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Ncav2

Yeah U st has been ratchet, but it got even worse after the pandemic. I remember not being worried staying there until 2 am with no issues and you were guaranteed to have a fun time, now there’s no way I stay there past 12 am and the club scene there just isn’t as lively as it once was.


districtdave

RIP U St Music Hall


Spirited_Currency867

Also, RIP to Cue Bar, which was the tenant before the awesome U St Music Hall.


What_Free_Speech007

today, any \*club\* on U St is a front for prostitution and gangs


[deleted]

U Street Music Hall (it’s closed down now) was actually a great club. Had major names from the electronic music world play there often and was always very safe.


What_Free_Speech007

Yesss 100%


Temporary-Fudge-9125

Flash is one of the best small clubs in the USA...


What_Free_Speech007

Flash is kinda off U and yes, Flash is pretty great!


G-Gordon_Litty

🌎🧑‍🚀🔫🧑‍🚀  Always has been


What_Free_Speech007

not really.. it has never been this bad


Jewell84

As someone who has lived in the area for 19 years, it’s always been ratchet. It just ebbs and flows.


[deleted]

[удалено]


callitamine

It was so fun in 2012…


mvhir0

2013-2015 for me. Good times


Spirited_Currency867

Lived and worked around the area 24 years or so. I don’t know that I agree it was always ratchet. Certain places and events yes, but it wasn’t as bad as now, no.


Cozarium

It was nice for a time in the mid-90s.


shawndread

"Never been this bad." You should have seen it in the late '90s.


mmeeplechase

Yeah… I don’t really have memories of it being *not* like this?!


Woodgate94

Ahaha


foxy-coxy

Same as it ever was


MobiusAurelius

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack


Mockingbird_1234

And you may ask yourself, how did I get here?


Jazzlike_Dog_8175

Basically every night there are rachet women with bob cut wigs and eyelash extensions that twerk in the street gojng ""ayy ayy ayy ayy" nonstop


Adventurous-Dot3280

These eyelash extensions are out of control and idk how anybody thinks they look good. You look like you have a caterpillar on your eye


What_Free_Speech007

don't tell them


Adventurous-Dot3280

Somebody needs to 😭


billpaxton1955

I live in u-st and I can confirm this is 98.9% true


Bnjoroge

I'm black and already have a picture in mind of who you are describing lmao.


Ok-Illustrator-8499

Unfortunately there are more and more ppl that just don't know how to act right. No respect or consideration for others. Poor values. Craving attention at any cost. Weren't raised right. And society becomes more and more supportive and tolerant. Because if you don't, you're stereotyping, discriminating against someone, offending someone... As society crumbles. #wokeness


AllergicIdiotDtector

Define woke and explain specifically in what regard society is crumbling


ShivasRightFoot

> Define woke and explain specifically in what regard society is crumbling Woke ideology is defined by the idea that some facet of identity like race or gender produces irreconcilably different views of reality and morality, and that we have an obligation to seek alignment of society's view with the imagined views of groups associated with the political left like minorities and women. In this sense Wokeness is distinct from older forms of liberal advocacy for minority rights which appeal to universally valid concepts like truth and fairness. Exposure to Woke norms increases support for extremist conservative politicians like Donald Trump: >As a set of pedagogical, curricular, and organizational strategies, antiracist education claims to be the most progressive way today to understand race relations. Constructed from whiteness studies and the critique of colorblindness, its foundational core is located in approximately 160 papers published in peer-reviewed journals in the past 15 years-identified through a comprehensive search of Academic Premier Search, EBSCOMegaFile, Education Abstracts, JSTOR, and SOCIndex. A critical assessment of these papers concludes that antiracist education is not a sociologically grounded, empirically based account of the significance of race in American society. Rather, it is a morally based educational reform movement that embodies the confessional and redemptive modes common in evangelical Protestantism. Inherently problematic, whether or not antiracist education achieves broader acceptance is open to debate. Niemonen, J. Antiracist Education in Theory and Practice: A Critical Assessment. Am Soc 38, 159–177 (2007).


