T.R. Bauer
New member
Call me crazy.....I think Seattle has the nicest weather on earth....move here and find out 
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
What's Seattle really like these days?
- Thread starter ssobol
- Start date
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
Seattle home prices just keep ratcheting up. Of course no one want to move there or live there. :roll: The city does have problems, and just about all the liberals/progressives I know are puzzled how the wackos on a wacko left keep getting elected. There is a recall for the worst one on City Counsel. We are only modestly hopeful. Son lives in Burien and loves it. (about 2 miles west of the airport)
RobLL":1xkefcln said:Son lives in Burien and loves it. (about 2 miles west of the airport)
Yes. My children know no better either. Once you grow up with the crime and homelessness, you think that living in the tenderloin in SF is cool, and you just accept that your car will be broken into a few times a year. You accept it because it becomes the new norm, which is why there is no political change.
There's a lot to be said positively for Seattle if one doesn't look at it through R colored glasses. It has crime, yes but it's not in the top 50 most dangerous places to live and it's crime rate is generally lower than similar sized cities. That said, I think the city council made a major mistake last year with by reducing funding to the police without having an alternate plan for public safety. As a result, property crime is up a bit. Regardless of what other others have to say though, COVID and a huge recession has ALSO contributed to an increase in property crime (as happens anytime there is an economic downturn). On the plus side:
Seattle is the first major city in the US to hit a 70% vaccination rate for all over age 18. Seattle houses the University of Washington and it's associated medical center. The UW is one of the premier biomedical research institutions in the world and the hospital and medical staff are fabulous. Seattle is a city where we care about each other and problems in the world. We have some of the best computer tech industry in the world and as a result some of the best wages in the country (yes that drives real estate). We have a good public transportation system that is getting better with the addition of light rail. We have the Puget Sound, the Cascades, the Olympics, the rain forests, the coast - all within 1-4 hours away. We have some of the best salmon fishing in the country if you're willing to drive to the coast for it. We have spot prawns and dungenous crabs and some of the best seafood restaurants in the country. We have a diverse population that allows one to eat at good Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, German, French or plain old American restaurants every day. We have a thriving wine industry both within the city and in the surrounding area. The same can be said for craft beers and whiskeys. We have great museums and public art and city parks. We have mild weather and beautiful greenery. We have great farmers markets and access to some of the best veggies, potatoes, cheese and sausages in the world.
I've lived in the suburbs of Chicago, rural Illinois, Tucson, and Pasadena and I've traveled to dozens of countries. There are very few places I'd rather live. That said, as I get closer to retirement, living a bit outside the city and in a location with less traffic is becoming more appealing. But there's no way in hell I'll be moving outside of the general area.
Seattle is the first major city in the US to hit a 70% vaccination rate for all over age 18. Seattle houses the University of Washington and it's associated medical center. The UW is one of the premier biomedical research institutions in the world and the hospital and medical staff are fabulous. Seattle is a city where we care about each other and problems in the world. We have some of the best computer tech industry in the world and as a result some of the best wages in the country (yes that drives real estate). We have a good public transportation system that is getting better with the addition of light rail. We have the Puget Sound, the Cascades, the Olympics, the rain forests, the coast - all within 1-4 hours away. We have some of the best salmon fishing in the country if you're willing to drive to the coast for it. We have spot prawns and dungenous crabs and some of the best seafood restaurants in the country. We have a diverse population that allows one to eat at good Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, German, French or plain old American restaurants every day. We have a thriving wine industry both within the city and in the surrounding area. The same can be said for craft beers and whiskeys. We have great museums and public art and city parks. We have mild weather and beautiful greenery. We have great farmers markets and access to some of the best veggies, potatoes, cheese and sausages in the world.
I've lived in the suburbs of Chicago, rural Illinois, Tucson, and Pasadena and I've traveled to dozens of countries. There are very few places I'd rather live. That said, as I get closer to retirement, living a bit outside the city and in a location with less traffic is becoming more appealing. But there's no way in hell I'll be moving outside of the general area.
RobLL":1axp4cct said:Seattle home prices just keep ratcheting up. Of course no one want to move there or live there. :roll:
You may notice that there are corporations that are buying up real estate in urban areas. Not just Seattle. It has been in the "news" lately. It's well known they have a huge impact on pricing. We are seeing bidding wars on homes, especially in the burbs, where people want to move in hopes of a better quality of life. They are doing this to escape Seattle and the neighboring cities, with their high crime & high taxes.
The city does have problems, and just about all the liberals/progressives I know are puzzled how the wackos on a wacko left keep getting elected. There is a recall for the worst one on City Counsel. We are only modestly hopeful.
