Things you don't like about Seattle (Spokane, Walla Walla: real estate, city hall, condos)

[Thaxter]

Things I don't like about Seattle:

1) Traffic. It's just horrible here. Statistics do not tell the real story -- the bottlenecks created by the constant and unceasing mega development projects, which include, ironically, building huge underground stations for the "light rail system" which, at it turns out, has lower ridership than expected.

2) Public transportation. The buses are expensive, crowded, and the routes are being cut because of a lack of funding.

3) Cost of living. If you want to find a decent place to live here, you pretty much should expect to make more than $100K a year, or have moved into your house in the 1970s when it was still easy to find houses to buy. Apartments are difficult to find and absurdly small and expensive and cheap feeling -- because they are hastily constructed to allow developers to profit from the population boom.

4) Lack of rent control. Landlords can and will jack your rent yearly. I have a friend who has lived here for 25 years and his rent just increased to $1,560 in Fremont. And it isn't a big apartment. He moved out of Seattle yesterday and was so excited to be getting out. He said he did not give up on Seattle, Seattle has given up on its people. Unless you're rich, of course.

5) Weather. It's very dreary here, with wet, overcast, drizzly, cold, windy days much of the year. Summers are nice bu very short. This summer has been colder than usual. The cold is different than that of the Midwest, for example. The cold here is wet and moist and I've always felt it gets into your bones more easily than the drier cold back east. But then we don't have to deal with the frigid temps and snow that so much of the country struggles with, a small blessing in living here.

6) Insularity, immaturity, lack of tradition. Seattle has no real history. It has always been and probably always will be a city that just tears down its oldest buildings to build newer ones. I was in the amazon.com neighborhood today just north of downtown and didn't realize even where I was until I spotted a decrepit old green apartment house I recognized from years ago and I was thus able to get my bearings. Sadly, that house and the other older ones around it are all boarded up and slated to be torn down to make room for all the newcomers to the Amazon revolution.

Honestly I think it's sad that the rest of the country is doing so poorly economically that this is the town that everyone feels they must move to in order to get jobs. Even if you are lucky and get a job, the cost of living will suck much of your income from you, and you need to be sure to weigh the benefit of having a high paying job to the expensive of a crowded, noisy, expensive, and increasingly hostile urban atmosphere. No one who lives here likes what they see happening to Seattle . . . in the University District, for example, an entire city block with restaurants and older funky stores is being shut down so the whole block can be used to build overpriced condos and apartments, mostly for the super rich students from Asia and the Middle East who want brand-new places to live without any character. That describes really well what Seattle is turning into -- a city without any character, a city that just tears town and rebuilds ad nauseum.

I would leave in a heartbeat but for my job which I happen to love. If I lose my job or lose my apartment I will move happily away from the town I once loved. I cannot in good conscience encourage any person to move here unless they are certain they will be making a lot of money.

[bloom]

^ How long have you lived here, Thaxter ?

[Thaxter]

More than thirty years. I moved to Seattle and lived on Capitol Hill when there was but one place to buy an espresso (the B & O, since closed at that location). I will probably stay until they sell my building, but then I'll have to move as I won't be able to afford a rental in Seattle any longer on my middle-class income.

[deckard9080]

First, I love this city. One of the best on the west coast.

1. No rent control laws. So your rent can go up $300 month when you sign a new lease.
2. Tourist area and downtown are swarming with drug dealers/junkies and the police will not move them out.
3. Liquor taxes are insane here. They are way into "sin taxes" up here and it sucks.

[BobMane]

Originally Posted by RJ8089

The traffic is absurd because Seattle has tiny freeways that cannot support their population. They certainly can fix this but lack either the will, intelligence or creativity in doing do. The liberals just want to force everyone on public transportation. That will NEVER work! They need to widen teh current roads& freeways and build a couple new freeways.

OK so in 2014 the answer is more freeways???? LOL.....

[BobMane]

Originally Posted by chris

Inversion. Traps all the bad air in at night from 10pm to 4am. Stagnant bad air from Oct-April

OK I grew up in Downtown Seattle and lived there till 2009. I used to be a nightowl - get up and do all my shopping at night etc...i really dont remember bad air quality ever. (i am in ATL GA now so that is my measure)

what am i missing about your statement?

[BobMane]

since i just drank some coffee might as well blow off some steam..

As a native i do remember the good ol 70s in Seattle and it was awesome. grew up on lake wa...total paradise...keggers...concerts...never any traffic.

big money has ruined many things in terms of anyone of working class or less being able to make it (in the city). i have a bro right now who makes over 100K and his wife more than that they cant even find a house in city limits - bidding wars.

i remember well when they kicked out all the artists in many u-distract and downtown areas and created high end "lofts" it almost seems like now its section 8 or million dollar and nothing in between.

My negs would be that there are alot of ballet initiatives that thwart certain civic projects (Tim Iman...funded by big biz)) causing years of drudgery and delays in terms of progressive agendas like possibly really "greening " the city VS lip service about it. there is a sort of false liberal bent in that alot of the liberalism is actually just talk. but its highly capitalistic and industry really does rule. just wait till the coal export terminals are allowed to come through.

Delta is to add tons more flights soon. air traffic expanding sucks IMHO...look at Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! and notice all the rich folk on Bainbridge island get soaked with jet fuel daily (in route to China)....buy more plastic stuff everyone....lol.

the already stated cheap looking construction projects is dead on...whats up with the corrugated metal boxes???...LOL TACKY!!!

anywho...it is still awesome but truthfully I cant even afford to live in the city and to move back now I would have to go as far out as something like maple valley so why even do it? i guess if i hit the lottery i can move back home

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by BobMane

OK I grew up in Downtown Seattle and lived there till 2009. I used to be a nightowl - get up and do all my shopping at night etc...i really dont remember bad air quality ever. (i am in ATL GA now so that is my measure)

what am i missing about your statement?

Really? Seattle does have winter inversions... that's why they have burn bans set in place. Heck, last winter it was noted up in Mt. Rainier it was warmer than the LV strip.

[folkguitarist555]

Horrifying traffic, Liberal Elitism, ridiculously high priced homes, snooty and dreary singles scene and strange and standoffish social ethos. But I do like the pretty nature, some of the best in the USA.....

[BobMane]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Really? Seattle does have winter inversions... that's why they have burn bans set in place. Heck, last winter it was noted up in Mt. Rainier it was warmer than the LV strip.

dont know what i was thinking. after thinking about it more i rmemeber the air being horrible out at my parents in lake forest park last few Christmas I attended. funny i just read this article Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Super Inversion and Bad Air wher he mentions lake forest park. i was always on the waterfront so might not have noticed as much there. So, you are totally right plus - Im sure it has gotten worse. has anyone studied this to know best and worst areas?