For people who live in Washington State...?
I love it here but it's VERY expensive to live. The weather here is great. I love the change of seasons but the fact our winters tend to be very mild compared to other areas equally North on the East coast. I love all the mountains - going hiking, just seeing them from my front windows since I'm up on a hill. Also love all the water - rivers, the lakes, Puget Sound. Where I live it's only an hour and fifteen minutes to the Canadian border. I live in Everett, WA, which is just 20-30 minutes out of Seattle. Where you choose to live really depends on what you can afford. Housing prices are way down right now due to the crappy economy. Rentals as well.
***Living in Texas vs Washington**?
Texas is great. You will love it. In this order would I live in Texas cities : Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi, etc. So I would live in Houston ahead of San Antonio. Just my opinion.
Bellingham, WA or Asheville NC?
I have never been to NC, furthest south I have been on east coast is Maryland. I lived in Bellingham, WA for two years, and live just an hour from there now (in vancouver, BC, Canada). I cannot compare it to Asheville, or NC in general, but I CAN tell you the cool things about Bellingham. Bellingham is the perfect size for a city, about 75,000. Large enough to have all the needed amenities, but small enough that you can be out in the country in five minutes. And what a country it is! Mountains, fields, hiking, biking, water, the coast, boating, camping, skiing, snow boarding ... all within a half hour drive or less. True, there is rain, though not quite as much as Seattle area. And a bit of snow in winter, but not alot unless you are in the hills/mountains. And not-to-hot summers. Lots to see and do .... there are clubs, shopping, movies, of course, as well as some very excellent museums, a good library, a lot of community activities, a good live theatre, music galore ... Cost of living is cheaper than large cities. No income tax in the state, though there is an 8% sales tax. And ... an hour and a half from Seattle, and an hour from Vancouver, BC .... and vancouver has everything! It also has ferries to the San Jauns, Victoria BC, and if you are really wanting a cool vacation .. Alaska! If you love nature ... choose Bellingham!!!
How painful is it to live in liberal hellholes?
I will name a few: Seattle, Portland, California, Ann Arbor, Boulder and parts of New York City. These places are so bad, Ann Arbor was, that I became a hardcore Republican for a few years. I'm back to political sanity again. I don't live there anymore thank god, but everytime I meet someone from Seattle or Portland, they live up to the liberal weirdo, extremist stereotype, and remind me of why I never want to be anywhere near places like that. Remember, I vote Democrat, I don't support the Iraq War...but I hate leftist weirdos. These people are possibly the most annoying ******* sons of bitches I've ever met in my life, next to goths. Anyone share my sentiments?
What are the best places for an intern to live in Washington DC?
I'm assuming that you'll be interning a three months or so and then heading back to home (wherever that is) for this answer. Also, I'm going to assume you won't be driving, because parking is frequently insanely expensive and most offices don't cover it, but will cover public transit. Make sure it's easy for you to get from where you're staying to your job. If you can find a room on Capitol Hill, and you can walk to work from there, take it. Being able to walk to your office will save you a ton of grief.But given how many types of internships there are in DC, it's very likely that you're going to have to commute. So if you're relying on our Metro to get around, you don't want a lot of transfers: each transfer is a potential choke point. There's a great deal of cheap housing in Columbia Heights and Petworth, but if your internship is in suburbs like Bethesda or Alexandria, they're the wrong neighborhoods for you. Takoma is great if your internship is near Union Station or Dupont Circle, since you won't have to leave the red line, but if you need to get to Capitol South, you're better off in Eastern Market or Crystal City. One thing to remember is that people in DC tend to think in terms of Metro stops, so much so that neighborhoods grow around them.You also should walk around the neighborhood you might live in and see if you feel comfortable, plus you should check out the SpotCrime Crime Map of the area. I'm a reasonably big guy, and I felt safe in Southwest DC a decade ago, but it was a transitional neighborhood then, and a 105 pound female friend of mine was scared when she visited. Check with where you'll be interning and ask for recommendations.
Can I live comfortably in the Washington, D.C., area, in a safe community with a salary of $80,000 - $85,000? I am open to commuting from Virginia.
That depends on your definition of “comfortably.” There are MANY (maybe even most?) people who do, but if you have high-interest debts, inflexible ideas about the size home you require or near-by amenities, it might be tighter. Housing in DC and the close-in suburbs is the third highest in the country, but there are a lot of options.Personally I choose to trade size and some apartment amenities for reduced commuting (which I loathe), ready access to lots of activities and terrific restaurants, and proximity to many friends. I haven’t needed a car in almost 20 years - combining car-sharing and Uber/Lyft with mass transit.But if you have small children requiring day care, or insist on private schools, it may be tighter. Those aren’t factors for most people I know, although plenty of people do raise families in the middle of the city.Best advice is make a list of must-haves and deal-breakers, then plan a visit after plenty of research. Don’t leap into buying a house or condo until you’ve found a favorite neighborhood or two and lived in the city for a year. And come prepared to embrace the city. Then you’ll love it.