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My experience tells me that after 6 months, if a place still hasn't click for you, there's a bigger chance that after 10 years, it still won't click for you then.
I agree with this - I moved from So Cal to Sac and loved it within just a few days.
I moved from Sac to Seattle and hated within a month (and it was May!)
06-28-2010, 01:48 PM
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To Casportsfan:
Sorry this is long! This wont take long to read!
I think this is true about many places where people can be severely affected by the weather and its not just Washington state. Actually it could be true for ANY place, even places such as San Francisco and San Diego where people can get severely affected by the weather. A lot of people are being severely affected by the heat in many areas of the USA right now(Such as most of the Northeast, In land California, Phoenix Arizona etc.) while Western Washington state is enjoying amazing temperate weather. Different people have different tolerance and preferences for weather and climate.
Seattle actually has some great things about its weather/climate and some people just seem to forget that and focus on some "negatives." Since I moved here February 2010 I always loved the weather here, except for a few days in Late May and some of Early and Late June. Im just surprised by how negative some people view the weather/climate here and Seattle in general. Its almost like they are talking about a completely different city. There are plenty of people that love Seattle and plenty that have positive thoughts about it so I don’t think some posts on city-data should scare you.
I also agree with you about Seattle’s vibe. I honestly don’t believe in the “Seattle freeze” for the most part. Another thing that sounds like people are talking about a different city! Is Seattle really a worse place to make friends than a place like Detriot, Michigan, or Memphis, Tennessee (for some examples)!? It just seems like it can be such a great place to be socially. Actually, in some website links/surveys, Seattle is rated the 4th best city for singles in America for one example!
I think you should try it out if you have the chance. But I think you shouldnt have an automatic dark, anxiety prone, strange feeling about Washington winters! It would probably be one thing to adjust to definitely, and the Washington state winters doesn’t have to seem so bad. There can be some great things about it such as great air and water quality most of the time, and if someone can like rainy days. This past December 2009, Late February 2010, and a lot of March 2010 had plenty of sunny days in Seattle. It really depends winter to winter and year to year. Seattle's weather isnt as consistent as some think.
I guess if you move here youll see if Washington is a good fit for you or not. Do you like living in Sacramento, California? There are actually plenty of Californians that moved to the Northwest and loved it, and people from places such as Arizona and Florida that also lived it but there are also others that didn’t. I know plenty of Californians with positive opinions about the PCNW. However, I love areas of California too! At this point I see myself being in Washington state, New York state, or California the rest of my life.
Seattle actually has some great things about its weather/climate and some people just seem to forget that and focus on some "negatives." Since I moved here February 2010 I always loved the weather here, except for a few days in Late May and some of Early and Late June. Im just surprised by how negative some people view the weather/climate here and Seattle in general. Its almost like they are talking about a completely different city. There are plenty of people that love Seattle and plenty that have positive thoughts about it so I don’t think some posts on city-data should scare you.
The thing is though that, well, you're basically validating what the person was asking: that some people have an exhuberantly happy view of Seattle, and other have a soul-crushingly negative view. It seems that Seattle is probably more galvanizing than most other cities (save for NYC and LA, where people seem to have very polarized views than most other cities).
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I also agree with you about Seattle’s vibe. I honestly don’t believe in the “Seattle freeze” for the most part. Another thing that sounds like people are talking about a different city! Is Seattle really a worse place to make friends than a place like Detriot, Michigan, or Memphis, Tennessee (for some examples)!?
In my experience: yes, it is a much "worse" place to make friends, if by worse, you mean the ease with which one socializes. I found people to be polite and civil, which is a good thing - don't get me wrong. But then, I didn't find people to be all that [/i]friendly[/i]: it's the inverse of Boston, where people tend to be standoffish from the gate, but ultimately, they've got your back and will be a friend for life. People are very agreeable and pleasant in general, inconsequential interaction in Seattle, but at the end of the day, I really didn't find people to be all that friendly.
I found the Seattle freeze to be a very real, palpable thing.
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It just seems like it can be such a great place to be socially. Actually, in some website links/surveys, Seattle is rated the 4th best city for singles in America for one example!
I seriously cannot understand how in the hell anyone could rank Seattle that high in best cities for singles! It's related directly to the very reserved social climate...
Actually, upon further consideration, I can see a couple things Seattle has going for it: I think that people there are probably more apt to look for long-term relationships that bloom into marriage than they are in LA, SF, possibly NYC. Although Los Angeles has a really awesome singles scene that I took advantage of to my fullest, I found most people there to be commitmentphobes; regardless of age, it seemed like everyone was endlessly shuffling from 6-month relationship to 6-month relationship. In San Francisco, people will be boyfriend/girlfriend for ten years; have a mortgage together; have a car in both names; possibly have a child... and still not marry! One of my friends put it best when she said, "in the Bay Area, moving in together is the same thing as marriage."
But that said, I found the dating pool and the process of meeting people to date to be agonizing.
