Digital Nomading (The Prequel): Why I Left Washington D.C.

In August 2025, I started on a six-month digital nomad trip around the U.S. My plan is to live in different cities for a few weeks to a month, to explore each location more deeply than a normal vacation would allow, and figure out where I want to live long-term.

After college, I moved to Washington, D.C. for work. I had only visited once before, but it left a good impression. The city felt walkable and vibrant, and was relatively close to New York, where many of my friends and family lived.

However, after living there, I quickly started getting bored of D.C. I found myself with nothing to do after work besides go to the gym or grab dinner with a friend, rinse and repeat. Food was overpriced and underwhelming, especially for a city of its size. The weather was often a bummer: Summers were too hot and humid to enjoy, and winters were cold and rainy without the cozy feeling brought by snow.

Once I landed a fully remote job, I decided it was time to move. After three years, I left D.C. to see what other U.S. cities might offer. These are my takeaways from three years living in the DMV.

My Washington D.C. scorecard

Food: 2.5/5. D.C. is a luxury food lovers’ paradise, but it’s hard to get a good quality, sit-down meal for $20-30. Food in D.C. is generally more expensive than a lot of other cities, as there’s a 10% food tax and restaurants frequently employ hidden fees. There are also very few good bakeries.
Cost of living: 2.5/5. Housing is expensive and getting more expensive quickly (thanks Amazon). Groceries are pretty reasonable, food is expensive.
Walkability: 4/5. I thought D.C. was very walkable – Wide sidewalks, long pedestrian walking signals, very few major highways or roads running between neighborhoods – but the surrounding areas in Virginia and Maryland felt highly unwalkable, with sidewalks ending abruptly / leading to nowhere, lack of walk signals, or a 2 minute drive translating into an hour-or-so long walk.
Public transportation: 4/5. The metro system is one of the best I’ve seen in the U.S. – Clean, relatively safe, air conditioned, and usually not too crowded. However, it suffers from limited connectivity between certain neighborhoods, high costs, and limited frequency and hours.
Cleanliness & safety: 3.5/5. D.C. is much cleaner compared to a lot of other major U.S. cities – No ever-present smell of piss, no trash all over the sidewalk, and only the occasional rat sighting. It also feels safe in most areas, save for the occasional crazy person and deserted streets in the evening.
Things to do in the city: 2/5. D.C. is a fantastic place to visit for a long weekend – lots of (free!) museums downtown and some nice neighborhoods to explore. However, actually living in D.C. was not at all exciting or eventful. I felt like most of the major attractions in D.C. were or could be done in a week. Beyond museums, I felt like the main things to do were to eat (expensive and often mid) or to shop (expensive and uninteresting – there also aren’t a ton of cute boutique stores).
Nature access: 2/5. The biking paths in the immediate D.C. area are really good. However, as far as world-class nature goes, access is relatively limited.
Drivability: 2/5. Traffic in the DMV is horrendous. Drivers are very aggressive. There are speed cameras everywhere in D.C. Roads, road signs, and exits are confusing. There is constantly construction going on in Maryland, making the lanes super narrow.
Weather: 2/5. Fall and late spring in D.C. are basically perfect, but every other time of year is kind of miserable.
People: 2.5/5. I think this is the default score I give when I don’t have a strong impression of the people in a city (I’m not talking about my D.C. friends, who I love dearly). People aren’t super friendly or super cold, save for particular spaces (rock climbing gyms have the friendliest people). There’s a stereotype that people in D.C. are very “networky” – I can’t really confirm or deny if that was the case from personal experience, since I wasn’t involved at all in government work.

Total score: 27/50. I was drawn in at first, but the lack of nature access, things to do, and poor drivability made me excited to leave after about a year.

What I liked about D.C.

Great high-end food scene: There are a ton of fantastic upscale and Michelin star restaurants, and I was lucky enough to visit a couple during work events. However, I never visited one of these restaurants on my own budget because it hurts to spend $50 on a meal.
Living conditions: While rent was expensive relative to most other cities, a similar price point also comes with a higher quality of living compared to New York. For example, in New York, $2,300 might get you a shoebox studio in an okay neighborhood with zero amenities, but in D.C., while $2,300 is a pretty “normal” price to see, you also get an in-unit washer & dryer and building amenities, like a front desk, gym, and package room.
Public transportation is clean and not crowded: Washington D.C. has a fantastic (albeit expensive) metro system. It’s pretty much never shoulder-to-shoulder and doesn’t usually smell!
Harris Teeter: Harris Teeter is probably one of the most affordable grocery stores I’ve been to for my specific diet. I’ve seen chicken for $0.99 per pound, and there’s usually a sale on some kind of fruit. I will say I’ve gotten a lot of moldy fruit from Harris Teeter over the years, picking through the stash takes some skill.
Top tier, free museums: This is a benefit to living in D.C. that I admittedly didn’t take enough advantage of. There are so many fantastic museums in D.C. – Art, natural history, cultural history, etc. and they’re all free. Definitely an 11/10 perk to living in the city.

