What's Seattle really like these days?

[smckean (Tosca)]

It's interesting to me that the more conservative leaning C-Brats tend to see Seattle as "gone to hell" (as I suspect they view is the case with most cities); whereas the more liberal leaning C-Brats tend to be more optimistic about the quality of life in Seattle.

IMO, this thread is informative on folks political views, and not very informative of what it's like to live in Seattle. Take care about what you hear.

P.S. I lived in Seattle (city, not suburbs) for 30 years. It seems I survived. Frankly, it's a wonderful city.

 

[johnr]

Thanks to the military, I've moved around quite a bit in my life. When I return to a place I haven't been to in 15 - 25 years, I'm always shocked by how much it's changed. Eventually though, I come to the realization that I'm mostly shocked by how much I've changed.

 

[hardee]

I was an early poster in this thread and in that post I presented both some negatives and some positives. Those were from my personal point of view. In my second post I presented the viewpoints of a Seattle city news man, who lives and works in the city and has for a long time. Also presented were takes on Seattle from 2 different years; the first showing the problems, some of the causes for those problems and some possible solutions and taking to task some of those responsible for the situation. The second year, in an attempt at documenting progress, the report shows where Seattle is in it's progression.

The third video compares Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Shocking similarities and situations.

I am a firm believer in we see what we are looking for and there can be good in almost anything -- the silver lining, if you will. However, some of us deal with a whole different reality than others and some see the plate from the top down and some from the bottom up. We each make our own choices, and we pick our own paths through life. Some get up after a fall, and others wait for someone to pick them up. So it boils down to choices, mostly our own. To be or not to be, to do or not to do. Your choice.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[Knipet]

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.

Hmmm, I'm going to look into that idea... :wink

 

[hardee]

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.

Hmmm, I'm going to look into that idea... :wink

It might work out Steve. :wink: :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

 

[Gene&Mary]

Having been born in Bellevue/Kirkland before it was the "east side" and lived in Seattle (the city) for a long long time, this has been a very entertaining thread. My observation is that most people like where they live or are at least used to it.

Its true that Seattle seems to have a lot of homeless but its hard to compare because I'm not living somewhere else. Home prices are out of sight but that's a two edged sword. Seattle does have its screwball socialist councilperson but hopefully the recall will be successful. The resident cops say Seattle is the worst place imaginable but I don't agree.....and it seems that many other folks don't either as Seattle is one of the fastest growing large cities in the US.

Listening to the news, all I hear is floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, record freezing, record snow, record heat, record rainfall, fires (what have I left out) from other parts of the country. I guess I'll take drizzle, record heat (90 degrees), record snow (maybe 6" but that still paralyzes Seattle), the possibility of a volcano erupting, and the possibility an earthquake any day.

Honestly though, Seattle sucks so please don't move here.

 

[smckean (Tosca)]

I presented the viewpoints of a Seattle city news man, who lives and works in the city and has for a long time.

Harvey,

Since you are referencing these videos again, I'd like to make a "word to the wise" type observation to anyone reading this thread. All these videos are from the Seattle TV station KOMO.....so it's just that one point of view. Other TV stations in Seattle have other points of view. Note that KOMO is owned and operated by the Sinclair Group since 2013 (if anyone reading this thread does not know who/what the Sinclair Group is, I recommend you do a little research on the company). Sinclair is well known for their conservative slant and "non-neutral" management of the content of their stations (including several rather large controversies of editorial interference including this "Seattle is Dying" series). Here's a quick quote from Wikipedia:

"A 2019 study by Emory University political scientists Gregory J. Martin and Josh McCrain in the American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market."

 

[Pat Anderson]

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.

Hmmm, I'm going to look into that idea... :wink

Us too!

 

[ssobol]

I presented the viewpoints of a Seattle city news man, who lives and works in the city and has for a long time.

