Does The Depressing Weather Make People "Artsy" In Seattle? (stats, moving)

[JesseJB]

Dude I live downtown next to Westlake Center. I could write you a book on "drab!"

[KevK]

Oklahoma is 11th in suicides. If I had to live in Oklahoma, I would seriously give the idea some thought too!

[pw72]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I think this is what has attracted the "artsy" types to Seattle. Seattle, the northernmost major city in the USA, possibly the westernmost major city, and a city that is tucked away from every major city in the USA(other than Portland). Travel east and no more major cities until you get to the Twin Cities. Go north and you hit Vancouver,Canada and then no more major cities. Travel and you hit Portland and then no more major cities until the Bay Area. Travel west and you hit the Pacific Ocean and on that latitude you will arrive at Russia. Basically, Seattle is tucked away from alot of other cities, and many settlers who were going to the PNW were the ones who were cast out, struck out, or for some reason, could not make it back East. These were people who may have been written off as the "outsiders" and "weird ones". You also have loggers and miners going to the PNW. Being tucked away from the rest of the USA and surrounded by the mountains have fostered an "artsy" culture, culture of "uniqueness" of things not always found in other parts of the nation.

I think you have hit on some important points. However, many of these "cases" of people moving west because they were looking for something, (anything), don't always result in being artistic and/or suicide. Many find exactly what they are looking for. Some keep moving, either back to where they came, or even further west to Alaska. But your basic theme I believe is correct. Many unhappy people move to find a better outlook on their lives. Unfortunately, the location, 9 times out of 10, isn't the real problem. And that, I'm afraid, is a different thread.

[Under The Clouds]

I think the gray climate gives people ample opportunity to pursue artistic activities, which may attract artistically inclined people, but I'd be skeptical about whether there's something about the climate that "creates" it. Modern America is a very mobile society, and people tend to self-select to areas that fit their outlooks and lifestyle preferences.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by kevk

oklahoma is 11th in suicides. If i had to live in oklahoma, i would seriously give the idea some thought too!

lol!!!:d:d:d

[kendsley]

You're going back a ways now. The "grunge scene" -- aside from those bands actually still getting airplay on the local radiio stations (and even then, it's the same MTV stuff like "Spoon Man" or "Smells like Teen Spirit" rather than anything esoteric) -- is pretty much over. I think a few bands of Seattle origin like Modest Mouse and Queens of the Stone Age (and that's starting to go back about 5 years) have enjoyed some limited success.

Queens Of The Stone Age is from California

[toughguy]

Getting out of the early 90's and onto something a little more relevant - the Seattle hip-hop scene is starting to reach critical mass, and for the most part the trademark Seattle production sound is soulful and upbeat (with the exception of the Oldominion cats, who generally use darker beats).

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by toughguy

Getting out of the early 90's and onto something a little more relevant - the Seattle hip-hop scene is starting to reach critical mass, and for the most part the trademark Seattle production sound is soulful and upbeat (with the exception of the Oldominion cats, who generally use darker beats).

Speaking of which, Sir Mix Alot is from Seattle.
The same city that was home to artists like Pearl Jam and Nirvana also was home to Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by pw72

I think you have hit on some important points. However, many of these "cases" of people moving west because they were looking for something, (anything), don't always result in being artistic and/or suicide. Many find exactly what they are looking for. Some keep moving, either back to where they came, or even further west to Alaska. But your basic theme I believe is correct. Many unhappy people move to find a better outlook on their lives. Unfortunately, the location, 9 times out of 10, isn't the real problem. And that, I'm afraid, is a different thread.

The point I was trying to make was that Seattle's relatively remote location and persons moving there for various reasons, often including the persons who couldn't make it out East, fostered a unique culture In a nutshell, location and the type of persons moving to the PNW gave birth to a unique culture.

[Huckleberry3911948]

not so----walking in the rain and dodging giant banana slugs always kept me occupied there. besides artsy works for me. we could use more of them. better a saxophone than a 9mm anyday.