The character of DC is within the resident population aka the local pop aka the overwhelmingly majority black population. Always has been. From Go-Go music to DC fashion Shooters Sport, Solbiato, etc. Unfortunately, that's an extremely small % of the city. DC is hardly New Orleans. New Orleans has the most distinguishable culture in the nation, IMO, and it has the proudest residents. Even prouder than New Yorkers, yes. The people I know from there think civilization ends at the Mississippi River and abhor the idea of living anywhere else permanently. It is the birthplace of the most truly unique American musical art form after all. They have their own cuisine, their own legal code, and their own vernacular, much of it imbued with French. That's just one example. Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago all have more distinguishable culture that give the city an identity. The government presence in DC absolutely suffocates it. It's culture is not at the forefront of the city and it's created an extremely sterile and career-obsessed transient "community".

Hot summers, mild winters, gorgeous falls and springs? Absolutely. It beats averaging 100" of snow for six months in Upstate NY. It's 60 and raining here today. Philadelphia and New York have great climates as well. Mild winters in comparison to Boston and Chicago.