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What’s it like to live in Seattle?

Nothing Loud

Nothing Loud

Literally Cinderella
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,981
I'm visiting soon to see if I want to accept a grad program there, but I've never been. Help me understand what it's like to live there.

What I'm looking forward to (based on friends and stereotypes):
- Liberal domination
- Good public transit
- Good food
- Clean air
- Good access to PNW nature and California and Canada
- REALLY good school program
- Better laws and gay rights and weed

What I'm worried about (based on friends and stereotypes):
- Seattle Freeze (I heard people are not nice :<)
- the school has a 3% Hispanic population. I'm gonna miss having warm Latino culture around me.
- Rain or overcast most days of the year. I hate rain, and cold tiny wet drops piss me off the most. I hate rainwear and what rain does to hair.
- I like sun and Seattle has none to spare
- I heard/it seems expensive af
- Far away from all my family and friends
- No warm beaches
- I struggle with anxiety & depression and the loneliness and gloomy climate may worsen it

What do you guys think about Seattle?
 
DazzlerIE

DazzlerIE

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,760
Summer is magic in the PNW but this time of year is tough due to how relentlessly grim it can be with early sunset and consistent rain
 
anexanhume

anexanhume

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,913
Maryland
I've lived in the Midwest, south, California and the East coast. People were just as personable in Seattle as elsewhere.

I was only there for an internship and what I never got used to is the presence of Mt. Ranier always in the distance. It's truly a site to behold.

The public transit system does indeed rock. Lots of good eats spread out all over too. I'd definitely live there again.

You're also correct that it's a very white city. It's not the cultural melting pot you'd get elsewhere, but there's plenty of Asian culture there if that interests you.
 
The Awesomest

The Awesomest

Member
Mar 3, 2018
1,212
Where are you from, OP?

Seattle proper won't have as much of a Hispanic presence, but there's a large Asian population.

You can also move to some other city in western Washington and it'll be a pretty average place except for the climate.
 

t26

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
4,559
Depends on what kind of program. I mean if it is only a 2 years program you should focus on the quality of the education than some of the other stuff.
 

Deleted member 23850

Oct 28, 2017
8,689
Seattle is probably not a place for you.
 
OP
OP
Nothing Loud

Nothing Loud

Literally Cinderella
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,981
The Awesomest said:
Where are you from, OP?
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Spent my whole life in Texas. I have a Hispanic family. The other program I'm considering is in Florida. Geographic opposite to Seattle.

t26 said:
Depends on what kind of program. I mean if it is only a 2 years program you should focus on the quality of the education than some of the other stuff.
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It's a top 10 program and it's a 5 year PhD program and the faculty that are interested in me are amazing. I would be sad to turn it down but....I don't want to be gloomy for 5 years either
 
ZeroDotFlow

ZeroDotFlow

Member
Oct 27, 2017
928
If you don't like rain, then Seattle is probably going to be a nightmare.

Personally, I miss it a ton. I've lived in Washington (Bellingham), California, Virginia and am now in Texas. For me, the daily rain and the general weather in WA was pretty much perfect. Living in Texas has kinda made my outdoor routine a bit more nightmarish due to how incredibly hot it can get, plus the fact that it's just generally not walkable. In the Washington area you can get around without a car fairly easily thanks to the generally OK public transit options.
 

Deleted member 9135

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,435
Nothing Loud said:
Spent my whole life in Texas. I have a Hispanic family. The other program I'm considering is in Florida. Geographic opposite to Seattle.



It's a top 10 program and it's a 5 year PhD program and the faculty that are interested in me are amazing. I would be sad to turn it down but....I don't want to be gloomy for 5 years either
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What long term prospects will said PhD get you in the world vs 5 years in Seattle?
 
Maple

Maple

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,729
ZeroDotFlow said:
If you don't like rain, then Seattle is probably going to be a nightmare.

