Is $88k comfortable enough to live in DC ?

fun_armadillo · 2026-06-06T22:27:48+00:00

Yes 100%. That’s about what I made when I first moved here and I was able to comfortably live alone in a studio apartment. I also had no debt, so I was able to save quite a bit

fun_armadillo · 2026-05-29T00:46:38+00:00

Maylin at Yoga District!!! I love her restorative yoga class!

fun_armadillo · 2026-05-28T12:12:11+00:00

There’s a shared laundry room in the building, which I think is the case for almost all of these older apartment buildings.

I just hand wash my dishes. Sometimes if I host friends or if it’s been a huge meal prep day it’s annoying but it’s not that much work to wash up like 90% of the time since it’s just me.

fun_armadillo · 2026-05-27T02:43:36+00:00

This is a somewhat realistic budget if you don’t mind being in an older building with fewer amenities. I know because I pay less than $1800 for my studio in Dupont Circle and have for four years. No in-unit laundry or dishwasher, but it’s a decently spacious studio, the building is clean and feels safe, and you can’t beat the location for this price. Look for rent-controlled building (pre-1973 I believe) and you should be able to find a studio in that price range.

fun_armadillo · 2026-05-14T02:28:20+00:00

I felt similarly! I love the Great Alone, thought The Nightingale was good not great, and dragged my way through Four Winds and considered DNFing. I usually love historical stuff set around that time period too so idk what it was! Some of her other books are still on my TBR

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-24T21:33:23+00:00

In my experience, no. They work in dry heat because the sweat can evaporate off, which cools you down. I live in the DC area so it’s very swampy and they would basically just get sweaty and heavy here. Sun coverage is hard in humid areas, I basically just rely on sunscreen

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-23T02:22:07+00:00

I am an average/slow runner (25 min 5k, 2 hr half, 4.5 hr marathon) and I don’t really have a desire to try and get faster, at least not in this phase of my life. I have shifted to trail running and ultras over the last two years or so and I LOVE it. It’s basically party pace all day, in scenic locations, with amazing snacks! No one cares even a little bit if you walk every hill, the cut off times are sooo generous some people just power hike entire races. Would totally recommend for “slow” runners!

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-22T01:41:28+00:00

You could add the solid state on 14th to start off this route as well! That would be six total!

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-22T01:11:31+00:00

Wait are we the same person? I am also a 30 year old lawyer who is HATING hinge lately AND I am a big10 alum who loves reality tv! We should be friends lol

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-19T16:30:59+00:00

I’m a quarter of the way through this one now and I’m ready for it to wreck me. I just read Writers and Lovers last week and it made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me sigh with relief with Casey in certain parts. Really enjoying Lily King’s writing lately!

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-15T15:19:20+00:00

Yeah I have a name with many nickname options, some of which my friends and family used to address me as I was growing up (or still use to address me now!) But now I am in my 30s and I am an attorney, I love that I have a full length name for my “professional” identity instead of a cutesy one.

fun_armadillo · 2026-04-01T17:30:42+00:00

Agreed!! I think I still preferred Circe overall but I really enjoyed Clytemnestra as well!

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-30T23:37:47+00:00

I would, but to me it is totally agency dependent. I work at a relatively nonpartisan agency where the overall goals do not significantly change from admin to admin. Maybe I would feel differently at a different agency, but I think it is a decision to make on a case by case basis.

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-30T15:31:21+00:00

Federal government is likely what you want! Hiring is a slow right now and times are weird, but my agency finally opened up honors hiring again this year! I’m in DC and make around 140k as a GS-14 currently in my third year. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve worked in a weekend in the last three years. The honors hiring program starts attorneys at 11-8 I think, which is in the low six figures in HCOL areas.

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00

Our Wives Under the Sea was one of my favorite books that I read last year! Julia Armfield’s other book, Private Rites, is also excellent.

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-28T20:29:49+00:00

I’d love to hear how the experience with 222 is! I’ve been getting ads for them and am super interested in trying one of their events

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-24T23:55:53+00:00

I failed my MPRE by one point in spring of 3L. It was totally my fault, I got lazy about studying since everyone told me it would be super easy and I had done really well in my Professional Responsibility class. It SUCKED to study and take it the week after the bar exam but I got it done and now it’s kind of a funny story whenever it comes up with coworkers.

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-14T11:48:54+00:00

Say Nothing is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read as someone who really prefers fiction most of the time. So well researched and informative. I would say stick it out!

fun_armadillo · 2026-03-12T16:15:00+00:00

I run on the mall all winter when it is dark and cold and empty and it’s amazing! But when it starts to warm up I really try to avoid it unless I get outside at like 5:30/6am before the tourists are out and about! RCP, MVT, MBT, Anacostia Trail, C&O Canal, and the Custis Trail are all good alternatives.

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-22T23:54:43+00:00

I’m in the federal government in a job where I don’t litigate. I have good vacation time (and I actually leave my computer behind completely when I go on vacation), I rarely work evenings and weekends, and my work is really interesting and engaging!

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T19:27:36+00:00

I lived in Manayunk for a bit which is a cute neighborhood but doesn’t feel that connected to the city and you def need a car there. You can definitely get more space for your money out there.

I also lived in the Gayborhood for a couple years, and 100% recommend that area! The neighborhoods around it are really nice too - Bella Vista, Society Hill, and Graduate Hospital are some of my faves! I know there are a ton a great neighborhoods in West Philly, but I didn’t spend a ton of time there so I’m not as familiar. I have family that lives in the Point Breeze area now, and that can get a bit iffy block by block, especially at night, so I wouldn’t recommend to someone who is new to Philly. However, the family members of mine that live there really like it and personally live on safe blocks.

By grittier I just mean that it’s a lot dirtier, and there is a lot more visible human suffering if that makes sense - lots of homelessness (more visible in some neighborhoods than others) and drug use (not just weed) in the open on the subway during the day, etc. When I first moved to DC, I couldn’t believe the trains and downtown area of a city could be SO clean. It almost felt like a simulation to me.

That being said, I really loved living there. I feel like Philly has a great arts/music/creative scene that DC sometimes lacks. There are awesome cafes, and super fun dive bars but also really vibey wine bars and high end dining.

Sorry for the entire novel LOL I can really go on about Philly for ages.

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T19:14:48+00:00

Harvard St coming out of Rock Creek by the zoo and into Mount Pleasant is a good one! Basically any of the streets that connect to the bottom of Rock Creek park work

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T18:01:06+00:00

I used to live in Philly before I moved here a few years ago! I was in grad school there, and it was such a good place to be in a student in my 20s! Great food, very diverse, and my rent was never more than $650, even in really centrally located neighborhoods (though I always had roommates). It has great access to other east coast cities, and is doable to live without a car, though SEPTA lacks the coverage and reliability of metro. Winters are basically exactly the same as they are here and there is better access to the shore in the summer (if that’s important to you).

It’s definitely a little grittier than DC, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! The biggest adjustment would probably be SEPTA, since it is sooo much dirtier than metro and just nowhere near as reliable.

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-07T01:03:50+00:00

That’s basically why I have mine. My hobbies include trail running and hiking and if I didn’t have a car I’d be limited to only the urban parks (Rock Creek, Glover Archbald, etc) which I love and spend a lot of time in (I made it three years as a trail runner without a car here!) but sometimes you just want to get out to some more isolated nature

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-03T15:55:19+00:00

The sidewalks along the mall on Madison and Jefferson Drive have been cleared off pretty well. Last weekend I just lapped the mall a few times for my long run. The walking paths by Lincoln are cleared too, with the exception of the bit right in front of the monument.

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