Here in DC, the city is divided into four quarters. Like the districts in the Hunger Games, each quarter is known for a specific demographic. At the very center is the Capital Building.
Start at Southwest. Southwest is industrial. Warehouses, blue-collar jobs, but then you cross the water to Alexandria and have million dollar condos. People don't really live in Southwest (I'm sure there are houses, but nobody thinks about it as a residential area) and any that do are forgotten. If you were to say "I live in Southwest", people just get confused and ask if you mean Alexandria. Southwest is purgatory.
Southeast. Southeast is where you don't want to go if you are A) Not black B)Financially well-off C)Without an edge. Southeast is the crime and punishment quarter. This is the area that most closely matches Baltimore, and has a long, long, long history of Violence. People who live in Southeast are considered the poorest of the poor, and the undesirables.
Northeast is Podunk. There is nothing to do in Northeast except go elsewhere. You are away from the tall buildings and night life, but you live on the edge. the edge of safety. The edge of prosperity. People don't want to go to your house because it just isnt close enough to the things they want to do and they might have to walk through a bad neighborhood to get there.
And then you have Northwest; the shining beacon of money and everything you could ever want. The streets are clean and safe. There are Starbucks and Au Bon Pain everywhere. The buildings are shiny and attractive and rent is about $2100 minimum for 600 sq.ft. Northwest is mostly white. Mostly government salaries. Mostly fitness/yoga/crossfit enthusiasts who shop at Whole Foods and pay a lot of money for the convenience of spending more money.
![[Image: penn_quarter_otavio.jpg]](http://assets.urbanturf.com/dc/images/blog/2011/02/penn_quarter_otavio.jpg)
There is obviously one option. If you want to feel like your shit is together, and you want others to see your shit might be together, you have to open the floodgates of your bank account in DC. While everyone in NW looks well-off, in truth they all work their asses off to keep that appearance going. Some even live paycheck to paycheck. The economy here is so disgustingly bad and we all pretend it isn't, and shrug at the $20 lunch we just had even though we are crying inside. Northwest is beautiful and ideal, and you are surrounded by beautiful, happy people. And it's real happiness. But underneath, most people are living beyond their means just to be a part of relevant society.
Start at Southwest. Southwest is industrial. Warehouses, blue-collar jobs, but then you cross the water to Alexandria and have million dollar condos. People don't really live in Southwest (I'm sure there are houses, but nobody thinks about it as a residential area) and any that do are forgotten. If you were to say "I live in Southwest", people just get confused and ask if you mean Alexandria. Southwest is purgatory.
Southeast. Southeast is where you don't want to go if you are A) Not black B)Financially well-off C)Without an edge. Southeast is the crime and punishment quarter. This is the area that most closely matches Baltimore, and has a long, long, long history of Violence. People who live in Southeast are considered the poorest of the poor, and the undesirables.
Northeast is Podunk. There is nothing to do in Northeast except go elsewhere. You are away from the tall buildings and night life, but you live on the edge. the edge of safety. The edge of prosperity. People don't want to go to your house because it just isnt close enough to the things they want to do and they might have to walk through a bad neighborhood to get there.
And then you have Northwest; the shining beacon of money and everything you could ever want. The streets are clean and safe. There are Starbucks and Au Bon Pain everywhere. The buildings are shiny and attractive and rent is about $2100 minimum for 600 sq.ft. Northwest is mostly white. Mostly government salaries. Mostly fitness/yoga/crossfit enthusiasts who shop at Whole Foods and pay a lot of money for the convenience of spending more money.
There is obviously one option. If you want to feel like your shit is together, and you want others to see your shit might be together, you have to open the floodgates of your bank account in DC. While everyone in NW looks well-off, in truth they all work their asses off to keep that appearance going. Some even live paycheck to paycheck. The economy here is so disgustingly bad and we all pretend it isn't, and shrug at the $20 lunch we just had even though we are crying inside. Northwest is beautiful and ideal, and you are surrounded by beautiful, happy people. And it's real happiness. But underneath, most people are living beyond their means just to be a part of relevant society.
