Can Washington D.C. remain a viable market, with the challenges presented?

[MichBoyBlake]

I have a bit more free time than usual now and I've been hoping to get out and travel since I haven't done much of that in a long time, and doing this gives me an excuse to travel alone.. otherwise I have a hard time making the commitment to go on trips without having others with me.

I'm sorry to hear you've had such a hard time with the DMV area... that was one area I've actually been thinking about visiting this summer, well really more the Maryland part of it, but maybe I'll rethink that a bit now haha. I obviously haven't been doing this for all that long and I don't have experience with getting clients outside of my own local-ish area, but I imagine that if I get as many flakes and bs here in an area that's not like, crazy filled with either the supply or the demand... a larger city/metro area with a bigger supply/demand would amount to way more contact but also a lot more flakes, just because the base supply and demand is generally higher.

[MichBoyBlake]

Some people just don't understand, no matter how you explain it. But, sometimes it takes a deeper level of knowledge and understanding to get WHY some places don't work for everyone. So, I wouldn't pay it no mind.

 

I can talk about Kansas City all day, because I used to go through there all the time...like I said, since 2010. One of my favorite clients was from there.

 

However, the place itself is ultra conservative mentally. Plus, some areas perceive "us" differently than others. Omaha, Nebraska is not far from KC, and has a similar vibe. There's just an aura of intolerance that I can just feel. I feel like some cities, they're used to seeing "us" guys mopping floors and doing service industry work, so when you're asking for $200+ for "companionship", it just seems foreign concept to them.

 

I've run into a handful of crap in KC that makes me not like going there, beyond clients. One bitch was trying to give me a lecture about having a Florida's license with a Colorado addres. Bitch, you work behind the counter at Wal-Mart, not the DMV. Plus it wasn't expired for another 4 years.

 

It's like some cities like to purposely make people feel marginalized. And St. Louis isn't any better.

 

OK I SWEAR I was typing out my post and hit post reply, and THEN saw this post of yours. I wasn't commenting on that issue AT ALL. I was just trying to make a general observation. I imagine there are definitely some places where a ridiculous amount of racism makes it extremely difficult; don't get me wrong!

[Beancounter]

Its not a countdown clock. Its just a huge clock that uses the whole display of my phone.

 

Either way, I’m sorry that being respectful of you and other clients time is considered unprofessional. Hiding behind your blank profile just be nice, Though I’m not sure if discussing this here is the appropriate place place for this.

You still owe me 26 minutes according to your clock. I’m done here.

[Mocha]

I help some friends who come here to DC work from S.Florida. More clients here and easy. Hotels are extremely cheap in winter. Otherwise there are two or three good little hotels in Dupont/Logan always on Hotwire. There's a real shortage of providers in DC.

 

Generally NYC/LA/DC are the big 3.

 

I like DC because it's fairly compact. Occasionally I'll get called outside of the loop, but for the most part...having a car, I can get around fairly quickly at night. Los Angeles is a mess. Day and night. I don't even get business there much, and with the fact it can take 3 hours to get to an appointment, I can't blame em.

[Mocha]

OK I SWEAR I was typing out my post and hit post reply, and THEN saw this post of yours. I wasn't commenting on that issue AT ALL. I was just trying to make a general observation. I imagine there are definitely some places where a ridiculous amount of racism makes it extremely difficult; don't get me wrong!

 

Lol, you're right but....I was trying to use pronouns to get my point across, and avoid pulling the "card" that starts with R, lol.

 

I'm sorry to hear you've had such a hard time with the DMV area... that was one area I've actually been thinking about visiting this summer, well really more the Maryland part of it, but maybe I'll rethink that a bit now haha. I obviously haven't been doing this for all that long and I don't have experience with getting clients outside of my own local-ish area, but I imagine that if I get as many flakes and bs here in an area that's not like, crazy filled with either the supply or the demand... a larger city/metro area with a bigger supply/demand would amount to way more contact but also a lot more flakes, just because the base supply and demand is generally higher.

 

Maryland is usually the least busiest part of the metro in terms of clients go. Virginia is a bit more happening of the two.

 

By all means, still go if you want. I'm just speaking relatively. I remember my first time to Washington D.C. was magical. I felt all presidential, stayed at a high-rise Hyatt, and had clients back to back the whole trip. However, that was pre-Trump era. Now, everyone is being as obnoxious as him out here. Then again, it's probably been that way.