Personally, I miss it a ton. I've lived in Washington (Bellingham), California, Virginia and am now in Texas. For me, the daily rain and the general weather in WA was pretty much perfect. Living in Texas has kinda made my outdoor routine a bit more nightmarish due to how incredibly hot it can get, plus the fact that it's just generally not walkable. In the Washington area you can get around without a car fairly easily thanks to the generally OK public transit options.
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Going from the Pacific Northwest to Texas...ugh. I used to live in New Hampshire and now live in Florida. I went from mountains, natural beauty, and seasonal variation to flat, ugly, and hot with no seasons.
 
sprsk

sprsk

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,451
It really does rain a lot, but the summer makes it worth it.

If I had complaints it'd be the price of living here is stupid, and while Seattle has great mass transit, the East side (redmond/bellevue, etc.) could do a lot better in this area. Also, I have not been impressed by the food here at all (ESPECIALLY MEXICAN).

But it's fucking beautiful here. I didn't know trees grew this big.
 

siddx

Banned
Dec 25, 2017
1,807
Its not that rainy. It drizzles, it doesn't pour.
People are friendly but difficult to get close to. They have their established groups. Its expensive as fuck and I put myself deep in debt and my paycheck rarely covered my expenses. But I was working restaurant and bouncer jobs and spent 80% of my time bit making decent money. If you have a good job its not a problem. Downtown stinks frequently but the surrounding area is beautiful. Areas of the city like green lake and capital hill are cool and fun but are also stuck up. There is a pretty stark class divide between happy white yuppies in beautiful neighborhoods and the people living in neighborhoods those white yuppies are afraid of.

Basically like anywhere else, if you can afford it its wonderful city. If you cant it can be unpleasant and demoralizing.

All my opinions are about 9 years old though.
 
Raguel

Raguel

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,275
Seattle is great. I love it. I visit every year bc my sister lives there with her kids and my best friends are also there. There is sun shine. But it's not as much as Texas. There is def rain but it's tolerable. The people there are as friendly as any where else, really. There is great food if you know where to look. But yeah, housing is expensive. It's also beautiful compared to Texas. I am not a fan to Texas.
 
The Awesomest

The Awesomest

Member
Mar 3, 2018
1,212
OP, I have a roommate from Georgia whose Pros and Cons are basically the same as yours. He's having a pretty rough time up here. It can be doable if you find some close, trustworthy friends and embrace the clouds.

Also, yeah, Seattle is expensive. You can move to a cheaper city outside of Seattle if you're willing to give up "Liberal Domination."
 
Jon Carter

Jon Carter

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,746
I'm already struggling to keep my kid entertained when it's raining in Los Angeles, I couldn't imagine having a kid in Seattle. It seems cool but the weather is a dealbreaker for me.
 
OP
OP
Nothing Loud

Nothing Loud

Literally Cinderella
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,981
sprsk said:
It really does rain a lot, but the summer makes it worth it.

If I had complaints it'd be the price of living here is stupid, and while Seattle has great mass transit, the East side (redmond/bellevue, etc.) could do a lot better in this area. Also, I have not been impressed by the food here at all (ESPECIALLY MEXICAN).

But it's fucking beautiful here. I didn't know trees grew this big.
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Oh god.

Bad Mexican food is almost a deal breaker. Mexican food is so fucking important.
 
Salacious_Rhino

Salacious_Rhino

Member
Nov 9, 2017
290
Pretty much all of that is true. I wouldn't say people are mean in terms of the "Seattle freeze" but distant/cautious/stick with their groups. In some areas I feel like it's over politeness, people giving you your space and not wanting to bother or annoy you so they stay away. .

As a fellow Latino yeah... It really sucks, there are pockets here and there and people will reassure you there's a lot where they live and then you find out they live in Renton/Everett/Lynnwood which are definitely not Seattle. Also, you can't let anyone know you eat/enjoy tacos. Weird thing to write but once you let those words slip out of your mouth everyone starts recommending places near where they live and it's always "it's not the real deal but it's close and reeeeallly good" and always they're a 4/10 at best.

Despite these gripes i love it here but based on your cons it will be rough unless you can afford to live comfortably here.
 
sprsk

sprsk

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,451
I wanna add that my least fav part is how fucking late the sun rises. I'm leavin the house close to 8 and that shit ain't up yet. In Tokyo the sun was out at like 5:30AM!
 
opus

opus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,296
Reverse Giraffe said:
Southern cities get more rain than Seattle. Its overblown.
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It's not the rain. It's the dark, gray, overcast, low ceiling shit for months on end that will kill you.

