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What BestPlaces Users Say about Seattle
Seattle, Washington is a major city located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is known for its beautiful natural surroundings, thriving tech industry, and vibrant cultural scene. However, like any city, it has its own unique set of pros and cons when it comes to living there.
According to reviews on BestPlaces.net, many users have shared their experiences living in Seattle. Overall, it seems that the city's natural beauty and diverse population are highly praised, while the high cost of living and traffic are common complaints. User "Samantha" writes, "Seattle is an amazing city filled with art, nature, and opportunity. It's a melting pot of different cultures and I love the diversity here." Similarly, user "David" says, "The scenery in Seattle is breathtaking. You have mountains, lakes, and forests all within reach." However, the cost of living is a recurring concern. User "Emily" states, "The cost of living here is exorbitant. It's difficult to find affordable housing and the traffic is terrible." Another user, "Mark", adds, "I love Seattle but I wish it was more affordable. The high cost of living can make it challenging to enjoy all the city has to offer."
based on 321 ReviewsGet to know Seattle with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Seattle
Before moving here - 6/20/2007
I have been here for 1.5 years now. There are pros and cons about every place you go.
Pro- lots of cultural activities, inner city parks are beautiful, nice outdoors.
Cons- rent and real estate are way over priced. Must have a good paying job to have a decent lifestyle here. People are strange, passive-aggressive, distant, and pretentious. Making new friends is difficult. More transplants than natives. If I were to speak with 10 people today, at least 8 of them would be from another state. Advanced technology here, seems to equate to very poor human interaction/communication. People here do not communicate well, if at all. Everyone is married to their cell phone and laptop. Homelessness - beggars everywhere you go. They setup outside of banks, grocery stores, theatres, restaurants, on city blocks, etc. There is not a day that I walk down the street without being approached for money. This happens in all parts of town.
My evaluation
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Expensive Seattle - 6/5/2007
I used to like it here in the Seattle area, but not anymore. I lived in this area since 1988 and noticed in the past 3-4 years how the quality of life declined for us ordinary people but got better for the rich. I think Microsoft is mostly to blame since they bring their workers by the thousands here from other countries and from other states creating a shortage of housing. People who make less than $35K can't afford to rent even a studio apartment, not to mention buying a condo or a house even 50 miles further away. I also noticed people who pretty much serve the "higher class" by working in grocery stores, restaurants etc. are pushed out by the high prices, so now less and less people work in low paying jobs and creating longer lines in the stores. People here are getting snobbier, they are very selfish and very rude..the richer the ruder. Friends..you can make new friends, but you need to make them over and over again because friendship here doesn't last. At work, you can count on
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I don't like seattle anymore - 6/5/2007
I lived in the Seattle area since 1988, but it is too expensive to survive in here anymore. I am looking into relocating to a small town after my retirement in a few months. Can anyone recommend a safe town to live in Washington, Oregon or Idaho? I love the outdoors, don't like very hot summers, don't mind snow in winter and don't mind that much rain, neither. It is very important for me to live where there is not much crime.
Thanks.
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Would recommend objective research - 5/22/2007
Some of these negative reviews (notice how close together they are) look like they were written by a gloomy teenager.
However, the rebuttal attempts reflect the NW myopia.
Lots of people from other regions are lured to Seattle and the Northwest because, unlike many other parts of the country, the natives promote their city, its culture, and its benefits rather than criticize it. To someone from another region, this good press + some nice pictures of the Sound and mountains make it look like a really attractive place to live.
That doesn't mean that this positive view will be shared by everyone. A lot of people move here and are disappointed. The local response is usually to the effect of "love it or leave it." Many natives love this place because it's comfortable and familiar to them. There's a lot of "from here vs. not from here" mentality. If you're from California, for example, some locals will complain about "you people" coming up here and
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Creepiest place - 5/16/2007
Ugh, read the news headlines from regional papers or websites and get an idea of how creepy this place can be.
Not that it has, per capita, higher crime than other cities its size, but the crimes in the news here are just weird and more disturbing compared to other places -- seems like there are more sickos in this area than is the
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So anyone with a less than spectacular view of Sea - 5/15/2007
Anyone considering a move to Seattle, please read some of these "Seattle is great" posts and get an idea of what the locals are like.
The person who posted as a life-long resident has probably the most realistic view I've seen from a Seattleite.
Maybe it's the water, maybe it's just part of pioneer culture, but woe unto thee if you criticize this city within earshot of certain locals.
Seattle is not the utopia some locals claim. Ironically, they most likely do not want you here but prefer that you "admire their great city from afar."
The good news about Seattle if you're moving here is, once your (and it's a different time period for everyone it seems) adjustment period is over, then you start to see and enjoy more of the positives, as you've learned to deal with local idiosyncrasies (including personal indignation over any criticism at all -- very defensive, passive aggressive beyond belief, xenophobic, and socially insulated
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Boomtown - 5/14/2007
Seattle boasts a number of wonderful qualities: highly intelligent global citizens, beautiful natural mountains and lakes for recreational use, and an expanding citiscape with new shops and condominiums. The downside of this is that unless you are bringing in a substantial paycheck living anywhere near the city has become next to impossible. Microsoft has brought us economic stability, but is squeezing out middle class families. This maybe the current American trend, and certainly Seattle is a top tier city is this
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Life long resident - 5/14/2007
having lived in Seattle nearly my whole life (40 plus years), I can tell you that it ain't what it used to be. But I can also tell you that what it is ain't that bad. Yes it is expensive. Housing (to purchase) is bad and getting worse and now even the burbs are getting expensive. Food is expensive. Restuarants are also affected by the cost of land as well as your local grocery store. Entertainment is expensive, try $100.00 for two tickets to a basketball or football game. Baseball is only marginally cheaper. Movies are 10 bucks a pop. Traffic is BAD unless you can find a way to live closer in. And as for the people...well, it will take awhile to aclimate to the local culture and make more than casual friends. The "Seattle freeze" is real. I wouldn't say we are un-friendly... we just think we have all the friends we have time for...sad when you think about it. I do it myself all the time and I can't even tell you why. Weird. Politics (in the city) are liberal... and
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A good balance - 5/13/2007
Seattle doesn't have the best climate, culture, or economy, but it is good enough in so many areas that it seems like a great all-around
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Some angry people with an agenda on this site - 5/10/2007
For those just browsing this site, you may have been shocked to see such extremely negative views on Seattle. There seems to be a couple people that have flooded the internet trying to present the most biased and extreme view possible of Seattle. It should be obvious that these people have a very angry agenda and should NOT be taken seriously. I just want to let you all know these people do represent Seattle or its residents. I am not saying Seattle is perfect because there are many problems here like any city, but it is generally a great place to
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