I always here this. "I didn't vote for him/her...I don't understand how they won". So either a large part of the population are pathological OR the system is a fraud, and elections are rigged. The current candidates for Seattle mayor are vying to out Marxist each other. There are no Republicans. Hell, there are no moderates. They are all "wacko left" (to use your words)
I have thought many, many times that it would reverse...that citizens would take a good look around and say "Enough is enough. I'm voting differently". Yet each election comes and goes and they only vote MORE LEFTIST. Then those same people yell, scream, complain about the "issues" facing the region. It's fine to have homeless dopers living in RVs in someone else's neighborhood. That's "compassionate". Those not effected pat themselves on the back and tell everyone on FB how "woke" they" are. Then one pulls up in front of their house and 911 it is! It's quite confusing.
Son lives in Burien and loves it. (about 2 miles west of the airport)
Burien has one of the most radical, leftist mayors around, Jimmy Matta. He is anti-police. Anti-law & order. Pro-homeless. Pro-drug use. Just to name a few. They also possess one of the biggest gang problems in the region and the violence that goes with it.
We are still here only because both of us possess careers and are awaiting retirement. We will not be here long term. Every cop I work with who retires is or has left for another state. There is beautiful boating in Florida too. And the weather is better there, despite what T.R. says... :lol:
We have great museums and public art and city parks.
Have you been to the "city parks" lately? Serious question. Because I have. They are covered with tents and tarps and pallets and stolen property...and syringes and 5 gallon buckets full of human waste. Children can't play there. And parents don't dare let their children run free there.
Downtown is like a scene from The Walking Dead and that's not hyperbole. I just worked down there a month ago. The "park" next to the courthouse looks like a favela in Brazil. Boarded up store fronts, graffiti on every surface they can reach, be it vertical or horizontal, garbage everywhere... You best watch where your feet land or you'll step in feces...and it ain't dog-sh*t. Dopers accost people at ever corner or scream non-nonsensically at nothing. They run into the streets as if they are possessed by The Devil himself...at least those that aren't splayed out on the sidewalk, lying in their own filth while under the influence of whatever drug they could get their hands on.
You think whatever tourists were foolish enough to come there don't go home and tell everyone they know what Seattle truly is like? Of course they do. Yet the current climate has not just been created it's been supported and encouraged.
I encourage you to go downtown or Capitol Hill. Park your car. Go for a walk in your beautiful city. It may just be eye opening for you.
Folks, please. Most of the Seattle bashing doesn't seem to come from people that actually LIVE in Seattle. I did for 30 years, and lived the best and worst. I get it.
I recently sold two detached family homes in Seattle proper. Young families bought them, and one young mother wrote to me thanking me for selling the house (at somewhat less than what I might have gotten) to them, no agent involved. Pictures of new paint, remodeling and gardens were included...an invitation to visit. These people might be the future of a better Seattle that I am no longer part of.
If I were going to start a new job at the UW, Fred Hutch, Microsoft, Weyerhaeuser, Google, Expedia, Amazon, Cray, Redfin...the list goes on of high-paying jobs in Seattle, I might consider living there to avoid a horrible commute. I wouldn't like it, but, hey, I'd much rather live on an idyllic island in Puget Sound.
Can we focus on offering viable alternatives for someone considering taking a job at SeaTac? I would rank Seattle proper low because of cost, even though it might be a reasonable commute if they lived near the light rail. I think other problems in Seattle have been covered, so we can leave that one now.
The C-Brats has generally done a good job of answering people's questions about boats and boating. This question wasn't about C-Dories, but my vote for Des Moines, Redondo Beach, Normandy Park includes both good access to SeaTac, good access to saltwater, and, as far as I know (I only know Des Moines), reasonable communities.
I recently sold two detached family homes in Seattle proper. Young families bought them, and one young mother wrote to me thanking me for selling the house (at somewhat less than what I might have gotten) to them, no agent involved. Pictures of new paint, remodeling and gardens were included...an invitation to visit. These people might be the future of a better Seattle that I am no longer part of.
If I were going to start a new job at the UW, Fred Hutch, Microsoft, Weyerhaeuser, Google, Expedia, Amazon, Cray, Redfin...the list goes on of high-paying jobs in Seattle, I might consider living there to avoid a horrible commute. I wouldn't like it, but, hey, I'd much rather live on an idyllic island in Puget Sound.
Can we focus on offering viable alternatives for someone considering taking a job at SeaTac? I would rank Seattle proper low because of cost, even though it might be a reasonable commute if they lived near the light rail. I think other problems in Seattle have been covered, so we can leave that one now.
