Seattle: You're Not Cool If You Don't Love It Here (Tacoma: 2014, apartments)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by branh0913

Having moved away from Seattle well over a year ago, I think it's one of those cities you have to learn to miss. With that said, it is just very desolate and dreary, not to mention boring a lot of the times. It's not Seattle's fault, but here in Philly, where it's definitely cold, i can still find a lot to do. People are still out and about, and people are still enjoying themselves. I just never got that constant energy in Seattle. the lack of outgoing people, and the overall lack of vibrancy was a drag.

This sums it up. And the people don't really become outgoing in the summers, either. There's more to do, at least, but people aren't friendlier.

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

This sums it up. And the people don't really become outgoing in the summers, either. There's more to do, at least, but people aren't friendlier.

I've never found people in Seattle to be unfriendly. People will generally greet you, and seem pleasant enough. Now just because they are friendly, doesn't mean they have a right to be total flakes. Which they are. And the pretentiousness levels are very high in Seattle. One of things I never liked about the city. It's also in California, but at least California people tend to be a little more self-aware.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by branh0913

I've never found people in Seattle to be unfriendly. People will generally greet you, and seem pleasant enough. Now just because they are friendly, doesn't mean they have a right to be total flakes. Which they are. And the pretentiousness levels are very high in Seattle. One of things I never liked about the city. It's also in California, but at least California people tend to be a little more self-aware.

Since more people you're likely to run into are from California...

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by branh0913

I've never found people in Seattle to be unfriendly. People will generally greet you, and seem pleasant enough. Now just because they are friendly, doesn't mean they have a right to be total flakes. Which they are. And the pretentiousness levels are very high in Seattle. One of things I never liked about the city. It's also in California, but at least California people tend to be a little more self-aware.

Well, I never ran into pretentiousness (whatever that is--can you give examples?) or flakiness.

[DP79]

Originally Posted by branh0913

Having moved away from Seattle well over a year ago, I think it's one of those cities you have to learn to miss. With that said, it is just very desolate and dreary, not to mention boring a lot of the times. It's not Seattle's fault, but here in Philly, where it's definitely cold, i can still find a lot to do. People are still out and about, and people are still enjoying themselves. I just never got that constant energy in Seattle. the lack of outgoing people, and the overall lack of vibrancy was a drag.

Though being in Philly during the summer was definitely worse than being in the summer in Seattle. Seattle is great in the summer, as the city tends to come alive, and people are outside really living it up. Where as Philly become desolate in the summer because many people make it to NJ to be at the shore and beach. Or they're up in NYC or in Virginia. So few people hang around the city in the summers, they're all going to neighboring cities.

So both cities definitely have their good and bad. I can just remember when in Seattle, I can remember this time of year and how depressing everything was. Where I just don't feel that same doominess in Philly.

If you ever want some reinforcement on your decision to move out of Seattle, just go here periodically: wwwDOTspaceneedleDOTcom/webcam. Nothing like a live, first person view of Seattle in all it's depressing gloominess to send a shudder up your spine.

[Tall Traveler]

I think the moral of this story is, if you don't like where you are.....LEAVE.

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by DP79

If you ever want some reinforcement on your decision to move out of Seattle, just go here periodically: wwwDOTspaceneedleDOTcom/webcam. Nothing like a live, first person view of Seattle in all it's depressing gloominess to send a shudder up your spine.

Actually Seattle's weather NEVER bothered me. To me, it never really rained that much, sure some drizzle, but that's it. The weather was just fine. I mean I can have a cup of hot chocolate, listen to my favorite jazz ballads, and hack away at code. Seattle has what I call "thinking weather". Never bothered me one bit.

The main issue is that it DOES affect other people. So while I may be cool with the dreary weather, others are not. That is why I always said, Seattle is a great city if it wasn't for the people. The people really do drag the city down. In the summer time, I think the city reaches it's potential. It becomes pretty bustling, and active. Well in a West Coast kind of way.

[DP79]

Originally Posted by branh0913

Actually Seattle's weather NEVER bothered me. To me, it never really rained that much, sure some drizzle, but that's it. The weather was just fine. I mean I can have a cup of hot chocolate, listen to my favorite jazz ballads, and hack away at code. Seattle has what I call "thinking weather". Never bothered me one bit.

The main issue is that it DOES affect other people. So while I may be cool with the dreary weather, others are not. That is why I always said, Seattle is a great city if it wasn't for the people. The people really do drag the city down. In the summer time, I think the city reaches it's potential. It becomes pretty bustling, and active. Well in a West Coast kind of way.

I have a theory on that, too. I don't know if it is actually the weather that bothers people, but what comes to be associated it with. I know the first 2 or so years the rain didn't bother me (echoing others' experiences), but by Year 3, I started associated the rainy season with the beginning of Seattle's 8-9 months of collective depression. Like you said, in the summer the city is a different place, but it requires dealing with about 270 days of negativity and pessimism in order to get there.

Funny now, too, because even though I live in Chicago, which ain't exactly Key West, the rain or gray doesn't bother me a bit. Probably because people stay pretty balanced here year round.

[strad]

Originally Posted by DP79

If you ever want some reinforcement on your decision to move out of Seattle, just go here periodically: wwwDOTspaceneedleDOTcom/webcam. Nothing like a live, first person view of Seattle in all it's depressing gloominess to send a shudder up your spine.

You mean like today--55 degrees and sunny? How does that compare to the rest of the US right now?

The weather in Seattle is very mild. It rarely rains hard here and most of the time when it is grey and rainy (drizzling) in Seattle that means snow in the mountains so we have fresh powder to ski/snowboard in every weekend. Summer days are long and sunny and not so hot that you don't want to do anything outside. I think Seattle has better weather than about 90% of the rest of the country.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by branh0913

I've never found people in Seattle to be unfriendly. People will generally greet you, and seem pleasant enough. Now just because they are friendly, doesn't mean they have a right to be total flakes. Which they are. And the pretentiousness levels are very high in Seattle. One of things I never liked about the city. It's also in California, but at least California people tend to be a little more self-aware.

I think Seattle qualifies as one of the more pretentious cities I have ever been. Ironically, despite the Eastside's reputation of being more snobby, I find people on the Eastside to be more down to earth, friendly and not so full of themselves as people in Seattle. People in the Eastside do tend to be a bit more yuppieish, but also are a bit more mainstream and not out to prove themselves or save the world with their gallantry of pervasive intellectualism.