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Moving to Washington, D.C.

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Any move presents its unique challenges, but moving to the nation’s capital and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world can be particularly challenging.

In many cases, your move to DC won’t be by choice; major corporations, such as AOL, Lockheed Martin, Exxon Mobil, and US Air, are headquartered in DC and maintain large numbers of employees. On the other hand, however, Washington is a great place to move if you want to get your foot in the door of government or public policy. Thousands of young professionals, idealistic or not, have gone to DC to get involved in shaping public policy, whether in government or with private firms.

Once you move to DC, you’ll be faced by some of the drawbacks of big city life. DC has legendarily frustrating traffic and one of the higher costs of living in the country. In addition, the city government is just now putting some of its past problems behind it, and DC has always had a relatively high crime rate. Finally, DC has the largest economic gap in the country (twenty percent of its residents live below the poverty line), and it is a challenge (and opportunity) to fight that disparity.

If you can, avoid moving to DC during busy periods, especially if you plan to be moving into the district itself. If you’re going to be moving into a house, check if the owner occupies the house and determine what exactly you will be paying for, heating bills can be well over a hundred dollars for even the smallest apartments.

Once you get settled in, you’ll have a hundred little details that you won’t realize you forgot until you arrive. Here is a head start:

· Auto Information: Head to the DC Department of Motor Vehicle’s web site at http://dmv.dc.gov for information on changing your license and your car’s registration.

· Schools: In addition to its many universities, DC has a wide array of both public and private schools from pre-K to high school. Check out the DC public schools at: http://www.k12.dc.us/DCPS/home.html

· Address: Changing your address is free at the post office, and you can have your mail forwarded from your old address for several months. You’ll also want to change your address for all your bills and to have your utilities turned on at your new home.

· Voter Registration: Go to the DC Board of Elections and Ethics web site at http://www.dcboee.org/ to print the voter registration form.

Once you get to town, get to know your immediate area and then start to explore the rest of the city. Take advantage of all DC has to offer: its historic side, its ethnic sides, and its cultural aspects. The longer you live in DC, the more you will discover.

Sources:

http://www.post-gazette.com

http://realtytimes.com

http://www.about.com

http://www.insiders.com

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