The C-Brats has generally done a good job of answering people's questions about boats and boating. This question wasn't about C-Dories, but my vote for Des Moines, Redondo Beach, Normandy Park includes both good access to SeaTac, good access to saltwater, and, as far as I know (I only know Des Moines), reasonable communities.
Yes - I live across from Magnuson Park and go there regularly to walk the dog. I've also taken my grandchildren to play in several other parks. I also work downtown near the corner of Dexter and Mercer and just drove through downtown proper yesterday afternoon (and many times recently). While there are certainly pockets of problems and those pockets are larger and in more places than previously, the dystopian hell-scape you describe is not consistent with the reality on the ground in the vast majority of the city. It must be the "R" colored glasses you have on.localboy":1qgh0733 said:We have great museums and public art and city parks.
Have you been to the "city parks" lately? Serious question. Because I have. They are covered with tents and tarps and pallets and stolen property...and syringes and 5 gallon buckets full of human waste. Children can't play there. And parents don't dare let their children run free there.
Downtown is like a scene from The Walking Dead and that's not hyperbole. I just worked down there a month ago. The "park" next to the courthouse looks like a favela in Brazil. Boarded up store fronts, graffiti on every surface they can reach, be it vertical or horizontal, garbage everywhere... You best watch where your feet land or you'll step in feces...and it ain't dog-sh*t. Dopers accost people at ever corner or scream non-nonsensically at nothing. They run into the streets as if they are possessed by The Devil himself...at least those that aren't splayed out on the sidewalk, lying in their own filth while under the influence of whatever drug they could get their hands on.
You think whatever tourists were foolish enough to come there don't go home and tell everyone they know what Seattle truly is like? Of course they do. Yet the current climate has not just been created it's been supported and encouraged.
I encourage you to go downtown or Capitol Hill. Park your car. Go for a walk in your beautiful city. It may just be eye opening for you.
I also love how you mention Florida as a viable alternative. The statistics for crime in cities in Florida are not great. But go ahead and move there - I look forward to seeing your picture in a future "Man from Florida" story.
journey on
New member
This is the most interesting post in years. And not for the specifics on Seattle.
There seems to be a divide between the posters: one side shouting "Marxist" or castigating the dopers and the other presenting a decent side of Seattle. I would guess that the posts come from personal feelings about life, not the facts about living in Seattle. It reflects the deep divide we have in the entire USA.
I spent most of my life in LA and San Diego and Seattle sounds like any big US city with bad problems and a good side, depends how you look at it.
I also think the San Juans/Gulfh Islands are one of the great cruising grounds in the world. Other than that, I don't have a dog in this fight.
Boris
There seems to be a divide between the posters: one side shouting "Marxist" or castigating the dopers and the other presenting a decent side of Seattle. I would guess that the posts come from personal feelings about life, not the facts about living in Seattle. It reflects the deep divide we have in the entire USA.
I spent most of my life in LA and San Diego and Seattle sounds like any big US city with bad problems and a good side, depends how you look at it.
I also think the San Juans/Gulfh Islands are one of the great cruising grounds in the world. Other than that, I don't have a dog in this fight.
Boris
Pat Anderson
New member
I am kind of thinking this thread has probably run its course...
Not far from SeaTac. If you go on the eastern side into the hill area there are some nice properties. Otherwise, if the job is AT seatac then just get somewhere close to the light rail and you will be fine... The airport light rail to/from Seattle is great. Getting to Starbucks corporate (near the stadiums) or to Amazon in the central bus district is easy on light rail. Bus also works...
I do see a lot of bikers using the newly (last 4-5 years) created lanes, etc... but it is not at the volume you see in SF. Probably just because the weather is not as accommodating...
Do NOT go north near UW if you really need to be at SeaTac - that commute will be terrible IMO.
Perhaps it is not realistic to expect safety and security and certainly younger folks who are used to crime anyway don't care as much and adjust (no valuables in cars, pay for secure parking, etc...). But for older folks who experienced these cities 10-20 years ago, most of our premier cities have declined substantially in quality of life (unless, of course, you are wealthy and can ensconce yourself in a bubble).
Is this worse than DC? Probably not. I lived years ago on the Mt Pleasant district and it was not good. Lots of crime / drugs/ riots. But over the last 15 years it has gentrified. So, again, just take care and look at the CURRENT situation whatever the location. Things change...
I do see a lot of bikers using the newly (last 4-5 years) created lanes, etc... but it is not at the volume you see in SF. Probably just because the weather is not as accommodating...
