Seattle myths dispelled after first visit. (Bellevue, Spanaway: to live, bus, moving to)

[jm31828]

I will chime in about the Seattle Freeze- I also believe it is mostly a myth, or at least a product of unrealistic expectations. I am from the Midwest (Nebraska)- it's not exactly easy as an adult to get from good conversation to actual friendship there, either. It's the same anywhere. People here are friendly, pretty much as friendly as the Midwest. Easy to chat with people, even getting into good conversation. As an adult, it is just awkward to get from that stage to "hey, let's hang out and be friends" in any city, and Seattle is no different. Seattle is no WORSE, either, than any other place I've lived.

People seem to have an unrealistic expectation that they can just become friends with people easily like they did in school. Sure in high school or college that will still work even here- but anywhere you go as an adult beyond college, you will find that people have their own group of friends, often they have spouses and kids, and so they have less free time than before, and so they are set in their ways/lives/routines. If someone goes to Omaha, Nebraska they would have pretty much the same experience as they have here trying to break through that "friend" barrier as an adult.

[NCDavid]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

You are welcome. You learn something new every day on the internet.

I've learned I live in a Utopia.

Yes, indeed. Some of us even learn how to recognize satire and sarcasm when we see it.

[HuskyDawg]

Originally Posted by NCDavid

Yes, indeed. Some of us even learn how to recognize satire and sarcasm when we see it.

You got me NCDavid. You are too quick & intelligent to spar with.

My apologies to the OP for the direction of the thread. My only point is move here and then you'll see some of the traffic patterns.

[Mini-apple-less]

I think the "Seattle freeze" should really just be called the "Western United States freeze". Yes it's quite true that people in Seattle have little interest in making new friends, but I'd say this is also the case in Portland, Denver, Corvallis, Cheyenne, and Albuquerque.

People just tend to be loners and stick to their own here. If you don't make a lot of friends in grade school the western US can be a very lonely and isolating place.

[Mini-apple-less]

Originally Posted by jm31828

I will chime in about the Seattle Freeze- I also believe it is mostly a myth, or at least a product of unrealistic expectations. I am from the Midwest (Nebraska)- it's not exactly easy as an adult to get from good conversation to actual friendship there, either. It's the same anywhere.

So basically you're saying the Pacific Northwest culture is not unique at all, but is simply innate human nature and people have the same degree of sarcasm and tendency towards loner-dom everywhere?

I simply don't agree, after hanging out with a bunch of Filipinos at my dad's wedding last year. Some cultures really are a lot more gregarious, open and sincere than others. I think Pacific Northwest people are indeed quite guarded and stoic compared to many culture, same with Omaha and upper Midwest locales.

I think it has to do with the Germanic base of both PNW and Upper Midwest culture. I think the South and East have more "lively" people in large part compared to the West and parts of the Midwest because they have more Latin (the West has Mexicans but they are the most reserved and stoic Latinos IMO), Irish, Italian and African American influence and those cultures tend to be more "people-oriented" and a bit less "anal" than Northern European cultures.

[Ira500]

When you visit a place, you will get a certain impression. After you live in a place, it might become something entirely different. Any afternoon, try going south on 405, from oh, Kirkland to South Renton at about 5 0'Clock. It is the absolute worst, on a fairly regular basis. Makes I-5 look like a walk in the park. Sure, other large cities also have godawful traffic. I've been stuck in Washington DC and New York City traffic, and it's horrible.
For people who have lived here, traffic has gotten a lot worse. To suggest that we've got nothing to complain about because other big cities have equally horrible traffic misses the point. Seattle has been a better city than those places precisely because it was a little slower paced and easier to take. Seattle is becoming more dense, more urban, more crowded. I still like it here, and I'm not about to move. But I'm sort of in mourning for the city that was, and you're basically saying " Get Over It."?

[fwtxcitywoman]

My total commute on Monday, July 20, 2015 was 3.5 hours. HOURS, to go 34 miles.

I had to take my husband to a med appt a few months ago. THREE hours to go 20 miles (Spanaway to Bellevue).

YOU can have it! I'm outta here in December!

[CrazyDonkey]

Seattle was settled by Presbyterians from New England ("Bostons" as the natives called them) and then later by lots of Scandinavians (who came here to work in the fishing and forestry industries), neither of whom were particularly effusive or expressive. Now, the Italians and Irish that settled Rainier Valley and Capitol Hill were an entirely different matter, but were always outnumbered by the more dour and less friendly WASPs. Nor are there many Poles here. In general, Catholics are friendlier than Protestants (unless Southern Baptists, that is, although there aren't many of those here, either).

[beenhereandthere]

Traffic is no myth. 5th worst in the Americas. LA, SF, Honolulu and Vancouver are the only cities that have streets that are more clogged and it makes me somewhat tempted to leave here.
Kitsap or any place North of Everett does not deal with it as much.

[FrankSpencer]

Originally Posted by fwtxcitywoman

I had to take my husband to a med appt a few months ago. THREE hours to go 20 miles (Spanaway to Bellevue).

Spanaway to Bellevue is more like 45 miles

The traffic around Olympia is my pet hate (I avoid most peak hour traffic due to riding bike). Why does it always seem so bad?