Is Seattle turning into California? (Lacey, Mercer Island: buy, moving to, design)

[Ira500]

....and they say " The 405" referring to the freeway. Drop the "the", and start using the word "sustainable" in every sentence, and you'll fit right in.

[pw72]

The anti-California attitude essentially started in the 80's, and was passe by the mid-90's. Old news.

And there is nothing wrong with "the 5", or "the 405". They are major transportation corridors and deserve to have the word "the" in front of them. In fact, if you want to take it a step further, it is "Freeway 5", or "Freeway 405". The fact that this terminology started in CA, and is derided by NW'erners is silly. Not everything from CA needs to be ridiculed. Perhaps they have some good ideas on certain things, and perhaps we should not be so insecure to dispose of everything that comes from down south, simply for the reason it is from the Golden State. Nonsense.

[Ira500]

I'm not saying it's good or bad, but you can usually tell a Californian when they say " The 405"...Locals usually say 405 or eye 5.
Personally, I'm aggravated by Calfornians, native Seattleites, New Yorkers,and almost all other two legged creatures.

[jr75]

Originally Posted by rmkiefer07

Nope. What I find aggravating is that any one would take the time to generalize about Californians or any other group.

Agree!

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by rmkiefer07

Nope. What I find aggravating is that any one would take the time to generalize about Californians or any other group.

They make it so easy though. Southern California has a definite culture that is SO different than the Northwest's. No, you can't lump all of them in together and make a total blanket statement, but you can make a generalization I believe.

I think the article was hilarious. I can relate a little bit. I wouldn't even want my Angeleno family members to move up here because they're too Californian. I love 'em, but they've totally got the Californiattitude.

Edit: Not that I'm against Californians in general or want to 'build a wall' or anything like the crazy person in the link. It's just those certain ones that seem to be more visible in the Northwest every year... Change is good though, right? If nothing else, it's inevitable, so might as well take it positively as possible.

[Under The Clouds]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I'm not saying it's good or bad, but you can usually tell a Californian when they say " The 405"...Locals usually say 405 or eye 5.
Personally, I'm aggravated by Calfornians, native Seattleites, New Yorkers,and almost all other two legged creatures.

Yeah, I agree. Everyone irritates me in equal measure.

[nullgeo]

OK then ... time for a Group Hug now

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

OK then ... time for a Group Hug now

... there! I feel better! Was it good for you all?

But wait ... now that we're all feeling sooooo much better (!), we still haven't fathomed the nature of the problem some have with Californians -- Oy!

Perhaps a few readers would like to consider the concept of the "Dunbars Number" (no, really, it's actually a serious anthropological theory) ...

Dunbar's number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(... and for those who'd enjoy a [slightly off-color] take on it, you can Google "Monkeysphere" and read the interpretation of a "Cracked" writer ... but I won't link that one )

Basically, Dunbar's number is 150 ... that's the maximum number of people that an individual can have a cooperatively sympathetic relationship with ... the numbers are a bit different for each primate species, but the theory holds across the primate world in general ... and since California has a population greater than 150 we can therefore assume that they are having a hard time getting along down there in the land of milk and honey ... and thus they need to set forth and find new vistas ...

Here's the rub, then, as I see it: the population of [backwards-backwoods] Washington State has now also grown [slightly] larger than 150 people (partly due, of course, to all the Californians who have already made the move north) ... so we are not sympathetically assimilating the refugees ...

oooooops! ... dang it

[rmkiefer07]

While the article was mildly amusing, it really only serves to promote the stereotype of the pretentious, self absorbed Californian. Yes, there are those who fit this to a "T", but in my experience, most Californians are like any one else moving here. Some come by choice, some because of opportunity, and some kicking and screaming. Some bring a little of their home with them (nothing wrong with that) and some try to forget what they left behind and embrace our state fully (nothing wrong with that either). This happens in all migrations regardless of locale.

[eskercurve]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Personally, I'm aggravated by Calfornians, native Seattleites, New Yorkers,and almost all other two legged creatures.

How 'bout us Chi-caw-goans and our long, nasal A's?

Actually, about the highway thing ... why haven't they been named? I noticed this too elsewhere in the Union ... people don't name their highways. In Chicago, if you say you're taking the Ike to the Dan Ryan so you can take the Skyway into Indiana, or if you become puzzled at who would live near the Bishop Ford freeway voluntarily, then people will understand. Here, if you say you're taking the Greenway to the Cascades people will look puzzled and ask if you're talking about US-2 or I-90.