Has Seattle improved at all (Kent, Pacific: sales, house, live)

[margaretBartle]

Originally Posted by october2007

I just want Seattle to fix itself and be the place I loved.

I think the Good Ol' Seattle is over and done.
Even if the homeless stay in the camps in the woods and in the industrail areas, so they are out of view, the little mom-n-pop shops and neighborhoods that made Seattle such a wonderfull place to live are gone, and they will not come back, any more than my glorious, short-lived youth will return to me.


I can hardly think of an existing coffee house, bar, or little restaurant in which I could hang out for hours, reading a book or visiting with friends. There were dozens. Then there were a bunch. Now, I can think of two - the Allegro coffee house in the U-Districk and Le Panier in the Market, and I have a hard time getting to those places any more - there's no parking. Even my most favorite place, the Sunlight Cafe, while still open, had to move, and it's much less desireable now than it was before.

Mostly, when I want to sit down and rest or get refreshed, all I see are slick, shiny rooms with overpriced offerings, so loud I can't talk to my dinner companions.
I'm really not up for $15 hamburgers or $20 martinis.


I used to love to walk around Seattle's neighborhoods - the yards are wonderfully landscaped, and I love the mossy smell of the damp air in the winter, or the sweek smell of the flowers in the spring and summer. Now well over half of those neighborhoods have been destroyed as mid-rise buldings with no yards replace single-family homes or small duplexes with great landscaping. The tree canopy, the song birds, the sweet air is gone from most of the city. You can still find it in the rich people's nieghborhoods, but for average Seattlites, it's gone.

[margaretBartle]

Originally Posted by pete98146

Would agree that Pioneer Square needs some much needed attention. Sad to see all those businesses boarded up and vacant. I think the the rest of downtown has improved tho.

I don't want to hijack this thread by focusing on Pioneer Square, but now that you bring it up, I think it would be interesting to know how much taxpayer money went into keepign the businesses in Pioneer Square alive over the last fifty years or so, since the city decided to redevelop it into a thriving business section, heavily subsidized by tax-payer money.
I would love to see that analysis.

[jabogitlu]

Originally Posted by margaretBartle

I think the Good Ol' Seattle is over and done.
Even if the homeless stay in the camps in the woods and in the industrail areas, so they are out of view, the little mom-n-pop shops and neighborhoods that made Seattle such a wonderfull place to live are gone, and they will not come back, any more than my glorious, short-lived youth will return to me.


I can hardly think of an existing coffee house, bar, or little restaurant in which I could hang out for hours, reading a book or visiting with friends. There were dozens. Then there were a bunch. Now, I can think of two - the Allegro coffee house in the U-Districk and Le Panier in the Market, and I have a hard time getting to those places any more - there's no parking. Even my most favorite place, the Sunlight Cafe, while still open, had to move, and it's much less desireable now than it was before.

Mostly, when I want to sit down and rest or get refreshed, all I see are slick, shiny rooms with overpriced offerings, so loud I can't talk to my dinner companions.
I'm really not up for $15 hamburgers or $20 martinis.


I used to love to walk around Seattle's neighborhoods - the yards are wonderfully landscaped, and I love the mossy smell of the damp air in the winter, or the sweek smell of the flowers in the spring and summer. Now well over half of those neighborhoods have been destroyed as mid-rise buldings with no yards replace single-family homes or small duplexes with great landscaping. The tree canopy, the song birds, the sweet air is gone from most of the city. You can still find it in the rich people's nieghborhoods, but for average Seattlites, it's gone.

My god, how maudlin. How do you even cope?

[margaretBartle]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

My god, how maudlin. How do you even cope?

Easy.

Instead of walking the streets of Seattle, enjoying the sounds and smells, iwth an occassional espresso or muffin, I sit at my computer all day posting to City-data.

[october2007]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

My god, how maudlin. How do you even cope?

You obviously didn't experience the Seattle that is gone and which margaretBartle lovingly describes. You don't know what you're missing and/or perhaps wouldn't have appreciated it anyway.

[october2007]

Originally Posted by margaretBartle

I think the Good Ol' Seattle is over and done.
Even if the homeless stay in the camps in the woods and in the industrail areas, so they are out of view, the little mom-n-pop shops and neighborhoods that made Seattle such a wonderfull place to live are gone, and they will not come back, any more than my glorious, short-lived youth will return to me.


