LA native that has spent a lot of time in both Portland and Seattle. About the traffic
LA traffic sucks
Portland traffic Sucks
Seattle traffice SUCKS
That’s not why they jump. They jump because it’s there, just like people jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, or any other landmark bridge. Seattle’s suicide rate is no higher than anyplace else, and lower than sunny places like Arizona, because suicide rates are highest for old men and that means sunny retirement states.
Yeah, I will say that the worst thing I noticed about Seattle during my trip was the godawful traffic, and I only ever drove between Sea-Tac and Renton. I stayed at a hotel two exits away on the 405 from a friend’s house. Two exits. And it took me nearly 30 minutes to make the trip the day I drove there during rush hour. I really want to live in Tukwila and I kind of dread the notion of my job prospects mainly being in Redmond or Bellevue.
I sure as hell didn’t see or smell any homeless while wandering around downtown or riding the bus to and from Ballard, though. At worst there were those guys selling cheap local newspapers and a couple buskers. But maybe they just don’t come out when it’s sunny.
You don’t want to live in Tukwila. Nobody wants to live in Tukwila.
Interesting comments about homeless, etc. Lived here over 20 years and never noticed it any different than any bigger city in that respect. In fact due to the constant drizzle I have actually found it to be a very clean city overall.
I live in Kitsap and commute via the ferry to downtown a few days a week. I have a contract now in Fremont and have been driving in two days a week for the last couple of weeks. So far it hasn’t been too bad of a commute. Route 99 through the city gets a bit hairy but once I pop out it is pretty smooth sailing to West Seattle and I have had good luck so far catching the 5:00 boat back home.
We have had an exceptional summer this year in terms of weather, it has been awesome. Last summer though sucked big time. BIG TIME. I was unhappy that year but this year more than made up for it. We are about to go into the rainy gray season and I am okay with it. You either adjust to it or you don’t.
But I love it up here. Where I live is very rural and my house is surrounded by 100’ tall trees. As I am writing this I am looking out at a fantastic sight, and a fantastic city is just a ferry ride away. I love the contrasts here. Rural here and this weekend my wife and I are going to the 5th Avenue Theater
Plus they have great asian food and beer–what more could you want
Mexican food! I’ve just moved to PNW and I’ve tried every mexican restaurant in town. Even the food trucks staffed by actual mexicans serve very bland stuff. I’ve tried asking for the extra hot sauce and it’s all heat with no flavor. Is there some kind of code word needed?
I moved to seattle from NYC a few years ago.
First of all, if you come here, you will want to be outside. Even when it rains. Buy a sports-friendly rain jacket. The drizzle won’t stop you. If people aren’t sporty, they garden. Everyone does triathlons. Everyone owns bikes. I was a casual runner in NYC and now I’m doing marathons. It’ll GETCHA. Also, everyone owns dogs. And Subarus.
But it’s geeky-outdoorsy. Pasty white beanpoles wearing tevas. Fit women wearing no makeup. Oh yeah, and no one dresses up. For anything.
It’s a huge foodie city. Local-source and crap. Lots of asian-influence places. GREAT oysters.
Culturally, it is a flaky community. People won’t call you back. BUSINESSES won’t call you back. Everything social could be cancelled at the last minute. Be prepared to either get super-aggressive in response, or become more flaky yourself. We call it, “the land of partial commitment”.
Whatever alternative stuff you’re into, great. Steampunk? great. Gaming? great. Wearing all black and whipping your girlfriend? great. Naked camping? great. There’s a large, prominent gay scene. Slut walks every year. Medical marijuana is legalized.
I think it’s a great place to be! If you’re not worried about being too efficient 
Where you live and where you work makes all the difference in the world in traffic. if you work in or near Seattle, and have to commute north, generally traffic is great. But commuting south into Seattle or Bellevue is miserable.
I live in Bellevue, and commute (several days a week) north to Marysville, a distance of about 35 miles on I405. This commute takes about 35 minutes (yes that’s right, average maximum speed 65 mph with a 60 mph limit). The traffic in the southbound lanes just across the median is bumper to bumper for miles. I’ll often travel 30 of those 35 miles without having to touch the clutch or the brake.
