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Old 08-21-2012, 11:30 PM
 
1,459 posts, read 3,299,154 times
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I think Washington is beautiful.....not so much the city of Seattle and especially not the people.
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Old 08-22-2012, 12:15 AM
 
617 posts, read 1,202,874 times
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I agree with the OP, Seattle's scenery is very overrated. Vancouver's scenery completely trumps it. It's even worth it to me if I would have to sacrifice over half of my income, less job opportunities, triple the cost for housing, double other expenses, and go through the long immigration progress for the privilege of living there someday. Parts of the SF Bay area and the Redwoods are spectacular. The Fall colors of New England trump Seattle's Fall any day of the week too, IMO.
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Old 08-22-2012, 01:55 AM
 
Location: The heart of Cascadia
1,327 posts, read 3,181,647 times
Reputation: 848
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arushan View Post
I agree with the OP, Seattle's scenery is very overrated. Vancouver's scenery completely trumps it. It's even worth it to me if I would have to sacrifice over half of my income, less job opportunities, triple the cost for housing, double other expenses, and go through the long immigration progress for the privilege of living there someday. Parts of the SF Bay area and the Redwoods are spectacular. The Fall colors of New England trump Seattle's Fall any day of the week too, IMO.
I feel the same way about Vancouver. I adore that city.
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Old 08-22-2012, 07:02 AM
 
1,863 posts, read 5,150,587 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arushan View Post
I agree with the OP, Seattle's scenery is very overrated. Vancouver's scenery completely trumps it. It's even worth it to me if I would have to sacrifice over half of my income, less job opportunities, triple the cost for housing, double other expenses, and go through the long immigration progress for the privilege of living there someday. Parts of the SF Bay area and the Redwoods are spectacular. The Fall colors of New England trump Seattle's Fall any day of the week too, IMO.
Great post. This is exactly how I feel regarding Seattle vs. Vancouver, BC
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Old 08-22-2012, 07:11 AM
 
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
43 posts, read 87,295 times
Reputation: 85
I looked very seriously at Vancouver before deciding on BI recently. VERY seriously. In the end, the dollar values made the difference for me, personally...not because I couldn't afford Vancouver, but because the trade-offs I would have had to make tipped the scales slightly. Choosing Washington meant that I actually had

a) more modern houses to choose frm
b) of a much larger size or well-finished quality
c) closer to the waterfront or astonishing vistas that I was drawn to the area by in the first place
d) for literally half as much money.

Vancouver is jaw-droppingly stunning...but in the end...I think being just a quick drive down the coast from in, in what is (to me) equally beautiful scenery, makes the Seattle area attractive for reasons all its own. While cost and convenience may not be beauty in and of themselves, I suspect that people are drawn to it because it's somewhat unique in offering that balance of affordable panorama with metropolitan city adjacent.

But then, I'm of the mind that there'll always be other places 'more beautiful' than any given place, for any number of reasons. All of the places I've lived have had marvelously lovely qualities not entirely echoed anywhere else.

The key is definitely finding the right balance of total qualities. Few places on earth are more beautiful than the one you love to live in.

Last edited by sophistre; 08-22-2012 at 07:13 AM.. Reason: Bad grammar!
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Old 08-22-2012, 08:24 AM
 
118 posts, read 295,316 times
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If you don't think Seattle is beautiful, you haven't seen ugly. Just spend 5 minutes in Houston, or any iron belt mid-west city. The fact that there are TREES by the side of the road is enough for me... but I guess I'm easy to please.
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Old 08-22-2012, 08:56 AM
 
1,630 posts, read 3,885,350 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by callmemaybe View Post
I've always found Seattle kind of disappointing whenever I pass through there. People say its skyline is stunning, and it looks beautiful in pictures, but I find that the city has a depressing look to it. The location of the Space Needle is disappointing too, it's pretty detached from the rest of the skyline. And nature is well removed from the city.
My favorite drive is northbound on I5 coming around the bend and seeing my beautiful city. It is beautiful in sunshine, gray skies and rain. It is home.
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Old 08-22-2012, 09:00 AM
 
21,989 posts, read 15,720,265 times
Reputation: 12943
Quote:
Originally Posted by suziq999 View Post
If you don't think Seattle is beautiful, you haven't seen ugly. Just spend 5 minutes in Houston, or any iron belt mid-west city. The fact that there are TREES by the side of the road is enough for me... but I guess I'm easy to please.
Houston is heinous, no question. The OP lives in Portland; I wonder if anyone has gone to that forum and stirred it up by comparing Portland's industrial look to Detroit? This post is strange but I guess if you're comparing the beauty of Seattle to the beauty of Portland, you're coming to battle with no ammo. This post makes Portland seem like Jan Brady.

Last edited by Seacove; 08-22-2012 at 09:09 AM..
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Old 08-22-2012, 09:17 AM
 
1,632 posts, read 6,845,107 times
Reputation: 705
Half of your income and triple the housing cost - Vancouver is really that more beautiful? And it would be that important to you? Exaggerate much?

If San Francisco can claim Muir Woods and Boston can brag about say, the fall colors of the White Mountains, can Seattle also include the the rain forests of Olympic National Park and the San Juans?

As for the beauty of Vancouver - no doubt it is very high. One of my favorite places around and we visit it often - just an easy drive. But in terms of major cities in the continental US, I can't think of many that rival Seattle in terms of overall surrounding beauty. I would give a slight edge to San Francisco, with its architecture, bridges, picturesque hills, and pretty bay, but that's just me.

As I think someone mentioned, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in Seattle's case, it also depends in part on the time of year that the beholding is taking place. In the sunny months, I'm constantly reminded of the amazingly beautiful panorama of the area, as I commute over the I-90 bridge to and from Seattle. And summer visitors to our household invariably talk about how pretty the area is. In the winter, the landscape is certainly more bleak.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arushan View Post
I agree with the OP, Seattle's scenery is very overrated. Vancouver's scenery completely trumps it. It's even worth it to me if I would have to sacrifice over half of my income, less job opportunities, triple the cost for housing, double other expenses, and go through the long immigration progress for the privilege of living there someday. Parts of the SF Bay area and the Redwoods are spectacular. The Fall colors of New England trump Seattle's Fall any day of the week too, IMO.
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Old 08-22-2012, 09:18 AM
 
Location: Capital Hill
1,599 posts, read 3,134,520 times
Reputation: 850
Quote:
Originally Posted by callmemaybe View Post
I've always found Seattle kind of disappointing whenever I pass through there. People say its skyline is stunning, and it looks beautiful in pictures, but I find that the city has a depressing look to it. The location of the Space Needle is disappointing too, it's pretty detached from the rest of the skyline. And nature is well removed from the city.
You certainly can't call it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Seattle took care of the 'beauty' thing when built the I-5 freeway corridor and destroyed the Montlake neighborhood and arboretum when they built the Evergreen Bridge. Freeways, by nature have never been labeled 'things of beauty'. And, the same-old, same-old highrise building construction going on all over town certainly are not beautiful. If you want to see beautiful cities, visit Vancouver B.C., Paris, Rome, or Hong Kong. Seattle is not on that list. Just think, Seattle has become Los Angelus. : smack:
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