NYC native looking to move to Seattle (how much, neighborhoods)

[calnyc]

I've lived in NYC and the surrounding areas all my life and now have the opportunity to move to Seattle. I am over-30, just divorced and could use a change of pace.

There's a few things that have me nervous:

1) The thing I like about NYC is the anonymity and being able to get lost in the crowd. I didn't get the sense that Seattle is big enough to have the same effect.

2) I'd be coming out here alone and I hear Seattle folks are notoriously difficult to become friends with. Not being in my 20s I'm not sure how I'd meet people.

Also, what's the East Village equivalent? For those who don't know of it, the East Village is the edgy yet gentrified part of town where you can see a punk rocker sitting next to yuppie with a baby. I hear that may be Capitol Hill but not sure.

[Kayela]

1. Probably not to the extent that NYC offers, but better than many Midwestern cities I've lived in. The closer to the city core you are, the more anonymous you can be, with the exception of certain 'neighborhood characters' that just can't help standing out.

2. I've not had difficulty, but then I'm quite the introvert myself. There's a lot of us in this city, and introverts tend to freak right the heck out (quietly) when an extrovert comes on strong. The trick is to take it slow and ease into friendships. Once you've made friends though, people are pretty tight here. I've met friends through classes, work, book clubs, and other friends.

Yes - Capitol Hill. That's actually a pretty good description of it.

[UrbanAdventurer]

Cap hill has the E. Village/Lower East Side feel to it. It's hand down the most vibrant neighborhood in Seattle.

[billy98102]

Capitol Hill would fit the bill for you, particularly the Pine/Pike corridor.

[beautifulseattlehomes]

Pike/Pine is the only area in Seattle that feels remotely like the LES...now if you want some of the Brooklyn flavor then some more neighborhoods come to mind...in terms of getting lost in a crowd...you would get it in so far as Seattle folks tend to keep their own company and aren't an overly effusive bunch so no one would bother you but that NYC thing where you are one of the millions on the streets...that feeling doesn't exist here. I spend a ton of time in both cities and am always comparing and contrasting them!

Once you do meet friends here they tend to stick around and if you are open to it, you can form a nice community of like minded people who share your interests. But this is the truth, I have more conversations with strangers in one day in NYC then I do in one month in Seattle...and if I have them, I am often the one striking them up!

[HuskyDawg]

Do us a favor after you move, and don't tell us how much better NY is. As I hear that from every other NYer transplant. You can't get Chinese food at 3 am here, and that doesn't really bother me.

[UrbanAdventurer]

You cant get chinese food at 3am in NY for the most part either. Most deli's aren't even 24 hrs either.