I can hardly think of an existing coffee house, bar, or little restaurant in which I could hang out for hours, reading a book or visiting with friends. There were dozens. Then there were a bunch. Now, I can think of two - the Allegro coffee house in the U-Districk and Le Panier in the Market, and I have a hard time getting to those places any more - there's no parking. Even my most favorite place, the Sunlight Cafe, while still open, had to move, and it's much less desireable now than it was before.

Mostly, when I want to sit down and rest or get refreshed, all I see are slick, shiny rooms with overpriced offerings, so loud I can't talk to my dinner companions.
I'm really not up for $15 hamburgers or $20 martinis.


I used to love to walk around Seattle's neighborhoods - the yards are wonderfully landscaped, and I love the mossy smell of the damp air in the winter, or the sweek smell of the flowers in the spring and summer. Now well over half of those neighborhoods have been destroyed as mid-rise buldings with no yards replace single-family homes or small duplexes with great landscaping. The tree canopy, the song birds, the sweet air is gone from most of the city. You can still find it in the rich people's nieghborhoods, but for average Seattlites, it's gone.

Seattle WAS an exceptional and unique city, funky and laid back, filled with creativity (the Gravity Bar on Cap Hill blew me away when I first saw it) and a rich coffee culture (remember the espresso carts everywhere?). I felt like I was in Paris when I went to Cafe Septieme when it was in Belltown. And it was the first place I ever saw that sold espresso at the movie theaters (of which there were many). Even the library had a cafe! The downtown combined truly scenic vistas as you headed north down First Avenue, with wonderful shopping - it was lively and so fun to walk around. Coming to Seattle from New England almost made me feel I was living in a different country.

But then Seattle wanted to play with the big guys and started becoming something it wasn't. It overdeveloped and lost much of what made it unique. It's like the nerdy kid who wants to be cool so starts trying to imitate others but in the process loses his charm and individuality. Then there's the whole crazy governance situation which has led to the downtown and other areas being overrun with tents, crime etc.

So that old Seattle is never coming back but I still hope it can straighten itself out. Some people seem to think it's a big city and big cities have crime blah blah. But Seattle isn't really a big city and there is far too much disorder and crime within a relatively small radius.

[mayfair]

Yeah, people moving here now will never know the old Seattle with all its quirkiness and a bit of grittiness, with so many independent businesses and quirky little shops. And coffee carts. And it was affordable enough (not cheap but doable) for artists and those with lower wages. Most could own pets and cars and still afford a decent rental in a walkable neighborhood. It was a cool, special city.

It wasn't perfect, but it had something unique that's faded away. For many moving here, it's still good enough and at higher wage levels, enjoyable.

[october2007]

Originally Posted by mayfair

Yeah, people moving here now will never know the old Seattle with all its quirkiness and a bit of grittiness, with so many independent businesses and quirky little shops. And coffee carts. And it was affordable enough (not cheap but doable) for artists and those with lower wages. Most could own pets and cars and still afford a decent rental in a walkable neighborhood. It was a cool, special city.

It wasn't perfect, but it had something unique that's faded away. For many moving here, it's still good enough and at higher wage levels, enjoyable.

Very well put! It wasn't perfect but it had a really unique culture and atmosphere that is gone. The grittiness was there but in small pockets and mostly harmless. Unfortunately it seems the city decided to cater to Amazon and it's ilk as well as the dysfunctional who need help rather than enabling. I suppose growth was inevitable but I don't think it was managed very well and I expected better from such a creative and different city.

[Transmition]

I feel like those rose-tinted glasses you guys are looking through is forgetting how much higher the crime was back in those days. Seattle was always pretty grungey, the opioid epidemic just made it more visibly obvious.

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by Transmition

I feel like those rose-tinted glasses you guys are looking through is forgetting how much higher the crime was back in those days. Seattle was always pretty grungey, the opioid epidemic just made it more visibly obvious.

I moved to Queen Anne Ave N just a few blocks up from Mercer Street 1989. I was making $30/k yr. My buddies, musicians, baristas, food service etc. shared a big house near Green Lake.

I recall early 90's my car being broke into twice but that was outside Seattle, Kent Park and Ride and Southcenter mall.

Our glasses may be rose-colored but that color was placed there by a supported diverse artisan community within our walk-able, active beauty.