DC: Overall Impression

So I come to my concluding post on DC. I'm just going to make a few observations:

• DC is the most European American city (that I've seen) 

I think it must be a combination of the building height restrictions (which as I've mentioned before, are bad) and all the monolithic government buildings. My parents said it reminded them of Moscow or maybe Vienna. That having been said, DC still has many American elements. In the big monuments and war memorial area, I was struck by how many huge fields of grass there were. All the green space was like an individual monument to America's obsession with suburban lawns. I thought the most euro-American object of all was the National Cathedral. As you walk in, you are reminded of countless gothic cathedrals in Europe, but as you look closer, you see all these unmistakably American details. Woodrow Wilson's grave is inside, paratroopers, civil war generals, and a moon rock decorate stained glass windows, and even Darth Vader makes an appearance.

• DC is really young

With the exception of when I'm inside of a school, I've never felt like I was surrounded by so many young people as when I was in DC. Indeed, DC made #7 in a 2013 ranking of the youngest cities. I think many of the lobbying jobs and political internships attract all the yuppies.

• DC would be cooler without height restrictions 

It gives DC a unique feel, but the height restrictions means that DC doesn't have a very impressive skyline compared to other cities. Even more important than my aesthetic concerns is the fact that these height restrictions are extremely costly! When you have a denser city, transportation is easier without the sprawl, there are more retail and food options in any given area, and most importantly, rent costs are lower which brings down every other price. There's even evidence in the economic literature that density leads to higher worker productivity and wages. 

I was very glad to go to DC! It was a novel experience to live alone and work in a big city for two weeks. As an aspiring economist, I may very well return to the city someday. It is home to many employers of economists, including the Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve as well as a variety of other federal departments. I thought it was a great city, and if they just allowed some dang skyscrapers, then the sky would literally be the limit.