WASHINGTON–Some residents of Washington D.C. reacted positively to the city’s population growth due to an influx of recent college graduates in search of jobs, according to interviews conducted in Tenleytown on Monday.
Julie Zauzmer, a Washington Post journalist, moved to the city in January after graduating from Harvard University in 2013. She believes the increase of graduates like her moving to Washington makes living here interesting and exciting.
“It’s obviously fantastic that people want to live in the city, it says a lot of good things,” Zauzmer said. “It’s a place that’s desirable. It’s a safe environment.”
Population growth made Washington, D.C. the seventh largest metropolitan area in the nation in 2013, according to the U.S. Census. Development resulting from things like population increases has contributed to making Washington, D.C. a popular place to live.
Luca Vallada, 17, has grown up in Washington, D.C., and said the city has evolved significantly since his family moved there 20 years ago.
“It’s really nice that the entire city is changing,” Vallada said. “The beautification of the city’s just so impressive.”
Nick Frabotta, 60, has lived in Washington, D.C. since college, and hopes that the growth in population doesn’t come at a price. He is concerned with additional stresses on traffic making commuting more difficult but hopes city leaders have plans for the growth.
“I hope in their wisdom, they’re planning for that kind of stuff,” Frabotta said.
However, he also sees the city’s changes as beneficial.
“D.C.’s a younger city now, and I think that’s great,” Frabotta said. “It keeps everything lively.”