Maybe I’m just going to the wrong places, but has anyone else noticed how ridiculous “premium” barber prices have gotten in DC?

I recently paid premium-barbershop money for a haircut that lasted maybe 25 minutes. The fade was noticeably uneven, there wasn’t much attention to detail, and the barber wasn’t even going to put any product in my hair until I specifically asked.

I don’t mind paying $50–70+ for a haircut if someone is actually taking their time and doing excellent work. But at some of these places it feels like you’re paying for the exposed brick, complimentary drink, and online booking system rather than the haircut itself.

Maybe I’m spoiled from living elsewhere, but the price-to-quality ratio here has been pretty rough so far.

Anyone have a genuinely good barber in DC who does a careful fade/scissor cut and doesn’t charge a ridiculous amount? I’m happy to pay for quality. I just want the quality to actually be there.

Very skinny tail and not yet neutered 🫣

Here's the arithmetic and sourcing behind the graphic, including its limitations.

This is a hypothetical household: one parent, two one-year-old children and one six-year-old, already receiving housing and childcare assistance. Program amounts use FY2026 rules; the salary comparison uses 2025 taxes. This is not an estimate of typical benefits or how many households receive this package.

1. Why a $245,000 salary produces approximately $171,000 after tax

Assumptions: Head of Household, three qualifying children, standard deductions, and no pretax payroll deductions.

Federal: $245,000 minus the $23,625 standard deduction gives $221,375 taxable income. Tax before credits is $46,164. Three $2,200 child credits total $6,600; the $2,250 income phaseout leaves a $4,350 credit. Federal tax is therefore $46,164 - $4,350 = $41,814.

Payroll: $10,918.20 Social Security + $3,552.50 Medicare + $405 Additional Medicare Tax = $14,875.70.

D.C.: $245,000 minus the $22,500 Head of Household standard deduction gives $222,500 taxable income. Tax is $3,500 + 8.5% x ($222,500 - $60,000) = $17,312.50.

Sources: IRS tax brackets, 2025 federal standard deduction and child credit changes, Child Tax Credit instructions, Social Security taxable maximum, Additional Medicare Tax, and D.C. tax forms: 2026 filing season, tax year 2025, D-40 booklet.

This is a simplified tax benchmark. It excludes employer benefits and dependent-care tax credits, which could reduce the salary needed to purchase equivalent services.

2. Benefit components that can be reconstructed from published rules

For this example, assume an approved $5,301/month three-bedroom lease with all utilities included, full TANF eligibility, and 260 funded childcare days for each toddler. A payment standard does not guarantee approval of a particular lease or subsidy.

Rent calculation: $11,796 TANF minus three $480 dependent deductions gives $10,356 adjusted annual income. Thirty percent of monthly adjusted income is $258.90, rounded to $259. TANF cash remaining after that rent payment is $724/month, before other expenses. Adding the net housing subsidy and full TANF grant does not count the tenant rent share twice.

SNAP calculation: $983 TANF minus the $223 standard deduction gives $760 net monthly income. The FY2026 four-person maximum is $994. Subtracting 30% of $760 gives $766/month. This example assumes no applicable excess shelter deduction, no elderly or disabled member, and no separate utility or phone bills. Different utility arrangements can change SNAP; the model does not assume automatic qualification for a heating/cooling utility allowance.

Sources: DCHA FY2026 payment standards, Resolution 25-31, DCHA Administrative Plan, OSSE childcare reimbursement rates, D.C. TANF schedule, Congressional Research Service SNAP report, USDA utility-allowance guidance, hosted by N.C. DHHS, and D.C. SUN Bucks FAQ.

Zero wages do not automatically disqualify this household from childcare assistance. Under OSSE's subsidy policy, section 2.4.1.4, TANF status satisfies the childcare activity test without separate employment verification. TANF has its own participation requirements; this scenario assumes approved unpaid training.

3. Where the benefit valuation remains uncertain

The graphic's $25,500 health value approximates the KFF 2024 national employer family premium of $25,572, including employer and worker contributions. That is a replacement-cost proxy, not a statutory Medicaid payment or an insurance quote for this specific family.

