Washington, D.C. is a beautiful place to live with opportunities and sights found nowhere else on earth.
Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is situated on the Potomac River, nestled in between Maryland and Virginia. The city was designed by French architect, Pierre L'Enfant. George Washington commissioned him to lay out the buildings and streets much like Paris, with wide streets spreading out like rays from the government buildings, monuments, and parks. If you are moving to Washington, D.C., you will find that the street layout is extremely interesting and scenic, but it can be a nightmare to navigate if you don't own a proper map. Get a map of the city and study it before venturing out in your car. Note one-way streets, highways that begin and end sporadically, and streets that meander through parks, stop, and start again in another area.
Once in D.C., people new to the area will find it a beautiful city in which to live. The people of D.C. are proud of their capital city and much like a European city; you'll often find geranium-filled window boxes on the many old-fashioned apartment buildings, and flower stands and outdoor cafes along the streets. History abounds in D.C. and most of the attractions and museums are free, so you will want to take advantage of all it has to offer.
Unless you're moving from California or New York, you might be surprised at the cost of living in D.C. Apartment costs are astronomical and homes for sale are few and far between. Most people who work in D.C. commute in from Maryland and Virginia. The nearby communities of Arlington and Alexandria, in Virginia, are just across the river, though their housing prices aren't much better. Farther south in Virginia are rolling hill with quaint country towns from which many people commute. Maryland has suburbs reaching nearly as far north as Baltimore where many D.C. workers live. Many commuters do ride sharing and public transportation includes a metro train system and a city bus system. The metro train goes far into both Maryland and Virginia.
Jobs are plentiful in the nation's capital. From government careers to jobs in the museums to big business, high tech, law, and medicine, retail and sales, D.C. is a big city that has something for everyone. Neighboring cities in Virginia and Maryland offer many as well. Each town and community has its own public school system, and some of the most renowned private schools in the country are found in the greater D.C. area. Fairfax County schools in Virginia are touted as one of the best public school systems in the country. Colleges and Universities also abound, from excellent community colleges dotted around the area to the high end universities such as Georgetown and American University.
D.C. is so well known for government affairs, that many forget there is a local government in the city of D.C., as well as the local governments in Maryland and Virginia. These seats of leadership take care of the residents and citizens providing the basic necessities such as water, power, waste removal, road maintenance, and public education. Travel in and out of D.C. is easy with two international airports, Amtrak, Greyhound bus services, and multiple interstate highways branching out all around the city.
If you are planning a move to the nation's capital, brace yourself for the traffic and be aware of the crime rate; it is, after all, a very large city. But Washington, D.C. is a beautiful place to live with opportunities and sights found nowhere else on earth.
