Reviews & Comments
Seattle, WA
Great city but don't be naive -
2/23/2015I lived in Seattle for 34 years and worked downtown nearly all that time. I know the downtown and surrounding areas very well and feel I can speak fairly about the place.
The city itself is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in the country, if you, like me, enjoy a concentrated skyline that looms gorgeously above the landscape. The Space Needle, Pike Place Park, Gasworks Park, Seattle Center and other landmarks are unforgettable. The old neighborhoods near the city, where I mostly lived, are great but are more of a mix than most cities (beautiful homes next to dumps). T
he countryside about 20 miles outside the city consists of endless forest land with all the outdoors enjoyment that comes with mountainous, heavily treed terrain.
But with all the pluses, don't be naive. If you think the rain and cloudiness are something you can quickly adapt to, chances are you will be in for a very unpleasant surprise. A grayness, with drizzle and rain, settles in relentlessly by mid-September, lifts for a couple weeks in April as a tease, and then returns well into June. Summers often are short. I witnessed three years in my 34 where summer sunshine lasted less than three weeks. When the rain returns in September, it WILL be gray and rainy for months. Also, while Seattle isn't a big snow city, the damp cold feels very cold and can last a long time.
Also, don't be naive about the traffic. The beautiful bodies of water (Puget Sound and Lakes Union and Washington) compress the freeways and traffic into and out of the city is a nightmare. This is a concentrated population with no mass (train) transit.
Seattle is not what most people consider an overly friendly or outgoing city (though residents are more open to all types of people than most places). By February or March people tend to be hunkered down and, yes, depression is quite common. This is nearly the ultimate test of how one does with light depravation. I know this first hand.
I have read that many people move to Seattle only to leave within a year or two due to the gray and rain. A close friend and long time resident left Seattle for Denver, missed Seattle so much his family returned and bought a house in their "old neighborhood”. A year later they realized they simply couldn’t do with SO LITTLE sun and returned to Denver.
It’s a wonderful city but don’t be naive. Seattle is simultaneously a wonder and depressing place.
Seattle, WA
re: Looking to relocate from Minneapolis to Seattl -
2/6/2015I recently moved from Seattle but spent 34 years there. So, unlike many of these posters, I know the city very, very well. Belltown is a great location just north of the "downtown" with great transportation. It's also blocks from the waterfront, perfect for a runner. There are coffee shops and restaurants everywhere though you need to drive to a large grocery store (or take the bus). If you're quite close to the main downtown, you can walk down to the Pike Place market to buy most of what you need. Plus, Pike Place is a wonderful atmosphere of artists and hawkers, alike. And, of course, fresh seafood is ALWAYS available.
Two things to consider, however: A fair amount of low life comes alive at night, so this is NOT a safe place for walking after dark. , It also tends to be a pretty young area (20-30). My daughter is 35 and when she returned to Seattle she initially wanted to be in Belltown but decided it was a little too young for her.
And, of course, living "in" the city, near the market, water and downtown, comes with a hefty price tag. Just know that you will be trading up, probably way up, moving from Mn.
You might consider Greenlake, a few miles north of the city. It won't give you the walk downtown access but Greenlake itself is a fantastic place to walk or run. It's safer there but, of course, is not cheap. Wallingford (on 45th) has great bus access and, if you live nearer the water, offers a great area to run on the Burke Gilman Trail.
Finally, do understand that the gray and rain cannot be overstated. In all my years in Seattle (and I love the city and area), I never fully acclimated to the steady dreariness. Many years, summers are shorter than two months. The rains and gray come back in mid-Sept. and last many times until July. A lot of people feel they're fine with rain but few true Seattlites would not admit that it is oppressive.