What is Seattle like?

[anandtechuser07]

I'm a life-long Californian, but I got a job offer in the Redmond area. What is the region like? I've been to Seattle 5 times, but most of those were for job interviews, and I never had a chance to look around.

Aside from the WEATHER, what will shock me the most as a Californian? Any other general thoughts?

 

[fishmonger12]

Probably a question you should have answered before you took the job? Just a thought.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Redmond area....hmmmmm. Microsoft?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

People will urinate on you for no reason.

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
People will urinate on you for no reason.

I think that's just rain...

 

[anandtechuser07]

Originally posted by: fishmonger12
Probably a question you should have answered before you took the job? Just a thought.

The job opportunity is too good to pass up. If the job were in an Iowa cornfield, then I would definitely have second thoughts. But Seattle seems like a good area; I just need more detail on the region.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
People will urinate on you for no reason.

I think that's just rain...

All I'm saying is when I visit Seattle, I pee on people.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: anandtechuser07

Originally posted by: fishmonger12
Probably a question you should have answered before you took the job? Just a thought.

The job opportunity is too good to pass up. If the job were in an Iowa cornfield, then I would definitely have second thoughts. But Seattle seems like a good area; I just need more detail on the region.

Watch 3 episodes of Frasier. Not in a row, you'll kill yourself. But you'll be ready for Seattle. It's all rich people complaining about white people problems.

 

[flashbacck]

If you're from northern cali maybe this won't be much of a shock for you, but... Hippies!!!

 

[WildHorse]

``

 

[Farang]

The Seattle metro area is very nice, Seattle itself has a lot of crime. If you like the outdoors the Cascades are about an hour away, tons of remote dirt roads where you can go out and hike into the middle of nowhere. The biggest downside is the weather, fall/winter is basically 7 months of gray skies and dribbling rain that can get very depressing.

edit: I should say that nothing really beats a summer in Washington. There aren't many nice days, but the ones you get are very good.

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

Originally posted by: Farang
The Seattle metro area is very nice, Seattle itself has a lot of crime. If you like the outdoors the Cascades are about an hour away, tons of remote dirt roads where you can go out and hike into the middle of nowhere. The biggest downside is the weather, fall/winter is basically 7 months of gray skies and dribbling rain that can get very depressing.

edit: I should say that nothing really beats a summer in Washington. There aren't many nice days, but the ones you get are very good.

Very true. Winters suck but Spring and Summers are prime. Other drawback is traffic. Traffic in and around Seattle is bad. There's lots to do, mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, parks, theaters, really everything. If you're into the outdoors, you'll enjoy living here.

 

[Ricemarine]

There's only one amusement park not even in Seattle (Wild Waves in Federal Way)... You get bored of Seattle Center if there are no events going on such as the Bite of Seattle, Chinese New Year, etc. Then there is the Puyallap Fair and Evergreen State Fair, which the Puyallap Fair is more about farmlife, while the Evergreen State Fair is a small fair. Most people tend to go to the mountains at least an hour away from Seattle. Not sure what else is there... heh.

rush hours and traffic jams are a pain btw. I got stuck in I-405 for 2 hours going from Bellevue to HWY 522.

 

[Deeko]

Heyyy alright I just moved out here a month ago!

Anyway, I'm coming from Philly, and there are definitely differences...

1. The people here are friendly. I don't get it. People are NOT friendly in philly. When I step into an elevator with strangers, I stare at the ground. I don't make small talk. Seattle people do.
2. No one jaywalks. In Philly that "don't walk" sign was merely a suggestion. Here they follow it to a T, it's weird
3. MODERN HIPPIES. They all bike or take the bus, they have 2 recycling bins, compost, AND trash cans in every room. Strange.
4. They can't make a cheesesteak to save their lives (probably not much of an issue for you)
5. Emo glasses everywhere
6. I see ads for payday loans EVERYWHERE, stores too. I'm thinking Seattle people spend too much time worrying about the environment, not enough worrying about their finances
7. The sports fans are pansies. I went to a Mariners/A's gam, got drunk and started yelling about the Phillies and no one even gave me a 2nd glance.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: Farang
The Seattle metro area is very nice, Seattle itself has a lot of crime. If you like the outdoors the Cascades are about an hour away, tons of remote dirt roads where you can go out and hike into the middle of nowhere. The biggest downside is the weather, fall/winter is basically 7 months of gray skies and dribbling rain that can get very depressing.

edit: I should say that nothing really beats a summer in Washington. There aren't many nice days, but the ones you get are very good.

Now, I haven't been here very long, and I don't know the statistics....but downtown seems like a cakewalk compared to philly (and philly isn't THAT bad, I grew up in a much worse smaller-sized city)

 

[anandtechuser07]

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Very true. Winters suck but Spring and Summers are prime. Other drawback is traffic. Traffic in and around Seattle is bad. There's lots to do, mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, parks, theaters, really everything. If you're into the outdoors, you'll enjoy living here.

But I'm NOT an outdoors person. I'll be working around the Redmond area largely in a semi-private office if/when I take this job.

As a point of reference, here is what I do in the Bay Area for amusement. Go to a movie. Go to downtown San Francisco and walk around the non-homosexual areas (near Union Square and the Apple Store). Do photography. Not much else. I just don't want to get raped in Seattle.

 

[WraithETC]

Bicyclist here like it when you take a right turn into them, they also like disobeying traffic lights/stop signs.

 

[jagec]

Too bad you're not an outdoors person, Seattle is GREAT for that.

Honestly it won't be all that different from NorCal...don't worry about it!

Originally posted by: anandtechuser07
Go to downtown San Francisco and walk around the non-homosexual areas (near Union Square and the Apple Store).