 

And yeah, I'm trying to get this 23 year old boy to be my travel secretary, because traveling gets to be overwhelming to an extent. Plus, I've had multiple occasions where people have started shit with me, simply because I'm alone and they're a with another person, which in their mind equates to : more importance. I had to curse a bitch and her husband out on my first day in D.C. because of that. Had a situation like that couple years ago, some gay couple trying to usher me around at the hotel bar. Never again.

 

I may be 1 person, but I let it be known, I am nobodies servant and won't be pushed around.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Mocha

[MichBoyBlake]

Lol, you're right but....I was trying to use pronouns to get my point across, and avoid pulling the "card" that starts with R, lol.

 

Is it really a "card" if it's true though?

[MikeBiDude]

Los Angeles is a mess. Day and night. I don't even get business there much, and with the fact it can take 3 hours to get to an appointment

Whew! LA denziens we dodged a negative bullet!

 

3 hours to San Diego or Santa Barbara maybe....otherwise that’s a gross exaggeration.

[FTM Zachary Prince]

DC is hit or miss for me, and ALWAYS expensive to stay in. My clients seem to want me in Dupont Circle, and I almost always end up spending $500 a night for a hotel. I could get something for $350-400 probably, but the downgrade in quality just never seems worth it. If I have to spend a TON of money on a hotel, at least it better be a good one where I can feel I enjoyed myself... I always feel like such an idiot if I pay $350 for a dump. So generally it’s like $500 a night for me to host in DC. Combine that with the hit or miss nature of the town, and I typically just skip it nowadays. Hardly worth the hassle. Or I visit my friends who live in town, eat amazing Ethiopian food, and don’t even advertise the trip to clients.

 

I’m very fond of BWI, though, which is very nearby to DC. I get a much more consistent response there, and hotels are damn cheap! Nothing interesting to do there except fuck, but hey... that’s ideally what I’m there for!

 

Yes, everyone who tours regularly has cities that just don’t work for them. I used to have a big fan base in Atlanta that almost never translated into bookings (max 1 per visit, compared to dozens of guys contacting me throughout the year to ask me to visit).

 

San Francisco has also oddly never been that great for me, maybe just too flooded with other options? Maybe I’m nothing special to SF guys? Strange... because I do well in other competitive/expensive markets such as Chicago, NYC, and LA. But SF is always like... meh, here’s one booking for you during your entire 5 day stay in town. I’m about to spend an entire month there tho, which I’ve never done before, so I’m curious to see if that changes anything for me.

 

I personally lost more than half of my advertising venues when SESTA got passed, so who knows if my comments are even relevant anymore. The whole game is changing now...

 

For me, any client can be an anchor client. I have a 2-3hr minimum and that’s enough to cover all my expenses and then some. My business model is intentionally designed that way, tho, since I primarily tour whenever I’m working and my offering is quite niche. Plus I really can’t teach a newbie with a fantasy for bottoming who is too tight in the ass to even let my tongue in there to relax enough to take a dick or have a prostate orgasm in any less than 2-3 hours. Just not enough time. Mostly not enough time for him to get comfortable enough to relax properly. It’s a win-win where I get my anchor client every time, plus I get enough time to actually work my magic, which means the client ultimately gets what he wants too.

 

Maybe I would feel differently if I were cis or my offering wasn’t so incredibly niche, but I don’t think I can ever go back to touring around the country offering one hour sessions and counting on last minute bookings to turn a profit. When I was in my early 20’s, that was def an exciting hustle, but Grandpa is almost 29 and needs more security nowadays... :p:p or maybe I just lost my patience for it.

[Mocha]

DC is hit or miss for me, and ALWAYS expensive to stay in. My clients seem to want me in Dupont Circle, and I almost always end up spending $500 a night for a hotel. I could get something for $350-400 probably, but the downgrade in quality just never seems worth it. If I have to spend a TON of money on a hotel, at least it better be a good one where I can feel I enjoyed myself... I always feel like such an idiot if I pay $350 for a dump. So generally it’s like $500 a night for me to host in DC. Combine that with the hit or miss nature of the town, and I typically just skip it nowadays. Hardly worth the hassle. Or I visit my friends who live in town, eat amazing Ethiopian food, and don’t even advertise the trip to clients.

