No more pretty pics...What Seattle is REALLY like (Vancouver: environment, relocating)

[pwright1]

Here we are in the late late summer in Seattle. I think the entire world knows it's cloudy or it rains here alot. Whatever pics I displayed I never once said 'Hey everybody its sunny like my pics 365 days a year.' But anyway its been so nice lately. Yes it did rain Monday, and unusally hard too. That was great because we sure did need it. Since its been so nice what have people been doing outdoors lately? CityGirl? Well yesterday I took a stroll down to Seward Park and the Columbia City Farmers Market.

[CityGirl72]

Well you know me - I'm caged up in my office 10 hours a day during the week.

But I'm almost 8 months pregnant now, so my weekends aren't the most physical right now. We took my son to Evergreen Fair (it rained on us), and went to Home Depot to buy paint for the nursery...exciting huh? Oh and we had a family (all three of us) BBQ at home and played croquet with a 6 year old (it rained on us again)

And school supply shopping for my son - since school start this week

That's about as exciting as my weekends get.

[geometricdisaster]

Can't fault you for good photography. Maybe you should mess with your camera settings to make the pictures less pretty.

Actually, a few of martina's pictures, though overcast, looked good also.

I think the point was supposed to be that clear day only Seattle pictures aren't an accurate description of how it is year-round. However, it's also erroneous to say that Seattle never has nice, clear days.

My take on the whole Seattle aesthetic: beautiful parks and trees; ugly buildings.

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by geometricdisaster

Yeah, here we go again with the "Saltydawg"/"toughguy" tag team.

You sure you're not the same person? Didn't the moderator close another thread on you because you starting individually insulting people?

Back on topic: it rains here, no, Seattle's not the rainiest city in the country; sometimes Seattle looks like pwright's pictures (in the summer, especially); sometimes it looks like the pics on this thread. Neither set appears faked in any way. Anyone who's looking to get an idea about the variances of
Seattle's weather should look at both.

Big deal.

We are not the same person, and yes a thread was closed because my sardonic humor/exposing of hypocrisy was taken the wrong way. If I ever get caught spelling dog "dawg", please punch me in the esophagus.

"here we go again..." is more of a meta-comment I suppose. You have the usual suspects all chiming in with "LOL that's about right!!!!" circlejerk starting things off. Mix in some rational indifference from others, and some defensive and possibly overly exhuberant responses peppered in between. Throw in a couple of "This internet post confirms my perceptions of Seattle. How can people live like that?" random passerbys. Top it off with your self admitted stirring-up-the hornets-nest schadenfreude, and it's another city-data masterpiece.

[martina26]

Don't forget us Seattle native girls who use umbrellas so we don't ruin our hairdos and clothes!

Originally Posted by kmfseattle

Sure it's beating a dead horse, but I figure I'll throw my two cents in just because I can.

One Seattle adage always comes to mind when reading these posts - 'you can always tell a tourist apart from the locals in Seattle. The tourist is the one carrying the umbrella.' This seems, to me, to sum up this and so many other Seattle weather threads. Theres a few ways to interpret this, the first being that Seattlites are simply used to the rain and don't mind getting wet.

The second way, and the way I prefer, is that the locals don't see clouds and automatically assume rain as many out-of-towners do. As has been mentioned so many times before, our rainfall numbers aren't all that abnormal. Rather, the clouds are what give the city it's dreary reputation. More often then not, it'll just end up being a gray but rain free day. Sure there are exceptions to this (January of 2006 comes to mind...), but this seems to be the general rule.

Even so, it's all a matter of perspective - I tend to come out of my shell in days similar to the photos starting this thread, much more so than I would if it were 110 degrees out with 80% humidity. And if the rain bothers you in the winter, theres ways to beat it - drive 45-60 minutes east(ish) and you're at Snoqualmie pass, Crystal mountain, Stevens pass, White pass, etc. There's definitely no lack of winter activities in the area. But to each his own, I guess.

Did I stray off topic? I think I did. Just saying, there's much more to this city than the weather - shouldn't count it out simply because it gets cloudy 300 days a year.

[SaltyDawg]

Good to see your takes here again.

