[Joe 6-pack]

I had some aunts and uncles that retired from the military and settled down in Alexandria, VA. Back when I was a kid in the early 70s, it was always a big treat to go see them on vacation and go into DC to see the museums, monuments and other sites. When I went to Gettysburg College in the late 80's, it was nice to drive down on the weekends, take a date to the Smithsonian and dinner at any number of restaurants in Old Town Alexandria.

Last time I was in the area for any amount of time was around 20 years ago when I left the Army and out-processed from Ft. Meade.

Sad that it has become what it is today.

[AppyPappy]

My daughter lives in Arlington and I think she is sick of it. She told me she has ridden the Metro one time since Covid and that was to attend the BLM March.

[sphinx]

DC now vs. DC 20 years ago? Night and day. The schools are a lagging, not leading, indicator, but we now have people moving onto Capitol Hill to be in-boundary for a couple of our local public elementary schools. That was unheard of when my kids were young; either you paid for private schools or you moved to the ‘burbs. (The crunch will come in middle and high school, where DCPS has yet to show much progress.) The sketchy neighborhoods are transitioning fast. The poor are being priced out. Steet awareness is still important, especially in transitioning areas, but the city is trending the right way.