At the outset I'll say that I have not read past this post, in case there are others who have taken up the invitation for second opinions.
I moved to D.C. 25 years ago this month, and I will turn 60 before the end of the year. I don't find a lot to disagree with in the observations and opinions submitted here. I would imagine this is a great place to live if you are just out of college and under about 25 years old. The place is crawling with interns, young Capitol Hill staffers and grad students, but I was already past that point in my life when I moved here. When I first arrived, I recall thinking it was not a very easy place to make friends; I worked in a small office and most of the people I'd meet were here for a couple years and anxious to advance their careers elsewhere. I also recall thinking the cost of living was quite high here, but that's all housing. Now that I have lived here for this length of time and own my own condo, both these drawbacks are no longer considerations.
I don't like the climate. I grew up in Buffalo and lived in Rochester, NY; Portland, Ore; Ithaca, Atlanta, Seattle and Vermont. This is the only place I don't like the Summer or the winter. The summers are hot and very humid; the Winters have a lot of these dreary days when it's sort of half raining and half snowing. I found the Winters more pleasant in Vermont.
On the pro side, it's a surprisingly good running town, except for the weather. Rock Creek Park is huge and Beautiful and there are ample trails and races. When I was younger and competing, I could go out the back door of my condo on a Sunday morning, and take a 21 mile training run and cross one street, and I live less than two miles from the White House. As the poster suggests, there are an extraordinary number of things to do here, places to see, etc. to the point that it rivals NYC, but without the problems posed by such a huger metro area. Sports, museams, music: there is no end to it, and much of it is free.
For some years, I thought I might move back to Portland after I retired, but I am going to stay put. I have a note to add to the poster on page one reporting on Buffalo, my home town. I can't disagree with your observations, but take Buffalo for what it is. Look behind the surface: there are tough, good hearted, hard working people there. I suppose that's tougher to appreciate if you move there than if you grew up there.v