Seriously....Seattle people are nice?? (Sammamish, Pacific: house prices, unemployment, neighborhood)

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

Which is stupid, because most of those leaving California are usually educated, middle-class Caucasians who are not in anyway "identifiable" until they tell you where they are from. While I know it has driven up RE values, the Northeasterners come with the same amount of equity, and most of them seek to replicate the more serene middle-class lifestyle they once knew...be it in SEA or DEN, or anywhere else in the West. Neither California's rich/upper middle class nor their gang-bangers are leaving for other places, for the most part. It's sad that California's most "middle of the bell shaped curve" folks are getting such ridiculous treatment, wherever it occurs.

There's one sure fire way to identify a Californian without them saying it. Putting the word "the" in front of the freeway number. It's only done in California, maybe even only in Southern California. ...So if you're trying to blend in, don't say " I took the 5 to get here." Say things like " I love soy lattes." or "sunshine is really overrated" or " This place used to be heaven on earth before the Californians came", and if they ask where you're from, pick out some obscure town nobody's ever hear of. " I grew up in Pysht."

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Ira500

It's only done in California, maybe even only in Southern California. ...So if you're trying to blend in, don't say " I took the 5 to get here."

Not to worry. It was 5, 90, 405, and 520, without the preceding article, the first week I got there.

[limeyx]

Originally Posted by Ira500

There's one sure fire way to identify a Californian without them saying it. Putting the word "the" in front of the freeway number. It's only done in California, maybe even only in Southern California. ...So if you're trying to blend in, don't say " I took the 5 to get here." Say things like " I love soy lattes." or "sunshine is really overrated" or " This place used to be heaven on earth before the Californians came", and if they ask where you're from, pick out some obscure town nobody's ever hear of. " I grew up in Pysht."

Heh heh heh, just moved here from LA and I continue to say "The 5" just to irritate my local friends.

So far (with the exception of a bunch of art students that wouldn't let me into the elevator with them downtown ), everyone has been super super friendly.

We've met people wine tasting, at the space needle, at the supermarket and everyone has been super-nice.

The drivers are kind of wimpy though...

[Raffie]

Seattle people are mainly wishy washy.
They are very click-ish and most are self centered with attitudes that they are highly important over everyone and rude drivers as well.

I think its mainly from lack of sun that does it.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by Ira500

There's one sure fire way to identify a Californian without them saying it. Putting the word "the" in front of the freeway number.

Yep, it's automatic.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Uhm, wait a minute, what am I missing here ? He insulted the woman, not the PO worker.

Actually he insulted both.The job description comment was a shot at the postal worker as well.

[eskercurve]

I'm a Midwesterner and will agree Seattleites are mostly polite, and not outwardly friendly on the whole, unless you engage them in doing something outdoorsy or maybe at a Sounders game, or go to one of their meetup.com meets.

In Chicago, where I grew up, a new family moved in when I was living there. The whole block came by with food and drinks and we shared stories and welcomed them into the neighborhood, got to know them, and have kids play with other kids. We had block parties. We knew our neighbors and one in particular became almost a surrogate dad when mine basically went off the deep end and married a cheating *****.

Here... not so much. Have a friend who recently sold his house after living here 20 years. He never knew his neighbors, even when he had kids. He figured in case of emergency like a fire, someone would notice. Double rainbow wow.

[mommster]

I want to live in the kind of neighborhood you described where there were block parties. I am from the midwest - Cincinnati - and longed for that when I was there. I know there are some neighborhoods like that and some where the associations try to foster a sense of community, but I think it's very rare. It seems most people, living in all parts of the U.S., are too busy, work too much, are on the internet too much...to find time to actually talk to their neighbors. We didn't take the job opportunity in Seattle and instead took a job in Florida. (Not MY choice!) We're house shopping and finding the perfect neighborhood is of utmost importance. We want our kids to grow up in what you described. I hope we find it. Although, with as transient as Florida is we'd be going to 'welcoming the neighbor' parties weekly. Lol!

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Bill Loney

Actually he insulted both.The job description comment was a shot at the postal worker as well.

Hardly. He laughed and then was great when he helped me with my transaction. It only goes to show that you, being a Seattlite, would also take it that way. Everyone that laughed must have been a transplant, including the postal worker.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by eskercurve

Here... not so much. Have a friend who recently sold his house after living here 20 years. He never knew his neighbors, even when he had kids. He figured in case of emergency like a fire, someone would notice.

Why am I not surprised? I grew up in a middle-class suburb of 1500 to 2000 s.f. stucco 1-story and some 2-story homes in the close-in greater LA area. We moved several times, since my parents moved us overseas and back a few times. Therefore, with subsequent purchases, we lived enough streets away that the neighbors were a completely different batch. In EVERY instance, we knew almost all the neighbors. We knew all their quirks. People walked their dogs and would stop to talk, sometimes winding up in my parents' breakfast nook, and would sometimes just drop in for the heck of it, and vice-versa. Lots of people sat out on their porches most evenings, or had the door open beyond the screen door. I think it had to do with the awesome weather. I think that this is NORMAL for most American single family neighborhoods, even in big cities. I could see this being the norm in Chicago and Queens, NY, too, for example. And this was LA, the city that Seattle loves to bash the most.

Sidebar: a native NWer neighbor of my parents wound up moving to the greater Palm Springs area because of marriage. What a contrast. I doubt anybody will play the "oh, you're from the PNW" card on her. She's never lived outside the PNW and has already assimilated to the area, made a lot of friends, and told my Mom that she doesn't plan to leave that area. I'd also bet she's a lot less stiff than she used to be.