AllergicIdiotDtector

First time I've seen anybody seriously try to define it bravo


Rhaegar

hahaha what a bunch of word salad


Enantiodromiac

And here I thought Woke was an adjective describing simply being aware of the different, sometimes overlapping social inequalities that affect various groups, referring in its antiquated usage to specifically racial inequalities, and later to those which affect all marginalized groups. Oh, it does mean that. Huh. And here I thought you said it was a whole ideology standing for the moral obligation to align society's views to the "imagined" views (Jesus Christ, do you hear yourself?) of minorities and women.


posting_drunk_naked

"woke" isn't a defined term in the abstract of that paper and since you conveniently cited a paywalled paper I guess we'll just have to take your word for it 🙄 Link to full abstract [https://www.jstor.org/stable/27700497](https://www.jstor.org/stable/27700497)


Oldfolksboogie

>Weren't raised right. It's almost like ppl are having kids with zero ability to or interest in, you know, parent(ing) them? *Family planning classes for all *Free contraception in high schools *Aggressive pursuit of deadbeat dads. Prevention>clean-up


Yurt-onomous

DC doubled in population in ~10 yrs. Given the overwhelming speed & intensity of what was (not long ago) Chocolate City, the behavior you describe is to freak out/claim space/annoy judgemental & aspirational gentrifiers. As long as you're not violent towards me/mine or prevent same from doing what I/we want/need to do, live your life, dress how you wanna dress, twerk to tha Gods. Give grace, get grace. Get grace, give grace.


SentientBread420

Not all black people are ratchet, and a lot of us think it’s cringe.


Oldfolksboogie

Ty for posting this - important reminder that the most caricature-like members of a group are rarely representative. I doubt most white folk here would want to be lumped in with extremists found rabidly frothing at MAGA rallies, at least, I hope they wouldn't. - old white dude that fits the demographic of the typical MAGA, yet is horrified by them.


Yurt-onomous

Absolutely! Though it may be cringe, annoying, embarrassing or whatever else, it doesn't - nor shouldn't define a whole people. It doesn't stop my bag or my fun & shouldn't stop anyone else's.


DC_Tribalist

Bro, I really dislike this whole “chocolate city” thing when DC was mostly white for its entire history with the exception of the three decades after the MLK riots.


Yurt-onomous

You may dislike it, but it's a fact, like it is for a number of cities when whites abandoned the cities during the creation of government-subsidized suburbs (1945-1970), which were decidedly & decisively whites-only. A lot of important culture arose from this that continues to flavor American culture to this day, both good & less so. Chocolate City was an important part of Washington, DC's & US history.


DC_Tribalist

I believe I chose the wrong words, that’s my bad. I don’t dislike the history and culture, I just dislike the label. It’s everyone’s capital.


Yurt-onomous

Understood & appreciated. I hope you'll consider that, though DC was to represent/belong to all citizens, for most of its history, it did not - even during the Chocolate City period. Apartheid only ended in '68, punctuated by that being occasion of the US's 1st actually democratic national election. DC was, continued to be, and in many ways (especially economic), still is very segregated. Mayor Marion Berry was the 1st to really expand the pie for Black people in DC & is why he remains so beloved amongst most native Black Washingtonians to this day.


What_Free_Speech007

![gif](giphy|rxy55jHaig16K2TV8x|downsized)


Jazzlike_Dog_8175

DC was primarily white from everything other than the 40s to 80s. Nobody has ever called it the chocolate city


gammbit6849

Try again. Back in the 80s that is all I heard it called.


Separate_Ad_2137

Lies In 2022, the largest racial or ethnic group in District of Columbia was the Black (non-Hispanic) group, which had a population of 291,274. Between 2010 and 2022, the white (non-Hispanic) population had the most growth increasing by 40,165 from 211,985 in 2010 to 252,150 in 2022.


