Tip for meeting people here. Find something you like to do and find a place where you can do it. Keep going to the same place and others will start noticing you. Strike up convos, become a regular. You'll make friends with people who like some of the same things you do. Seattle people are nice, but they like their patterns and their "places", and everyone feels like they don't have the bandwidth, so find a way to get into that bandwidth, or minimize your 'width'.
I'm literally copying your comment into my notebook and holding onto it to help me, regardless of where I end up living in my life after I finish my Master's Degree.
I moved to Seattle in 1970. I now live in a SE suburb incorporated town. I loved Seattle from the moment I moved here and still love the whole urban area. It is tough if you don’t have a high salary as the cost of housing is quite high. I moved here as a student in 1970 and could pay rent and tuition by a campus job and a few shifts in a tavern making pizzas and sandwiches. I can’t imagine anyone being able to do that now. The scenery is amazing and so are most of the people.
Having moved here from Melbourne, Australia, I've found Seattle people to be absurdly unfriendly. Drivers love to tailgate and argue until you confront them. Seattle people blame it all on "transplants", but the transplants are the only people that will hold the door for you and have a wee chat. Then they turn around and call Portland people weird for being normal, nice neighbors. It's a strange hypocrisy that doesn't exist so much in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney I've lived in). So much potential here, can't wrap my head around it really.
You hit the nail on the head with that comment. Its funny because the trend that you'll see here after awhile is the Seattle freeze gets attributed to one side or the other; and it all depends on who you're talkin to. If you're a transplant they'll tell you it's the Seattle natives; if you're a Seattle native, they'll tell you it's the transplants. However, what's funny is... if you do manage to find friends here as a transplant it's 99 percent of the time gonna be other transplants! Because we are the actual friendly ones! The the natives close out their friends circles and are only nice on the surface but will not truly care to let you in their cliques. Us Transplants on the other hand are the ones will speak to strangers and hold the door open for each other and engage in human interaction, and be down to hang out and not shoe each other away with passive aggressive body language or flake!!😂😂. So truly what does that tell you. I have my own little theory kind of as I've gone down this rabbit hole a lot from living here for five years. So my theory is this; Seattle used to be this Podunk little town (which it was) that nobody ever thought about unless you were from here. They were the city version of an underground/underrated band. Then all of a sudden with all the tech boom and Starbucks and Nirvana etc etc ....Seattle got put on the map! However, just like an underground band that wasn't popular before except with a certain subculture, now everyone's flocking to it and the natives have their panties in a wad because Seattle got popular when before, no one thought about them. There is very much a saltiness in the air because of it. And there is a mega gate keeping attitude here and my friend who was born and raised here used those exact words to describe the culture and I had an 'aha' moment when she said that. And I believe you can contribute you can attribute the Seattle freeze to that gatekeeping attitude. If you weren't down with the band before they got popular they don't want you being a fan now lol. If you weren't born and raised here you aren't part of the clique and you can't sit with them! 😆. Anyway. That's my little spiel. It's a beautiful place but the people are something else.
While we have culture, and a wide variety of people.. I was born and raised here, and the Seattle Freeze is SO REAL. Everyone knows it, it’s extremely difficult to make friends or real connections, and I’ve lived here my entire life 🫤 If anyone reading this considers moving here, I highly recommend living outside of the city. Even neighboring cities to Seattle are becoming too expensive to live in for the vast majority. Everyone is welcome here, but you do have to do some searching for your people. Still haven’t totally found mine. I’m also very introverted, so this doesn’t bother me as much lmao. The PNW is a beautiful place, and individuality is accepted. Also Seattle and Portland have some of the best vegan food 🤤 and amazing Vietnamese coffee
You bring up a super good point - A few months after making this video, I started realizing that the freeze might be realer than I thought 😅. A lot of the local people (that i’ve been meeting) in Seattle stay in the same established friend circle since high school…and don’t stray far enough to where they are welcoming to new people. I think it’s super weird lol.
What about sushi? I love sushi . Currently living in Colorado but I can’t stand the sun anymore. I used to live in Pennsylvania so I am looking for a humid , cloudy rainy place again 😅
This video is phenomenal. I just got a job at a non-profit out there and will be making the move next month. I’m coming with my poodle, Sassi, so I’m excited that it’s so dog friendly. I’m happy I found your channel.
Living in an outside neighborhood SE of Seattle! Would definitely recommend living outside and commuting there instead of living inside the city bc it’s much safer, cheaper, and bigger so you can drive easily. But Seattle is still an awesome city to live in, just so expensive.
I have actually been living in Seattle for 7 months now and I absolutely love it! I moved from Arizona and my first thought was the massive change in weather!
Just your unbiased opinion, what neighborhood would you recommend to live in and can you move there without requiring a letter of hire from an employer? Asking because I want to move there, but I've been told get proof of recent hire from a company located there before moving.
Seattle freeze ? Join meetups or any group like for running, fitness or almost any activity. If you stay home & read or watch tv all the time you're just not going to meet anyone. Duh! So many great neighborhoods all with their own character. We seem to end up in Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont or UW area mostly. University Village is not to be missed.
