What Makes DC Unique?

During our Experiential Learning seminar, we learned about what makes Washington DC tick. What is it about this city that sets it apart from all others? Several interesting observations were made.


DC is a unique city for many reasons. The first reason may seem random, but it is a vital part to understanding the pulse of the city- Public Transportation. With its extensive metrorail and bus systems, DC is a model city for the use of public transportation. Unlike most large cities, the public transportation system was not developed in order to address the issue of reducing traffic. The main reason for the construction of the public transportation system was to create a means for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to enter the heart of the city where the well paying jobs were located. DC’s public transportation system was among the first of its kind in this respect. An interesting fact to note is that DC’s population is roughly between 500,000-600,000. During the workweek, the number of people in DC swells to over one million. This influx of working professionals from outside into the core of the city is mind-boggling. The public transportation system is just one of many reasons that DC is different than most American cities.

Another factor that contributes to DC’s distinctiveness is its street culture. For some, this may be viewed as a negative, but in fact, it serves a very positive purpose in communities. Loitering in DC actually makes neighborhoods safer. Usually the characters that one sees lingering in a certain area of the sidewalk, or under a particular doorframe, are silent observers and protectors of a domain that they feel personally invested in and responsible for. Typically homeless, these invisible neighborhood watchmen are among the first to be interviewed by police after an incident, because they are experts on what usually goes on in the area, and they notice when people enter the scene that do not belong there. Looking at street culture from a slightly different perspective, one realizes that interaction and loitering on the streets was the original intent behind the design of the city. Washington, DC was designed by a Frenchman, L’Enfant. When creating his designs for the city, he envisioned a Paris-like scenario, where wide sidewalks would enable people to gather for public discourse about hot topics of the day, and where outdoor cafes and markets could be set up for people to mill about. DC was built specifically to enable and foster a street culture.

Another interesting aspect of DC is its level of civic involvement. Even though DC is the capital of the greatest nation in the world, the sad truth is that its populace has very low voter turnouts. True Washingtonians usually are not as engaged in the political arena. Maybe this is due to the fact that DC folks feel that they have no real voice- and in some respects, they have a point. When America exerted her independence, her rallying cry was “No taxation without representation,” yet those who live in her capital city fall into this category. Even though they are taxed, DC has no representative in the House, or Senator in the Senate. It is an interesting paradox to consider.

DC is also unique because of gentrification; the process of revitalizing run-down neighborhoods and turning the up-and-coming areas into family friendly places to live. The drawback to this redevelopment is that it causes home prices to skyrocket, and forces families who have lived in DC for generations into a place where they no longer can afford their property taxes. This interesting dichotomy- how an action that can cause so much good (turning a run-down row home into a beautiful town house), can also cause so much harm (unintentionally forcing people to leave the city that they have called home for their entire lives).

While DC does have its indigenous populace, people who were born in the city, raised in the city, and will be proud to die in the city, DC is also home to a large percentage of transplants. People from all across the country, and all across the globe for that matter, make their way to DC. Perhaps some of these people started out as one of the 200,000 interns who flood the capitol each summer, fell in love with the city, and decided to stay. One thing that you will find here is that when people first meet you, they ask you two very telling questions: 1) “Where do you work?” and 2) “Where are you from?”. DC is definitely a city run by young professionals. Who you are is closely identified with what you do, or what firm or company you work for. Also, seldom do you meet someone who is actually from DC. Almost all are transplants from some other state. One person who has lived in the city for years made the comment that, of her say, forty acquaintances, thirty-five states are represented. Not only do people flock to DC from the states, they come to city from places all over the world. One professor joked that the only place other than DC with more Ethiopians is Ethiopia. DC is a very diverse place. While predominantly African-American, there is also a large percentage of Latin, Asian, and Indian populations as well. It makes DC a very colorful and interesting place to be.