Atlantan popping in to say "I love Seattle!" (Bellevue: co-op, homes)

[halseyspartan2]

Hi Seattle-ites,

I'm an Atlantan, and I've been lucky enough to visit your lovely city twice so far. I went over this summer to the city, visiting my friend in Snohomish for her wedding. I got to see Kent, Bellevue, Snohomish, Seattle, Everett and down to Yakima. I have to say that I was completely taken aback by how beautiful your entire area is! The city was very clean, the public transportation was pretty nice, and the nature was fantastic. I went out to Rainier and just enjoyed the clean air and gorgeous evergreen trees. My current girlfriend is from Bainbridge Island (currently visiting her family over Christmas at their new place at Port Ludlow), and we love to exchange stories about Washington. I really look forward to getting out of the South and back up to the Seattle area for another vacation - you all are friendly, easygoing, and accepting of others, and I can't wait to get back there!

[homesinseattle]

I'm a Miami boy born and raised (sister in Roswell GA, BTW). I came to Seattle 24 years ago and never left. Be careful, it might hook you

[RotseCherut]

If you are not a liberal and atheist many people in Seattle will hate your guts and ignore you unless you wish to live a "closeted" lifestyle. But OP, your profile says you are an atheist, so I am sure you fit right in.

[west seattle gal]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

If you are not a liberal and atheist many people in Seattle will hate your guts and ignore you unless you wish to live a "closeted" lifestyle. But OP, your profile says you are an atheist, so I am sure you fit right in.

So not true. People here just don't want religion pushed in their face. Religion is a private matter here. We find those who try to convert others offensive.

And in fact, the same thing could be said about politics. People here protest against oppression, but otherwise no one is going to ask you about your political beliefs.

[homesinseattle]

RotseCherut: You need to study Buddhism, so you don't think yourself into a corner so much. You are so wrong, there is room for everybody in Seattle. I have dear friends all across the spectrum, we actually all exist fine in the same room together.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

If you are not a liberal and atheist many people in Seattle will hate your guts and ignore you unless you wish to live a "closeted" lifestyle. But OP, your profile says you are an atheist, so I am sure you fit right in.

If there is somewhere that is a monolith like this, I'd like to see it with my own eyes.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by west seattle gal

So not true. People here just don't want religion pushed in their face. Religion is a private matter here. We find those who try to convert others offensive.

And in fact, the same thing could be said about politics. People here protest against oppression, but otherwise no one is going to ask you about your political beliefs.

They don't like religion pushed in their face?? How about not pushing their agenda in mine.. Then we can all be accepting, friendly, co-existing.. No, it is always that if you don't support their causes, support their agenda, support their politicians and political causes you are deemed hateful, racist, backward and dangerous person.

This is just my experience.. My experience is that the Seattle brand of liberalism is as polarizing as perhaps the Mississippi or Alabama brand of conservatism.

Anyhow, I don't find people in Seattle very open minded and I always have to watch what I say to not offend the thought police who attack me. Many times people were being friendly and we had a decent conversation and then they found out I was a practicing Jew and attended an Orthodox synagogue and suddenly they wanted nothing more to do with me. This happened more than one time. There seems to be an aversion to anyone who actually practices their religion and does not go to an ultra-liberal church or religious institution.

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

RotseCherut: You need to study Buddhism, so you don't think yourself into a corner so much. You are so wrong, there is room for everybody in Seattle. I have dear friends all across the spectrum, we actually all exist fine in the same room together.

Because many people believe Buddhists are very liberal and do not have any views that would go against their own. However, I bet if a very religious Buddhist from Tibet or Japan came to Seattle and practice his/her religion in a way that was not considered hip, progressive or liberal, he/she would be just as ostracized as myself.


This is just my observation, but I am sorry, now that I dare criticized the intentions of Seattlites, I will be insulted, denigrated and condemned as a horrible, polarizing and manipulative religious maniac.

Personally, I could care less if you are an Atheist, Buddhist, Christian, etc. I don't even care if you voted for Barack Obama and are a die-hard Democrat. I have several family members who I care for who fit this criteria. What I hate is if you are a closed-minded, inconsiderate and judgmental person who forces your views on other and is not accepting of people with a different mindset. I find Seattle people fit this description. The very kind of people they hate is who they act like.

