Why doesn't Seattle impress me? (Lynnwood: vs., shop, airport)

[DJKirkland]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

Too high of expectations. That happens anytime you go to a city expecting something extravagant or relying on what you see in the movies. Seattle's near paradise in the summer, but it almost takes a 180 from that every other month.

And yes, Seattle has a bizarre phenomenon in which the downtown area is one of the most empty, sleepy downtowns you'll ever see of any major city in the US. After 5PM, downtown employees go home and everything shuts down. Even Portland's downtown is more bustling and active at all times of the day. Most people go to Capitol Hill for any kinda social life.


I said it several times on here and I'll say (type) it again: Seattle caters to the older, empty nester crowd. The younger you are, the less interesting this city is.

Huh? An American downtown being sleepy after hours a phenomenon? Uhhh....maybe that was sarcastic.
I just spent a week in LA and their downtown was even worse after the work day.

I will stick up for Portland and say that driving around the downtown as if you're headed to I84, it does look rust belt ish. If you get down into exploring downtown itself, it is really nice. Portland feels more 'finished' to me than Seattle. It's nice and clean - not a lot of new construction going on other than Park Avenue West and some cool stuff in SoWa. That being said, I think a Portlander would be surprised by how much construction is going on in Seattle right now. It's pretty amazing, and on a huge scale around Amazonia. It is transforming quickly. I'd have to argue that I've never seen Portland's downtown nearly as busy as Seattle's, and I lived there for a time. I have also not seen the crowds on the streets as busy in Vancouver either.

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by DJKirkland

Huh? An American downtown being sleepy after hours a phenomenon? Uhhh....maybe that was sarcastic.
I just spent a week in LA and their downtown was even worse after the work day.

I will stick up for Portland and say that driving around the downtown as if you're headed to I84, it does look rust belt ish. If you get down into exploring downtown itself, it is really nice. Portland feels more 'finished' to me than Seattle. It's nice and clean - not a lot of new construction going on other than Park Avenue West and some cool stuff in SoWa. That being said, I think a Portlander would be surprised by how much construction is going on in Seattle right now. It's pretty amazing, and on a huge scale around Amazonia. It is transforming quickly. I'd have to argue that I've never seen Portland's downtown nearly as busy as Seattle's, and I lived there for a time. I have also not seen the crowds on the streets as busy in Vancouver either.

??? Your experience is completely different than mine then. I was in Portland a couple weeks ago, and I all I could think of was how dirty and bummish it looked. Guess it just shows how different people's perceptions are then.

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

Too high of expectations. That happens anytime you go to a city expecting something extravagant or relying on what you see in the movies. Seattle's near paradise in the summer, but it almost takes a 180 from that every other month.

And yes, Seattle has a bizarre phenomenon in which the downtown area is one of the most empty, sleepy downtowns you'll ever see of any major city in the US. After 5PM, downtown employees go home and everything shuts down. Even Portland's downtown is more bustling and active at all times of the day. Most people go to Capitol Hill for any kinda social life.


I said it several times on here and I'll say (type) it again: Seattle caters to the older, empty nester crowd. The younger you are, the less interesting this city is.

Pretty much.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by belmont22

I think that's what it is. The city is just too highway dominated. The Space Needle is also pretty disappointing. It's small and separated from the rest of the downtown. It's nothing like you see on Frasier.

Let this be a lesson to not expect reality to look like TV. TV is fantasy.

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Let this be a lesson to not expect reality to look like TV. TV is fantasy.

The worst are the people who think all the men out here are going to be sexy grunge artists like Kurt Cobain. lol Dream on.

[Guineas]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

??? Your experience is completely different than mine then. I was in portland a couple weeks ago, and i all i could think of was how dirty and bummish it looked. Guess it just shows how different people's perceptions are then.

+1

[belmont22]

Originally Posted by jm31828

The weather is all relative, too. To someone from California or Arizona, sure the winters must seem miserable. But for those of us who moved here from many other parts of the country, such as the Midwest or the Northeast, the winters here are not bad, they are an improvement over where we came from. We don't deal with much snow, no dead brown dirty looking landscape as we have back there for half of the year, and the weather is cool but mild- definitely not bitterly cold. As much as many hate to admit it, our winter weather is better than about 2/3rds of the US!
.

That's still debatable - I've heard some people from the Midwest who say they prefer their drier snowy winters over ours. I actually find 30F with snow or sun more comfortable than a mildewy damp 42F.

[pdwpdx]

I've only been to Seattle once, but I have to say that the scenery there is much more breathtaking and majestic than that in Portland (although Portland is nice as well, but it just does not have the grandeur of Seattle). Also, Seattle felt like a more mature, sophisticated city. I live in Portland, but frequently find the culture here to be pretty juvenile. So many people in Portland seem to have something to prove, while in Seattle it seemed as though they just went about their lives. I might consider living in Seattle, but I love not having to have a car in Portland and the greater ease of getting around here. If Seattle were less expensive and more manageable in size, I'd consider it in a heartbeat. Though it seems like Portland is rapidly approaching Seattle in terms of COL.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by belmont22

That's still debatable - I've heard some people from the Midwest who say they prefer their drier snowy winters over ours. I actually find 30F with snow or sun more comfortable than a mildewy damp 42F.

but the Midwest is rarely 30 and sunny in the winter. It's more like 5 when it's sunny and 25 when cloudy. And I don't even want to mention the windchill which makes Seattle feel like California. Imagine last week in Portland when it was snowy, add the windchill and multiply it by 30 and you will see how a regular winter in the Midwest is.

[belmont22]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

but the Midwest is rarely 30 and sunny in the winter. It's more like 5 when it's sunny and 25 when cloudy. And I don't even want to mention the windchill which makes Seattle feel like California. Imagine last week in Portland when it was snowy, add the windchill and multiply it by 30 and you will see how a regular winter in the Midwest is.

Depends on where in the Midwest. Kansas City for example would have plenty of sunny winter days with highs of 30 to 45F.