Things you don't like about Seattle (Anacortes, Chelan: hotels, college, quality of life)

[Poor&Dangerous]

Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer

Traffic is bad. Routinely ranks somewhere in the top 10 of any "worst traffic in the US" article you can find. I came up from Portland, which can be slow going at the wrong hour itself, and found Seattle to be even worse.

Weather is subjective to the individual.

The "people" I would list as a slight negative. Most of the people I know who grew up here have rather reserved demeanor and odd affects. The most interesting and fun people I know came here from elsewhere and brought some of their more outgoing spirits with them. East coasters may think people here are zombies with little discernible personality. Not the greatest dating market if you're a single guy either, in terms of quality or quantity. Again, people are pretty reserved here for whatever reason. Dating and making (or keeping) friends can be a frustrating experience unless you already know people here. (Which I do, and frankly it's still frustrating.)

City itself seems to lack an original personality. This one's harder to put my finger on and i think the fantastic natural scenery does a clever job of masking it, but it's sort of akin a hot chick who relies on her looks. Fun to look at but boring or even obnoxious to deal with. Something about this place just strikes me as, I dunno - bland? Generic? Nobody would ever say such things about Portland or SF or NYC. Those are all very colorful places with unique local culture and flair. Seattle seems to lack this IMO.

maybe because locals are reserved and there are many transplants so the local identity is not strong? kinda reminds me what people say about DC cuz there are also many transplants

[Poor&Dangerous]

btw, is there good strip clubs, kinda like in portland?

[RotseCherut]

Things I don't like about Seattle
1. People are cold, shy, introverted, cliquish, overly-sensitive and distant. This isn't to say they are rude or mean, but they are easily offended and a bit snooty. Also, people are quite passive aggressive and will give you the evil eye and make you try to figure out what you did wrong for the smallest offenses.

2. Poorly designed street system, with many weird shaped intersections, including 10-way intersections with no lights, but only stop signs, that are very accident prone.

3. Heavy traffic. I cannot say it is the worst I have seen. Seattle is a very compact and overcrowded city, so it is bound to have a lot of heavy traffic. The bridges, constant heavy construction and loads of high rises concentration in the city center and surrounding neighborhoods only will add to even more of the congestion.

4. Rains/Cloudy all the time .. Being from Oregon, I am use to the rain, but this is a negative to all the outsiders. Many, don't realize what a constant overcast sky feels like until they spent a Spring here. Yeah, contrary to what many people think, it is not Winter that makes people go made here, it is when March, April and May come around and you still haven't seen the sun for more than 1 or 2 days in a month.

5. Poor Dating Scene for Men (A positive for women). I'm not really involved in the dating scene, but I can see how bad it is for men here. I've attended certain functions and groups and when there is a pretty girl in the room, she is horded by groups of lonely, desperate, overworked men for attention. This city is in no doubt, a high tech, workaholic, nerdy city and there is an overabundance of successful, desperate and overworked men desperate for love. It appears men do outnumber women, as more jobs in the city are dominated by men. Seattle does feel like a man's city. The women here also seem extremely serious, very feministic and cold. They are not very approachable.

6. Bad City For Religious or Cultural/Ethnic People. Outside of the Islamic neighborhood in Rainier Beach, the city does lack any type of culture , religious or ethnic communities. There may be some Russians living on the outskirts, but they really keep to themselves and are not visible. Also, Seattle is what I would call an Institutionalized Secular city, where having a religion is considered badly. Basically, if people see you are religious or follow a strict culture that doesn't coincide with their liberal, hipster, new agey, atheistic way of life, they will shun you and treat you like you an outsider or a threat. Contrary to what many people think, people in Seattle are not so open-minded. Rather, they have formed a religion and culture of their own, which only people who follow it will be accepted. I would say it is not all that different than the mentality you may find in the Bible Belt in the Deep South, but on the other end of the spectrum.

7. Very Expensive. Everything costs you more in Seattle. The living costs are going up and up, but the wages are not, as more and more people flock to the city. I paid $350 to heat my 900 sq ft duplex this Winter and it hardly went below freezing, was above 40F most of the year and I only keep my place at 70F. The reason being is that Puget Sound Energy charges more for kw/h. THat is just one of many examples of how much more things cost to live in the Puget Sound. Living in the city limits of Seattle, you can hardly find any apartment that is affordable, even in the crappiest of neighborhoods now.

[Poor&Dangerous]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

Things I don't like about Seattle
1. People are cold, shy, introverted, cliquish, overly-sensitive and distant. This isn't to say they are rude or mean, but they are easily offended and a bit snooty. Also, people are quite passive aggressive and will give you the evil eye and make you try to figure out what you did wrong for the smallest offenses.