South Lake Union -- Amazonia -- looks like it was manufactured 10 years ago because it literally was. Downtown took a massive hit with the Pandemic, because all the office workers moved out and a lot of homeless people (Seattle's biggest problem IMO) moved in.
Transplant from socal here. Moved in 2018 for work. If you're a city person, you won't need a car. However, if you're into the outdoors and camping/hiking etc you will need a car. You can't live in the Seattle area and not check out the Olympics, the Cascades, Mt Rainier etc. Plus all the lakes on the Eastside like Sammamish and Kachess. I live in the Bellevue area now and love it. As for the "Seattle freeze", it's over exaggerated. Join a gym or do things you like, you'll meet quality people. At least that's how it is on the Eastside like Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue.
Funny that I see this just as I'm on my way out of Seattle. As expensive as it is I love it and I'm sad to be leaving and you can bet I'll be making excuses to visit Seattle frequently. As you mentioned Seattle has a lot of transplants and so often friends you make last only a few years until they move away.
@@chenanigans I moved back to my hometown on the other side of the mountains to be closer to family in their time of need. I don't regret it but if my obligations were wrapped up I'd move to the Seattle area again.
Good vid. I moved to west seattle from atlanta earlier this year and I think everything you said is spot on. Everyone in the south thinks seattle is some sort of non-stop warzone and i'm over here like this shit is paradise. Definitely considering selling my car and checking out cap hill and fremont for a new spot. west Seattle can feel really cut off, bridge or not.
The southsiders are truly missing out! As much as I like West Seattle (the water taxi is a 10/10), it doesn’t feel like the full Seattle experience. I lived in Fremont for a bit, and it was absolutely lovely!
I moved to Seattle (Capitol Hill) mid-2017 and got rid of my car. I haven't regretted it for one moment. I'm in my mid-50s and this neighborhood just ticks all the right boxes for me: transit, eateries, cafes, walking distance to museums and all that downtown has to offer.
Hey! Really appreciate the video. I just moved here so I’ve been doing a bunch of research. Spent the last few days learning public transit and visiting some neighborhoods. I just got a room in a house in the u district but I’ll be commuting to first hill for work
I have lived in Seattle for 35 years. I bike and walk at any time of night in most neighborhoods. I have never yet been attacked or mugged. I know 2 people who were mugged in the 80s and 90s.
I’m from Chicago and I go to Chicago ever summer. Seattle has gotten more dangerous. I have been living in Seattle since 2015 and got assaulted by the Whole Foods in SLU in 2021 in the daytime and I’ve had to use pepper spray another time because someone tried to corner me. I feel MUCH safer in Chicago. The crime rate might look worse but it’s all on South Side and can be avoided while crime in Seattle is spread all over the city.
I live in Seattle and recommend having a car. Abandoning your car means using a bicycle for short distances and using public transportation or Uber for longer hauls. Going downtown means using a bus. The buses don’t always stop to pick up passengers. They don’t necessarily run on time. Downtown at night is frightening. Virtually no traffic on the street other than buses. That means no police cars or taxis. Not much street life. Definitely homeless people. As a retired RN, I’d say some of the homeless are former psychiatric patients off their medication. I believe in the Seattle freeze. It takes a while to find your tribe. People are polite but not necessarily friendly. A dog is good. A way to meet others with a similar interest. Yes, rent is high. Glad I bought a condo ten years ago. Of course, in cities like NYC, Boston, Chicago, LA, San Francisco this is also true. Unfortunately, not everyone can work for a tech company. You can’t talk about Seattle without addressing weather. Yes, it does rain. It rains frequently but for short periods. From October through March it is overcast. The temperature is moderate. It seldom goes below 20 degrees and seldom snows. During the summer it is between 70-80 degrees. It does hit 90 for short periods. We don’t get the humidity found on the right coast. Most places don’t have A/C as a result. I can recommend the Seattle public library. There is a thriving art scene. I was surprised and happy to discover a jazz scene. We have a great NPR jazz station based in Tacoma & Seattle, KNKX. I miss NYC but can’t afford to return. There are a lot of NYC refugees. There are a lot of educated people here. I’d guess the population skews towards 20 & 30 year olds. I love being state income tax free but watch out for the 10% sales tax. Gas is ~ $1/gallon more expensive than the national average. This is a blue area politically. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
I'm moving there in a couple weeks. people keep warning me about the Seattle freeze and the weather, but... joke's on them bc I used to live in england and I loved it lol the only thing I'm actually worried about is the rent
I don’t know why it’s never mentioned but my biggest issue in Seattle and Bellevue was tons of new construction and nothing has air conditioning. I know most of the year you don’t need it, but the few hot months those things that look like college fridges just don’t cut it with the cost of living. Also all new construction has parking for extra fee. Tons of new construction all over. No charm but lots of availability so many concessions. Love the city it’s so charming but the AC should be known. No one ever mentions and it’s a real issue 3 months plus. The smaller the apt the more it’s really hot and stuffy.
