Is Seattle still hip? (George, Starbuck: real estate, apartment, condo)

[SaltyDawg]

If "Hip" = hippie, then yes - Santa Cruz and Berkeley fit the bill.

I'm not even sure what this thread is actually about any more. What the heck does anybody even mean by "hip" at this point?

Seattle is a big city with numerous different neighborhoods. There are certainly homogenous, wealthy neighborhoods, and there are certainly more diverse, eclectic neighborhoods. That's what makes it a CITY.

Anybody trying to define Seattle as a single 'thing' is doomed to failure. Spend a day in Georgetown, one in Phinney Ridge, one in South Park and one in Laurelhurst and tell me that Seattle can be defined as a single thing.

Otherwise, this is another useless thread that becomes a venting place for narcissistic viewpoints rather than holistic evaluations.

[AT-AT28]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I think these days, the nerds and geeks ARE the hip part of Seattle. Bill Gates made geekiness very trendy.

Ehhhhh...... I"m not gonna even touch that one RuthlessRuthy

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

I'm not even sure what this thread is actually about any more. What the heck does anybody even mean by "hip" at this point?

What is Hip? How do you define Hip?

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I have actually not spent much time in South Seattle. I keep hearing how ghetto and dangerous it is there, but I know that the rumors are probably unfounded. I don't actually live in Seattle, but 30 miles out and I only go into the city once or twice a week. So, I am open to correction and the fact that there may be parts of Seattle I don't know much about.

I know Bellevue and Kent seems to have certain cultural areas where people seem to be more open with their ethnicity and cultural practices. I've not yet been to Renton, but also heard there are some cultural neighborhoods there. I've not really been to Georgetown , Loyal Heights, South Park, etc. . When driving by the area it just looked like a bunch of industrial buildings, but I suppose when I go to Seattle tomorrow I may travel through these areas to see if there is any interesting place to pass the time or experience the neighborhood.


To RcSligar, I apologize.. Well, I try to avoid putting down Seattle, as there is so much about the city I like. BUt, when a thread like this comes along, questioning Seattle's hipness, I feel obliged to share my view on the topic.

Also, ethnic neighborhoods and accepting of people of different cultural backgrounds are not necessarily the same. I know in South Seattle there are some Islamic neighborhoods, where people of the same ethnicity/religion associate with each other. Being Jewish, I don't think I would feel safe in such an area, due to some issues.

Considering, I more or less hang around the white, Caucasian majority of the city, that is about the only real background of people I am familiar with. I've felt despite them claiming to be open-minded/accepting/celebrating diversity, they tend to shun being friends with people who are not like themselves. That's not to say they are racist or bigoted, but they just stick to their own kind, like everyone else.

Except for a very upper class elite, Seattle doesn't really have any real Jewish community. Due to my lower income, I cannot really associate with the affluent, non-hip Jewish community in Seattle either. I was shocked at how materialistic and dull was Seattle's Jewish community. Once upon time, the Central District was the Jewish neighborhood. A very humble, culturally rich and hip group of Jews from Rhodes, Greece inhabited the area and were fish sellers. Sadly, that entire group of people left their culture and neighborhood behind and moved to Mercer Island and Seward Park, where their offspring became very wealthy and career-driven instead of focused on traditional, hip Jewish life. I definitely feel the East Coast and Portland Jews are more hip, as well. Yes, Jews can also be hip and non-hip.

Just because I believe Seattle is not hip or very culturally integrated, doesn't mean I don't think it has a lot of positive aspects. Seattle is a beautiful city and the scenery is wonderful.

I just don't think its hip though.

You definitely need to go to South Seattle, Rotse. Take the light rail to Othello Street and walk around. Sure, lots of folks of the Islamic faith, but most of them are Asian Muslims or African Muslims, and wouldn't know a Jew if they tripped over one. And it's actually pretty diverse. Mexicans, Vietnamese, Somali, etc...and there's a great Italian espresso/gelato place there as well, owned by a guy with a lovely NY accent. Your entire perception of Seattle would have been very different if you'd spent most of your time in South Seattle.

[JasR30]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

This. Seattle? Hip? If you want to see hip, go to Berkeley or Santa Cruz. Maybe the OP could give us his definition of "hip", so we can discuss more specifically.