 

I’m very fond of BWI, though, which is very nearby to DC. I get a much more consistent response there, and hotels are damn cheap! Nothing interesting to do there except fuck, but hey... that’s ideally what I’m there for!

 

Yes, everyone who tours regularly has cities that just don’t work for them. I used to have a big fan base in Atlanta that almost never translated into bookings (max 1 per visit, compared to dozens of guys contacting me throughout the year to ask me to visit).

 

San Francisco has also oddly never been that great for me, maybe just too flooded with other options? Maybe I’m nothing special to SF guys? Strange... because I do well in other competitive/expensive markets such as Chicago, NYC, and LA. But SF is always like... meh, here’s one booking for you during your entire 5 day stay in town. I’m about to spend an entire month there tho, which I’ve never done before, so I’m curious to see if that changes anything for me.

 

I personally lost more than half of my advertising venues when SESTA got passed, so who knows if my comments are even relevant anymore. The whole game is changing now...

 

For me, any client can be an anchor client. I have a 2-3hr minimum and that’s enough to cover all my expenses and then some. My business model is intentionally designed that way, tho, since I primarily tour whenever I’m working and my offering is quite niche. Plus I really can’t teach a newbie with a fantasy for bottoming who is too tight in the ass to even let my tongue in there to relax enough to take a dick or have a prostate orgasm in any less than 2-3 hours. Just not enough time. Mostly not enough time for him to get comfortable enough to relax properly. It’s a win-win where I get my anchor client every time, plus I get enough time to actually work my magic, which means the client ultimately gets what he wants too.

 

Maybe I would feel differently if I were cis or my offering wasn’t so incredibly niche, but I don’t think I can ever go back to touring around the country offering one hour sessions and counting on last minute bookings to turn a profit. When I was in my early 20’s, that was def an exciting hustle, but Grandpa is almost 29 and needs more security nowadays... :p:p or maybe I just lost my patience for it.

 

Impeccable insight, as always. But gurl, we need to talk about these $500 a night rooms. The most I’ve spent on a D.C. hotel has been $100 before taxes...and at $100, Mariott and Hilton are usually attainable with 3rd party booking sites. And trust me, I’m one of those who brings my own toiletries and Lysol the entire room down. So any gross looking hotels will give me the creeps. But, even $50 budget hotels can be nice in some cities. According to journalists testing, they all have the same amount of germs, whether it’s a $500 hotel or a $50 one lol.

 

But jokes aside, quality shouldn’t have to be sacrificed. However, even when 3rd party websites (which I can mention privately) offer $100 “mobile deals”, with tax and parking and generally logistics, it can add up significantly. Like at the Westin: $60 for parking and $30 for breakfast. All priced for government employees, who’s stay is being paid for. And like I said, pricing and availability changes everyday...to where I can hardly stay in any one hotel more than a day or 2.

 

Right now, D.C. has the Gay Black Pride going on...and I’m fixing to get out of here tomorrow. I’m not wasting another dollar in D.C after tonight. I mean yeah it’s probably an exciting fun time, but it’s likely TOO MUCH going on.

 

Not to mention, half of the locals go away when the event comes to town. Non of it is going to translate into business. I’m just going to take the sum I made and move on. I just don’t have time for silly games and bullshit. I don’t care what event is going on in town. If I have to deal with a bunch of silliness and game playing, it’s not worth me spending my money and time on.

[+ OliverSaks]

I also call bs on 500 dollar DC rooms.

 

I’ve gone many times, stayed at the Kimpton Palomar (DuPont circle area) and never paid over 300 (but usually closer to 150-200) - HotelTonight app has served me great in DC - cheaper, nice rooms available

[Mocha]

I also call bs on 500 dollar DC rooms.

 

I’ve gone many times, stayed at the Kimpton Palomar (DuPont circle area) and never paid over 300 (but usually closer to 150-200) - HotelTonight app has served me great in DC - cheaper, nice rooms available

 

Lol...not trying to get in trouble here. I wasn’t necessarily calling B.S. on it, just saying it’s doable to spend less than $500, and even less than $100...in a D.C. hotel. They usually always have certain ones that are like $70-80 a night. However, I only stay in them when I need to (which is usually NEVER because I always get called to do OUTCALLS in DC except for my 1 regular married client who can’t ever host: but he pays well and gives me a reason to stay in the city instead of suburbia) simply because driving and parking in DC is a production. Plus those prices are just the room. It’s not hard to spend double that amount during the stay on food and parking.

