Observations about Seattle from a Florida transplant (George: neighborhood, to live)

[ctr88]

I'm a guy and I lived in San Diego and San Francisco previous to Seattle for many, many years and I have found the dating scene is for me is MUCH better in Seattle than those two cities. I've found the women in Seattle very down-to-earth, very nice, and attractive.

[ctr88]

Also OP you forgot to list in your negatives the traffic. The traffic and congestion to me is the #1 worst thing about Seattle and the one thing that could make me leave prematurely. To me the traffic is the #1 issue, not weather or cost of living. I find it so cumbersome to drive around town to do anything and it really adds a frustration and stress level to your life. You just don't feel "mobile". I often dread when I have to go somewhere to meet friends or go to event dreading the crowds and traffic congestion to get there. I like to get out all days of the week and do a wide range of activities in different areas and it is really a huge pain in the neck to me.

But there is a lot of truth that most highly popular cities in the world have pretty bad traffic (Boston, Bay Area, DC, LA, NYC, many international cities). So if the traffic drives me too nuts my next move would me to a smaller sized city.

I would add another negative is crowded hiking trails and ski areas on weekends. If you hike on weekends you have to really go far (2-3 hrs) to get on a hiking trail with some solitude and not have it overrun with people. I have never seen hiking trails as crowded as the close in ones to Seattle in my life anywhere. Also, I won't even go skiing on weekends any more. Crystal, Stevens and Snoqualmie are just plain too crowded on weekends it takes most of the fun out of it. This is a very outdoorsy metro area and people get out there. So it is a beautiful place, but it's harder then it seems to get out and enjoy the beauty. Many parts of Seattle it can still take a pretty long time to get to a decent mountain hike and you may face bad traffic getting there and crowds when you get there. I was at Lake 22 a few weekends back and I actually could not even find parking at the trailhead! And that was even pretty early in the AM on a overcast rainy day.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by ctr88

Also OP you forgot to list in your negatives the traffic. The traffic and congestion to me is the #1 worst thing about Seattle and the one thing that could make me leave prematurely. To me the traffic is the #1 issue, not weather or cost of living. I find it so cumbersome to drive around town to do anything and it really adds a frustration and stress level to your life. You just don't feel "mobile". I often dread when I have to go somewhere to meet friends or go to event dreading the crowds and traffic congestion to get there. I like to get out all days of the week and do a wide range of activities in different areas and it is really a huge pain in the neck to me.

But there is a lot of truth that most highly popular cities in the world have pretty bad traffic (Boston, Bay Area, DC, LA, NYC, many international cities). So if the traffic drives me too nuts my next move would me to a smaller sized city.

I would add another negative is crowded hiking trails and ski areas on weekends. If you hike on weekends you have to really go far (2-3 hrs) to get on a hiking trail with some solitude and not have it overrun with people. I have never seen hiking trails as crowded as the close in ones to Seattle in my life anywhere. Also, I won't even go skiing on weekends any more. Crystal, Stevens and Snoqualmie are just plain too crowded on weekends it takes most of the fun out of it. This is a very outdoorsy metro area and people get out there. So it is a beautiful place, but it's harder then it seems to get out and enjoy the beauty. Many parts of Seattle it can still take a pretty long time to get to a decent mountain hike and you may face bad traffic getting there and crowds when you get there. I was at Lake 22 a few weekends back and I actually could not even find parking at the trailhead! And that was even pretty early in the AM on a overcast rainy day.

You gotta get out of work early and go hiking on a weekday. It's totally doable.

[ctr88]

You can definately avoid crowds hiking and skiing if you can go a off-peak times like weekdays. But most can't do that.

[loveagrey1]

Can someone tell me about the Georgetown neighborhood? Thanks!

[Rcsligar]

Originally Posted by loveagrey1

Can someone tell me about the Georgetown neighborhood? Thanks!

Georgetown is still (for the most part) an affordable artist's haven that has not yet ben subjected to gentrification. It is located in a fairly old, run down, industrial part of town and it does not receive much attention from local government. It is a diamond in the rough in the most literal sense of the term.
People there are unpretentious and most are genuine artists who devote lots of time to their craft. There are incredible interior design stores, an architect's studio viewable by the public, homey feeling bars, and a couple music venues, just to name a few amenities. There is also a brewhouse there that is absolutely archaic.

Georgetown Photo Blog

Columbia city is also a nice ethnically diverse neighborhood.

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by Rcsligar

I have been here for a week now and this is what I have observed so far:

Positives:
Abundance of eclectic neighborhoods with their own flavor
Thriving music scene
Emphasis on the arts
Manageability (size, public transit, convenience, general day to day living)
Non intrusive/non abrasive culture
Strong Market for STEM jobs, low unemployment rate
The skyline
Phenomenal outdoor aesthetics
Less emphasis on superficiality and the joneses
Food, food, food
Number of low key bars per capita
Distance to Vancouver and Tokyo by plane
People are judged with less scrutiny
Blue collar roots (hope this can be maintained)
Less Provincialism
The Georgetown neighborhood
Cleanliness

Negatives:
Attractive women have a superiority complex (I believe this is due to the fact that Seattle attracts more women who place less emphasis on appearance, as well as eccentric counter culture types.)
People can be unreceptive at times
The territorial attitude in certain neighborhoods
Certain establishments are extremely pretentious in a haughty, "ahead of the game" kind of way
The liberal ambience can be very predictable, certain people are not very open minded about listening to different viewpoints
Gentrification
Cost of living is a bit over the top, but that can be said for almost any desirable city
Stupid washington state laws (no liquor in strip clubs, teen dance ordinance, etc)
Nightlife could bring more to the table. I love the laid back culture, but every so often I feel as if my neighborhood could use a little more "pzazz," for lack of a better word
Cliqueish attitudes
Lack of a vibrant interracial dating scene (aside from asians)
Hipsters
Radical feminists

That's all I have so far, I still love the city and couldn't see myself living anywhere else; but I also take the good with the bad. Is this list a good synopsis or did I forget some things?
Thoughts/Opinions?

Attractive women in Seattle? Where? They may act like they're the hottest chick on the planet, but looks rarely justify they attitude.

But then again ugly chicks tend to have the crummiest attitudes anyway. Women in Seattle are stuck up because they're ugly.

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by branh0913

Women in Seattle are stuck up because they're ugly.

I don't see the logic in this statement. Unless they're stuck up because, while ugly...they also have a Ph.D?

Regardless, a wise scholar once said, If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.

[Rcsligar]

Note: the only time I have really been able to come across hot girls here are at commercialized electronic music events, and I attribute this to the fact that they attract a lot of rich girls from outside burbs.

[Ilovelife111]

OP, would you mind giving me your opinion on the weather given you're from Florida. Also what about the steep roads? Are they an issue? Thank you!