Where would you live and what would you do?
If you lived in the Capital wasteland, where would you choose to live and what would be your occupation? Taking things like security, resources, human contact, into account would you choose a big settlement, an abandoned shack on the outskirts of the city, a subway car in the tunnels, or something else?
I would choose Rivet City; it provides great security against all outside forces with its structure and the firepower of its residents. It is close to water (irradiated, but what are you gonna do) and is still close to the city for good scavenging opportunities. I would work as security for Rivet City (pretty cushy gig), while at the same time scavenge the city for valuables in my spare time. I would then sell what I find at my store in the marketplace. Not a bad life for an adventurer at heart who also wants some semblance of security in a very dangerous world.
"The future belongs to those who change today" - CM