And now that they’ve put a big toll on the 520 floating bridge, I understand that the average speed on that one is now around 65 mph. But the alternate I90 bridge, where all the tightwads travel, is awful.
I would suggest you rent for a while to find out about the traffic patterns.
BTW, we’ve just finished August and September with only about 3 hundredths of an inch of rain, and none in the forecast.
Lesson #1: Stop calling it “the” 405.
It’s not Mexican, but I can hook you up with some flavorful hot sauce.[sup]*[/sup] Go to Dixie’s BBQ in Bellevue. Tell them you want to meet “the man”.
- Disclaimer: This information may be 15 years out of date.
yea you got me there–the mexican food here sucks for the most part.
In truth, the grayness of the PNW is a bit overstated (except for the actual sea coast, which is stultifying). There are plenty of days when the skies are blue or blu-ish during the cold season. There is always a week or two in mid to late January when it feels like summer (in relative terms), with warm (50F+) sunny days that trick you into thinking it is almost spring. If you live in the area, you have to pay attention to your windows to prevent the deadly black mold from gaining a foothold in your house.
Rush hour in the area starts around 5:30am and ends around 7:30pm with a slight lull from about 10am to around 2:30. The worst part is that people drive like they are from LA, Baudette, Paducah and Denver: the mix of driving styles and the magnitude of anality makes driving amongst other vehicles truly nightmarish.
Like hell. I may not have much to show for my Californian roots these days, but you can take that affectation when you pry it from my cold dead hands and/or lips.
Have you tried the Rancho Bravo truck? Last I remember it was on 45th a few blocks from Dick’s. The beef was like shoe leather, but the al pastor was very flavorful, and so was the hot red sauce.
(Great - now I miss them, but don’t want to go all the way to Wallingford to eat…)
Sorry to report that Gene Porter, the guy who turned his auto repair shop into the best BBQ shop in the NW passed away in March 2010. Since he created “the man”, it may no longer exist. No loss for me, I always considered his BBQ better without “the man” (a toothpicks worth could bring tears to most folks). I believe that his family still runs the restaurant.
I spent a long time in California and also miss the multitude of great mexican places. The two I like the best around here are Rosita’s in Greenlake and Todo Mexico in Mountlake Terrace, a nod to the latter’s salsa (which they sell by the pint and half-pint). I avoid Azteca and Las Margaritas.
I grew up on the Washington coast, where they get 3 times as much rain, and have lived in Seattle for more than 20 years.
Seattle is too warm and dry for me. I still say things like, “Wouldn’t it be nice if it would cloud over and rain for while? I’m tired of these nice days.”
I don’t know him either, but perhaps he’s like me: likes being in vibrant, urban places, and would see the homeless as, while not contributing to the place, a minor irritant at most.
You seem very hung up on this. I am mostly able to ignore it.
I have no idea what this statement even means.
Now this is a legitimate problem.
Sad news, although I’ll admit The Man was a sauce more honored in the breach than in the observance. I had two spoonfuls on a 520 Special once. The heat spread out of my mouth, across both cheeks, and met up again at the back of my neck.
And it’s possible that it would be easy for him to ignore. I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’re probably male. Strangers just aren’t going to expect you to caaaaaaaare the way they expect a woman to. A twenty-minute walk for me would involve a steady stream of stares, half-assed come-ons, requests for money, requests for just a moment of my time - an endless series of needs I’m expected to meet. Chessic Sense would probably not be held to the same expectations, and yes, he’d probably have an easier time ignoring it.
Isn’t Seattle great - yes Seattle is great. Isn’t Seattle green - yes Seattle is green. Isn’t Seattle vibrant - yes Seattle is vibrant. At least it feels this way when I read local rags like The Stranger and The Seattle Weekly - there is no dissent.
I mostly responded to you because I objected to your use of “trapped” - as if no one could possibly have different wants or priorities.
Anyone who says it’s beautiful right now doesn’t see Mt. Rainier with its clouds of smog every day. It’s the worst I’ve ever, ever seen it. I was born and raised here although I’ve lived other places briefly. The mountain is grey.
If any of you folks who are passing through or newly moved to Seattle want to meet some local Dopers, you might enjoy our weekly get-together over pub trivia. We regulars always love it when new Dopers drop in, whether it’s just for one visit or to become regulars themselves.