Things you don't like about Seattle (Tacoma, Kent: public school, to move, light rail)

[swerver]

Dp79, do you really think you are the only person on this board that has moved from one city to another? For all your talk of how horrible Seattle and it's people are, you sure carry some attitude of your own. Continually crapping on a city and it's people after you've left comes off more as sour grapes than experienced world-beater. Word to the wise.

[DP79]

Originally Posted by swerver

Dp79, do you really think you are the only person on this board that has moved from one city to another? For all your talk of how horrible Seattle and it's people are, you sure carry some attitude of your own. Continually crapping on a city and it's people after you've left comes off more as sour grapes than experienced world-beater. Word to the wise.

There's no word to the wise, swerver. The people that come on this site for guidance and advice about Seattle are obviously unwise about the decisions they're potentially making, and are looking for others' opinions. Don't be mad that those opinions are offered.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by DP79

JRittle, I moved to Chicago from Seattle and it's the best thing I ever did. You're completely right that it's a friendlier city and an ACTUAL CITY - Seattle feels more like a big town in retrospect. You can listen to those on here who would love to shoot down the idea with no basis other than their assumptions, or to someone that took the plunge, made the move, and can honestly say it was the best decision in the world.

I moved to Chicago to from Seattle. Love it over here :-)
But I'm still HAWKS fan. Thank God for nfl rewind.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk

[jm31828]

Speaking of the comparison to Chicago, of course Chicago will feel like more of a city than Seattle- it is immensely bigger than Seattle is, so there is no comparison. To some that is a plus, to others that is a minus.
But with Chicago being much colder in winter, much more uncomfortably hot and humid in summer, and the fact that besides the lake shore, there is a general lack of any natural scenery there, I just don't get the appeal. Dead brown landscape for half the year, no mountains, having to deal with snow on a much more regular basis, yuck. I spent most of my life in the Midwest, it's an area a lot of people want to get OUT of.

[DP79]

It's stupid to compare the two. Chicago is obviously a vastly larger and different city. The poster was asking for advice about moving from one city to the other, so I thought it would be helpful to give him a first-person perspective. Although Chicago's weather is different (and apparently worse for those who are sensitive to the cold), it will be a welcome relief to anyone that hates the gloomy rain in Seattle and also dislikes that city's isolated, homogenous nature.

[MS Born and Bred]

I have been considering a move out of Mississippi/The South. After reading this thread, Seattle sounds like an awful match for me as a place to live, work, and play. I have none of the characteristics of Seattle population except for college educated and tech savvy. Anyway, that's sad because Seattle is so beautiful. I can always visit Seattle though!

[tiki88]

I have lived here 25 years. Summers are gorgeous. It is one of the best places to be in the Summer. Blue skies, many islands to hop, Whale watching. Boating,not to mention the beautiful mountains, Redmond Wa is the bicycle capital of the US so bike trails, hiking in the mountains ect...

[RotseCherut]

I love the scenery, but don't care for the people.. I am starting to learn that people in WA do get a bit nicer the farther you get from the Seattle city center. It is like Seattle is a magnet for arrogance, coldness and self-righteousness. However, once you get into the Province, its nicer. The only downside about small town WA is that everyone is older and married. It is like anybody who is younger and not hitched goes to Seattle to be with the "in-crowd" of snobby, self-absorbed elitists is the road to salvation. However, there are some exceptions, towns like Bellingham and Olympia do have a younger crowd. The only downside is they seem to do a lot of boozin and dope smoking. You take the good with the bad.

And, I find that the arrogance and snobbery of Seattle doesn't have all that much to do with being a hipster, as I find both normal and hipster people of Seattle to share a lot of similarities. I find the normal and hipster people outside of Seattle tend to be more human-like and down to Earth.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by victorianpunk

Okay, the traffic can be bad and at weird hours of the day, not just rush hour. The price of living is not that bad, certainly not as bad as the desirable areas of Philly or LA.

The real issue is if you don't like the gray skies, you may not like it. The people are nice but more introverted than in other cities and if you aren't into structured activities you may find it hard to meet people. This is not a place social conservatives will be happy in (except guns, as this is one of a few places you'll find shootings ranges next to medical cannabis dispensaries) and mass transit isn't too hot, and with budget cuts it'll just get worse.

Also, this whole city is stuck on OLD FOLK'S TIME. Bars, clubs and restaurants open early...but close early. If you like 24 hours establishments, you're in the wrong town. New York is the city that never sleeps, and Seattle is the city with narcolepsy. Downtown on a Sunday looks like something out of "I am Legend" it's so deserted.

And the food, for the most part, is not as good as the East Coast. I love it here but man, can I get some decent grub? Over here it's all about food that's "organically, sustainably, hydrologically, locally, gynaecologically grown" and meals consisting of "locally grown, harmony lentils, oven seared in a recycled wood burning stove with no beans harmed in the cooking process that is gluten-free friendly, vegan friendly, locallarian friendly, non-dancer friendly and seasoned only with a hint of twice baked Oregon wheat-germ imitation salt-like crystals."

Oh, but do I miss grease and spice and big portions and food that strives to be tasty and not just politically correct and uber-healthy.

And in certain neighborhoods, have fun finding parking. Take Fremont: streets so narrow a girl with a ghetto booty can barely fit through them and parking always filled up.

And the hills....no, I don't mean hills. What I meant to say is PAVED CLIFFS!

I like it here, don't get me wrong, but it does have its ups and downs.

Our Asian food is awesome, the people are polite even if sometimes they just want to be left alone, it's mild year round, plenty of nature all around you and outdoorsy stuff, plenty of music, great festivals, good job market, low crime etc. But yeah, it has it's drawbacks...

Haha pretty funny. I remember when you were so in love with Seattle before you moved and posted the day you got there. I think every place has its drawbacks like you said. People that more or less vibe with the local cultur just tend to minimize the negatives or often times, don't see them at all. For instace, when I first moved to Sacramento I wanted to leave everyday for about the first 2 yrs. I complained about the air quality, the eyesoares and slow moving downtown whose economy is centered around government agencies. Once I got to know the culture, I found health minded people, tons of musicians, and amazing community events going on all the time and a great nightlife. Now that I know the culture, I love it here. I don't even think about the things that use to be negatives. Sometimes I think people should focus more on the local culture than the alure of a city before they make their move. It's not the Space Needle, mountains or the Puget Sound that is going to make you happy living in a place day after day; it's your connection to the local culture.

[sacite]

Originally Posted by swerver

Dp79, do you really think you are the only person on this board that has moved from one city to another? For all your talk of how horrible Seattle and it's people are, you sure carry some attitude of your own. Continually crapping on a city and it's people after you've left comes off more as sour grapes than experienced world-beater. Word to the wise.

I love these. On every board there is a contingent that will claim:

"It's not the place, it's you."

"Happy people are happy everywhere."

"Sounds like your attitude created your reality."

No, some places just suck for some people. Fairbanks Alaska would suck for me. And that's about as far as the analysis has to go.