If you’re far enough up Georgia that someone is branding an Airbnb as being in 16th st heights, you’re really in brightwood. There is not a metro stop within reasonable walking distance, but there are busses. I personally would exercise a bit of extra caution in that area at night, but there’s really no reason for you to be walking to anything but a bus because there’s nothing up that way (better to Uber at night in that area anyhow). Overall you should be fine but it isn’t the best area (Georgia ave).

It's just the same as any other city, so long as you keep your wits about you you'll be fine. As for metro, you can check Google maps for the exact location. Georgia Ave NW is long and without an address we can't answer your questions.

I mean I definitely don’t speed on certain streets where I know there are speed cameras.

You’re moving into a war zone I hope you know. People are going to lie to you and tell you it’s a nice neighborhood but it’s not. Always watch your back and secure your home.

> A few years ago I was getting around 8-10 likes a day. It’s super weird! No major changes in my appearance over time, just gotten older.

how many years ago is "a few"? ive met plenty of women who i eventually discovered used photos that were only a year or two old and they looked clearly worse in person

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This is the right answer. Honestly I'm 30 and I'd roll with it.

What about juvenile crime which amounts to at least half of all crime committed in the District?

Honestly, if you have to ask Reddit, it’s probably not for you.

Edited to add: I lived in Trinidad in 2008-2009, my first year living in DC after college. I am white woman and loved it for a lot of reasons, didn’t love it for some other reasons. I also grew up in a 60%+ Black rural county, so that factored into my comfort level with living there. Before deciding for sure, I spent a couple of days walking around the neighborhood both during the day and at night to get a sense of it and see how people reacted to me being there. I would suggest you do something similar if you are considering neighborhoods you aren’t sure you’re going to be inherently comfortable in.

As a fellow Trinidadian, this is the comment to pay attention to. I love this neighborhood, but there are nearby areas to watch out for.

$$$

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Yes, extremely flat affect works as well. Also recommend pretending you don't understand English.

1. 100% agree about having headphones or buds in with nothing playing.

2. I second having metro mpd saved on her phone to text. I have it pinned to the top of my text messages so it’s easy to get to. In my experience, the respond quickly.

3. 100% agree with sitting in the first car near the conductor is the safest place.

4. This is advice to everyone - when you see another person engaging in a weird creeper conversation, if you feel comfortable: approach them and say to the victim something like “oh hey there! How random is it meeting up on the train like this. It’s been what, a few years? Do you want to catch up? Let’s go chat.” The person should pick up on what’s happening and get up to join you. Then proceed to the opposite end of the creeper. Get off at the next stop and change cars and report it to metro mpd. I’ve had to do this twice and was thank profusely each time.

28F and it's the same as it ever was for me. Hinge is kind of weird though and has never been like Tinder/Bumble for me where you get a million likes a day but obviously they have a low like limit.

I've also found winter to be slow time for dating. Things pick up a ton when spring/summer come around.

The criminals keep on getting bolder and bolder. A man was carjacked and beaten near Lincoln Park around the same time.

You are getting older and men typically go for someone younger

It’s a little unfair to say you’ve had bad luck on an app for roughly 30 days therefore dating as a whole in the city is terrible and has never been worse. When I did OLD I would get 30-60 day stretches with little action. Then one random weekend a slew of quality matches would show up in my inbox.

What search parameters are you using? What’s your age range? Try tinkering with those and see what happens.

I love a block east of bladensburg in Carver Langston, but the vibe is the same as where you'll be.

It's not as nice or as clean as NW, and the rents reflect that. You're walking distance to H st (bars and restaurants) and Aldi and Safeway. More bike lanes are being put in, and barracks row, Chinatown, and U st are short Ubers away. It's not a bad spot to be.

It is a gentrifying area, so a wide range of people live there. 99% just wanna go about their lives, but bladensburg does have a number of hangout spots that can be intimidating. If you don't wanna engage, just walk with a purpose and don't slow down. I've never had any trouble, and brief eye contact with an acknowledging head nod and 'good morning' goes a long way. I am a medium sized white male, fwiw.

Bottom line: basic city smarts and courtesies will see you through.

People tend to swipe on people they find attractive.

Sometimes you’ll run into people who are into you, sometimes you won’t. I don’t think it’s a DC thing.

No one is saying people can not share their experiences. What we collectively can’t do, is allow our experience to obscure the facts. We need a thorough investigation of the incident. Do police forces have an OIG?

Amen. Count me in. And all my crew in the comments ready to rise up: read The Change by Kirsten Miller.

Have you ever heard someone complaining about speed cameras that actually considers not speeding in the future? Do you think the reasoning is all that different for someone committing armed robbery, whether it’s 8 or 12 years in prison?

When public safety, human lives, and larger institutional narratives are at play, we should follow the facts, and not our assumptions/feelings.

I wouldn’t recommend using the backpack strategy unless she has a way to do a safe grip (it could be stolen by said person). My best advice is to never give them attention. Do NOT make eye contact, do NOT acknowledge their existence, do not talk back. I’ve traveled 28+ countries and many cities alone as a woman. The best advice I can give is to just give them a cold shoulder. They will move on if you do. It is a possibility that they get more “triggered” and bother you more but in my many experiences that is very rare.

And also crazy doesn’t mess with crazier. If you speak another language use it to say random things or legit speak back in gibberish. In worst case scenario that they legit don’t leave you alone and it is getting unsafe, cause a major scene. This will bring attention to the situation to other bystanders and they will usually help and/or the creep will leave.

Like other said headphones could be a good idea, just very low volume or no audio at all to be able to stay alert. Aisle seat if possible or sitting next to other women. One more advice is that you can order pepper spray to an Amazon locker in Arlington and pick it up there. It is very hard to find it and buy it in DC.