I'll throw in my comments about Washington D.C./Northern Virginia.
I've lived here about ten years (first five in Northern Virginia, the past five in downtown DC)
Pros:
1.) The tech community here is actually quite good. It definitely feels like it's gotten better since I've lived here. There's no shortage of smart folks working on cool things, even if they are a little more spread out geographically.
2.) While I wouldn't say it's "recession-proof", the area is certainly way less effected by the economy. You can attribute that to the preponderance of government and government-related industries here.
3.) Public transportation is mediocre. Some people think it's great, some people think it's awful. I would say it's somewhere in between. If you live downtown you can get around most places on the Metro. Northern Virginia is accessible out a little ways to Arlington, then it gets sparse.
4.) There's a lot to see downtown if friends or family come to visit. The museums are nice (and free), but I think after a couple months here you'll have had your fill.
5.) You're fairly close to a lot of other places. NYC is a four hour train ride (or a $20 bus ride), Philly is even closer. You have three airports in the immediate area, so you can get to most other places directly.
Cons:
1.) It's really expensive. I moved here from Northern California and was dumbfounded that rent was as expensive here (without the benefit of living near the beach). Like most places, you can find things for cheap if you're willing to commute (or if you live in DC, you can find things for cheap if your willing to live in one of the not-good parts of the city, of which there are many).
2.) Food isn't particularly good. Which isn't to say that there aren't good restaurants, but there's a huge drop-off after you get down from uber-expensive. Oh, and there isn't a single good pizza place in a 30-mile radius of the city.
3.) There is a giant preponderance of government-related folks. This isn't a con for everyone, but anywhere downtown is filled with lobbyists. On a related note, it's also a little weird to live somewhere that is so caught up with politics where your vote doesn't matter (we have no representation in Congress). Local politics is a cesspool, made worse by the fact that DC is cuckolded by Congress.
4.) Some may disagree, but I think the weather here is terrible. It's oppressively hot and humid in the summer (actually four or five months) and then cold and gross in the winter.
5.) If you live in DC, you are relegated to a few neighborhoods that aren't awful. It's changing over time (even just in the time I've lived here), but as to whether that's an improvement is open to debate. If you're talking Northern Virginia, you're pretty much limited to Arlington if you want a semblance of other people. As soon as you start to go west, it's all strip-malls and suburbs.
I've been trying to leave for about nine of the ten years I've lived here, but I know plenty of people who like it here. If you wind up in one of the up-and-coming neighborhoods and meet some good folks, you can enjoy yourself here. Just don't try and look for good pizza.
My parents live in Northern Virginia and I've gone to some tech events there. Compared to SF/Boston/NYC I felt like there was more of a focus on milking government contracts than on creating startups. The average age of people in the technical community seems older than in other areas.
Also, because of all the government jobs, the housing market didn't decline as much as the rest of the country, i.e. there's still a housing bubble there. Traffic there is pretty insane too and is related to the high housing costs.
It's not all bad though, there are some good things about the area that stand out. The public schools in Maryland and Northern Virginia, especially Thomas Jefferson, are really good.
I used to live in Washington and I thought it was a great place for a semi-foodie like myself. There are certainly some great "uber-expensive" restaurants there, but there are a lot that don't break the bank. Matchbox, Heritage India, Jaleo, Luigi's, Old Glory...
I loved the pizza at Armand's (Chicago-style) and 2 Amys (Neapolitan).
Northern Virginia dining could be hit-or-miss, but the Great American Restaurants chain was my absolute favorite. The food and the service at all of their restaurants is top-notch. Have you been to Coastal Flats/Sweetwater Tavern/etc.?
I disagree on both your pizza choices, but I may just be a pizza snob ;)
Sweetwater is actually my favorite restaurant in the area. Everything there is awesome, and it's priced very reasonably.
There's good eating in Northern Virginia, it's just very spread out. Ironically, I had much better experiences with restaurants when I lived in Northern Virginia than when I moved to DC (I just had to drive more).
I travel a lot to the DC area and although I am with the both of you when it comes to the paltry food selection, I think 2 Amys is probably one of the best pizza places (non chains
) south of Maryland. In general the food is pretty "dingy" in DC.
However, you are never too far from a good slice of apple pie and cheddar cheese.
I was just in DC for the first time last weekend and thought Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle was, all things considered, pretty tasty. I don't think it's as good as Via Tribunali here in Seattle, but I certainly enjoyed it.
Excellent choice. A tip to other would be visitors to DC: Pizza Paradiso has a beer list that would impress any serious beer aficionado, and it worth going to just for that. And unlike a lot of places with a good beer list, the beers are fresh and the list changes regularly.
Back on topic, I found DC area to be not particularly geared towards startups. There is a lot of IT/software business in the area, but it's overwhelmingly about government contracts. It's not like SF or Seattle where real products and companies are getting invented, built, funded, etc every day.
While DC is an interesting place to live for a short while, I can't really recommend it as a destination. The traffic is horrendous. The climate is weird (how a place can be so sticky and humid in summer, and so bone-chillingly cold in winter, I'll never know). The culture is not especially geared towards entrepreneurial types. And it's expensive.