I've been here for fifteen years, and the only way I make it work now is with frequent trips down to Vegas/LA/San Diego just to sit outside in the sun for a couple of days.

OP, don't move here. You will hate it.
 
BringBackSonics

BringBackSonics

Member
Oct 27, 2017
45,156
Seattle
Nothing Loud said:
I'm visiting soon to see if I want to accept a grad program there, but I've never been. Help me understand what it's like to live there.


What I'm looking forward to (based on friends and stereotypes):
- Liberal domination
- Good public transit
- Good food
- Clean air
- Good access to PNW nature and California and Canada
- REALLY good school program
- Better laws and gay rights and weed

What I'm worried about (based on friends and stereotypes):
- Seattle Freeze (I heard people are not nice :<)
- the school has a 3% Hispanic population. I'm gonna miss having warm Latino culture around me.
- Rain or overcast most days of the year. I hate rain, and cold tiny wet drops piss me off the most. I hate rainwear and what rain does to hair.
- I like sun and Seattle has none to spare
- I heard/it seems expensive af
- Far away from all my family and friends
- No warm beaches
- I struggle with anxiety & depression and the loneliness and gloomy climate may worsen it

What do you guys think about Seattle?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...




- Liberal domination - fairly true, one of the first cities with 15.00$ min wage, mandatory sick leave for Seattle
Businesses, Free college for Seattle kids etc

- Good public transit -decent/good downtown, lots of busses. Also south lake union trolley (or the SLUT) and link light rail gets you around a bit in the region.


- Good food it has its fair of nice establishments, really kind of depends on what you are into. When you say good food are we taking Michelen Stars? Or awesome diner grub?


- Clean air - Seattle's air quality is usually great. However last two summers we had some ridiculous air quality due to 🔥 in the west


- Good access to PNW nature and California and Canada - not really sure what this means. There are a ton of parks, national parks and all sorts of biomes within driving distance. California is a 7-8 Drive from Seattle and BC is about 2 1/2 hours


- REALLY good school program - what's your program?


- Better laws and gay rights and weed - pot is legalized so there are almost as many pot shops as coffee shops. Laws around LGBTQ are good.

What I'm worried about (based on friends and stereotypes):
- Seattle Freeze (I heard people are not nice :<) - I think there is something to it.
I think people are just a bit more reserved with 'outsiders'. Once you are in though, the freeze is gone


- the school has a 3% Hispanic population. I'm gonna miss having warm Latino culture around me. - Seattle is a white city, can't do
Much about that


- Rain or overcast most days of the year. I hate rain, and cold tiny wet drops piss me off the most. I hate rainwear and what rain does to hair. - can't run from this, while Seattle actually gets less measurable rain than places like New York, it does have more days of just drizzle and cloudy. If you don't like getting wet, this might be a deal
Breaker


- I like sun and Seattle has none to spare - it's sunny for about 9 weeks in the summer. The rest it's grey


- I heard/it seems expensive af. - housing is insanely hot

- Far away from all my family and friends -

- No warm beaches- many of the beaches around here are rock filled

- I struggle with anxiety & depression and the loneliness and gloomy climate may worsen it - it's called seasonal
Deficit disorder I believe. People
Get special light lamps. Trust me when I say it's pretth dark and gray from
October to May



What do you guys think about Seattle?[/QUOTE]
 
fluffydelusions

fluffydelusions

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,458
It doesn't actually rain all year here. Summer is dry and sunny with blue dome sky's every day. It's a Mediterranean climate which means dry summers and wet winters. Seattle is actually sunnier than most east coast cities during the summer months which is when it matters the most...the rest of the year however...lol...yeah grey and rainy. I'm in Olympia and we have it worse than Seattle cause we are not in the rain shadow. The warm beaches thing is also true as in there are none lol. Coastal PNW is windy, cool, and the water is cold af since it comes down from Alaska. There is no beach culture here like the east coast. Everyone swims in lakes here.
 
Jon Carter

Jon Carter

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,746
xxracerxx said:
People go out in the rain in the PNW, kids included.
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I get that kids can be outside when it rains, but there's just stuff you can't do. We take our son to the park every day. We're not gonna have him crawl around in wet sand or go down flooded slides. Our apartment is too small for him to be entertained just staying in all day every day.
 
