Hard up voting because this is a reminder the Catholic church is an institution that has systematic child sexual abuse and they have consistently fought any and all accountability for it. Listen to the victims.

DC zoning limits have a large number of issues which strike me as outright arbitrary. This is one of them.

Actually this is something you are absolutely wrong on. It's not widely distributed. In terms of homicides and violent crime it is highly concentrated east of the river and if it's west of the river in Ward 5. But even then its not close to ward 7 and 8.

Petty theft is more widely distributed, but that is the case everywhere.

There is a geographic element in DC. It's not like the entire city is actively dangerous. There is definitely a geographic element to it. It shows up in the data as well.

I have been here for 16 years. So it's been awhile. I have never experienced any problems with the DMV.

It was never really that bad in DC. In fact DC always had one of the more painless DMVs. At least compared to where I came from in Illinois.

I would say the problem with the Trump presidency was when his supporters came in from out of town. Especially to harass local residents. I remember in December of 2020 and a few other times when the proud boys went around beating up people. Likewise the other time his fascist supporters showed up to march around. Never mind the whole January 6th thing and the nightmare of the response to the BLM protests. Just in general this man was a nightmare for the city. Biden has been subdued. Trump was horrific on occasion. The celebration when he lost the election was great though. The Obama era was awesome though. That I agree with. I want that back.

One thing to be cognizant of is for people in DC people outside of it don't exist socially. It is a rough area to be in when new if you move to the suburbs first. It is better to move to the city first. Despite what some people in Arlington may think. I found Arlington one of the most isolating places to be at first. Most people inside DC will not go into Arlington. While Arlington may think it is close, it's close to downtown and Georgetown, but most people in DC don't spend much time in Georgetown and most of downtown is offices.

Now mind you once you have been here for awhile and social circles are relatively secure the suburbs are okay. But it is I'll advised for someone new. The suburbs are for people with kids mostly. Trust me being able to walk home or take a short metro ride is a benefit.

If you are leaving graduate school it is a great city to be in for work. Especially in comparison to Midwestern cities. However, people tend to be more direct in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. So it may come off as negative in certain respects sometimes.

However, it is a great city to live in, at least in my opinion.

This is really the best suggestion. Taller building means more concrete.

Well intentioned but poorly conceived that will result in fewer lower income people ultimately getting housing.

There are far better options out there.

Buying concert tickets is also always a solid option.

But I agree...avoid the big events and go local restaurant or bar.