Dear PoPville – Why so many DC haters?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Joe in DC

Dear PoPville,

I live in DC, and I’m really enjoying the changes taking place around the city. As a committed resident, I am relieved that DC is finally seeing some positive and constructive changes (though admittedly aspects of gentrification are creating majority equality gaps), growing up, DC had a lot of sad tales to tell and hardly anyone outside the beltway was listening.

Last year, after securing a job I’m very happy with, I moved downtown – I live at Harvard and Sherman and I absolutely love it. I am loving DC and everything new and old it has to offer. I’m friendly with my old neighborhood neighbors and making new friends from all over the world. I have been pleasantly surprised by how much DC is pleasing me and how content I’m finding myself to be here. I do find the haters who live here to be annoying, but at least they live here and have tangible examples to refer to in their vast wailing and complaining. It’s not it, it’s you.

Stream of consciousness, I digress, the purpose of this email, because I am somewhat confused… there have been many recent articles that absolutely hate on DC [ed. note: The Post’s Dan Zak had a good response to the Cindy Adams screed] from individuals living in other cities around the country – the only thing I can surmise is that DC may finally be cool?? Are we doing well enough (restaurants, cultural activities, bars, locally owned, grown, honed, public transport & cycling, pop ups of all kinds, great concerts for every eclectic taste, shops & boutiques & vintage, breweries, etc etc etc ) to have haters?

I think the answer is yes, but I was hoping for PoPville to confirm. (I suppose I was wondering what others’ thoughts were on why we’re trying to be knocked down a peg … are we somehow the popular kids now?) This was poorly worded, my apologies, I hope you understand what I am hardly articulating. Thank you.