What I didn’t like about D.C.

Limited good food options on a budget and hidden fees: For anyone on even a moderate budget ($15-30), good food options for sit-down restaurants are few and far between. Prices are often high compared to the quality, restaurants and cafes frequently employ mandatory hidden charges, and some cuisines (Asian food) are vastly underrepresented in D.C. Overall, the food is pretty middling for me because a lot of the good food didn’t feel financially accessible, whereas in other cities like New York or SF, there are also a lot of extremely affordable, incredible food options. Even good fast casual local spots in D.C. cost $15 or more, whereas in New York, a good fast casual spot could be $5 or less.
Bad bakeries: This deserves its own callout, because the quality of the average bakery (croissants specifically) in D.C. is absolutely abysmal (I call out some of my least favorite bakeries in D.C. at the bottom).
High cost of rent: Rent is expensive, and prices are getting higher very quickly. It’s not uncommon for apartments to raise rent by $100-200 per year.
Public transportation connectivity and timing are limited: The metro system is one of the few things I really appreciate about D.C., but it does get docked for a few reasons: First, it stops running between 1am-6am. Second, it’s very expensive during the weekdays (a normal commute could be $4 one-way). Third, it doesn’t run very frequently along certain routes (trains run once every 15 minutes) or connect certain points as well as I’d wish (no direct access to AdMo or Georgetown without a 30 minute walk). The bus system is slightly less reliable (sometimes they don’t come) but is decent and helps cover many areas the metro doesn’t.
Nature is hard to get to, and isn’t as diverse as in the Mountain West or on the West Coast: Shenandoah National Park is over two hours away. There are a couple areas to hike that are closer to D.C. (30 min – 1 hour), like Great Falls and Harper’s Ferry and Maryland Rock, but hiking options are limited in each of these areas, and the hikes don’t scratch the same itch as climbing a mountain or going out to an alpine lake. Southern Virginia and West Virginia have some nice spots, but the drive can take over 3 hours, making it difficult as a day trip.
Weather is miserable most of the year: It rains a lot in the winter, but it doesn’t really snow, so you’re cold, but not cozy. Summers are brutally hot and humid (frequently reaching 100F and stormy), but the humidity makes it so that I wanted to avoid going outside even on 80F days.
There’s just not much going on: I seldom felt excited by things going on in D.C. Many days I just didn’t feel a strong urge to leave the house. I think it’s likely some mix of everything being closed after 5pm (once the workday ends), the food being mid and expensive, and the city being very commuter-heavy.
There’s so much traffic: It’s impossible to get anywhere on the weekdays because traffic is awful. Usually I have to wait until after 7pm for traffic from commuters to clear up. It once took me 30 minutes to move about 0.3 of a mile during a morning commute.
Great biking trails: There are a ton of biking trails in D.C., and they are well-maintained and well-connected. I especially enjoyed the one from Ballston to Alexandria, where you could get there entirely connected by trails. City biking is also way cheaper in D.C. than New York – An hour ride costs about $5.

The best things I did in D.C., and some not-so-great things I did in D.C.

Hiking near D.C.