Harvey,

Since you are referencing these videos again, I'd like to make a "word to the wise" type observation to anyone reading this thread. All these videos are from the Seattle TV station KOMO.....so it's just that one point of view. Other TV stations in Seattle have other points of view. Note that KOMO is owned and operated by the Sinclair Group since 2013 (if anyone reading this thread does not know who/what the Sinclair Group is, I recommend you do a little research on the company). Sinclair is well known for their conservative slant and "non-neutral" management of the content of their stations (including several rather large controversies of editorial interference including this "Seattle is Dying" series). Here's a quick quote from Wikipedia:

"A 2019 study by Emory University political scientists Gregory J. Martin and Josh McCrain in the American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market."

Yes, the Sinclair syndicate is bad news. They own a lot more TV stations than they probably should.

As for the home prices in Seattle. Generally, they are a little higher than the area I live in now. However, around the Chesapeake Bay you can get a home on or near the water for about half or a third the price you can in Seattle. If you pick a place more in the country, you can get a nice place (2k sq. ft) near the bay or one of the tributary rivers for under $300K. In the Seattle area, $300K either gets you something less than 800 sg. ft. or a knockdown. If you get out about 40 miles commuting distance there are a few reasonable places for $4-500K.

 

[robhwa]

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.

...or spend northern winters cruising the southern hemisphere. Anyone ever read "Home is the Sailor", by Jorge Amado? One of my favorites.

 

[krc]

And why move from DC to Seattle? I have lived both places and while the summers are most excellent in the PNW, DC area has its benefits. As well, if you are into boating, Annapolis is great... I know a lot of people visit the PNW in the SUMMER... but can't handle the winters. Not cold, not heavy heavy rains. Just a persistent gray that can last for months at a time. I know poster said he was fine with it - is the rest of his family (if not single of course)? A surprising number of spouses find out they don't like the grayness... IF you are well off, of course, you just spend a 2-3 weeks in the winter in Hawaii for an extended vacation.

I didn't like the humid DC summers. Again - trade off...

 

[krc]

Well, if you don't need to live in Seattle proper then there are some other great areas as well. Kirkland is a fantastic area (east) and a bridge drive to Seattle past UW (okay - can be a pain if you must commute).

But I would also look at Gig Harbor very closely....

Whatever about the large cities - if you don't know any better or knew what they used to be, then they will be fine for you as well. Nostalgia is what I think most people are feeling on the board... and/or Stockholm syndrome.

 

[hardee]

I presented the viewpoints of a Seattle city news man, who lives and works in the city and has for a long time.

Harvey,

Since you are referencing these videos again, I'd like to make a "word to the wise" type observation to anyone reading this thread. All these videos are from the Seattle TV station KOMO.....so it's just that one point of view. Other TV stations in Seattle have other points of view. Note that KOMO is owned and operated by the Sinclair Group since 2013 (if anyone reading this thread does not know who/what the Sinclair Group is, I recommend you do a little research on the company). Sinclair is well known for their conservative slant and "non-neutral" management of the content of their stations (including several rather large controversies of editorial interference including this "Seattle is Dying" series). Here's a quick quote from Wikipedia:

"A 2019 study by Emory University political scientists Gregory J. Martin and Josh McCrain in the American Political Science Review found that "stations bought by Sinclair reduce coverage of local politics, increase national coverage and move the ideological tone of coverage in a conservative direction relative to other stations operating in the same market."

So, do you think "they" are telling Eric what to say? Is he the only one in Seattle that is seeing the homeless, the drug problem, the city council tying the hands of the police, the crime rate increase, or the exit of businesses?

We can have conservative or we can continue in the direction we are going. And If you watched those videos, you saw the same situations in SF and LA and the public health disaster that is looming in LA is just minutes ahead of Seattle. (Rampant TB, Typhoid even bubonic plague -- Now that's a direction we should take to see where it will take us. OR, maybe we can learn from history -- That is a BAD direction.)

Just because we can't see anything in the fog doesn't mean there aren't rocks on the shore.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[hardee]

Here is a link to an article in the Seattle Times, that is a compilation of email responses to an article By Tyrone Beason who wrote that Eric Johnson went overboard in displaying the Seattle issues in a bad light.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-ne ... u-told-me/

Apparently there are other folk in Seattle who fully agree with Eric's viewpoint.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[krc]

Just... wow. I had heard that media were in general turning off online commentary. Too funny for a "free media"...