 

However, what @FTM Zachary Prince was saying, isn’t far from the truth. The day before I arrived to DC, I had to postpone because hotels actually did reach $1,000 a night. The next day the prices went down, then back up later in the week, then back down the following week. Only to go back up for Memorial Day weekend.

 

This is the picture I took, the day I was scheduled to arrive: Fortunantely the next day, I found something in town on the same site, for much less. Btw...the whole time I was in DC, I only used PL once. I’ve learned to stay loyal with my 2 hotel brands, and those points and free nights come in handy.

 

[+ tassojunior]

The hotel industry varies prices amazingly by date. Las Vegas has always been at the forefront of this but most cities do so now. Off-season in DC they sell rooms for not much more than housecleaning costs. Peak season can get ridiculous. HotelTonight is great. So is Hotwire Hot Rate hotels, where they usually tell you the hotel now. Even peak times the Windsor Inn and the District in Dupont/Logan show up @$100 on Hot Rate. The Embassy Inn there is even nicer and not expensive. It's probably the #1 regular pick. The District is marginal but location, location, location.

[JTtorretto]

DC I believed was always seen as a flakey market (likely due to the transient nature of it). That’s why BlackListedJohns.com [RIP] was initially created by DC based escorts.

[+ VictorPowers]

The Capitals just won the Stanley Cup, so YES!

[P Gren]

The Capitals just won the Stanley Cup, so YES!

At least Washington DC has winter.

[mike carey]

At least Washington DC has winter.

... But doesn't cope with snow ...

[P Gren]

... But doesn't cope with snow ...

who does

[mike carey]

who does

Fair point, I was being snarky having been snowed in there a couple of times. I guess every place has a threshold with the amount of snow it can cope with and these thresholds vary depending on how much snow they usually get. Washington no doubt copes with far more snow than Canberra would.

[Mocha]

... But doesn't cope with snow ...

 

I’ve been in snowstorms in Denver, Milwaukee and the East Coast. Fact of the matter is...nobody can really cope with snow when it’s 8-12 inches...which Washington DC can get, which is understandable considering the city itself.

 

8-12 inches of anything is always going to be a pain in the ass...no matter how much one likes or can handle “the white stuff”

 

One thing for sure, I wouldn’t know how they get around in a snow storm in Pittsburgh. I spent my first time there couple weeks ago. Despite Denver being known as a mile high city, it’s very flat. Pittsburgh has extremely steep hills all over the city. I felt like I was in San Francisco.

Edited June 8, 2018 by Mocha

[+ oldNbusted]

Fair point, I was being snarky having been snowed in there a couple of times. I guess every place has a threshold with the amount of snow it can cope with and these thresholds vary depending on how much snow they usually get. Washington no doubt copes with far more snow than Canberra would.

 

With global warming, DC now gets a significant snowstorm once about every two years. No one wants to pay for all the resources needed to clear the streets quickly for something that doesn't happen very often and for the most part, will resolve itself in a few days even if nothing is done.

 

When I moved here, decades ago now, it was routine in the winter for the monthly average low temperature to be below freezing but that happens less often now. I worry that this is lulling everyone into complacency, then we'll be hit with a huge ice storm and a bunch of people will die.

[Mocha]

With global warming, DC now gets a significant snowstorm once about every two years. No one wants to pay for all the resources needed to clear the streets quickly for something that doesn't happen very often and for the most part, will resolve itself in a few days even if nothing is done.

 

When I moved here, decades ago now, it was routine in the winter for the monthly average low temperature to be below freezing but that happens less often now. I worry that this is lulling everyone into complacency, then we'll be hit with a huge ice storm and a bunch of people will die.

 

Growing up in Florida, anything north of the FL/GA line was considered Artic. Washington DC was always considered “up north” which means: any place that snows in winter is inhabitable.

 

Then I moved to Denver: and learned you can still drive for 8 hours even during “winter storm warnings”.