$132,910 + $25,500 = $158,410.

Edit: The initial breakdown omitted approved school-age childcare and some food benefits, which bring the model to about $141K plus Medicaid. A separate scenario involving an eligible full-time student parent receiving Pell reaches roughly $171K.

Breakdown:

• School-age childcare: $6,906.40/year. Assuming separately approved care for the six-year-old: 180 school days at $22.04, plus 80 other funded weekdays at $36.74. OSSE rates.

• WIC fruit and vegetables: $624/year for two enrolled toddlers. Other WIC foods remain unpriced. DC WIC.

• WIC farmers’ market benefits: $60/season for those two children. DC Health.

• Produce Plus: $240/season, assuming the parent secures a funded slot. Program rules.

Consequently, the $245K comparison is an optimistic illustration, not a fully demonstrated benefit award, a statutory ceiling, or a claim of equivalent spending freedom. Most of the modeled value consists of services paid for on the household's behalf; approximately $11,800 is TANF cash.

Dulles town center expo was supposed to host its first event in the new building this weekend and they had to cancel due to not having an occupancy permit yet. They are supposed to have another event happening Halloween weekend, think it will happen?

A block from the White House, across from the National Archive, a block from Gallery Place-Chinatown. Assaults, robberies, gun threats or shootings. What should be done? This should not be normalized.

Serious question! Is anyone planning on wearing Halloween costumes to the club this weekend? I know Halloween is on a Saturday this year but are we still dressing up the week before? What’s the vibes? Please answer.

I imagine many here may have (or not) now read the supposed expose on Capital Commonsense about the astronomical prices the DC Section 8 program pays for participants in DC. I myself have learned about this a few months ago and I have been thinking about it frequently, not least because I live in one such building that is supposed to be “luxury” yet you’d never know based in large part on who my neighbors are.

Now what I don’t see enough discussion about is the larger picture re: the active discussion taking place about the DC tax base and related fiscal problems. But picture the situation: you are an upwardly mobile DC resident. You get to a place in life when you can finally afford to live in a desired high-end complex with a rooftop pool, gym, grocery store, etc by way of amenities. You move in only to find out soon that many of your neighbors are involved in domestic disputes from sunup to sundown. Women are routinely stalked by questionable characters. They deal drugs from their apartments. Your food is stolen if you don’t meet your delivery right away. The amenities are constantly trashed. Violence on premises is commonplace as is police presence, and at least once a year there is a deadly shooting in your building or one nearby.

How long do you think people stay put until they decide for Arlington instead? We all agree people down on their luck deserve a hand up to get back in place. But utilizing mid to high- end residential markets as a tool to fix mental health and severe social economic disparities on the assumption that proximity to people that have their lives together will beget better prospects is ludicrous. All you cause is fuel the exodus of people to other areas where they don’t have to worry about any given night being their last night. Not all but many of these people vote with their feet and move to NOVA no matter how much the denialist want you to think this is a fantasy. And how do you plan on convincing upper middle class people to stay put and pay surcharge taxes when the government actively funnels antisocial people as their neighbors?

And not to mention the fact that, even if the average landlord is not paying the max DC allowance, how many of us may be paying 200-300 more dollars a month than we otherwise would’ve because landlords are trying to bilk
both of us and the government?!

Hi everyone! My family is visiting Washington, DC, this week for the KATSEYE concert at Capital One Arena. My daughter and I will be at the concert, while my husband stays out with our three boys (a teenager and two younger boys).
I’d love recommendations for things they can do together during the show & also things we can do as a family the night before or the day after. Somewhere fun to explore, things to do at the Vrbo, kid-friendly activities, delicious food, or even a good place for the guys to hang out for a few hours would be amazing.
We’re also driving into DC and staying at a Vrbo, so I’d appreciate any local tips for getting to and from the arena, parking versus Metro, fun places to eat, and anything a first-time visitor should know.
We’ve had a difficult time as a family lately, and I’m really hoping to make this a fun trip for everyone. ❤️ I’d be grateful for any recommendations, especially from locals or parents who know the area well. Thank you!