"Since we banned anonymous online comments on this column several months ago due to hateful and otherwise rule-breaking behavior in that forum, many readers have lamented the lack of a public way to engage in a civil discussion about my writings."

I usually like to read the commentary to see what the "online" community thinks...

Anyway, homelessness is a large problem. I didn't see that the article said it was great living in Seattle and better than ever? Or was there a different link? I just saw a lot of frustration. Don't get me wrong - Seattle is a great place to live and still relatively better than most of the places I would want to live. But there is a gradual degradation of quality of life - and no one is doing anything about it. People who live there don't really see it - likely due to our natural normalcy bias as humans.

 

[ssobol]

And why move from DC to Seattle? I have lived both places and while the summers are most excellent in the PNW, DC area has its benefits. As well, if you are into boating, Annapolis is great... I know a lot of people visit the PNW in the SUMMER... but can't handle the winters. Not cold, not heavy heavy rains. Just a persistent gray that can last for months at a time. I know poster said he was fine with it - is the rest of his family (if not single of course)? A surprising number of spouses find out they don't like the grayness... IF you are well off, of course, you just spend a 2-3 weeks in the winter in Hawaii for an extended vacation.

I didn't like the humid DC summers. Again - trade off...

The DC area is nice. I live outside the city in a small town in VA. Close enough to DC to go there for the day if so moved, but still able to live in a nice small town. Yeah, the humidity in the summer is, well, unpleasant. There are a couple of months in the summer where it is too miserable (IMO) to even think about getting the boat out.

But I've lived here for 20+ years and my circumstances recently had a major change. So perhaps it's time for something different and the opportunity in Seattle presented itself. Honestly, there's no pressing reason to move, but there is also no reason to stay either. And yeah, it's just me and a dog and two cats.

 

[localboy]

So, do you think "they" are telling Eric what to say?

Yes, Harvey. That is exactly what they "believe". Of course, had his report been a glowing example of Utopia, they would then believe he ignored his boss's demands and somehow went rogue. Kinda like how some believe CNN is actually "journalism"...not propaganda.

I'm reminded of the old saying: DENIAL. IT'S NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT.

 

[dotnmarty]

Well, to hopefully answer your question, Here's what we did when we moved out here. For the first couple of years we rented a modest three bedroom apartment with a detached garage. We lived in one bedroom, had one for guests and one filled to the brim with our stuff. We were right next to a library and across the street from a shopping center. We really liked it there. Anyway, we explored all around familiarizing with the area, and looking for a place that met our needs and fulfilled our wants. We found it about a mile from the apartment. We have been here a little over 20 years. and have
no plans to leave ever. Good luck in you search.

 

[krc]

For the first couple of years we rented a modest three bedroom apartment with a detached garage.

Great idea - then you can really decide where you want to (or if you want to) live and buy.

IF you do want to buy "for sure", then it all depends on where you think RE prices will be in 1-2 years.

 

[smckean (Tosca)]

So, do you think "they" are telling Eric what to say?

Yes and no. Surely he wasn't given the actual words to say in his documentary, but Sinclair is well known for demanding that its stations support conservative ideology. So if you work there, and expect your documentary to be aired, it had better support Sinclair's executives conservative demands. For example, Sinclair was severely criticized in recent years for its policy of "must runs". "Must runs" were strongly leaning conservative commentaries written in Sinclair's headquarters and distributed to all of its stations. These pieces had to be read during the day by every single Sinclair station, using the exact words as written by HQ if you were to keep your "journalism" job.

My main point in these postings is to point out that any "documentary" (like the one you referenced) from a Sinclair station can not be seen as an impartial presentation of the facts. They very deliberately present a biased version. "Documentary" is a word that's hard to use when it comes to Sinclair material...."opinion pieces" would be closer to the truth. Here's a quote from an article in a Seattle newspaper at the time:

"Sinclair, a conservative company based in Maryland, operates 193 stations across the United States, including Seattle's KOMO 4. The company distributes "must-run" segments to its newsrooms, requiring they air them within 48 hours. They typically feature conservative commentary, including a recurring segment from former Donald Trump official Boris Epshteyn."

Here's the full article:
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/politics ... 426332.php