Can Seattle be more like Vancouver, BC? (Everett, Renton: manufacturing, office)

[NearFantastica]

Both Vancouver and Seattle have their drug issues, it's more noticeable and widespread in Seattle though whereas in Vancouver it's more concentrated to the Eastside of downtown. Vancouver has also done a much better job tackling homelessness, crime, and drug abuse compared to Seattle

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by NearFantastica

Both Vancouver and Seattle have their drug issues, it's more noticeable and widespread in Seattle though whereas in Vancouver it's more concentrated to the Eastside of downtown. Vancouver has also done a much better job tackling homelessness, crime, and drug abuse compared to Seattle

Part of the reason for the homeless visibility difference is that Vancouver doesn’t have a freeway running through its downtown, that provides ample opportunities for the unhoused to shelter in visible locations. Also, the social services in Vancouver are concentrated on the east side of downtown.

[bartonizer]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Part of the reason for the homeless visibility difference is that Vancouver doesn’t have a freeway running through its downtown, that provides ample opportunities for the unhoused to shelter in visible locations. Also, the social services in Vancouver are concentrated on the east side of downtown.

Agreed. I just noticed this thread and I'm kind of shocked at how many posters seem to think that homelessness isn't much of an issue in Vancouver. I'm left to conclude that it's just an assumption made by many, or that Vancouver's setup shields it a bit and a darker side isn't generally seen by most tourists. I'm also sure it helps that DT Van is more dense with mostly residential condos on a little peninsula, vs Seattle's much bigger commercial core (including a lack of 24 hour traffic in many parts of downtown that leads to a ghost town effect after 5 in some areas). But whereas Seattle's homeless are more scattered around the city, Vancouver's problem areas are more concentrated, and I think anyone who's visited Vancouver heading east of Gastown into DTES certainly knows what I'm talking about- It has more of a zombie apocalypse feel than just about anywhere else I've been. The last few times we were in that area we literally watched ambulance after ambulance after ambulance attend to multiple overdose victims. It is surreal.

Not that it scares us away from visiting either...we live in Bellingham and appreciate our proximity to big city experiences nearby. Vancouver is different than Seattle; to us they each have their plusses and minuses- but both do have a high number of homeless. We love the food, the scenery, and the ease of transit, for example, in Vancouver. But warts and all, over COVID with the border closed, we kind of rekindled our love with Seattle. It's pretty easy to get around, and there are a number of urban nodes that provide different experiences. And to be honest, I think Seattle is a little bit more interesting than Vancouver. Vancouver can seem like a bigger city at times and has more advanced metro transit, but overall much of it can feel a bit generic.

[uniquetraveler]

I started the thread when I visited Vancouver for the first time and thought that Seattle can emulate some of the livability aspects like cleanliness, security, and vibrancy of the core downtown.

But now that I have been there a few times, I am beginning to realize that Seattle is actually a better option if one wants to settle down for the long term. There are many reasons, but sharing a few:

1) Option to get involved in a career that has a global impact. Seattle boasts companies like Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Blue Origin, and a big presence of other tech companies like Google and Meta/Facebook. One can be working on cutting-edge cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, aerospace, and Virtual Reality solutions, available only at very few places on earth. Even other sectors like Life Sciences and Biotech are big here.
On the other hand, Vancouver only has a small presence of such options. Unless you are wealthy by inheritance or real estate, there is not much intellectual stimulation to live in such a place.


2) More drivable options from the metro area. Outside of the usual mountain resorts and skiing destinations that both cities have at varying degrees, from Seattle, one can access sandy beaches of the Oregon coastline in a few hours. Great to be able to drive to a place like Cannon Beach during summertime, almost feels like California! From Vancouver, it's a much longer drive plus requires international border crossing.

3) Larger metro area with more options. Even though Vancouver city is more vibrant and cleaner, the broader area is much smaller than Seattle. Seattle has 4 million plus people whereas Vancouver is only 2.5 million. Which provides more options to visit unique neighborhoods in the long run..

4) Cheaper flight option to southern California during the dreary winter days. I was surprised to see that tickets from Vancouver International (YVR) to SoCal are almost twice those from Seattle (SEA). For someone who likes going down south for at least a week every December, it's a bummer.

5) Income-to-expense ratio. Due to the presence of large global companies, average salaries in Seattle and much higher for similar jobs in Vancouver. In addition, there is no state tax in Washington vs British Columbia. Finally, housing price is high in Seattle, but Vancouver is even more..

In short, Vancouver may just need to be more like Seattle!

[87112]

LOL, does Vancouver want to be like Seattle??



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/se...691fa0fed163f7

No wonder, a lot of people in America think liberal Seattle has too many loonies running the place.

[uniquetraveler]

^^ Looks like it, two of my closest friends moved to Seattle from Vancouver and now working at Microsoft and Amazon respectively.

Also, I moved here from the South (was in Dallas, Atlanta for over 20 years) and feel that the Seattle metro area is head and shoulders above them in all aspects of life. Yes, the situation was bad in downtown core in 2020- mid 2022 due to covid and the protests but thinks are normalizing again..

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...y-be-breaking/

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by uniquetraveler

...
There are many things that Seattle has that Vancouver doesn't, starting with HQ of companies like Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft-- but it will be great if we can emulate some of the other areas outlined above.

LOL. Why not just move.

These are the things that make Seattle the city it is. Much of what you've identified has deep historical roots in the city.

[pnwguy2]

As some have mentioned Boeing is no longer based in Seattle. Chicago is current hq’s but much of production still comes from the Seattle area. Everett, Boeing Field, Renton still have the most workers in the company. This may change in future decades, but for now Seattle/Everett is the true mass of the company.

[uniquetraveler]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

As some have mentioned Boeing is no longer based in Seattle. Chicago is current hq’s but much of production still comes from the Seattle area. Everett, Boeing Field, Renton still have the most workers in the company. This may change in future decades, but for now Seattle/Everett is the true mass of the company.

Boeing BCA Headquarters, the division responsible for manufacturing commercial aircraft is still based out of Puget Sound. But the office moved from LongAcres campus to Boeing field location.
The Global headquarter moved to Chicago in 2001 and as of last year, it is in Arlington VA. Only 500 employees work in the global HQ though.

[pnwguy2]

And I predict that Chicago/Arlington personnel will drop in the next couple years. You don’t need a lot of managers in a recessionary environment. Bloated company headquarters are going to be a thing of the past.