Seattle For Real

Everybody wants to know about Seattle, well here it is for better or worse, more the latter than the former.
Seattle people are not friendly. Most of them are hostile, and apathetic towards any situation other than their own. Seattle was never known for being a friendly city. We are civil, not nicey nicey. Nowadays, people are very manipulative, and if they are nice to you, they either want something from you, or they've already taken something from you, unbeknownst to you.
We have a huge downtown street people scene. You do not want to talk these people up or be near them. They can be aggressive, argumentative and hazardous to your health. Stay away from 3rd Avenue from James St. all the way to the end of 3rd Avenue on Denny Avenue, and on up into Queen Anne Hill. They are mostly junkies, and mostly leave people alone, but don't set anything down, or ask anybody for anything, directions included.
Panhandlers have been restrained by the police for the most part. They are not as visible and prevalent as they once were. We passed a no aggressive panhandling law here in Seattle, and when they didn't observe it, the police cracked down.
We just passed a $15. 00 an hour minimum wage law, just in Seattle, so all Seattle purchases, everything from food to toilet paper went up in price about 30%, or more, depending on where you shop.
Housing is at a premium. It is so out of reach for an average wage earner($30,000 to $50,000 a year), and even more out of reach for low income households. Subsidized is your only option, and of course, with the mass influx of Seattle transplants, the waiting list has extended a few years for Sect. 8, and about a year(or more) for project based subsidized.
We are sprucing up once run-down dilapidated buildings and neighborhoods, but guess what? We are sprucing them up with restaurants that charge $6.00 for medium french fries, and $15.00 for a hamburger, that's with tax included. You sort of get a feeling that if you don't make at least $30,000 a year, you're not really going to enjoy the fruits of such gentrification.
We are turning into a Northwest San Francisco, price wise and attitude wise. Eventually, Seattle will lose it's solid middle class foundation, and go upscale only please. I guess the southend will become concentrated with the low income citizens. This is already gang territory and messed up, so it will just become a nightmare.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are plans in the works to take down the Space Needle. It is so overshadowed already. You can't even make it out on the skyline anymore. Hence, a big piece of Seattle history may or may not be gone one day (soon).
The people of affluence moving here will shape Seattle's future. If you don't have money, you will be given whatever there is, no options, choices. Take it or leave it, no attention paid to your needs or wants. Another large metropolis is what we are becoming, and people will be nameless, faceless just like the East Coast cities, and the larger West Coast cities.
There it is, sorry it's not to your liking, but oh well. This is one lifetime resident's viewpoint, and I'm sure another's will differ. Maybe I'll future blog about all the wonderful stuff.