By hip, I really mean the hipsters that I believe were a heavy influence on the city once upon a time.

By hipster I mean young, independent thinkers. Counter cultural. Artists. Creative.

[baba_yaga]

I would say that Seattle is more nerdy and granola-y than hip, but I do like the art scene here.

[orzo]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

If "Hip" = hippie, then yes - Santa Cruz and Berkeley fit the bill.

I'm not even sure what this thread is actually about any more. What the heck does anybody even mean by "hip" at this point?

Seattle is a big city with numerous different neighborhoods. There are certainly homogenous, wealthy neighborhoods, and there are certainly more diverse, eclectic neighborhoods. That's what makes it a CITY.

Anybody trying to define Seattle as a single 'thing' is doomed to failure. Spend a day in Georgetown, one in Phinney Ridge, one in South Park and one in Laurelhurst and tell me that Seattle can be defined as a single thing.

Otherwise, this is another useless thread that becomes a venting place for narcissistic viewpoints rather than holistic evaluations.

Thank you, Salty Dawg, for injecting some sanity into this thread. Seattle is, more than most cities (largely because of geography and development patterns), a collection of distinct areas that are different from each other and have very different feels, demographic makeups, cultural dynamics, and even social norms. It's often a criticism as people say that Seattle feels disconnected, but it can also be a strength since the City offers so many distinct experiences through its neighborhoods. Spending half a day in Beacon Hill and then half a day in Ballard, one would not guess they were in the same city. Same for, say, Columbia City and Greenwood, or the ID and Magnolia.

The point is it's easy to over-generalize based on limited anecdotal experiences, but it usually doesn't reflect the City as a whole. That's not to say you can never make statements about Seattle overall, but they should be informed by - as SaltyDawg says - a holistic understanding of the City.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by Ira500

You definitely need to go to South Seattle, Rotse. Take the light rail to Othello Street and walk around. Sure, lots of folks of the Islamic faith, but most of them are Asian Muslims or African Muslims, and wouldn't know a Jew if they tripped over one. And it's actually pretty diverse. Mexicans, Vietnamese, Somali, etc...and there's a great Italian espresso/gelato place there as well, owned by a guy with a lovely NY accent. Your entire perception of Seattle would have been very different if you'd spent most of your time in South Seattle.

Thanks for the input Ira.. I am heading up to Seattle today and see about spending some time in various neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Columbia City, etc. Normally I go up to Capitol Hill, Greenwood, Green Lake, Ravenna, Queen Anne, etc, so those are the areas I am more familiar with. I am having a real hard time though finding a lot of coffeeshops in the South Seattle neighborhoods. The only non-Starbucks coffeeshop I could find in Georgetown serves Tully's coffee, which I won't drink. I'd be also interested to know about the Italian place you're talking about as well. Also, I'd like to know about various ethnic restaurants in the area. If you have any suggestions of good, inexpensive, places in South Seattle, feel free to PM me. Coffeeshops and ethnic food joints tend to be a couple ways for me to get a feel for an area.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

Have you been to the Seattle Center House? Have you seen the cultural programs that happen there daily? I presume not. I wandered into a well-attended Polish festival some weeks ago.

You mean like this one?

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

This. Seattle? Hip? If you want to see hip, go to Berkeley or Santa Cruz. Maybe the OP could give us his definition of "hip", so we can discuss more specifically.

Berkeley isn't what it once was either. Still better than San Francisco these days but it has lost a lot of it's hipness as well. Indeed most of the Bay Area has. If the tech industry is to blame for this like so many seem to do then Seattle still has some catching up to do as far as losing it's charm when compared to the Bay Area.

[Ghaukne]

With not much credibility:
Hip: Informed, up to date, fashionable, contemporary, relevant. Being modern in dress, attitude and interests.

I don't live in Seattle so I don't know how much the culture fits that mold. If it means less Hipsters - GREAT! Most of them in Minneapolis are simply scenesters who convey their superior social value through their image and pretentiousness since they lack much of anything else.

Heard at a Lumineers concert last month behind me: "So how long have you been listening to the Lumineers?" Other girl: "Oh I only heard them on the Current but I really like them." Other girl "You know that the standing room tickets had a lot of people waiting who were real fans." True story.