And toughguy - the "W" in "Dawg" has to do with the "W" in "Washington", as in the Washington Huskies. I won't punch your esophogas if you don't punch mine.

Back to geometric - at what point did you see me assert that people need to think Seattle is "the best place" or any such nonsense? I was pretty clear, and stuck with the theme of the thread, that the extremes of peoples' weather opinions need to be tempered by a dose of reality, which I've already outlined.

No, I don't need more friends. I'm one of those Seattleites you don't like that don't particularly crave more friends - I quite enjoy the people I already know, and my life is more than full enough. This clearly comes off to you as some sort of passive-aggressive phoniness, but I just can't be bothered to care.

Nice thesis though. Your comprehension is suspect when you assert that I consider folks that don't like the climate to have less-than-optimal decision-making capability when I stated the exact opposite - that a lot of folks won't like it and that's just fine. I hate the climate in the South, but hardly think those folks are beneath me - they just thrive on something else. Same will occur with folks relocating here, as evidenced by the photos posted originally.

I love PWrights photos, but he and I both know that it's a crapshoot whether you'll see that or the gloominess that started the thread. What folks don't see is the pictures of the majority of days that fall in between, which was entirely my point.

Looking forward to your next armchair psychoanalysis. Always enlightening.

[ohhi]

thanks for the pics, looks awesome

i can't wait.

[Leone]

Looks like winter there to me, they are pretty mild as in temperature. Rain or shine, it is still a pretty great place. Indeed, not a place for those who thrive only in sunshine or who want a rural life.

Rain keeps it the Evergreen State. Emerald City.

[geometricdisaster]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

Good to see your takes here again.

And toughguy - the "W" in "Dawg" has to do with the "W" in "Washington", as in the Washington Huskies. I won't punch your esophagus if you don't punch mine.

Glad to see that you and "toughguy" can so quickly and amicably resolve your grammatical differences and get along with yourself. At least he provided you an opportunity to explain why you spell dog with a w. Very edifying.

[Wisteria]

I no longer live in Seattle -- beautiful city, but sooooo gloomy. I have to agree with Martina -- it very, very often appears just like that. Dark, cloudy, grey, wet, misty, or just plain raining. PWright's photos truly are in summer or that occasional Spring day -- that is the only time you get a real stretch of sun.....it is very deceiving. I understand the desire to project Seattle in a good "light," but it's not fair to those considering relocating there who currently live in a very bright and sunny place. I think the reality of what most of the year is like is fairer.

Yes, people deal with the weather there -- some not so well (many not so well). But if people are basing their decision to move from a more normal climate (regular sun with "breaks" of rain or snow), then it's fair to show the reality of what most of the year is like. I remember some sunny (or partially sunny) days in April. I also remember the joke that summer only arrives on July 4th, and the rest of the year from mid-September through June wearing lots of sweaters and raincoats.

It was truly amazing to me when I finally saw Mt. Rainier, which is not visible most of the year and people would say "the mountain is out!" It's an awesome sight when it can be seen, but it is not often.

I know that some people are just attracted to Seattle and the romance of living in this cloudy/wet city, sipping coffee in cafes, and lounging in bookstores. However, it is very good to keep in mind just how cloudy and gloomy it really does get. Those photos might look good for a little relief from constant sunny skies or hot weather, however, the reverse is true, too -- those clouds, and chilly, damp weather is very difficult to deal with on a regular basis if you are not one who truly loves feeling wet and damp, and loves not having sunlight most days.

If Seattle had just been built north closer to Vancouver where it is sunny much, much more, or so, it would be perfect. But whatever climatic cause there is for all those hanging clouds on such a regular basis affects the entire city.

Good luck to those who move there, and if you have any, any ambivalence about a majority of cloudy, grey, misty days, then I highly suggest not selling a home (if that is your intent) and renting out your home and living there for a year or two before settling. Like it has been said before, the first year you manage better because it is exciting, however, as the years go by and the realization that the sun is a rare event sinks in, it can be daunting.

People like me and JenBar and Rocco have moved because of it. I know we are not a small number -- many people I know have left there. Many stayed, too, because they have no choice with jobs or children in school.

Good luck to all. It's a beautiful city, just a very wet and dark city.