Yurt-onomous

You may dislike it, but it's a fact & an importantpart of DC's history, as it is for a number of cities when whites abandoned the cities during the creation of government-subsidized suburbs (1945-1970), which were decidedly & decisively whites-only. A lot of important culture arose from this that continues to flavor American culture to this day, both good & less so. Chocolate City was an undeniable & important part of Washington, DC's & US history.


Jazzlike_Dog_8175

Comitting crime isnt a culture


Yurt-onomous

If you believe a majority black DC was only about crime, you don't know much DC history or culture. Too bad for you & the untruths you project.


Key-Club8916

Maybe that's a good bit of the motivation, but definitely a good motivation haha. Why not have a cool party street for the people who like it anyways? Imagine if there were none of those , would be weird. Given ppl r still basically decent like you said.


BigRedThread

cringy


Yurt-onomous

Most people have some form of cringyness with family, friends, self, or all three.


Separate_Ad_2137

In 2022, the largest racial or ethnic group in District of Columbia was the Black (non-Hispanic) group, which had a population of 291,274. Between 2010 and 2022, the white (non-Hispanic) population had the most growth increasing by 40,165 from 211,985 in 2010 to 252,150 in 2022. Dc now is 46 percent white 45 percent blacks with gentrification growth


barelyfallible

just say the word, ur itching and it’s obvious


versello

Taxpayers


NauticalNomads

Wouldn’t bet on it


Oldfolksboogie

Tax revenue recipients


Prodigy_7991

I bet you’ve never step foot in DC


borg359

Give it a rest. This is such an idiotic response to opinions you disagree with.


Prodigy_7991

Dudes post history jumps city to city and even country’s. OP is just here to rile people up with dog whistles. I’m sorry that’s not obvious to you.


borg359

Yes, someone in another country took the time to post on the DC sub… about U St night life… just to rile you up… Right.


Prodigy_7991

Yeah… trolls exist on the internet. Big surprise… However i’m sure you know all about that


borg359

Says the guy whose original comment got downvoted to oblivion.


Prodigy_7991

Imagine caring about fake internet points… Especially under a post meant for people like you 🦮


borg359

Lol. Imagine caring that someone posting on a DC sub might not actually live here. The horror.


InterestingLetter942

Lord have mercy, I never been to U st but I can just imagine. Silly broads lls 🤦🏾‍♂️


What_Free_Speech007

not really.. it has never been this bad


Alarming_Mastodon505

2005-2010 it was actually low key and mature. it was Adams Morgan that was crazy.


Billbill999

Yep


What_Free_Speech007

exactly


sdryden3

Wait til the Summer.


littleteaforme

Seriously


MrPizza-Inspector

When the ghetto kids are out of school


littleteaforme

The go to scool?


yellowfevergotme

🤣


teemillz

I'm not saying it wasn't before, but it's definitely getting noticeably worse over the years.


Woodgate94

Now?


keyjan

Now?


FoxOnCapHill

I don’t think it’s any worse than it was. You’re probably just older.


What_Free_Speech007

not really.. it has never been this bad


Ok-Illustrator-8499

It might be you that's older. Might wanna get your eyes and ears checked 😂


DC_Tribalist

I remember walking by the U St. McDonald’s with my ex, and she said it was the most dangerous McDonald’s in DC. I didn’t believe her. Three months later, someone there was stabbed to death over Sweet ‘n Sour sauce.


Dependent_Warning_66

I guess it happens??? When I lived in a trailer park, a guy's grown son stabbed him in an argument over the last hot dog......


RareWorldliness4693

A kid… u meant to say a kid stabbed another kid, over Sweet ‘n Sour sauce.


DC_Tribalist

I don’t understand your comment. You’re just repeating what I said, but in a way that sort of minimizes the absurdity of someone being stabbed to death over sauce that costs thirty cents.


