For a city that’s said to be dying, there sure is a lot of money pouring into Seattle (Bellevue: sales, homes)

[margaretBartle]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

The city is too strong to fail.

Well, it depends upon what you mean by "fail".

A handful of high-end retailers, multi-million-dollar condos owned by global corporations, packed apartments full of imported guestworkers, 150 square foot apodments and homeless encampments may or may not be your idea of "fail", but it is mine.


I remember Seattle as being a city with interesting walks in nice neighborhoods with the invigorating smells of nature and trees, fascinating landscaping, little mom-and-pop, affordable cafes, coffee houses, book stores, knick-knack shops, sweet hidden parks, greenbelts, and back-yard stairs climbing up and down hills, and fun times at the beaches.



In two years it will be nothing but $20 martini bars and $15 hamburgers in cold, stainless-steel, loud obnoxious restaurants and corporate chains, with crowded buses, no parking - so locals can't go anywhere, parks unaccessible because they are filled with bums, no money for decent transit, or garbage collection, drug addicts everywhere.


But the rich will have their yachts at the docks, water-front condos, limousined underground garages, and high-end sky bars.


That is my idea of a failed city. Maybe not yours.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by margaretBartle

Well, it depends upon what you mean by "fail".

A handful of high-end retailers, multi-million-dollar condos owned by global corporations, packed apartments full of imported guestworkers, 150 square foot apodments and homeless encampments may or may not be your idea of "fail", but it is mine.


I remember Seattle as being a city with interesting walks in nice neighborhoods with the invigorating smells of nature and trees, fascinating landscaping, little mom-and-pop, affordable cafes, coffee houses, book stores, knick-knack shops, sweet hidden parks, greenbelts, and back-yard stairs climbing up and down hills, and fun times at the beaches.



In two years it will be nothing but $20 martini bars and $15 hamburgers in cold, stainless-steel, loud obnoxious restaurants and corporate chains, with crowded buses, no parking - so locals can't go anywhere, parks unaccessible because they are filled with bums, no money for decent transit, or garbage collection, drug addicts everywhere.


But the rich will have their yachts at the docks, water-front condos, limousined underground garages, and high-end sky bars.


That is my idea of a failed city. Maybe not yours.

I actually agree with you. It’s growing, but in a toxic way. At least compared to 20-50 years ago when growth benefitted everyone. Seattle is more the home of the haves and have nots. I expect the homeless problem will only increase. Wealth inequality, increase. Sort of ironic.

[folkguitarist555]

Just another typical liberal city with exorbitant rents, outrageously high cost of living, contributing to homelessness, rampant drug abuse, and mental illness. Seattle perished 30 years ago. Haves and have nots. The Seattle mantra...me, me, me.

[tickyul]

Become just like SF and other richyrich cities...........the average-income people living like paupers.

[rjshae]

I wonder if the Seattle big business tax will drive an incentive toward smaller businesses? The big money interests will migrate to Bellevue, leaving cheaper office space in Seattle for smaller startups. The success of that though will depend on the security environment -- a rising crime rate will make it unappealing for entrepreneurs.

[Guineas]

Originally Posted by folkguitarist555

Just another typical liberal city with exorbitant rents, outrageously high cost of living, contributing to homelessness, rampant drug abuse, and mental illness. Seattle perished 30 years ago. Haves and have nots. The Seattle mantra...me, me, me.

Are there even conservative cities? Even Dallas, Houston, Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte are pretty liberal and reliably vote Democratic.

Part of the problem with our politics is conservatives have ceased to contest urban areas, they just keep going farther out into the suburbs and exurbs. This ultimately is suicide for the Republicans and also bad for everybody else due to a lack of viable counterbalance to the left.

[folkguitarist555]

With the exception of Austin, most places have plenty of conservatives. Unlike Seattle and Portland and etc, that are bursting at the seams with bleeding hearts. I’m also sure many of the liberals in Charlotte and in Dallas are more moderate dems then the far radicals found in Seattle. I doubt the moderate dems in Dallas want wide open borders unless they are Hispanics. I’m surprised that liberals went for an elderly white guy though, with Biden. That’s was a shocker and kind of revealing as to what lies beneath.

[doc1]

As long as you're part of the big money ANY city can be appealing because you can pick and choose where you and loved ones live and keep the less desirables out of your neighborhood, your schools and in their own separate enclaves.

Be it Seattle, Austin, SF, Chicago............

[dav51lin]

used to go to concerts etc in seattle now i will not go there at all

[margaretBartle]

Originally Posted by rjshae

I wonder if the Seattle big business tax will drive an incentive toward smaller businesses? .

I'm convinced one of the reasons for this lock-down is to destroy small businesses. How come hundreds of people can shop for clothes at a Walmart, but you can't have 5 people a day come into a local neighborhood clothing store?


Have you been to downdown Ballard? It used to be one of the liveliest neighborhoods in town. Now, the bums have taken over. Businesses closed.