Test my theory. Go to a coffeeshop, bar or some type of social event in Capitol Hill or Fremont. Wear a Mitt Romney T-Shirt and an NRA jacket. Or try the more religious look, wear a kippa and a Tallit Katan, showing that you are an Orthodox Jew. In either attire, since you are deemed conservative or religious, you will be ostracized and you can bet people will either ignore you or make degrading comments or insults to you because they know you have different views than themselves.

Co-exist, accepting, open-minded? Not Seattle... Orthodox Atheists and the most rogue liberals around the country come here for sanctuary. Like the Olympia Food Co-op for example put a ban on a majority of Jewish products being sold at their stores because they felt Jews = Wealthy White-Skinned Arab Killers. Despite the fact that half Jews on Earth are brown-skinned and we have suffered great atrocities and are not guilty of pogrom-style accusations they make. These people have decided to punish our entire race again. It was the first Jewish product boycott to ever happen since January 1933 in Germany. I would say Olympia is like an even more extreme mini version of Seattle, but the same type of people inhabit both places.


ANYHOW.. I know negativity is not allowed here on City Data.. So OP.. I am glad you like Seattle.. Atheist? You will be in heaven.. Haha.. Sorry, no pun intended..

Seattle has awesome scenery!! I have decided to leave Seattle and move closer to the North/Central Cascades.. Hope I can pull it off on my budget. I don't like the people in the city, but love the beautiful mountains. Also, I feel the people in the smaller, conservative Washington towns and suburbs are more open-minded and friendly and you can actually have a real conservation without being condemned by the "pre-programmed thought police".

But, be warned, if you are not a die-hard liberal who supports every liberal cause on the books and if you have a religion that may be considered too "religious", be prepared to experience some first-class Seattle Passive Aggressiveness. People will dislike you, ignore you and shun you to punish you.

[halseyspartan2]

I am a very liberal (socialist) non-religious person who is a believer in equality. Atlanta is a fairly progressive city, for the south anyway. We earned the motto "The city too busy to hate" during the Civil Rights Movement, and we have one of the highest LGBT populations (I want to say we're ranked third?) in the country. It's a very diverse, multicultural city and I love it to death. Seattle is very similar in that regard - everyone I met was open and friendly, though a bit misinformed as to Southerners. I did endure some stereotyping and of course, people poked fun at my accent but it was never in a malicious way.

[homesinseattle]

Rotsecherut, I'm sorry Seattle didn't work for you. I have been here 24 years and don't know anything about what you are speaking of. I think you find what you are looking for in life, perhaps yours was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know each day I walk out into my Seattle world filled with love and it seems to come back to me in spades. Guess I would never wear a shirt of any persuasion, maybe a plain shirt keeps everyone's heart open. I wish you great success finding your bliss.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Rotsecherut, I'm sorry Seattle didn't work for you. I have been here 24 years and don't know anything about what you are speaking of. I think you find what you are looking for in life, perhaps yours was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know each day I walk out into my Seattle world filled with love and it seems to come back to me in spades. I wish you great success finding your bliss.

Are you a conservative and religious Jew/Christian?? Or, are you liberal, progressive, democrat, Non-religious or Liberal-Religious person? If you are religious, do you attend a conservative church or Orthodox synagogue?

If your answer is no to these questions, then can I ask you, how can you possibly identify with me? It is like a white religious Protestant in some small town in Mississippi in the 1940s, saying how loving, kind and caring the neighbors and people are to a black, atheist guy who was beaten and had a cross burned on his lawn. Just because you have had one experience doesn't mean a person of a different ethnic/religious/political association would have the same experience.

I am sorry Seattle didn't work out too.. Beautiful city, but it is too close-minded liberal and becoming way too crowded for me. The close-minded liberal politics isn't the only reason I want to leave. The cost of living and traffic (e.g., taking 1.5 hours to drive from Ballard to Capitol Hill) are other reasons. I live in the South Sound actually, but find I am too far from enjoying the activities that Seattle could have offered me if I could have afforded to live there and could have been accepted for my religion and political views.


But, if I do stay in the Seattle metro area I will consider Eastside or somewhere in Snohomish.. I find people are bit more sane, open-minded and not quite so radical in their liberal thinking there. Despite, the fact that there are plenty of liberal people there. They are not the type to growl at you if you question anything the Emperor, I mean President says. Also, the traffic in the Eastside and Snohomish is way more sane, then the insanity of Seattle. It is getting to the point where owning and driving a car in Seattle is not feasible.