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

Originally posted by: anandtechuser07

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Very true. Winters suck but Spring and Summers are prime. Other drawback is traffic. Traffic in and around Seattle is bad. There's lots to do, mountains, ocean, rivers, lakes, parks, theaters, really everything. If you're into the outdoors, you'll enjoy living here.

But I'm NOT an outdoors person. I'll be working around the Redmond area largely in a semi-private office if/when I take this job.

As a point of reference, here is what I do in the Bay Area for amusement. Go to a movie. Go to downtown San Francisco and walk around the non-homosexual areas (near Union Square and the Apple Store). Do photography. Not much else. I just don't want to get raped in Seattle.

Raped? What are you talking about? Like there's this abundance of rapist rolling around the Seattle area? WTF?

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Heyyy alright I just moved out here a month ago!

Anyway, I'm coming from Philly, and there are definitely differences...

1. The people here are friendly. I don't get it. People are NOT friendly in philly. When I step into an elevator with strangers, I stare at the ground. I don't make small talk. Seattle people do.
2. No one jaywalks. In Philly that "don't walk" sign was merely a suggestion. Here they follow it to a T, it's weird
3. MODERN HIPPIES. They all bike or take the bus, they have 2 recycling bins, compost, AND trash cans in every room. Strange.
4. They can't make a cheesesteak to save their lives (probably not much of an issue for you)
5. Emo glasses everywhere
6. I see ads for payday loans EVERYWHERE, stores too. I'm thinking Seattle people spend too much time worrying about the environment, not enough worrying about their finances
7. The sports fans are pansies. I went to a Mariners/A's gam, got drunk and started yelling about the Phillies and no one even gave me a 2nd glance.

2. because the cops will ticket you for it.. my Dad (from New Jersey) gets a kick out of that.
4. Try Philly Joe's if you're ever on South Tacoma Way (in south Tacoma).
7. Loudest stadium in the NFL so suck it

As for crime, I think Seattle has an image as a safe city but it does have its problems. I haven't lived in another major American city so I couldn't comment on Philly, but in the three months I was there I was personally threatened by panhandlers (with bystanders telling the cops who didn't care), and a few of my roommates cars were busted into in a single night, and the same gang broke into the neighbor's house and broke a girl's jaw while robbing them.

 

[anandtechuser07]

Originally posted by: Farang


As for crime, I think Seattle has an image as a safe city but it does have its problems. I haven't lived in another major American city so I couldn't comment on Philly, but in the three months I was there I was personally threatened by panhandlers (with bystanders telling the cops who didn't care), and a few of my roommates cars were busted into in a single night, and the same gang broke into the neighbor's house and broke a girl's jaw while robbing them.

Good grief, is that in the downtown part of Seattle, like near the Space Needle? I plan to live in the Redmond area so I can bike to work.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: anandtechuser07

Originally posted by: Farang


As for crime, I think Seattle has an image as a safe city but it does have its problems. I haven't lived in another major American city so I couldn't comment on Philly, but in the three months I was there I was personally threatened by panhandlers (with bystanders telling the cops who didn't care), and a few of my roommates cars were busted into in a single night, and the same gang broke into the neighbor's house and broke a girl's jaw while robbing them.

Good grief, is that in the downtown part of Seattle, like near the Space Needle? I plan to live in the Redmond area so I can bike to work.

That is U-district.. U-district is bad, as is downtown from what I've heard (so yes near the space needle). Those are the areas I know best, I figure if they can't keep the area around the University of Washington safe then the rest is probably shit too (though I've seen/heard good things in Greenlake).

 

[Deeko]

2. Well, until I get a ticket, I'm not standing at a completely empty intersection. Absurd.
4. Don't know how often I'll be down there but I'll keep it in mind. I dunno. I've had a few places' "philly cheesesteak" and it's not even close
7. Yea thanks to the architecture of the stadium. Not the fans. I'm sorry....visit a city with real, rowdy fans. As a Dallas fan in Philly, I didn't wear Cowboys clothes in public for legitimate fear of physical harm. They're crazy. I don't need a 12th man flag to tell me that.

I'm sure there's crime in Seattle...there's crime in every city. But I wouldn't really call it a problem here.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: anandtechuser07

Originally posted by: Farang


As for crime, I think Seattle has an image as a safe city but it does have its problems. I haven't lived in another major American city so I couldn't comment on Philly, but in the three months I was there I was personally threatened by panhandlers (with bystanders telling the cops who didn't care), and a few of my roommates cars were busted into in a single night, and the same gang broke into the neighbor's house and broke a girl's jaw while robbing them.

Good grief, is that in the downtown part of Seattle, like near the Space Needle? I plan to live in the Redmond area so I can bike to work.

Redmond is a pretty crime free area, unless you count corporate raping of workers as a crime. What's out there besides Microsoft and Nintendo?

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: Deeko
2. Well, until I get a ticket, I'm not standing at a completely empty intersection. Absurd.
4. Don't know how often I'll be down there but I'll keep it in mind. I dunno. I've had a few places' "philly cheesesteak" and it's not even close
7. Yea thanks to the architecture of the stadium. Not the fans. I'm sorry....visit a city with real, rowdy fans. As a Dallas fan in Philly, I didn't wear Cowboys clothes in public for legitimate fear of physical harm. They're crazy. I don't need a 12th man flag to tell me that.

I'm sure there's crime in Seattle...there's crime in every city. But I wouldn't really call it a problem here.

Philly Joe is from Philly, if that helps. Place has to look of a classic diner so it might be what you're looking for.

I think for crime, it depends where you live, just like any city. I'm just especially harsh on Seattle because I think it gets too much credit for being clean.