Shenandoah National Park (2-3 hour drive)
- Mary’s Rock: Fun hike to great views of the valley around Shenandoah.
- Dark Hollow Falls & Rose River Falls: Relatively short hike that can be made much shorter by cutting Rose River Falls, pretty steep at the end, leads to two beautiful waterfalls.
- Old Rag: Most iconic Shenandoah hike, 9 miles with a very steep uphill and a fun scramble near the top. The downhill / way back is boring but easy (along a fire road). Reservations required during busier months. The rocks have gotten pretty smooth / worn down from overuse so slipping slightly is common during the scramble, but it’s not at all exposed.
- Bearfence: Ultra short hike that’s entirely a scramble. Pretty fun and a nice test before committing to a longer hike like Old Rag.
- Blackrock Summit: Easy 1 mile hike, great spot for seeing mountain layers during golden hour.
- Stop by Broad Porch Coffee for incredible coffee, pastries, biscuit sandwiches, and great vibes (one of my favorite coffee shops of all time).
Great Falls Park (30 min drive)
- Billy Goat Trail: Most of this trail is a scramble across rocks, takes you around a section of Great Falls to see the rapids. Would not recommend during the summer, as the rocks get really hot and that makes it difficult to scramble.
Harpers Ferry (1 hour drive)
- Maryland Heights Trail: Pretty famous hike overlooking the river and town of Harpers Ferry. Gets quite crowded, relatively steep but not very long.
- Weverton Cliffs: Shorter hike than Maryland Heights, looks over the river but no views of Harpers Ferry town.
West Virginia (2-3 hour drive)
- Dolly Sods: Really beautiful area accessed through a bumpy dirt road. Loved the colors during the fall. There are lots of hike options, including a 26-mile loop or a 1-mile loop.
- Chimney Top: Steep hike up to some cool chimney-like rock formations that you can scramble on.
- Seneca Rocks: Another cool rock formation hike, closer to VA.
- Stop by TipTop Coffee and explore downtown Thomas.

Exploring the city

National Gallery: In my opinion, one of the best art museums in America (and it’s free!) – Massive collection, well-curated, beautiful building, etc.
- National Gallery Nights: Honestly, I thought National Gallery Nights were overrated, you don’t really get to see most of the art (most of the building is closed at night) and it’s very loud and crowded, so it’s hard to talk to people you came with. There are some fun themes and events associated with each, but I only felt compelled to go once.
- Guided Tour: This was a fantastic experience, kind of like taking a really good, short art history course. All of the tour guides are artists themselves, and they provide a lot of great historical and cultural context into key pieces in the museum.
National Portrait Gallery: Just based on my personal art preferences, I don’t love the National Portrait Gallery as much as the National Gallery, but it still has a ton of cool art and exhibits that I think are worth checking out.
Georgetown: Very cute red brick neighborhood, lots of high-end shopping and food, some cool boutiques. I like walking across the Key Bridge to get to Georgetown. It gets very, very busy on the weekends. Hard to access on public transportation (can walk 30 min from the Metro or transfer to a bus).
AdMo: Mostly residential neighborhood, but there’s a busy street with a lot of restaurants and bars. It’s another neighborhood that’s hard to get to directly with public transportation.
NoMa: NoMa is fun, although it feels very recently gentrified, with a lot of expensive shops popping up. I liked Union Market, which has tons of trendy food and stores, worth spending an afternoon here.
Eastern Market: Cool place for the weekend farmer’s market and the indoor market has Market Lunch, my favorite pancake spot in D.C.
Exploring the National Mall: Monuments, museums, etc. – There’s a lot to see here. It’s definitely a must-visit, but I don’t love this area, mostly because when you come here, it feels like you really have to commit. It’s not very close to public transportation or food, and it gets very crowded during certain seasons.
National Zoo: Not personally a big zoo person, but people love this place, and as far as a zoo goes, it’s really nice. I didn’t visit the pandas because the line was too long. They also have a seasonal event called “ZooLights” which I was told was basically the coolest thing ever (it was okay).
National Botanical Garden: Relatively small place, but with some cool plants and exhibits. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit.
Concerts, games, and events:
- “Around the World” Embassy Walk: It’s a really good event and seeing the embassies is cool, but the crowds are insane. I saw a close to one hour line to get into some embassies.
- Games: Lots of sports games happening. I hear D.C. teams are generally not so great, but it was fun to go to a couple of games.
- Concerts: A lot of artists stop by D.C. and the surrounding areas.

Weekend trips from D.C.

