city really does seem to be a transitional city. Most of the people I have met here grew up somewhere else. Infact the only people I have met who are from here are the odd old taxi drivers.

Did the majority of people you know here grow up here?

But isn't that the rule in all US cities? This is actually why I think that life in the US is behind that of other places (of course it also has its advantages); people grow up in one city, then they go to college somewhere else and find a job somewhere else (and things go on if they get a master's degree or change their job), people in the US move from one city to another a lot. Again this has many advantages, but to me it also has a big disadvantage, US people tend to be more solitary and private than in most other countries.

No. Just some of the big cities such as DC, NY, LA and a few others. I do think that it's happening to more cities than it did maybe 25 years or so ago. For example, Phoenix, Arizona, which is relatively a new metropolitan city, which consists of many newer residents.

The present-day economy has rendered most places "transitional"; the labor force is more peripatetic than ever. Case in point: how well do you know your neighbors?

i think DC is pretty great - i do know a lot of people who are from around here, and a lot who aren't. but it's not as though people breeze in and out of town in a few month's time. people who come here from small country towns and then bitch about it bother me. i'd prefer it if they just went home to go have sex with their sisters. :roll:

I agree. Mr. Texas ought to try putting up with Baltimore! When a good show finally does come to town (and it's been relatively good the past year or so) they often go very well. It's just all the freaking waiting or having to haul our asses down to DC all the time. And then you have to put up with Baltimore, itself, in between the shows. :(

Oh, yeah; I forgot the most important part, Baltimore is NOT a transitional town. Unless you count all the locals who are moving the Hell out as fast as they can. About the only ones moving in are the Social Service set because they get more here or doctors who work at Hopkins. For the most part, Baltimore consists mostly of long time local families.

Originally posted by I Heart Walkie:
i think DC is pretty great - i do know a lot of people who are from around here, and a lot who aren't. but it's not as though people breeze in and out of town in a few month's time. people who come here from small country towns and then bitch about it bother me. i'd prefer it if they just went home to go have sex with their sisters. :roll:

yeah but paige, you probably think everywhere that is not one of the 10 largest cities is a small country town

Originally posted by I am Markie. Annoy Mattie:
yeah but paige, you probably think everywhere that is not one of the 10 largest cities is a small country town

not necessarily, m'dear. size isn't everything, now is it? :p

Originally posted by I Heart Walkie:
not necessarily, m'dear. size isn't everything, now is it? :p

did walkie really tell you that?

Originally posted by I am Markie. Annoy Mattie:

Originally posted by I Heart Walkie:
not necessarily, m'dear. size isn't everything, now is it? :p

did walkie really tell you that?

no, that was you making excuses to me last weekend.

was it ryan adams?

I'll clarify it to say 90% of the non-natives I know aren't like this.

My ex-inlaw's would always say it. They moved to Arkansas. :eek:

pittsburgh is quite the opposite. everyone is there is from pittsburgh. well, not EVERYone, but most. and it gets old really quick. but the nature of washington lends itself to having alot of people that come and go. who would want to work on the hill all their lives?

Of course there is a large transistional population in DC. With congress and all the embassies there how could it not be? I bet though if you were to go away from the snazzy parts of town to the east side that you would find a lot more long time residents (generations there).

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
pittsburgh is quite the opposite. everyone is there is from pittsburgh. well, not EVERYone, but most. and it gets old really quick. but the nature of washington lends itself to having alot of people that come and go. who would want to work on the hill all their lives?

st.louis is similar to pittsburgh in that way, everybody has been there forever and nobody can imagine leaving, it is really disgusting sometimes, it means the city never changes and also means it remains segragated economically and racially, I love the fact that dc has new people all the time, I came here for college and have been here almost 10 years and have no plans of leaving soon

Originally posted by I Heart Walkie:
i'd prefer it if they just went home to go have sex with their sisters. :roll:

If I move to a small town can I have sex with their sisters?

As for Pittsburgh, of course it's not transitional..who in their right mind actually moves TO Pittsburgh?

were it not for the fact that my brother is moving back into the area i would be considerig transitioning outta here… after six years the traffic, cost of housing,and the general me first attidude of those who do transition in and out are getting on my nerves

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
… after six years the traffic, cost of housing,and the general me first attidude of those who do transition in and out are getting on my nerves

All joking aside, I do agree with Kosmo's statement wholeheartedly, which is why we're out of here in less than two years. I lived in this area for 20 years though. Does that still make me one of the "transitionals"?

But the Bottle Rockets are from St. Louis, so it can't be all bad.

Originally posted by pollard:

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
pittsburgh is quite the opposite. everyone is there is from pittsburgh. well, not EVERYone, but most. and it gets old really quick. but the nature of washington lends itself to having alot of people that come and go. who would want to work on the hill all their lives?

st.louis is similar to pittsburgh in that way, everybody has been there forever and nobody can imagine leaving, it is really disgusting sometimes, it means the city never changes and also means it remains segragated economically and racially, I love the fact that dc has new people all the time, I came here for college and have been here almost 10 years and have no plans of leaving soon