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I guess if you move here youll see if Washington is a good fit for you or not. Do you like living in Sacramento, California? There are actually plenty of Californians that moved to the Northwest and loved it, and people from places such as Arizona and Florida that also lived it but there are also others that didn’t. I know plenty of Californians with positive opinions about the PCNW. However, I love areas of California too! At this point I see myself being in Washington state, New York state, or California the rest of my life.
Be careful what you say about Californians around Washingtonians, haha!
Back to the original post...Thats gotta be pretty much the most backhanded compliment of all time haha. But you know what they say: if you don't have haters, than you are doing something wrong.
Do you ever try activities where you will be at the same place several times a week to make some contacts, such as a gym or coffee shop? I people I call "situational friends" at these type of places. Sure, we've never exchanged numbers, and they aren't my best friends, but it's a nice feeling to see certain people at certain times of the day and have friendly interactions with them.
I think in this digital age it's pretty hard to find good friends period, regardless of where you are. Maybe you should hit the Karaoke bar or do something daring to shake things up, put yourself out there a bit.
But I dont want "situational friends." I want the gal my age across the street who also has kids to take me up on my multiple offers to come over for coffee. Or invite me over to watch tv sometime. I want my co-workers to include me in their clique at lunch, even if I am a Repulican and they are Dems. I don't want to have to do an impression of the Dos Equis "Worlds Most Interesting Man" (or in my case, lady) just to get a few people who live in Kent, Squim, and Issaquah to give me the time of day.
Trust me, I have been here 10 years!! I have volunteered, I have joined, I have extended and then re-extended. I make a connection and find out they live in Gold Bar, or they are in the process of moving to Ellensburg. Yet the 50 or so people living near me or around me want nothing but to be left alone.
And I have never had this bad of a problem living anywhere else but Seattle. Am I saying Seattle is the worst? No. But I have had a friend move up here, only to move back to California a year later because I was her only friend.
It is also very humbling to constantly be excluded and rejected from cliques because I am not part of the Seattlite demographic - liberal, organic, heavily into hiking, downtown life, and the Democratic party...
This is free advice so value it accordingly. You might try self-application of the aphorism "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" or "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." I mean, perhaps you are not enjoying, or rather, as comfortable with, Seattle because you've downloaded the wrong program into your brain. Maybe if you tried a little liberal, organic, hiking, downtown, Democratic stuff not only would you like it, but you'd send out the subtle and subconscious messages that you belonged there and others should act appropriately and bond with you. Or maybe you should have kids or something. Seems that they're good for 16 to 18 years of intense distraction from ones existential angst regardless of where you live.
Some of you might remember me. I posted for the first time months ago and I was really depressed, devastated because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fit in Seattle. I am here in WA because I was hired in one of the best companies in the world, and it's not an overstatement. My company is just amazing and I feel really blessed.
I changed my attitude and I have a way more optimistic outlook and I am writing this to give a piece of advice to people who, like myself, do not like living in Seattle. Have a positive attitude. Make the best out of it. Myself: I tried desperately, for months, to fall in love with this place, go out, keep myself busy, and nothing happened. So, now, I am using an unpleasant situation to my advantage. I am working 7 days a week, non stop, trying to save as much money as possible, piling up, so that hopefully soon I will move away. I try to look at the glass half full and not half empty. If I lived in a city I loved I wouldn't be able to work as much as I do know. I challenged all my rage and anguish in a constructive and productive way.
Even though I don't like living here, I have to say "thank you" to Seattle for giving me this job. Jobs like mine happen only once in a lifetime. It goes without saying that I respect people who love this place. I personally would love this place for a 2 week vacation, not for living.
Best Wishes to all
I am glad that you are happy. I used to live in the Seattle area myself. I still have fond memories of being there.
Back to the original post...Thats gotta be pretty much the most backhanded compliment of all time haha. But you know what they say: if you don't have haters, than you are doing something wrong.
I was thinking the same exact thing but I thought it was just me.
i moved from london to dallas then my company moved me from dallas to seattle and not by choice.
i came here with an open mind and with more english friends that in dallas so i thought it would be easier for me to fit in and really enjoy the city and its area. Thats just not been the case. The weather was fine over the winter but spring and early summer have made a big dent in my family's moods. we love the sun and warmth and those 3-4 weeks of rain in may early june pritty much made it clear this place is not for us. IT could be hotter like last year or you get 4 weeks sun and then its rain again for 10-11 months and thats part of the fun i guess but not for me.
As for the freeze its so true, dont let anyone kid you on that people here are difficult to understand. i am open minded and enjoy talking about all sorts but people here cannot deal with conflict or disagreement it scares them people here pretty much live like hippies love peace and rain.
i plan to leave when i get chance i just dont enjoy what the town has to offer.
I want the gal my age across the street who also has kids to take me up on my multiple offers to come over for coffee. I want my co-workers to include me in their clique at lunch, even if I am a Repulican and they are Dems.
Invite them over for a Tea Party!
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(for some examples)!? It just seems like it can be such a great place to be socially. Actually, in some website links/surveys, Seattle is rated the 4th best city for singles in America for one example!
