Definitely true with regards to sports and costumes, but otherwise I'm not so sure this holds any more. Everything around D.C. is much further away than you th

Definitely true with regards to sports and costumes, but otherwise I'm not so sure this holds any more. Everything around D.C. is much further away than you think, for example, and more than half the people I meet work in the tech sector somewhere. I have friends in Boston and it's much the same there - live in the 'burbs and you won't leave your neighborhood much except to go to work, as the city is very spread out. The East Coast is changing, especially D.C., which is a totally different city than it was even 10 years ago, and has a burgeoning startup scene that is not solely dependent on the government teat. There are a lot more young people here, doing interesting things, than there used to be. I would wager than in another decade the differences between East and West Coast will be even fewer, if things keep on the same general trajectory.