Is DC Too Expensive?

Rents and housing costs, bars and restaurants, gyms and yoga studios, retail, even public transportation--throughout DC these commodities are expensive. Living in choice neighborhoods near metro stations or other places of interest is expensive and ever-increasing, far more expensive than in cities like Philadelphia or Chicago. To go out for a single drink or menu item is hard to do under $10--sticker shock for newcomers and out-of-towners. These prices become just "the way it is" after awhile.  Is it worth it?

While I am often frustrated by how difficult it is to stretch a dollar in DC, I really do enjoy living here and find some advantages such as:

• jobs--there are more jobs here than in other cities in the country right now, especially for young people interested in starting careers. 
• free stuff to do--there are lots of free alternatives, if you can't afford to do anything, and you'd still be endlessly busy. With the Smithsonian museums, plenty of public parks and bike trails, and weekly performances, cultural events, and festivals to take part it, you can find ways to get by
• walking--the closer you live to amenities and entertainment, the less likely you are to need a car or even to take the metro. The rents are high, but it's a trade off between that and transportation. 

Being a "young professional" is exciting. There are many businesses, such as bars, that are catered to my age group and interest set all over the place. DC is a growing city, particularly for 20- and 30-somethings from out of town. Construction is booming, and this is a good thing; that is not the case nationwide. I think it is exciting to live in a trendy, evolving city with so much energy, and in some ways I think that out ways the terrible costs. While it can be a challenge for me to stretch my dollars enough to live this particular young lifestyle, this evolution of DC (ie gentrification) is overwhelmingly detrimental to minority groups and DC's ever growing homeless population. To this end, it is harder to see the good in the rising rents and the growing, trendy city. For me, DC might be worth it's expensive--but for long time residents with low paying jobs, it's harder to set the scales, I imagine. 

What do you think? Is DC too expensive? For you or for others?

--Megan