Cultural Differences Between Pacific NW and South? (Seattle, Tacoma: buying, allergies)

[Diana Holbrook]

One cultural difference I noticed in friends and colleagues I would meet from the nice old cities in the south like Atlanta or Raleigh or Richmond... We'd be sitting around the hotel bar after our conference in Seattle, wearing whatever office casual/jeans we'd been wearing all day, talking about socializing that night, and they expressed surprise that they wouldn't need to go up and "dress for dinner". We locals certainly weren't going to go home and change before going out. We were going as we were!

They seemed really surprised that there wasn't a restaurant in Seattle we could think of, even nice ones, that we couldn't go to wearing jeans and flannel. I think our Southern friends found our lack of any fashion sense a little appalling.

But we don't dress up here. I mean... young single girls probably still dress up in fancy dresses and heels to go clubbing and dancing... but beyond that, you can pretty much go anywhere in jeans and plaid flannel.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

One cultural difference I noticed in friends and colleagues I would meet from the nice old cities in the south like Atlanta or Raleigh or Richmond... We'd be sitting around the hotel bar after our conference in Seattle, wearing whatever office casual/jeans we'd been wearing all day, talking about socializing that night, and they expressed surprise that they wouldn't need to go up and "dress for dinner". We locals certainly weren't going to go home and change before going out. We were going as we were!

They seemed really surprised that there wasn't a restaurant in Seattle we could think of, even nice ones, that we couldn't go to wearing jeans and flannel. I think our Southern friends found our lack of any fashion sense a little appalling.

But we don't dress up here. I mean... young single girls probably still dress up to go clubbing and dancing... but beyond that, you can pretty much go anywhere in jeans and plaid flannel.

Well, this is what people have had in mind, partly, when in the past, there have been comments about Seattle not having much to offer in terms of fine dining. This is exactly it. Though of course, the nature of the comments is more about the quality of the fare and the atmosphere that's missing in the Seattle restaurant scene. But how people dress to go to fine dining establishments (if there are any) is part of the atmosphere, as much as the white tablecloths, and the rest of it. In the Bay Area, there are restaurants (with great food, btw) that wouldn't let you in the door, if you weren't appropriately dressed. Men are required to be in sport coat and tie, women in dresses and nice shoes, or at least a semi-dressy-looking pant outfit.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Well, this is what people have had in mind, partly, when in the past, there have been comments about Seattle not having much to offer in terms of fine dining. This is exactly it. Though of course, the nature of the comments is more about the quality of the fare and the atmosphere that's missing in the Seattle restaurant scene. But how people dress to go to fine dining establishments (if there are any) is part of the atmosphere, as much as the white tablecloths, and the rest of it. In the Bay Area, there are restaurants (with great food, btw) that wouldn't let you in the door, if you weren't appropriately dressed. Men are required to be in sport coat and tie, women in dresses and nice shoes, or at least a semi-dressy-looking pant outfit.

Right, and San Francisco is where I first encountered that. There was some nice restaurant in the penthouse of one of the tall buildings downtown that had been recommended to us, and we tried to go there for a drink after touristing all day. I was wearing nice long walking shorts and a nice shirt, boyfriend at the time was dressed similarly like a summer tourist, and when the elevator opened, a maître d' standing there wagged his finger at us and said "You can't come in here!". The elevator doors closed and we went back down. Never stepped out.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

Right, and San Francisco is where I first encountered that. There was some nice restaurant in the penthouse of one of the tall buildings downtown that had been recommended to us, and we tried to go there for a drink after touristing all day. I was wearing nice long walking shorts and a nice shirt, boyfriend at the time was dressed similarly like a summer tourist, and when the elevator opened, a maître d' standing there wagged his finger at us and said "You can't come in here!". The elevator doors closed and we went back down. Never stepped out.

