Possibly moving to DC from Canada

So I may be moving to DC for my work. Likely going to end up renting, since I don't really want to buy for just a couple of years.

I don't really have any specific questions, just looking to get a general feel of the area and what I can expect from the local population. Topics include:
- living expenses (food, gas, furniture, etc)
- entertainment
- local travel/sight seeing
- legalities (how strict are the local police? are there odd laws that I should be aware of?)
- general experiences that might be noteworthy to a foreigner

Also, I'm a firearms enthusiast and I would like to continue pursuing that. I only own a Remington 597 and will most likely sell it before moving, so I'm not concerned about importing anything. Just local laws and whether purchase/use of firearms is restricted to citizens or just residents.

Keep in mind, that the only thing I know about DC is that it stands for District of Columbia (isn't that in South America?). Other than that. Nothing.

 

Living expenses in DC are going to be very high. If you would be able to do a small drive for work you could look in to the dc suburbs.
Gas and food is high for the area, gas will run you around $4 a gallon right now. When the wife and i had an apartment in the Baltimore suburbs we spent about $150 a week on groceries.
Traffic is re-fucking-dicules in the dc area. Any day of the week, any time of day expect a traffic backup.

For entertainment there is always something to get into. You willalso be a short drive from Baltimore so you wont be bored.

As far as police its hard to say every officer is different, but understand you will have maryland law enforcement, Virginia law enforcement, dc law enforcement, ive even seen homeland security pulling traffic stops, and they all are normally very strict.

I dont know about dc gun laws but i can say dont bring a handgun of any type to maryland, zero tolerance.

If possible i would recommend a long weekend stay in the area to "test out the waters"

I forgot to add car insurance for cost of living, car insurance in the area is outrageous. Also a large percentage of the population cant drive for shit, a daily driver beater car is highly recommend, its a matter if "when" not "if" some asshole hits your car around here.

 

So this is looking like it's more and more likely now. Hope my taco doesn't get too badly beat up!

 

Invest in some armor. Sliders, heavy-duty F & R bumpers.
Also, DC gun laws are notoriously f*cked up. You'll want to do some heavy research on the local laws there because from what I've heard they're full of loopholes and stumbling blocks to try and f*ck you over. Like, you can go to jail if you get pulled over with ammo in your car, even if you don't have a gun in it. Or that certain bullets for a legal gun are illegal.
For example:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/26/miller-exclusive-shock-verdict-mark-witaschek-guil/?page=all

 

Living in DC isnt as bad as some make it out to be. I moved here four years ago and enjoy it.

You'll have to remember that there are some no-no's like trying to drive on the mall or climb the white house fence. Generally local police has been helpful.

There are no offroad spots close by and may involve driving an hour or two to find some.

In my opinion, the cost of living is comparable to that of VA and MD. That being said, house/rent prices are less the further you go away from DC. Also, since you intend to rent, location and size of apt/house will have some bearing on the cost.

There are lots to see and visit in DC if you like museums and sight seeing. In terms of entertainment and restaurants there are places that will keep you busy and your stomach filled.

Please feel free to shoot any questions my way, I'll try to help.

 

So here's a little update for you guys. I'm officially living in Arlington and working in DC. The traffic down here is absolutely INSANE compared to what I'm used to. I've spent the last week or so checking out armour bumpers, since I'm convinced that my baby is going to be assaulted by some jackoff in a kia soul sooner rather than later. One problem with that though, is the parking garage at work is tiny. My truck is still stock height and it's very close to scraping the sprinkler pipes. So my desire for a lift has been put on hold for the next 3 years.

Anyways, I'm still excited for the experience to come. Hope to see some guys on the road around here.

-Ryan

 

Nice thing about this area is that everything is very close together. You can go 20 miles out of dx and be in all different worlds. Yes it is expensive....but pay usually is higher in this area. Depending on how you want to commute your options will open up more. Hopefully all goes well!

 

Kia Soul drivers; you notice that, too.