Is there a big "unspoken" reason why a lot of people move to the Seattle area? (Bellevue: real estate, 2014)

[RVD90277]

Originally Posted by Zara Ray

It's a topic I was thinking about a few days ago actually. Personally I think that UW is the best college in the PNW, and it's highly ranked both nationally and internationally. It's right there in Seattle and only a short bus ride away from downtown area. Lots of aspiring young people that are open minded, alternative (hippie, hipsters and other similar social groups) and worldly.

Although Whitman is among the top liberal arts college in the country (top 20 best Liberal arts college), it is still not as well known as UW is and is located so far away from Seattle and other big cities that it is looked over a lot. It's kind of a shame. If only it was closer to Seattle...

The other schools in Seattle don't match up imo. Most of the other colleges are spread out around the state from cities to small rural college towns. I wish we did have more top schools in the western WA region but they're only a few (that aren't highly ranked) that are decent.

IMO, the best college in the PNW is Reed College. They are well known for their number of Rhodes scholars.

But still hardly considered a top 25 school...

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

I hope you all don't take this the wrong way but on the topic of Universities, why aren't there better Universities in Seattle? UW is ok but it's not Stanfurd, Cal, Cal Tech, etc. As a tech hub, I think it's one of the few without a really top notch school in the area.

UW is basically a top 40 school...and Seattle deserves to have a top 20 school.

UW will throw a fit if there's competition around. They had a hard time with Bellevue Community College becoming a 4 year Bellevue College because they were saying it drains money from the system (i.e., them).

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

I hope you all don't take this the wrong way but on the topic of Universities, why aren't there better Universities in Seattle? UW is ok but it's not Stanfurd, Cal, Cal Tech, etc. As a tech hub, I think it's one of the few without a really top notch school in the area.

When I was up in Seattle last week, we had a relocation specialist drive us around the city and suburbs to explore various areas. She was a nice lady and all but she said that when her son went to college, he got into USC and UW and ended up going to UW because he just likes it in Seattle so much. She said that it was such a hard decision because "USC is such a great school"...

I didn't laugh out loud but down here, USC is sort of seen as a joke. It's not a terrible school by any means but generally, if you're a genius you go to Cal Tech, if you're a smart kid you go up north (Stanfurd or Cal) or stay down here and go to UCLA. The only exception are those who come from a long line of USC alumni so they are very loyal to the school. I'd place UW and USC as similar in terms of prestige and ranking but UW is of course much cheaper so it's a much better choice.

UW is basically a top 40 school...and Seattle deserves to have a top 20 school.

As for Texas, I wouldn't consider UT Austin as top notch although it's respectable (I place it in the same area as Michigan and Illinois) but I would consider Rice University in that top eschelon.

UW has the 6th best computer science program in the nation (behind MIT, Stanford, Texas, Carnegie Mellon, and Cal Tech), one of the best medical programs, and one of the best business schools. What are you talking about?

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by Seacove

If that moat was working, you wouldn't need to write "librul" every single day. I've lived on the Eastside for two decades and it's all King County. As a newcomer though, you're welcome to MI. That moat works both ways though as it can keep you contained. I'm not an activist in the least. I just respond to you because you will take the most mundane topic and throw in politics like you're in constant pain.

Waiting for the link about how these guys are all moving from Seattle to the Eastside due to a more business friendly environment because your proclamations are nothing more than that. They are in Seattle now - today. Show where they're all leaving Seattle based on politics.

You do that while I go King Tut. It's looking like a nice day but parking will be ugly!

I've provided plenty of examples as to how "businesses in Seattle" that you're touting are nothing more than 10 person small offices that serve as remote facilities to the larger offices on the eastern suburbs for these companies. That you choose to ignore that is a failing on your part.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

IMO, the best college in the PNW is Reed College. They are well known for their number of Rhodes scholars.

But still hardly considered a top 25 school...

I would cry if my kid said he was going to Reed. It's nothing but a liberal arts college. A very expensive liberal arts college that will prepare you for a breathtaking career as a shoe salesperson at Nordstrom's. If I'm going to be spending 200 grand on a college education for someone, I'd like them to study something that's actually, you know, marketable and useful.

[Frankums]

Face it, "Liberal Arts" colleges are for boutique degrees and the implied status for a person who can manage to afford them. A lot of people fail to see that "education" has become a market segment like so much else that is required to be a 'full' productive member of society, and so it goes that HR's will see that on a resume and be dutifully impressed by the supposed shoulder-rubbing effect sparkling off the rep... I believe, too, that most of these extra-special diploma-mills are there purposely to insulate the better off from the lower castes, honestly. Why else be a 'Rhodes Scholar'? A lot of management in upper-level professional politics and corporations are claimed as Greek Island know-it-alls and they can't really be exposed to those to be managed in their school years, can they?

As for the satellite offices? Of course! Everyone wants to claim a Seattle office as the town is broadcast as a cool place that obviously would anchor a media-minded, market-aware company. Its like having a de-facto headquarters in NYC but claiming it in a suite in the Caymans, but for image not taxes. Heck, Boeing moved their HQ to Chicago partially for the status qoutient- visiting contractors disliked the activist reputation and the backwoods quality that Seattle exemplied.

[Frankums]

Well, there is SPU, a christian school, so liberal 'progressives' fear it as they do critical logic. Forget that they had to cancel their CS courses due to lack of enrollment a few years back? I'm sure Bill Gates was displeased at the sentiment that promising programmers would not attend due to the religiousness of the place he once coded at and, in fact, helped fund the CS curriculum until it had to be realized nothing would change due to people not wanting the stigma of a scientific Jesus academy on their papers.

Gonzala U. gave us the great Gorgon Gregoire. Liberal 'progressive' Lutheran Seattleites must wonder about that oddity.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

I've provided plenty of examples as to how "businesses in Seattle" that you're touting are nothing more than 10 person small offices that serve as remote facilities to the larger offices on the eastern suburbs for these companies. That you choose to ignore that is a failing on your part.

Couldn't do it eh? You say there is this mass migration of tech companies leaving Seattle for Bellevue because of politics but can't provide one single link saying it's true? And if you would like, I can't post that whole list again, many companies with hundreds of employees in Seattle. Not sure why it's so important for you to deny it, it makes no sense, but whatever.

[BigCityDreamer]

I feel an affinity for places with the name "Washington" in them.

I wonder why. Hmm...

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by Seacove

Couldn't do it eh? You say there is this mass migration of tech companies leaving Seattle for Bellevue because of politics but can't provide one single link saying it's true? And if you would like, I can't post that whole list again, many companies with hundreds of employees in Seattle. Not sure why it's so important for you to deny it, it makes no sense, but whatever.

The onus isn't on me to go do research for you. This isn't a debate setting, this is a conversational forum. I understand somebody who can't even figure out an image's page source probably isn't the best Googler, but I have confidence you will be able to find a neighbor kid that will help you out. The fact was, is, and will remain, that the companies you listed have placed MUCH larger facilities in the eastern suburbs than they have in Seattle. You can stick your fingers in your ears and scream "LALALALALALALALA" all you like, but it won't change it. You can close your eyes and pretend you don't see the Google complex if you're in Kirkland, but it'll still be there. You can refuse to look at the HTC building if you're driving east on 90 and pretend the only office they have is the 2 room suite in Seattle that has like 8 people in it, but that larger building still exists. While you're at it, pretend that Microsoft has a huge presence in Seattle and ignore their 3 skyscrapers in Bellevue or the campus in Redmond, etc.

Don't worry, though - I'm sure somewhere on this forum there's somebody actually dumb enough to believe what you're putting down.