Photo Source: NY Mag

Wall Street or Capitol Hill?

William Norwich of Vogue declared Washington as the new social capital when he stated, “Sorry to break this news to any Manhattanites still in denial, but Washington, D.C., is the new New York” in an article featured in Vogue last week.  Norwich explains that a “youthquake” occurred in the nation’s capital after the Obamas arrived in Washington:

“Even under the heavy blanket of recession, whether you are Democrat or Republican, there is energy in our nation’s capital that you used to feel only in New York, the blissful to the bumptious all in a D.C. minute now, a kind of youthquake, or “youthfulquake,” if you want to be generous about the ages.

Old Guard Washington social favorites remain, of course, but energized with a younger, Obama enthusiasm.”

This new sense of energy or “youthquake” has also generated a huge presence of media coverage in Washington, which is considered as the “most blogged-about” town in America – let alone in the world.

Photo Source: PNC / Brand X / Corbis via TIME

By referring to “Washington, DC”, is Norwich making a generalization about the entire D.C. metropolitan area (DC, MD and VA) or is he simply referring to politically charged Capitol Hill? While he considers Washington as the new social capital of America, one must consider other factors outside of social and political influences that may claim D.C.’s new status to be true.  Real estate, education and the booming information technology sector located within the beltway (highways connecting the metro area together) may provide validity to his observation.

The New York Times reported in January that Wall Street’s role in the financial meltdown of the U.S. economy might have caused New York to lose it’s “swagger” to other cities, including Washington.

Alex Williams from the NYT stated, “The sudden downturn has affected the very industries that give New York its identity — finance, media, advertising, real estate, even tourism — with extreme prejudice.

The result is that some New Yorkers feel that the city is losing, along with many jobs, its swagger and its sense of pre-eminence, which is no small matter in a town where many feel like it takes an outsize swagger to survive.

One possible reason it feels like a mood has been lost is something called “emotional contagion.”

Photo Source: Dave Kliman

I am sure that many New Yorkers and Washingtonians have opposing views about the most “socially” powerful city in America. In February, NY Mag polled 50 New Yorkers and 50 Washingtonians to determine which city was more powerful:

Are things in this country getting better or worse?

Washingtonians
Better  - 30
Worse – 17

New Yorkers
Better  - 22
Worse – 24

Which city bears more blame for our nation’s troubles?

Washingtonians
New York  - 16
D.C. – 25
“Dick Cheney”

New Yorkers
New York –  9
D.C. –  37

Which city is currently more powerful?

Washingtonians
New York  - 10
D.C. – 37

New Yorkers
New York – 20
D.C. – 28

Who will do a better job of running the failing banks?

Washingtonians
The government  - 19
The bankers  - 17

New Yorkers
The government – 16
The bankers – 19
“Chimpanzees throwing darts at a board.”

Is your life getting better or worse?

Washingtonians
Better – 44
Worse –  6

New Yorkers
Better – 38
Worse – 9

Would you describe your debt level as …

Washingtonians
Overwhelming – 4
Largely under control – 22
Not a problem – 24

New Yorkers
Overwhelming – 5
Largely under control – 29
Not a problem -12

Which city is more morally bankrupt?

Washingtonians
New York – 22
D.C. – 20

New Yorkers
New York – 12
D.C. – 34

Should your city become its own state?

Washingtonians
Yes – 32
No – 18

New Yorkers
Yes – 5
No – 43

Would you ever move …

Washingtonians
Yes – 34
No – 16

New Yorkers
Yes – 8
No – 42

Is New York losing its swagger to Washington or has Norwich suffered from “emotional contagion”?

As the Obamas play a pivotal role in today’s social media, their presence in the White House will radiate change in Washington but I think it goes far beyond fashion in this city.  The world has yet to discover the thriving subculture of Washington’s creative community residing in the demographically diverse neighborhoods outside of Capitol Hill.  A couple years from now, I hope that people will be able to see D.C.’s real swag.

Wall Street might have lost its “swagger” but I think New York and Washington are unique to its own.

Source: Style.com, NY Mag, NYT