Muppet of a Man

Muppet of a Man

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,674
Seattle Freeze and SAD are no joke.

It's tough to get people in the NW to let their guard down. It was especially difficult for me, being a wear my heart on my sleeve no holds bar NYC-area east coaster.
 
Hail Satan

Hail Satan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,171
I love it here, but it sounds like the weather may be a big hurdle for you.

It's not so bad in the summer but during the winter it's almost rainfall for 3 months straight.

Don't worry about the Seattle Freeze so much. It's hard at first but it gets better if you find social things to do you can find a group pretty easily. If you're having trouble send me a message and I'll be your friend :)
 
kyorii

kyorii

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,983
Splatlandia
See the thing about Seattle rain is that it's nothing full blown. It's always a bit of shower or sprinkle. As mentioned earlier, other cities have way more rain. The overcast is real though, so. Much grey. But I will say and many others, we have the perfect summers. At least until the last 2 years anyway. Seems like we get smoky Augusts now 😑
 
Stinkles

Stinkles

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
20,459
Hmmm. Hates rain.


The Seattle Freeze is subjective selection bias trash. I've lived all over the world and it's not measurable. It's the dumbest claim about Seattle and good luck finding any objective evidence outside of Seasonal Affective Disorder stats. It's gloomy in winter.

WE GET LESS RAIN THAN NYC IN TERMS OF ACTUAL RAINFALL. It rains very frequently from basically October till April. It rarely rains heavily, but rather a gross drizzle. Sometimes if we're lucky it snows and looks nice while parlyszing a city that shouldn't invest in snowplows for good reason. But we're also 35 minutes from reasonable skiing most winters.

Food is world class, except BBQ.

The air is usually very clean except during big forest fires or Mt. St. Helenses.

In summer, it's astonishingly beautiful and you can swim in the lakes, if not the Sound.

The mountains, lakes, islands, forests, even deserts and canyons, are gorgeous.

It's great for hiking, biking, mountaineering, snowsportsin winter and has a great international hub in Seatac and to a lesser extent, Portland. You can get to anywhere in mexico or Hawaii if that gets too much, faster and cheaper than some nicer climes.


Sushi is god tier.

Beer is great.

Jobs are good now.

Housing is expensive and scarce.

Roads are trash.
 
fluffydelusions

fluffydelusions

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,458
Stinkles said:
Hmmm. Hates rain.


The Seattle Freeze is subjective selection bias trash. I've lived all over the world and it's not measurable. It's the dumbest claim about Seattle and good luck finding any objective evidence outside of Seasonal Affective Disorder stats. It's gloomy in winter.

WE GET LESS RAIN THAN NYC IN TERMS OF ACTUAL RAINFALL. It rains very frequently from basically October till April. It rarely rains heavily, but rather a gross drizzle. Sometimes if we're lucky it snows and looks nice while parlyszing a city that shouldn't invest in snowplows for good reason. But we're also 35 minutes from reasonable skiing most winters.

Food is world class, except BBQ.

The air is usually very clean except during big forest fires or Mt. St. Helenses.

In summer, it's astonishingly beautiful and you can swim in the lakes, if not the Sound.

The mountains, lakes, islands, forests, even deserts and canyons, are gorgeous.

It's great for hiking, biking, mountaineering, snowsportsin winter and has a great international hub in Seatac and to a lesser extent, Portland. You can get to anywhere in mexico or Hawaii if that gets too much, faster and cheaper than some nicer climes.


Sushi is god tier.

Beer is great.

Jobs are good now.

Housing is expensive and scarce.

Roads are trash.
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Stinkles brings up a good point many forgot...the beer! So good and so many types.
 
Irnbru

Irnbru

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,129
Seattle
There's like 3 of us Hispanics here lol

Going to UW? My gf is doing her PhD there and I'm working on a masters right now

Also everything stinkles says it's correct lol, I've made all my best friends here
 

Deleted member 23850

Oct 28, 2017
8,689
So does anyone in Seattle think a city-wide upzoning is a good deal?
 
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