2. Poorly designed street system, with many weird shaped intersections, including 10-way intersections with no lights, but only stop signs, that are very accident prone.

3. Heavy traffic. I cannot say it is the worst I have seen. Seattle is a very compact and overcrowded city, so it is bound to have a lot of heavy traffic. The bridges, constant heavy construction and loads of high rises concentration in the city center and surrounding neighborhoods only will add to even more of the congestion.

4. Rains/Cloudy all the time .. Being from Oregon, I am use to the rain, but this is a negative to all the outsiders. Many, don't realize what a constant overcast sky feels like until they spent a Spring here. Yeah, contrary to what many people think, it is not Winter that makes people go made here, it is when March, April and May come around and you still haven't seen the sun for more than 1 or 2 days in a month.

5. Poor Dating Scene for Men (A positive for women). I'm not really involved in the dating scene, but I can see how bad it is for men here. I've attended certain functions and groups and when there is a pretty girl in the room, she is horded by groups of lonely, desperate, overworked men for attention. This city is in no doubt, a high tech, workaholic, nerdy city and there is an overabundance of successful, desperate and overworked men desperate for love. It appears men do outnumber women, as more jobs in the city are dominated by men. Seattle does feel like a man's city. The women here also seem extremely serious, very feministic and cold. They are not very approachable.

6. Bad City For Religious or Cultural/Ethnic People. Outside of the Islamic neighborhood in Rainier Beach, the city does lack any type of culture , religious or ethnic communities. There may be some Russians living on the outskirts, but they really keep to themselves and are not visible. Also, Seattle is what I would call an Institutionalized Secular city, where having a religion is considered badly. Basically, if people see you are religious or follow a strict culture that doesn't coincide with their liberal, hipster, new agey, atheistic way of life, they will shun you and treat you like you an outsider or a threat. Contrary to what many people think, people in Seattle are not so open-minded. Rather, they have formed a religion and culture of their own, which only people who follow it will be accepted. I would say it is not all that different than the mentality you may find in the Bible Belt in the Deep South, but on the other end of the spectrum.

how would you compare it with people in portland? seems to me portlanders are somewhat more upbeat, even tho the vibe is similar

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by Poor&Dangerous

how would you compare it with people in portland? seems to me portlanders are somewhat more upbeat, even tho the vibe is similar

I love Portland a lot more.. I grew up in Oregon and lived over a decade in Portland.. I find people in Portland, more open-minded, friendly, easy-going, laid back and accepting, even to people who are not part of their own sub-culture, etc. Oregon, in general, feels a lot more friendly and cheery than Washington. This can certainly be true of Portland when compared to Seattle.

I miss Oregon, but the high cost of living combined with exorbitant taxes have driven me out. Maybe, one day I will return to Portland. Although Portland is growing quickly and cannot support the large amounts of people there. The city was never meant to become as large as it has. YOu can tell by the tiny freeways that haven't changed in over 20-30 years that are almost permanently gridlocked now.

[Poor&Dangerous]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I love Portland a lot more.. I grew up in Oregon and lived over a decade in Portland.. I find people in Portland, more open-minded, friendly, easy-going, laid back and accepting, even to people who are not part of their own sub-culture, etc. Oregon, in general, feels a lot more friendly and cheery than Washington. This can certainly be true of Portland when compared to Seattle.

I miss Oregon, but the high cost of living combined with exorbitant taxes have driven me out. Maybe, one day I will return to Portland. Although Portland is growing quickly and cannot support the large amounts of people there. The city was never meant to become as large as it has. YOu can tell by the tiny freeways that haven't changed in over 20-30 years that are almost permanently gridlocked now.

yea, the job market is not there either so i don kno why all these people moving there
what causes seattle to be more uptight? is it the corporate culture influence, which there is less of in portland?

[amaiunmei]

Originally Posted by Poor&Dangerous

btw, is there good strip clubs, kinda like in portland?

Strip clubs in the Seattle area are largely Mafia fronts. Oh, and you can't drink alcohol, either.

So that's a no.

[Poor&Dangerous]

Originally Posted by amaiunmei

Strip clubs in the Seattle area are largely Mafia fronts. Oh, and you can't drink alcohol, either.

So that's a no.

damN, thats wack

[W & C]

Originally Posted by amaiunmei

Strip clubs in the Seattle area are largely Mafia fronts. Oh, and you can't drink alcohol, either.

So that's a no.

Can't drink alcohol but you can do a lot of other <things> with extra tipping

[Poor&Dangerous]

Originally Posted by W & C

Can't drink alcohol but you can do a lot of other <things> with extra tipping

i guess this can be solved by drinking before entering