Davis & Thomas, WV: Tiny cute towns near some great hikes.
- I like the boutique stores, and TipTop Coffee in Thomas is one of my favorite coffee shops of all time.
Charlottesville, VA: Historic VA town and home to UVA.
- Charlottesville downtown is really nice, lots of red brick buildings and fun shops to walk around, it’s also not far from Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge Parkway so they make for a great weekend trip together.
- I love Mariebette Bakery & Cou Cou Rachou, both have fantastic pastries. Blue Mountain Brewery also has a great outdoor seating area and good food.
Baltimore, MD: D.C.’s cool neighbor city.
- Baltimore Inner Harbor waterfront is a really nice place to walk around, and I enjoyed walking around Johns Hopkins and the surrounding areas.
- Sacre Sucre has one of the best pain suisse I’ve ever had, and Pitango is decent as well.
Leesburg, VA: Historic town near Ashburn.
- I really only come to Leesburg for one reason, which is to visit Goosecup, a super cute cafe / casual wine spot – I love their mushroom flatbread.
- Other than Goosecup, the downtown has some stores, but most of them are kind of kitschy. There’s also a long bike trail that runs from D.C. all the way to Leesburg.
Alexandria, VA: Very pretty historic town by the waterfront, just outside of D.C.
- Old Town Alexandria has a bit of a small town feel while being just outside of D.C. I like taking the bike trail here (about an hour ride from where I used to live). It gets pretty crowded on weekends, when there’s a farmer’s market.
- Would recommend Namaste Jalsa for Indian food, Hypergoat (coffee shop) for the vibes, and Misha’s and St. Elmo’s for the donuts.
Assateague Island, VA: Island where wild horses can roam!
- Highly recommend renting a bike and exploring the island. The horses (including babies) are just roaming the island and you can observe them in their habitat.

D.C. Food: Biggest hits and biggest misses

Places I liked:

Restaurants:

M&N’s Pizza (Bethesda MD) ($$): One of my favorite pizza places in the world, the achari chicken pizza is unmatched.
Rooster & Owl (DC) ($$$$): Asian fusion Michelin-star tasting menu, creative and delicious.
Chloe (DC) ($$$): New American, pretty much every dish I’ve had here is great, special shoutout to the gnocchi.
Baan Mae (DC) ($$$): Love the crab curry.
Padaek (Multiple locations) ($$): Laotian & Thai food, they have fantastic dishes I’ve never seen anywhere else in the U.S.
Cranes (DC) ($$$): Former Michelin-star restaurant, their dishes are hit or miss but my favorites are the wagyu, pork ribs, and churros with black sesame & miso caramel.
Umai Nori (DC) ($$$): Best sushi in DC for sure.
Simply Banh Mi (Multiple locations) ($): Big fan of the vermicelli & grilled pork, don’t like the banh mi.
Pho Thang Long (Fairfax) ($): Banh mi is so good.
RASA (Multiple locations) ($): Fast casual and affordable, butter chicken burrito is fire.
Rasika (DC) ($$$): Delicious Indian food.
Spice 6 (DC) ($$): Dosa and naan pizzas.
Donburi (DC) ($$): Japanese bowls, reasonably priced.
Mai Thai (DC) ($$): Great thai place.
Karma (DC) ($$$): Expensive, but very good Indian food.
Soi 38 (DC) ($$): Another delicious thai place.
Happy Gemini (DC) ($$$): Great pizza and ice cream! (shoutout Happy Ice Cream Cart)
Namaste JALSA (Alexandria) ($$): Great momos, tandoori chicken, naan.
The Market Lunch (DC) ($$): Love the pancakes, reasonable price, long line but moves reasonably fast.
Duck Chang’s (Annandale) ($$): The duck is delicious and authentic.
K Street (Annandale) ($$): Bulgogi is fantastic.
Union Kitchen (Multiple locations) ($): Love their chicken pesto sandwich.
Pho 75 (Arlington) ($): Cash-only, service is off-putting, only serves pho, but food is good and very fast.
Sfoglina (Multiple locations) ($$$): It’s expensive, but the pasta and the $18 hazelnut chocolate cake are really good.
Thai Chef Street Food (DC) ($$): Pad see ew is good, prices are reasonable, and food is fast.

Bakeries:

Notice how short this list is!

Two Nine (DC) ($): Love the butter mochi.
Midori Tea House (Falls Church) ($$): Hojicha basque cheesecake and hojicha latte are both great.
Boulangerie Christophe (DC) ($$): Decent croissants, all the employees speak French so it’s clearly legit.
Seylou Bakery (DC) ($$): Love the sandwiches / bread, don’t like the croissants very much.
Pluma by Bluebird (DC) ($$): Great basque cheesecake.

Cafes:

Call Your Mother (DC) ($$): Have not tried the bagels (I hear they’re overrated) but I love their chocolate babka muffin.
St. Elmo’s (Alexandria) ($$): Year-round apple cider donuts!
Zeke’s Coffee (DC) ($): Great cold brew.
Misha’s (Alexandria) ($$): Fantastic cinnamon donut, good coffee.

Places I didn’t like: