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Gento is right there are no places that are as different than LA and Seattle. Ive lived-dated and worked in Phoenix, reno and Tempe as well as across SOCAL. They are all very "latino" and even the whites in those areas are different. I wrote about it before. White/Latino culture is so intertwined in the southwest because of large numbers of interracial marriages. In fact the only region in America where whites had significant numbers of IR marriages was the Southwest and Hawaii. If you took the number of White/Latino interracial marriages in California they would surpass all the black/white marriages across the entire USA.
So when I would go to latino venues and see 1/4 of all the families with either white husbands or wives it seemed normal. When Id hit the clubs and see white guys, with chuck taylors and dickies and tattooed up it just seemed to me that was how white people were.
In reality, they are not and that Southwestern-Cowboy-Mexican-Lowrider-Skater-Tattooed Up-Interracial TexMex lifestyle is limited to the Southwest were those cultures have lived and bred side by side for hundreds of years.
When you grow up in the Bay Area, nothing else quite measures up. The quality of the entertainment, and variety, just isn't there in Seattle. The architecture can't even be called that, it's just cheap construction, most of it (residential, I'm talking about). Socially, of course, there's the famous Seattle Freeze. People aren't as friendly as in CA. And the weather has actually gotten worse since I left, if such a thing is possible. Plus, the 2nd half of the summer is always too hot for me, compared to Berkeley and San Fran.
So, I'm not there anymore. But I did run into a number of people who were refugees from Bay Area traffic, they said. They gave traffic and crowding as their reason for moving to Seattle, and staying. Seems like an odd reason, to me, in view of the good public transportation in the Bay Area. But...whatever.
Depends Ruth. I grew up in LA and when I first moved to Washington I landed in a very woodsy and rural area. I was overwhelmed with how quiet it was. I miss the massive amounts of people, the cool summer nights, the smell of BBQ, the gorgeous sun kissed and friendly ladies, the sound of spanish at the market, the Asian Americans, going down to the "callejones" with my gypsy friends to score Levis/Nikes and resell them at the swap meet. Hitting the biggest fairs, rock shows, car shows and wine tastings with 5000 other people.
Los Angeles is a breathe of Latin-America. Crowded, at times dangerous, friendly, warm with great food and friends for life. The only reason I dont live there anymore is because of how competitive the job market is. Seattle has this closed door complex where everyone is huddled into their own world.
Depends Ruth. I grew up in LA and when I first moved to Washington I landed in a very woodsy and rural area.
The one thing I do miss about Seattle is the backyard I had. It was full of cedar trees, and was a little slice of NW forest, right in town. It was surrounded by the backyards of all my neighbors--more cedars! It was quiet and peaceful.
I don't get the Seattle is so white thing. Just go to Census.gov for the facts. The city of Seattle is only 66% white, so it is 34% NON-white. That is fairly diverse. And many places south of Seattle are 40%-70% non-white (Renton 49% white, Kent 49% white, Tacoma 60% white). And east side places like Bellevue (59% white), Redmond (61% white). If you just took the city of Seattle from say downtown south, it would probably be 50%+ non-white I moved here from San Diego and I lived in the Bay Area for a long time, and Seattle is actually more diverse then I thought it was going to be.
I do not miss California at all personally. I don't have a high opinion of SoCal. It's just very "low culture" and "low mentality" down there. It has so many ghetto areas, cheesy shallow culture, brown hills, no greenery, cookie cutter generic architecture. I personally regret living in SoCal for the 7 years I did and wished I had moved up here a few years sooner. I LOVE the fact that Seattle is less "bling bling" culture then SoCal and is more on the intellectual, bookish, outdoorsy side. I hope that never changes.
I also don't miss the endless wild fires in California since it is so dry down there.
And I LOVE paying no state income tax up here. California state income taxes are oppressive.
I lived in the Bay Area for 18 years before SoCal and a highly prefer Seattle over the Bay Area right now in my life. Seattle is so much closer to "real" wilderness beauty, and has so many more beautiful parks and lakes within the city limits. The city of SF is mostly a concrete jungle, other then Golden Gate Park which is filled with homeless and druggies. SF Bay also feels more like a rat race and has those brown treeless hills 10 months of the year. The cost of housing in SF is also a total joke. SF is a awesome place overall though and has many wonderful day trips. If I was getting out of college again, personally I would choose SF since it has a more exciting nightlife and great career opps. But for 35 year old +, Seattle wins hands down over SF. There is no other place in the U.S. I would want to be then Seattle right now. However the one thing that could drive me out of Seattle is the traffic. To me it is horrific and 100 times worse then San Diego. The traffic is the #1 negative on quality of life here.
I also like how Seattle is close Vancouver B.C. and Portland. The neighboring cities of SF, Sacramento and San Jose, are boring places you wouldn't want to visit. Also, the outdoor activities close to Seattle are mind blowing. The Cascades, Olympics, Islands, etc... This is the #1 metro area in the U.S. for those that love the outdoors hands down. San Diego was 7 hours from "real" Mountains in Mammoth, and SF was 3.5 hrs difficult drive from Tahoe (IF you didn't hit traffic)...MUCH further then the mountains are to Seattle.
I also don't really get the Seattle freeze thing. Maybe it's because I grew up in New England which is kind of reserved too. I didn't really know my neighbors in San Diego or San Francisco either. I just feel it is modern American cities where people are just not that outgoing anymore. I don't think it was any easier to make friends in SF or San Diego. The fact is a great majority of the people in Seattle are transplants anyway, just like California.
I don't get the Seattle is so white thing. Just go to Census.gov for the facts. The city of Seattle is only 66% white, so it is 34% NON-white. That is fairly diverse. And many places south of Seattle are 40%-70% non-white (Renton 49% white, Kent 49% white, Tacoma 60% white). And east side places like Bellevue (59% white), Redmond (61% white). If you just took the city of Seattle from say downtown south, it would probably be 50%+ non-white I moved here from San Diego and I lived in the Bay Area for a long time, and Seattle is actually more diverse then I thought it was going to be.
My bad, I thought the white population is Seattle was higher. That explains why you do see more culture there.
Quote:
I do not miss California at all personally. I don't have a high opinion of SoCal. It's just very "low culture" and "low mentality" down there. It has so many ghetto areas, cheesy shallow culture, brown hills, no greenery, cookie cutter generic architecture. I personally regret living in SoCal for the 7 years I did and wished I had moved up here a few years sooner. I LOVE the fact that Seattle is less "bling bling" culture then SoCal and is more on the intellectual, bookish, outdoorsy side. I hope that never changes.
Hear hear! Can't rep you again but I agree with every word. I wasted so much time in SoCal myself.
Quote:
I also don't really get the Seattle freeze thing. Maybe it's because I grew up in New England which is kind of reserved too. I didn't really know my neighbors in San Diego or San Francisco either. I just feel it is modern American cities where people are just not that outgoing anymore. I don't think it was any easier to make friends in SF or San Diego.
I call BS on the whole Seattle freeze thing and yeah, San Diego can be really standoffish at times as well combined with the whole SoCal issues you mentioned so those in Seattle should take that into consideration who complain about this so called freeze.
I don't know about the two of you but I would choose the northwest over SoCal any day.
Ruth, where are you actually from? You're in every forum I'm in but you make no distinction of where you're from.
I've posted in the Bay Area forum several times that I'm from there. My post on this thread that starts, "When you grow up in the Bay Area..." didn't give you a clue?
No, actually, I'm just following you around on C-D.
I've posted in the Bay Area forum several times that I'm from there. My post on this thread that starts, "When you grow up in the Bay Area..." didn't give you a clue?
No, actually, I'm just following you around on C-D.
Sorry, I spend less time in the Bay Area forum these days.
I don't get the Seattle is so white thing. Just go to Census.gov for the facts. The city of Seattle is only 66% white, so it is 34% NON-white. That is fairly diverse. And many places south of Seattle are 40%-70% non-white (Renton 49% white, Kent 49% white, Tacoma 60% white). And east side places like Bellevue (59% white), Redmond (61% white). If you just took the city of Seattle from say downtown south, it would probably be 50%+ non-white I moved here from San Diego and I lived in the Bay Area for a long time, and Seattle is actually more diverse then I thought it was going to be.
I do not miss California at all personally. I don't have a high opinion of SoCal. It's just very "low culture" and "low mentality" down there. It has so many ghetto areas, cheesy shallow culture, brown hills, no greenery, cookie cutter generic architecture. I personally regret living in SoCal for the 7 years I did and wished I had moved up here a few years sooner. I LOVE the fact that Seattle is less "bling bling" culture then SoCal and is more on the intellectual, bookish, outdoorsy side. I hope that never changes.
I also don't miss the endless wild fires in California since it is so dry down there.
And I LOVE paying no state income tax up here. California state income taxes are oppressive.
I lived in the Bay Area for 18 years before SoCal and a highly prefer Seattle over the Bay Area right now in my life. Seattle is so much closer to "real" wilderness beauty, and has so many more beautiful parks and lakes within the city limits. The city of SF is mostly a concrete jungle, other then Golden Gate Park which is filled with homeless and druggies. SF Bay also feels more like a rat race and has those brown treeless hills 10 months of the year. The cost of housing in SF is also a total joke. SF is a awesome place overall though and has many wonderful day trips. If I was getting out of college again, personally I would choose SF since it has a more exciting nightlife and great career opps. But for 35 year old +, Seattle wins hands down over SF. There is no other place in the U.S. I would want to be then Seattle right now. However the one thing that could drive me out of Seattle is the traffic. To me it is horrific and 100 times worse then San Diego. The traffic is the #1 negative on quality of life here.
I also like how Seattle is close Vancouver B.C. and Portland. The neighboring cities of SF, Sacramento and San Jose, are boring places you wouldn't want to visit. Also, the outdoor activities close to Seattle are mind blowing. The Cascades, Olympics, Islands, etc... This is the #1 metro area in the U.S. for those that love the outdoors hands down. San Diego was 7 hours from "real" Mountains in Mammoth, and SF was 3.5 hrs difficult drive from Tahoe (IF you didn't hit traffic)...MUCH further then the mountains are to Seattle.
I also don't really get the Seattle freeze thing. Maybe it's because I grew up in New England which is kind of reserved too. I didn't really know my neighbors in San Diego or San Francisco either. I just feel it is modern American cities where people are just not that outgoing anymore. I don't think it was any easier to make friends in SF or San Diego. The fact is a great majority of the people in Seattle are transplants anyway, just like California.
And I LOVE paying no state income tax up here. California state income taxes are oppressive.
YES THEY ARE. They are killing the middle class, lower middle class with those income taxes. Its a disaster. I would point to the income tax as one reason why their is so much poverty in California. When people make $15-18/hr and you take $200 a week/ $800 month from them? I mean its insane
How long have you been in Seattle? Are you in Seattle proper or somewhere else in the state? Are you financially able to visit California often? There are direct flights to CA from Sea-Tac almost every hour on Alaska Airlines, pretty cheap too.
I go back to CA every 2 years or so to visit friends and family. I'm glad to be out. When I go back it seems like no one has improved their status because they are so weighed down by the cost of living. They are always super stressed out too. It's really hard to make a good life there these days unless you're extremely well off.
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