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I have lived in Seattle for 2 years. I cannot wait to find a job somewhere else so I can leave. The top three problems with Seattle (in no particular order) are:
1. Weather. If you are thinking about moving to Seattle, people will lie to you. They will say something to the effect of, "it rains more in than it does in Seattle." While this is technically true, what they are not telling you is that even when it is not rainy, it is cloudy, overcast, and dark. And often this is worse than rainy. The other thing they will tell you is that "summers are beautiful." This is true, but what they are not telling you is that a) summers only last for 2-3 months, and b) no one in Seattle has air conditioning, so forget about actually sleeping comfortably for the entire month of August. It's so extreme it's ridiculous.
2. People. Seattle people are... there's just not a specific word for it. Passive-aggressive gets close. Perhaps it's just aloofness. Or maybe we should just call it what it is: rudeness. For example, when you enter a public space like an elevator, people immediately look down. No courteous smile and "hello," no chitchat, not even a nod of recognition. Mostly they look at whatever electronic device they happen to have (ipod, iphone, blackberry) and tap away as if you don't exist. Another example is that when people enter their workplace in the morning and see others, it is rare for someone to say "good morning." Again, they just walk right by with no eye contact. I am still getting used to this strange way of acting. At first I gave everyone the benefit of the doubt here but it's so different from everywhere else I've ever been I'm just going to say it's rude.
3. Cost of living. It may be cheaper than California, but it's still not worth it! You will have to pay at least $400k for a decent single family home, and at that price it will be small, old, and ugly as sin. I really don't understand the housing aesthetic here. Most of the (affordable) homes are undersized (1 bathroom, maybe 1.5 if you are lucky) have absolutely NO curb appeal, and are overpriced for what you get. If you want something nice (like a "normal" kind of house you'd get in Atlanta or even Ft. Lauderdale) you will pay at least $700k. If you don't believe me, please take a look at zillow.
Overall I would say if you are thinking about moving here, PLEASE rethink that thought. There are plenty of other places that have great views and water that don't have these deficiencies.
I would have to agree with you. I have lived here for 6 years now, and what you are saying about the weather is true. Summers are lovely, but short. The rain is one thing, but it's the clouds that kill me. Like right now, for instance. It is May 11 2010, 9:40 am and 48 degrees and cloudy. No rain, just cold and cloudy. At least over this past weekend, it was sunny both days, but that is what we usually get, 2 days of sun and then back to the crap.
The rudeness of people. I was shocked to see that when I moved here. I thought that maybe I was in NY. Everyone looks at the ground. I can't tell you how many times someone has shoulder-checked me and kept on going. Not even an "oh, sorry" The only polite people that I have come across (other than the people that work at Starbucks) are old people. They always say" hello", or "nice day today". Everyone else doesn't even acknowldge your existance. The cashiers at the stores, don't even look up at you. I almost went into shock when a young cashier started a conversation with me at the check out. Like my brother says, it's sad when the computer at the self check out talks more to you than a live person.
As for the cost of living, yeah, it's bad. Another person commented on another thread about making 140k and still feeling like lower class. That is our same issue too. We make that and still scrape by. Barely.
Like I said, I have lived here 12 years, and am looking to get out. The only friends I have made here are from other places, and are few. It's not from lack of trying, and I am not an introverted person. People here are just not friendly. Or as another poster put it, they are rude. I'm sure I'm going to get some snarky replies for sharing my experience of Seattle. But be assured, my opinion is shared by many others.
Same here. I haven't made hardly any friends. I try, but most people seem to think that they are better than you. The old people are very, very nice here. My husband calls them "original settlers"but they are sweet. One thing I did notice however. No one would talk to me, but as soon as I got a puppy, everyone would stop and talk to me, and for hours. It's like you need a dog to break the ice, and once that happens, they'll tell you their life story. I have lots of "friends" at the dog park now. They all know both my dogs names, but they don't know mine!!
As for the cost of living, yeah, it's bad. Another person commented on another thread about making 140k and still feeling like lower class. That is our same issue too. We make that and still scrape by. Barely.
What does it mean to "feel like lower class?" Seriously, making 140K a year can only make a person feel lower class if they are trying to keep up with the Joneses or have expensive tastes.
I know I'm going to love being in Seattle in winter and not dealing with the bitter cold of the Midwest. But I also think that same temperature is going to happen for six or more months (like you said, constant spring/fall weather in Seattle) and I wonder if it's going to get old.
It does get old. And the weather pattern here, in the last few years has been really strange. With freezing temps, and one warm month in the summer, to the next summer having one straight week of temps in the 100's. Having it snow, while it is lightening. Stuff like that. I also moved here to get away from cold winters and snow. But had to trade it for clouds. I guess I would take the clouds over snow, but it can be really depressing. I wanted to be back next to the water, so that was a plus.
