Seattle discussion on Slashdot, of all places (Bellevue: 2015, rent)

[Traxan]

Seattleites are struggling with massive traffic, rising housing costs and declining diversity. Amazon's building and acquiring enough office space to triple its local headcount by 2020. Facebook, Google and many other tech companies are now expanding here as well — it's the San Franciscoization of Seattle. Downtown is filled with 75 cranes — some blocks look like mining towns. Amazon's hired so many white males that King County is now the whitest in the nation and hate crimes against gays have shot up in a formerly LGBTQ neighborhood. Politicians can't agree on reforming impact fees and taxes to address these issues."

An interesting piece of recent advice from a long time Amazonian to the company's interns: avoid full-time employment there.


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What do you all say? I find it ridiculous and hard to believe that techies are somehow killing gay culture, however you define it or taking part in these attacks on gays. Techies are hardly Bible thumpers or rednecks, they are heavily leftist and sympatico with gays. I'm not sure what is spurring on the gay bashing attacks but you'll have some convincing to do that it's Amazon employees.

[mkarch]

The Seattle version of "blame the immigrants"...

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by Traxan

Seattleites are struggling with massive traffic, rising housing costs and declining diversity. Amazon's building and acquiring enough office space to triple its local headcount by 2020. Facebook, Google and many other tech companies are now expanding here as well — it's the San Franciscoization of Seattle. Downtown is filled with 75 cranes — some blocks look like mining towns. Amazon's hired so many white males that King County is now the whitest in the nation and hate crimes against gays have shot up in a formerly LGBTQ neighborhood. Politicians can't agree on reforming impact fees and taxes to address these issues."

An interesting piece of recent advice from a long time Amazonian to the company's interns: avoid full-time employment there.


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What do you all say? I find it ridiculous and hard to believe that techies are somehow killing gay culture, however you define it or taking part in these attacks on gays. Techies are hardly Bible thumpers or rednecks, they are heavily leftist and sympatico with gays. I'm not sure what is spurring on the gay bashing attacks but you'll have some convincing to do that it's Amazon employees.

As someone who has lived in Seattle almost two decades, residing in or around Capitol Hill, SLU, downtown, and so on the whole time, I feel like I have a decent perspective for weighing in on this.

Trying to draw a direct line between tech workers an increase in "bias" crimes on Capitol Hill is ridiculous. BUT... there's no question that the externally-induced changes this neighborhood has seen have ltered it's character a lot, from somewhere that was the "safe" center of LGBT culture in Seattle to... well, hard to say yet.

Similarly, it is simplistic to blame the rent squeeze many are feeling on transplant tech workers- the culprit is larger economic forces, but it's hard to shake your fist at "economic forces". In any case, I find it hard not to feel bad for folks who are being priced out of areas they've lived for decades.

I have no doubt that most transplant tech workers are good neighbors, and it's regrettable that someone should encounter rancor merely for pursuing a good job. That said, I sure have noticed an increase in tacky-colored sports cars racing at dangerous speeds down sleepy little Bellevue avenue.

[Traxan]

Originally Posted by BATCAT

That said, I sure have noticed an increase in tacky-colored sports cars racing at dangerous speeds down sleepy little Bellevue avenue.

You sure that's not Bill Gates?

[HuskyDawg]

I think the article was accurate in a lot of ways. The city is changing, and you cannot stop/slow those economic forces, but have to adapt your own situation. It's too bad that a lot of what makes these neighborhoods desirable is going away with new development, but the new residents don't know/care what the old Capitol Hill was like. Like a lot of US cities we don't have a good plan for growth, and the infrastructure isn't ready for population boom, so don't count on politicians to save the quality of life here.

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

I think the article was accurate in a lot of ways. The city is changing, and you cannot stop/slow those economic forces, but have to adapt your own situation. It's too bad that a lot of what makes these neighborhoods desirable is going away with new development, but the new residents don't know/care what the old Capitol Hill was like.

Yesterday I walked by what used to be the ratty old rehearsal space I rented with various bands from about 1998-2001 and then again from 2011-2013, until it was torn down for more development. Many, many bands one would have heard of passed through there over the years. It now holds an upscale restaurant, fancy cheesemonger, blah blah. I realize there are upsides to all this development, but as someone who came of age in the embrace of Seattle's previously sweatier, grittier, smellier arms, I sometimes wish that the changes felt more like they were adding to the city's history rather than eclipsing it. Oh well, look at me, getting grumpy, old, and nostalgic just like everyone does.

[Hemlock140]

Keep in mind that many of the new tech employees at Amazon are coming from other states such as in the south, where they may not have the same progressive attitudes and beliefs as the typical Seattelite. Seattle still has it's gritty side, it's just become more limited to the more industrial areas.

[dubfan]

Originally Posted by Traxan

What do you all say? I find it ridiculous and hard to believe that techies are somehow killing gay culture, however you define it or taking part in these attacks on gays. Techies are hardly Bible thumpers or rednecks, they are heavily leftist and sympatico with gays. I'm not sure what is spurring on the gay bashing attacks but you'll have some convincing to do that it's Amazon employees.

It's absolutely ridiculous and just pandering to the far-left socialist types in Seattle that hate anyone who makes more money than they do. In fact if you look at the actual perpetrators of these bias crimes, there is a pattern that I could point out, but I would probably be called an "-ist" word if I did.

As a Seattle native who works in tech I'm actually worried about this anti-tech backlash. It is one of the reasons I am seriously considering leaving the city. Hey lefties, want to make your city look like Detroit? Scare off everyone who makes money.

Edited to add: There is also a major push in the tech industry to purge any perceived conservatives or anti-leftist thought. This purported "link" between tech workers and hate crimes may just be a component of that purge.

[dubfan]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Keep in mind that many of the new tech employees at Amazon are coming from other states such as in the south, where they may not have the same progressive attitudes and beliefs as the typical Seattelite. Seattle still has it's gritty side, it's just become more limited to the more industrial areas.

If that was the case I'd expect Seattle's political climate to become more moderate, but it has only become more leftist and progressive.

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by dubfan

Scare off everyone who makes money.

If you were trying to distill the exact opposite of what's happening in Seattle these days into five words, you have certainly succeeded.