As recent events have unfolded and it feels like every week there's a shooting or something horrible happening in our city (as a NE resident, the recent NE home invasions were really frightening), I wanted to remind everyone that you have agency and you have options for protecting yourself in your home or when you're out. I wanted to share my experience with getting my conceal carry permit. I got tired of feeling helpless and powerless, and I wanted to have more control over my safety so I purchased a firearm for home protection. Shortly after, I got a concealed carry permit to be able to carry the gun on my person. The entire process took about 3 months, but it's not as complicated as I had originally imagined it. The main requirements are the background check, going to MPD for fingerprinting and submitting all of your paperwork, and take a certain amount of training class time and time on the range where you need to be qualified by an instructor (they essentially teach you how to shoot, measure your safety awareness with the firearm, and how decent of a shot you are). Thanks to SCOTUS, DC (and every state) is a "shall issue" permitting system instead of a "may issue". So as long as you pass the requirements, you'll be able to register your firearm and get the conceal carry permit.

The training was comprehensive and went over MD/VA/DC laws, scenarios (when you're legally allowed to shoot, and when you can't), DC laws around firearms, knowing about special prohibited places (Mall, schools, etc), transportation laws and what to do during a traffic stop, knowing how to safely take apart and clean your firearm, and other useful stuff. I really enjoyed it and it opened up this new world that was completely unknown to me. I didn't grow up with guns and never really had an interest.

One interesting thing I've been asked by close friends about my permit is: "So you really think you'll be able to quickly draw and defend yourself during a real threat?" Yes, that's why you train! There are no gun ranges in DC, but VA has great shooting ranges and training opportunities (shout out to XCal) to actually train in various scenarios and get more proficient with your firearm.

"But what about pepper spray?" I also carry pepper spray in case the threat is not life threatening, but this isn't going to do much if someone breaks into your home and wants to harm you (like the recent, scary home invasions that happened in NE). Your firearm is a force multiplier that can save your life.

Bottom line is we all know MPD is stretched and if there's an active threat in your home or out where seconds matter, you have the right to protect and defend yourself and others. For those of you who are interested, /r/dcguns is a fantastic resource to navigating the process and learning more about which firearms are legal in DC. I'm also happy to connect you all with my firearms instructor who was great (feel free to DM me!)

Like the the title says looking for locksmiths. DM me to help!

Does anyone know what is happening? An alarm has been going on for about half an hour now. Is there a big fire or something?

USAA Monument 250 — Photo Request for Marine Veteran
Hey everyone!
I’m a Marine Corps veteran (2008–2012) living in Minnesota. I recently discovered that my name is included on USAA’s Monument 250 in Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it out there before the monument closes.
I’m hoping someone visiting the monument might be willing to help me get a photograph of my name displayed.
Name: Anthony Domek
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Tribute Code: DNGTHT
Ideally, I’d love a close-up of my name and a wider shot showing the monument.
I’ve got three young daughters, and I’d love to have something like this framed for them someday.
I’d genuinely appreciate anyone willing to help.

Hi!

My daughter will be visiting the city on a school trip. I have several trac phones I’m looking at, but I know my nephew in Hartford struggles with AT & T coverage. Would you mind sharing what carriers tend to work best in your city?

The family of Chief Two Guns White Calf says they were never asked about the name change.

"They tried to erase us, like we didn't exist anymore," said estate lead Kenneth Conway.

The descendants say the Redskins logo brought their family pride, and they want the chief to be remembered.

"They did not even ask our family for approval. They didn't ask for nothing from us. I mean, we literally got erased," said Brock Conway, as reported by WTVR.

"We're hopeful for a meeting with President Trump in order to help get this pushed forward," said Morningstar Gopher.

"There's a lot of diehard Redskins fans down in Washington, D.C. This would be a win-win, I think, for everybody. It would be a win-win for the family because it would be so honored and the history of their ancestor."

The name was removed in 2020 because liberals thought it was a slur. The Washington Commanders are building a new stadium, which is set to open in 2030.

Bring back the Redskins. It's time.