Top O' The Mark, by any chance? But they're not only in hotels (I think a couple of Seattle's few formal dining spots are in the downtown hotels); Berkeley (technically: Emeryville) has one like that. It started out as a small location in Oakland, grew to be a small locally-owned chain over a generation or two, and now has one nice location on the Bay front in Emeryville. I can see, how if you've been at a casual seminar/conference all day, everyone having commuted in from various suburbs, you can't go home and change for dinner. But in that case, you simply pick a more informal restaurant, right? You might say to your Southern colleagues, "oh, we can't go home and change [because we're not staying in a hotel nearby, we live an hour away, duh!]; let's choose someplace, where we can all be comfortable."

I mean, how did the out-of-state participants think the locals would would be able to change? Were y'all supposed to bring dinner attire to the conference with you, all the way from Issaquah, Bothell, Everett, etc.? Even driving home to, say, Northgate, Ballard or Magnolia, and back downtown just to change clothes isn't practical at all, unless a late dinner time is chosen.

I enjoy dressing up for dinner, on the rare occasion I'm invited to go to a restaurant that requires it. It's a nice ritual. But I'm glad there are plenty of restaurants that offer more informal dining, too.

[Diana Holbrook]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Top O' The Mark, by any chance?

Not sure! But maybe! Been a lot of years now! And I didn't get to see much of it!

I can see, how if you've been at a casual seminar/conference all day, everyone having commuted in from various suburbs, you can't go home and change for dinner. But in that case, you simply pick a more informal restaurant, right? You might say to your Southern colleagues, "oh, we can't go home and change [because we're not staying in a hotel nearby, we live an hour away, duh!]; let's choose someplace, where we can all be comfortable."

I mean, how did the out-of-state participants think the locals would would be able to change? Were y'all supposed to bring dinner attire to the conference with you, all the way from Issaquah, Bothell, Everett, etc.? Even driving home to, say, Northgate, Ballard or Magnolia, and back downtown just to change clothes isn't practical at all, unless a late dinner time is chosen.

I'm not sure what they expected. It never occurred to us that anyone would think the kinds of places we'd be likely to go to might require a change. It was a convergence of different worlds!

And these weren't overly wealthy people accustomed to top notch restaurants, these were middle management working class people.

And even though we said it wasn't necessary, a couple of them went up and changed anyway, came back down dressed to the nines in black dresses with hose and heels and jewelry. - I think they decided they were on vacation they were going to wear the nice things they brought! We all did fine in mixed clothes, them in their finery, us in our flannels, dining out together. I don't remember where we went... but it was a nice steak house with seafood... They wanted salmon, after all, being in Seattle.

[jabogitlu]

Coming from the south myself: I really appreciate the lack of formality in the PNW. My colleagues in the south wear suits and ties every day. I work in one of the best in class office buildings in downtown Seattle every day in my jeans, old brown shoes, and whatever untucked button up shirt happens to be hanging in the closet. I truly do not understand how people function in Atlanta, Charleston, Florida, etc., wearing suits all day in that 100 degree heat. Lord have mercy.

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Coming from the south myself: I really appreciate the lack of formality in the PNW. My colleagues in the south wear suits and ties every day. I work in one of the best in class office buildings in downtown Seattle every day in my jeans, old brown shoes, and whatever untucked button up shirt happens to be hanging in the closet. I truly do not understand how people function in Atlanta, Charleston, Florida, etc., wearing suits all day in that 100 degree heat. Lord have mercy.

Completely agree. I go back to my hometown of Miami and it's the same thing, including way too much "pitting out".

[patriciaje]

Same up here since Seattle and western washington is more different compared to other portions of all their nation. My estimation is Seattle is not as aggressive and more passive competitive compared to the South general. The metropolis is put back, however, includes energy, and life just isn't too idiotic as at the rural south east .

[kimberlyboston]

Pacific Northwest native men and women have a significantly different culture in New England native men and women. Additionally, the native people at that the PNW is a lot larger. This has impacted the civilization by words, put food and names in that a different manner than at that the northeast. Additionally, the classes are different.

[homesinseattle]

Shrimps and grits vs. ethically sourced North Puget Sound spot prawns sautéed with small cooperative non profit farm organic garlic and butter produced by free range truly happy cows.