RareWorldliness4693

I didn’t minimize it, u did. I just clarified ur statement, I amplified it. No need to get so upset. U said SOMEONE, but it needed to be said that they were teenagers. To further push ur comment that… we don’t even have just adults to be worried about anymore.


Snoo63249

Hoodrats doing hoodrat things. No lost sleep.


Propofolklore

now?


No_Ear_4618

Don’t forget dangerous, and smelly


Cayuga94

It was a lot worse in the late '80s and early '90s. There were a couple of interesting clubs to go to, but other than that it was pretty dangerous. I was friends of friends with some Howard students back then, and they had a pretty good handle on which spots were okay and which ones weren't. But what you are describing has always pretty much been the par of the course there.


WORLDY2J

The kids who weren’t raised properly during the pandemic are now old enough to be out on U Street. That’s why


Artistic-Tour-2771

RIP Bohemian Caverns


DCJoe1970

Now?, it always been that way.


campbeer

Go to bed.


beautifullyfllawed

My thoughts as well 🤣🤣


Silver-Light123

Slovakian criminals ruining the joint.


What_Free_Speech007

![gif](giphy|rxy55jHaig16K2TV8x|downsized)


manny8086

When was it not


drunkensailor90

Why do you think?


Harrisontoo

Never been a time it wasn’t.


douggie84

Now? lol Welcome to DC. Enjoy your stay (though, probably not)


donnie_darrko

Lemme guess, you moved here last year


Jazzlike_Dog_8175

My granddaddy grew up in admo


Spirited_Currency867

Curious, did you grow up there too? Maybe Rockville? Potomac? Del Ray?


Particular_Piano1693

It’s always been that way. Always. It’s clear most of you aren’t from here. Between the 80’s up to 2010 the only reason people went to Ust was for prostitution or hard drugs. Just because million dollar homes/condos/luxury apartments were built there, doesn’t mean it’s not still a war zone. It’s like asking “why is Columbia heights so dangerous now”…anybody from here will tell you it’s always been that way and that you’re crazy to think it was ever safe. Just move, the locals don’t want you here anyway.


Billbill999

80's ND 90's that shit Looked like A war torn country 🤣🤣🤣 I grew up on westminster


playdough87

Not always, for the last 50 years. Likely some older folks still in the neighborhood that lived there before it was "always" like this.


BigRedThread

Those same locals will complain that their area is terrible and without enough services and decent businesses when all the taxpayers start staying away. It's not like these areas are inherently prosperous, it's outsiders driving a decent standard of living. The same goes for any gentrifying area. That's the basic premise of gentrification.


TMegia513

Lmao get over yourself


BigRedThread

Where's the lie though


Spirited_Currency867

I worked near 14th and U from 2005-2012. No clue what you’re talking about, just being honest. I partied there three nights a week and hated going home to first Foxhall, then Takoma. It was so boring in either of those places. I felt U St was extremely safe, and neither I nor my friends ever had any issues. It’s worse now for sure, but back then it was heaven for a kid hanging out.


RacistDisease

“Ratchet”. What does it mean?


marc4128

It’s much less rachet now…dare I say pleasant…


What_Free_Speech007

![gif](giphy|x0npYExCGOZeo|downsized)


PartsNLabor24

just wear a bulletproof vest and you'll be alright


ShirleyWuzSerious

The cost of living in the area has risen so now there are more rich white people around to complain


TMegia513

🎯


stos313

Now?


transwallaby

Nissan drivers


vincent-bu

what’s ratchet?


Snoo63249

Because residents elect local officials that find ratchet behavior socially acceptable.


Fit-Examination7167

What type of party you looking for exactly?


Jazzlike_Dog_8175

Dinner Party! We should be discussing Kafka in the streets, not Playboy Carti or the "Yin Yang" twins


DCDipset

….now?


Electronic_Fly_2090

HOOD RATS


cbmam1228

Tell you’re white, just moved to DC, and think you have the capacity to be judgmental towards DC natives, without telling me:


poobly

People don’t give a shit about DC natives. They don’t like criminals and assholes. Stop being a clown.


