Because Washington doesn't make anything except laws, there's no heavy industry to speak of. But in spite of all the lawyers, Washington is an eminently livable place. The architecture is stunning and the traffic isn't bad, at least by big-city standards. Spring and fall are beautiful and the summers and winters aren't as bad as the locals like to think. Plus, you're an easy drive away from the tranquil Eastern Shore of Maryland, horse country in Virginia, and Delaware Atlantic Ocean beach towns.
Numbered streets run north and south, lettered ones run east and west.
And streets named after states run diagonally. No one in Washington ever notices the monuments or visits the fabulous museums that attract tourists. It's a town of workaholics who are overbooked. Even if you're not, it doesn' t help your image to admit it. The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area counts 3.9 million residents when the Maryland and Virginia suburbs are included.