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[joearchaeologist]

New York was a wonderful place to live and I didn't mind the fact that people weren't automatically friendly (and living abroad I've lived in places where people are far less friendly).  One thing that bothered me though was the fact that when you met someone new they were always seemed to be measuring you up and/or puffing themselves up in your presence.  This seemed mostly to be a male practice and was nearly always done by someone who wasn't from NYC proper originally (which was most of the young people).  There was a feeing that people judged you more on what you did than your character.  I've found this sizing up to be much less of an issue in the Midwest or other areas of the country.   

Ha, yes.  I imagine this is much more common in midtown where the investment banks are (a magnet for newly minted MBA's from around the country), and not so common elsewhere in NYC.

Clearly, though, you've not spent much time in DC.  You just described half of the city--those folks literally wears their name tags all day long, even on the subway, to show off their status.  The other half of the city is mostly poor, African American, and forgotten.  Weird place.

[eddyman]

I think you are probably right, from my visits to DC and from the accounts of friends living there, DC does seem to be like that.  And yes my experience with this mostly applied to Manhattan but the interest in status (not seen in terms of cars or houses but the right clothing, the right stroller, the right bag, etc.) went further than the 212 area code.  Of course, I am talking about a certain hipster/intellectual/yuppie/mostly white demographic. 

[joearchaeologist]

I think you are probably right, from my visits to DC and from the accounts of friends living there, DC does seem to be like that.  And yes my experience with this mostly applied to Manhattan but the interest in status (not seen in terms of cars or houses but the right clothing, the right stroller, the right bag, etc.) went further than the 212 area code.  Of course, I am talking about a certain hipster/intellectual/yuppie/mostly white demographic. 

As someone recently trying to navigate the stroller thing, I definitely know what you're talking about!

[prytania3]

I think you are probably right, from my visits to DC and from the accounts of friends living there, DC does seem to be like that.  And yes my experience with this mostly applied to Manhattan but the interest in status (not seen in terms of cars or houses but the right clothing, the right stroller, the right bag, etc.) went further than the 212 area code.  Of course, I am talking about a certain hipster/intellectual/yuppie/mostly white demographic. 

I love NYC, but you are right, and it's not just the guys from Goldman. NYC is full of a**holes  (though nowhere like CT), but the thing is with so many people, you can always find a group you like.

[veggiesrock]

I lived in Astoria for a number of years. I loved it there are great restaurants and a beautiful park there. My subway stop was the last on the Ditmars line. If you have a car this is the place to be due to the free parking. If you are willing to be several blocks for the subway, you can get a bigger place. I was in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen for $1400 It was double the size of the same descriptions that were close to the subway for the same amount of money. The beauty of the last stop on the Ditmars line is that you almost always have an open train and you can find a seat on the train which means no standing on the way to work. (Unfortunately, the same isn't on the way home.)

[prytania3]

I lived in Astoria for a number of years. I loved it there are great restaurants and a beautiful park there. My subway stop was the last on the Ditmars line. If you have a car this is the place to be due to the free parking. If you are willing to be several blocks for the subway, you can get a bigger place. I was in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen for $1400 It was double the size of the same descriptions that were close to the subway for the same amount of money. The beauty of the last stop on the Ditmars line is that you almost always have an open train and you can find a seat on the train which means no standing on the way to work. (Unfortunately, the same isn't on the way home.)

I used to live in that neighborhood, too. Is Lefkos Pirgos still there? I lived on 28th Street and 33rd. I lived there twice.

[jonesey]

I lived in Astoria for a number of years. I loved it there are great restaurants and a beautiful park there. My subway stop was the last on the Ditmars line. If you have a car this is the place to be due to the free parking. If you are willing to be several blocks for the subway, you can get a bigger place. I was in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen for $1400 It was double the size of the same descriptions that were close to the subway for the same amount of money. The beauty of the last stop on the Ditmars line is that you almost always have an open train and you can find a seat on the train which means no standing on the way to work. (Unfortunately, the same isn't on the way home.)

I used to live in that neighborhood, too. Is Lefkos Pirgos still there? I lived on 28th Street and 33rd. I lived there twice.

Pry, is it that far to commute if you moved back?  Wait, you teach in CT, so, yes, I suppose it is.  That's too bad; rents are very low in W. Heights now (I've looked since you and several others mentioned that neighborhood on the CHE). 

[prytania3]

I lived in Astoria for a number of years. I loved it there are great restaurants and a beautiful park there. My subway stop was the last on the Ditmars line. If you have a car this is the place to be due to the free parking. If you are willing to be several blocks for the subway, you can get a bigger place. I was in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen for $1400 It was double the size of the same descriptions that were close to the subway for the same amount of money. The beauty of the last stop on the Ditmars line is that you almost always have an open train and you can find a seat on the train which means no standing on the way to work. (Unfortunately, the same isn't on the way home.)

I used to live in that neighborhood, too. Is Lefkos Pirgos still there? I lived on 28th Street and 33rd. I lived there twice.

Pry, is it that far to commute if you moved back?  Wait, you teach in CT, so, yes, I suppose it is.  That's too bad; rents are very low in W. Heights now (I've looked since you and several others mentioned that neighborhood on the CHE). 

Jonesy, I owned a 4-bedroom apartment in the Heights, and I'm not going back there and rent. Anyway, it wouldn't be the same.

[jonesey]

I lived in Astoria for a number of years. I loved it there are great restaurants and a beautiful park there. My subway stop was the last on the Ditmars line. If you have a car this is the place to be due to the free parking. If you are willing to be several blocks for the subway, you can get a bigger place. I was in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, huge kitchen for $1400 It was double the size of the same descriptions that were close to the subway for the same amount of money. The beauty of the last stop on the Ditmars line is that you almost always have an open train and you can find a seat on the train which means no standing on the way to work. (Unfortunately, the same isn't on the way home.)

I used to live in that neighborhood, too. Is Lefkos Pirgos still there? I lived on 28th Street and 33rd. I lived there twice.

Pry, is it that far to commute if you moved back?  Wait, you teach in CT, so, yes, I suppose it is.  That's too bad; rents are very low in W. Heights now (I've looked since you and several others mentioned that neighborhood on the CHE). 

Jonesy, I owned a 4-bedroom apartment in the Heights, and I'm not going back there and rent. Anyway, it wouldn't be the same.

Good point.  NYC sounds like California; you can leave, but its damn hard to come back if you do.  : )

[dr_prephd]

Clearly, though, you've not spent much time in DC.  You just described half of the city--those folks literally wears their name tags all day long, even on the subway, to show off their status.  The other half of the city is mostly poor, African American, and forgotten.  Weird place.

Ha! Yes, so true. I was thinking the same thing. The first question I'm asked when I meet someone new is about what I do. (Of course, I don't think that's unique to D.C. It is, however, a function of a place where most of the intellectuals are "imports" from somewhere else and most of the locals are, well... um... I don't know any true locals [meaning people who were born & raised here]).

But we really don't wear our nametags to show our status (or at least I don't). It's because those nametags are coded for access to work, Metro, train / bus, and in some cases, home. It's like keys, but much less easy to pull in and out of bags when using mass transit / walking around the busier parts of the city. Keeping them all together on a lanyard is just an easy way to travel without the distraction of searching for the right card at the right time.