I lived in DC for 7 years. Some of these are redundant.
pros:
1. public transit. Metro is pretty good, bus is fantastic within the district. A car is a liability in the district. Outside the district ... well why would you want to go there anyway?
2. Diverse neighborhoods. Gentrification has been creeping west to east across the city, but between lily white Georgetown and what remains of "Chocolate City" in Southeast are a number of incredibly diverse communities.
3. I think the food is pretty good. The K St/downtown area it's pretty lousy, but its not hard to get good eats in Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Dupont, U St, and parts of Northeast. If you can find the real thing, the half smokes are damn good.
4. Ambitious people who give a shit about interesting things. Bars are packed with 20 somethings who work for nonprofits saving the gay ostriches of Namibia. Yet almost everyone is cynical enough that they don't actually expect to change the world.
5. Exceptional parks. Decent hiking in Virginia national parks. Not far from decent beaches.
6. Surprisingly good biking despite the dumb fucks on their cell phones. The city is packed with bike messengers who are aggressive and keep the cabbies in line. Traffic is bad enough that cyclists are more worried about hitting a car than vice versa.
7. Not nearly as dangerous as it's made out to be. Crime is for tourists and dealers. Take a stroll through some of the Northeast neighborhoods and you'll get mugged. Live in those neighborhoods and you'll be fine.
cons:
1. The rest of the country sends their most ambitious lawyers to DC. Fortunately, most of them live in NoVa or never leave Capitol Hill so you probably won't have to actually interact with them.
2. Crap tech scene. Mostly gov and large contractor stuff who have piss poor standards.
3. Rent. Although, if you aren't a prick you can find some decent places in the "rougher" parts of Northeast.
4. Southeast is a little bit of Beirut circa 1980. No, you will never have to go there, but knowing that it exists is kind of a constant bummer.
5. Local politics is ridiculous. Marion Barry is a national punchline, and he's definitely not the worst of DC politics. Congressional control + the landlord lobby makes for a giant clusterfuck.
I really don't see what's so bad about the weather. I grew up in Florida for most of my life, so some people may think I'm crazy to say this. The weather in Florida was usually too hot for me, and living around here I feel like I get a good balance of seasons (no season in Florida!). This fall has been amazing! Nothing wrong with a bit of snow, too, even though last winter was pretty crazy (my first winter here). I feel like I drove better than locals, and I'm a Floridian who had never driven in snow before. I gave up counting how many cars I saw abandoned off the side of the road after, I presume, they had lost control.
Where are you finding out about all the events in the DC area? I just moved back here after 8 years and feel like I know nothing about what's going on locally. I am signed up for DC Startup Digest, any other suggestions?
I made the move from DC/NoVA to SF and couldn't be happier. I've done some job hoping in both places and can say that the work culture in SF is more lose, fun and creative.
I've lived here about ten years (first five in Northern Virginia, the past five in downtown DC)
Pros:
1.) The tech community here is actually quite good. It definitely feels like it's gotten better since I've lived here. There's no shortage of smart folks working on cool things, even if they are a little more spread out geographically.
2.) While I wouldn't say it's "recession-proof", the area is certainly way less effected by the economy. You can attribute that to the preponderance of government and government-related industries here.
3.) Public transportation is mediocre. Some people think it's great, some people think it's awful. I would say it's somewhere in between. If you live downtown you can get around most places on the Metro. Northern Virginia is accessible out a little ways to Arlington, then it gets sparse.
4.) There's a lot to see downtown if friends or family come to visit. The museums are nice (and free), but I think after a couple months here you'll have had your fill.
5.) You're fairly close to a lot of other places. NYC is a four hour train ride (or a $20 bus ride), Philly is even closer. You have three airports in the immediate area, so you can get to most other places directly.
Cons:
1.) It's really expensive. I moved here from Northern California and was dumbfounded that rent was as expensive here (without the benefit of living near the beach). Like most places, you can find things for cheap if you're willing to commute (or if you live in DC, you can find things for cheap if your willing to live in one of the not-good parts of the city, of which there are many).
2.) Food isn't particularly good. Which isn't to say that there aren't good restaurants, but there's a huge drop-off after you get down from uber-expensive. Oh, and there isn't a single good pizza place in a 30-mile radius of the city.
3.) There is a giant preponderance of government-related folks. This isn't a con for everyone, but anywhere downtown is filled with lobbyists. On a related note, it's also a little weird to live somewhere that is so caught up with politics where your vote doesn't matter (we have no representation in Congress). Local politics is a cesspool, made worse by the fact that DC is cuckolded by Congress.
4.) Some may disagree, but I think the weather here is terrible. It's oppressively hot and humid in the summer (actually four or five months) and then cold and gross in the winter.
5.) If you live in DC, you are relegated to a few neighborhoods that aren't awful. It's changing over time (even just in the time I've lived here), but as to whether that's an improvement is open to debate. If you're talking Northern Virginia, you're pretty much limited to Arlington if you want a semblance of other people. As soon as you start to go west, it's all strip-malls and suburbs.
I've been trying to leave for about nine of the ten years I've lived here, but I know plenty of people who like it here. If you wind up in one of the up-and-coming neighborhoods and meet some good folks, you can enjoy yourself here. Just don't try and look for good pizza.