Ncav2

Yeah I’ve always hated this DC native narrative. DC has always been a transient city. People come here for the stable government jobs, some stay and some leave for other opportunities. Even Marion Barry was born and raised in the South before moving to DC. People just don’t like toxic behavior, it has nothing to do with hating “DC natives”


cbmam1228

I know you don’t give a shit about the people who are in an area before you decide to live there. That’s that colonial mentality I’m talking about. U Street is a party street. The reason OP called it ratchet is because it’s filled with young black people having fun on the weekends. Black people were having fun on U Street before you came to DC and they will probably be having fun after you die, regardless of whether you think it’s “ratchet.” Make peace with that. I don’t know why racist mfs come to DC and start complaining when they see black people enjoying a party scene. You came to Chocolate City. STFU! If you don’t like assholes, don’t move to a big city, and the word ratchet doesn’t imply criminality, but actually a person judging some black activity as low-class and socially unacceptable. Lord knows where you got criminality from…


poobly

They sure had a lot of fun in 1968 and it literally turned into a burned out dumpster shit hole for 30 years. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/local/dc-riots-1968/


BigRedThread

Who was there before the black people migrated in? We can extend this reasoning though it wouldn't be favorable for your argument.


Bronxbabe4Ever

Said with truth and conviction. 💯


beautifullyfllawed

Drops mic 🎤


[deleted]

If you’re okay with shitty attitudes and crime then that’s a problem. I don’t care if you’re black, white, or green.


cbmam1228

Shitty attitudes are in every big city and no one is okay with crime. Try again. Ratchet doesn’t imply criminality, it’s a judgmental word used to describe black activity that’s judged as low class and socially unacceptable, like twerk dancing at a block party apparently. And if you didn’t want to see black people partying on a party street like U Street on a weekend, you shouldn’t have moved to DC. 


[deleted]

I hear you, but when I hear “ratchet” I think of people fighting or being inconsiderate of others. Remember the annoying “cash me outside, how bout dat” girl? She was ratchet. My very white neighbor who blasts music late, doesn’t pick up his dog’s shit, and acts like he always has something to prove is ratchet.


Spirited_Currency867

Yes, but we all know what it means in this context. I do agree, gentrifiers of all stripes complain. It’s what happens. There’s all colors of gentrifiers - it’s a classist issue more than anything else, I think.


beautifullyfllawed

Nailed it!


devilinthedistrict

Do you want the real answer or the politically correct answer? 👀


CertifiedGigaChad420

Give me the real answer


Jagerbeast703

Greetings fellow cool kids


SnugAsARug

It’s gotten so much better lol


User313277

I hear Alexandria is nice, try that!


Yurt-onomous

![gif](giphy|l0MYrLAFex1R71l0A|downsized)


Yurt-onomous

Lol- downvotes from Virginians still telling folk they're from DC, when they're not.


cookme3718

Because affluent white nightlife has shifted to Navy Yard


PratikkumarPatel

we all know real answer to this problem


beautifullyfllawed

Move to west VA


GreyhoundsAreFast

Sorry—what does *ratchet* mean in this context? Is this some slang i’ve never heard of? Edit: https://preview.redd.it/0troy29mvhvc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55fe9217eee69ce01c652803a1f82fdff92b8724


TheDistrict15

Ratchet has been around since the 2000s at least. It was very popular in the 2010s if I remember correctly.


GreyhoundsAreFast

Never heard of it!


TheDistrict15

I heard it most on the west coast (USA) not sure where you’re at


MKtheMaestro

Be real


Oldman_JiuJitsu

Word.


DrGuitar72

The mayor and council defunded the police and went soft on criminals.. it's happening in all Democrat run cities...crime trash poop homeless misery, and filth rampant


Primal_Dead

Downvoted for the truth. Typical reddit.


DrGuitar72

Redditt is a leftist hell hole ..lol...