This thread is all about people's oppinions. If some one says something about the Seattle area that they don't like, you'll get responses to peole saying that it's BS and get mad. These people are most likely born and raised here and take it as a personal attack, when it's not. I moved around a LOT during my life and most people that I have met here have never lived anywhere else. They know nothing else. If they like it great! But they should not be mad at other's opinions. I also think it's time to move on, for me, but we are kinda stuck here. Every other house is for sale or abandoned, here anyways, not saying all of Seattle is like that, but my neighbour abandoned his house 9 months ago, and no one even checked on it untill it was empty for 7 months!!!! It is now for sale for super cheap, but the conditon of the house is poor, and that brings down the rest of our home values. We couldn't sell our house now if our life depended on it. So we are stuck here.....
I have to agree with the people who look at the ground. I find it irritating and as passive-rudeness. But usually the people that do it look like the types I wouldnt want to get to know anyways. I've built a large base of outgoing, friendly friends in this city and actually enjoy snickering inside when a grumpy gus walks by. Im just thinking "you live in freaking PARADISE of nature and food and youre acting like this? Really?"
As for meeting people, this city is a city of transplants. Im sorry to say, buy people aren't looking for people who look like where they came from. Be someone that people want to ge to know. Cosmopolitanize yourself or else.
It's unfortunate that this group apparently had some bad experiences here in Seattle. I've seen others mention, and agree fully, that you really need to be prepared for the area before moving here on a lark, particularly with the weather. Many don't realize how significant favorable weather is in determining one's mood until their climate changes.
Personally, I moved here from Raleigh, NC after growing up in the SE. For those who've never spent time there, Raleigh sees steady 100-degree summers and winters as low as the 10's to 20's. That area of the country sees the worst of both worlds to me.. summer and winter dominate the year (spring and fall are VERY short-lived), the cities are not prepared to deal with even a couple inches of snow, and the midday heat prevents nearly all outdoor activity between May and September. I do not enjoy breaking a sweat during a leisurely walk with my pooch, nor do I enjoy the dense collection of potholes that surfaces on the road after a single ice storm.
Seattle is entirely different - if you can tolerate some slight chills, some drizzle, and a lack of sunlight, the weather can be largely ignored. As crazy as it might sound, the weather is one of the many reasons I chose to move to Seattle. I believe that people acclimate at different rates. Some might fit right in with the lack of sunlight while others struggle with it for years. Apparently, as evidenced in this thread, some never adjust.
As for the perception of rudeness, I cannot speak for the entire population, and I find it borderline foolish to attempt to do so. If the people at your work are stiff, either try to liven things up a bit or find a group outside of work. If people don't look at you when you enter the elevator, just chuckle to yourself and realize that they might be socially awkward or not interested in trivial pleasantries with complete strangers. Different strokes..
This is the largest city I've ever called home, and I absolutely love it. The bus system, particularly the ride-free zone, has been great for me, and being able to walk to many of my destinations is something that I thoroughly enjoy. Raleigh, on the other hand, rates near the bottom in the category of 'sprawl' within the city. There is very little walkability, and I had to factor in about 30 minutes of driving time just to get to work or to the store. Misery.
Good luck to those who are moving out. It's unfortunate that you didn't enjoy your time here, but I can't say I'll miss you. More job opportunities for the people who do like it here.
Last edited by Seattle_Sundial; 05-11-2010 at 01:33 PM..
I've been reading a book about introverts by Marti Olsen Laney (an Oregonian, coincidentally); and one thing she points out is that there are "low context" and "high context" societies. The US on the whole is a low context society - basically, a society where extroverts dominate and extroversion, openness, and being easy to read are valued (and rewarded). But I wonder if Seattle is not a high context community within the US. Examples of countries that are high context are Japan and the Scandinavian nations. In these cultures - and I would say the same is true in Seattle area and other cities of the Northwest - people do not give so much away with their words, expect more time to process information, tend to have low-key responses initially, and generally value the interior life more than the exterior life.
It also might explain why extroverts are especially shocked because their typical friend-seeking behaviors are not going to be as rewarded here as they would be in other places.
I still consider Seattle as a potential place to move in the future. But I just don't know if I can handle all those grey days. Look at where I live! The complete opposite in terms of weather. If you guys have 300 grey, cloudy days, we have 300 days of pure sunshine.
It can be very tough. To go from one extreme to the other ... especially if you like the weather where you are now.
Personally, I don't like the cloudiness so much, but I have to say that once I got it out of my head that I couldn't go outside unless it was sunny or not raining, it made things a lot easier. You still get some Vitamin D just by going outside, but I think a lot of people stay indoors on cloudy days and then wonder why they feel depressed. Fresh air and natural lighting will do wonders for a person's well-being, even if it is overcast. For some people, it may well be the being indoors that causes them to have SAD, not the weather.
But it's not a small thing for it to be cloudy a lot. Some people can't handle it. Would I prefer for it to be sunnier here? Yes! But then it would cost like a bazillion dollars to live here. And I'd have to move.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 80skeys
I still consider Seattle as a potential place to move in the future. But I just don't know if I can handle all those grey days. Look at where I live! The complete opposite in terms of weather. If you guys have 300 grey, cloudy days, we have 300 days of pure sunshine.
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I've built a large base of outgoing, friendly friends in this city and actually enjoy snickering inside when a grumpy gus walks by. Im just thinking "you live in freaking PARADISE of nature and food and youre acting like this? Really?"