Do NOT go north near UW if you really need to be at SeaTac - that commute will be terrible IMO.
Perhaps it is not realistic to expect safety and security and certainly younger folks who are used to crime anyway don't care as much and adjust (no valuables in cars, pay for secure parking, etc...). But for older folks who experienced these cities 10-20 years ago, most of our premier cities have declined substantially in quality of life (unless, of course, you are wealthy and can ensconce yourself in a bubble).
Is this worse than DC? Probably not. I lived years ago on the Mt Pleasant district and it was not good. Lots of crime / drugs/ riots. But over the last 15 years it has gentrified. So, again, just take care and look at the CURRENT situation whatever the location. Things change...
journey on":2vp3rj6p said:I also think the San Juans/Gulf Islands are one of the great cruising grounds in the world.
Certainly true. Ideally you spend summers / fall in PNW, and then in central coast CA during the winter or possibly AZ.
Not sure if original poster cares, but be prepared for rain - not hard - just constant drizzle and grey. Some people love it. Others hate it. But it does keep it green and beautiful.
krc":3m9gekf0 said:journey on":3m9gekf0 said:I also think the San Juans/Gulf Islands are one of the great cruising grounds in the world.
Certainly true. Ideally you spend summers / fall in PNW, and then in central coast CA during the winter or possibly AZ.
Not sure if original poster cares, but be prepared for rain - not hard - just constant drizzle and grey. Some people love it. Others hate it. But it does keep it green and beautiful.
Poster lived here earlier, so RAIN is in their former PNW experience. One thing that hasn't likely been is SMOKE...and during the nicest part of the summer when we want to be here. Hopefully better this year, but the forecast is not-so-good. We were the most polluted place in the world during some days in recent years.
robhwa":nm1zkrwy said:krc":nm1zkrwy said:journey on":nm1zkrwy said:I also think the San Juans/Gulf Islands are one of the great cruising grounds in the world.
Certainly true. Ideally you spend summers / fall in PNW, and then in central coast CA during the winter or possibly AZ.
Not sure if original poster cares, but be prepared for rain - not hard - just constant drizzle and grey. Some people love it. Others hate it. But it does keep it green and beautiful.
Poster lived here earlier, so RAIN is in their former PNW experience. One thing that hasn't likely been is SMOKE...and during the nicest part of the summer when we want to be here. Hopefully better this year, but the forecast is not-so-good. We were the most polluted place in the world during some days in recent years.
Yeah, I know about the rain. When I lived there before one fall it rained for 100 days straight. Even the long termers thought that was a bit too much rain.
curioustraveler
New member
This has been an interesting post because my wife and I are trying to determine where we want to retire to. I keep looking at the Seattle area, or the greater PNW, as an option based upon the beautiful geography. It's the weather that I'm most concerned about.
Localboy, I spent 15 years working the streets as a paramedic and then as a local cop. I've since moved into a less seedy area of law enforcement. It always amazed me how I could be immersed in the filthy underbelly of my city, drowning in death, violence, decay, and misery, and yet the average people living in the area had no idea what was going on around them.
I worked in Denver. Its sad but I see a lot of the same things happening there that you describe in Seattle. I remember going to a new brewery with some friends in a part of my district that was gentrifying. They thought it was cool and hip...and it was...but all I could think about was what goes on in that very same city block at night when all the hipsters go home.
I have no doubt that the reality you describe in Seattle is true, and I also have no doubt that someone else can enjoy an entirely different reality (well, until the crime happens to them...I'm kidding.)
Localboy, I spent 15 years working the streets as a paramedic and then as a local cop. I've since moved into a less seedy area of law enforcement. It always amazed me how I could be immersed in the filthy underbelly of my city, drowning in death, violence, decay, and misery, and yet the average people living in the area had no idea what was going on around them.
I worked in Denver. Its sad but I see a lot of the same things happening there that you describe in Seattle. I remember going to a new brewery with some friends in a part of my district that was gentrifying. They thought it was cool and hip...and it was...but all I could think about was what goes on in that very same city block at night when all the hipsters go home.
I have no doubt that the reality you describe in Seattle is true, and I also have no doubt that someone else can enjoy an entirely different reality (well, until the crime happens to them...I'm kidding.)
Pat Anderson
New member
So, pretty sure ssobel knows that here in the PNW we don't tan, we rust...but as a lifetimer here (except for two years overseas in Turkey and five years in N.J.), it is hard to imagine living anywhere else, especially now that we are up near the Canadian border in northern Whatcom County looking out to Saturna Island over the Strait of Georgia!
- Status
- Not open for further replies.