I agree that the lack of AC is an issue in new construction for sure. Seattle now gets annual heatwaves that hit well above 100F, but only around 50% of people have AC (central/window/portable), which is a huge problem.
Thanks for the info! I'm visiting Seattle in November for a week to explore and see if it's where I want to move (currently live in North Dakota and I need some culture in my every day life!!)
Driving in Seattle is interesting. You learn to adapt, or sit with everyone else.... Mind you, I commuted from VERY North Everett to the Roy Y in South end Tacoma, seven (was I stupid?) days a week..... You learn alternate routes, how to hop hoods, and if nothing else get to tour some cool shit. It really helped that I worked as a 911 operator in the area and knew at least most the major routes. FOOD is what I miss most. Conveniences, yes, but FOOD! I am back on the dry side of the state, in a town without a bar or store! While I get quality time with my Rez folks, it's NOT a hopping scene in any way!
Commenting on the last minutes of the video about the cost of living, is it affordable to say that you are as beautiful as hell? Thanks for the city description though, sounds like Seattle is an emotional prison if you are a single average person. That's good to know.
Hey I really like your vibe and your voice! I am moving from Orlando, Florida to Seattle, Washington in December 2022. I actually lived in Puyallup, Washington before from 2000-2011, so I have a little bit of a frame of reference for what Seattle is like. I would love to see more videos about Seattle in general. I am planning on living in the Greenwood neighborhood, so I would love to see a video about the Greenwood neighborhood and just the individual neighborhoods more in detail, generally. I am 33 years old, work in Veterinary medicine, and have a Master's degree, just for some info about me :)
Welcome to Seattle (soon!) lifelong Seattleite here, 35 yo, work at UW. Greenwood is kinda just a funky residential neighborhood with a few nice bars and restaurants on the main strip, a few dive bars and greasy spoons (also great), with some newer apartments popping up along with spa places, Mud Bay pet food stores, and the old comic book store and toy store. Greenwood ave turns into Phinney Ridge which is a bit yuppier but has a beautiful zoo (Woodland Park) as you get closer to Greenlake. Not far from beautiful parks and beaches and main streets like Aurora and I-5. They have a little parade and car show every summer. It’s cute.
If you plan to be living in the Greenwood area (not Greelake, right? But, Greenwood) here’s a heads up on one undesirable bit of reality which is that on Hwy 99 (a major thoroughfare you would take if you live in Greenwood) is that day or night there are prostitutes that walk the 99 and it’s quite obvious as they dress like something off of Figueroa in LA (“the blade” is what it’s known as in LA). So, just letting u know that little tidbit of info as they don’t seem to be going anywhere and it’s only gotten worse!
I remember watching them build the space needle. I went up when it first opened. Everything outside of seattle was nothing but gravel roads. That's where I grew up. Out in the sticks. Back then, you didn't need a building permit for your house. :)
@@jasonohara5968 oh? I mean when comparing to a city like Chicago...yeah Seattle is, hands down, paradise! :P But it IS going down to Chicago levels pretty fast.
My fiancé and I are moving there soon and I really needed a video. Funny enough we’re coming from Jersey and we found Seattle to be cheap to park in and easy to move around. 😅we’re used to NYC traffic lol
uhhh im gone w the driving point. grew up there, learned to drive there, drove for years there. Only areas "littered" with one way streets is in downtown which is fairly easy to navigate. the rest of the city is so so so amazing for driving, especially up north in northgate and ballard area. its so so shitty to go east west or opposite with the public transit there, which only goes north south pretty much. U need a car in seattle for a ton of shit, esp in neighborhood areas.
So I was born in Seattle 1950 something. Was a very small city hardly any crime rent was super cheap like 100 bucks for a studio super cheap. Transportation public was good and safe. yes it is a laid back city in the winter. There wasnt much crime and homelessness . A fine city for kids! Greenlake had hydroplane races and july 4 firework display.. North Seattle really safe.
She says its a pretty safe place yet 2 hours ago 5 people got shot by 2 hoodbangers at a community even on rainier ave and a couple days ago 4 people got shot during a street takeover/street racing even on mlk way. Ive got many many more examples for just this year primed and ready lol i spend half my week pulling security here for the lightrail she enjoys riding, tell me how safe and comfy do you feel when your at the transit centers walking by a group of junkies doped out and another group of hoodbangers eyeing you up? Also you left out how expensive rent is here and what kind of typucal jobs are available and the realistic pay you can expect. Plus all the taxes.
As someone else who grew up outside eof seattle and eventually moved into the city, it has indeed gone downhill over the last few years. It might not be as bad as other big major cities but... it's bad
Don't move to Seattle it's the new Chicago Detroit LaA and many other terrible cities combined since everyone moved to Seattle it's now an unsafe city to visit and live .
I visited the downtown area, I’m from metro detroit so it was a nice refresher to see a familiar environment with a culture twist. I personally am going into computer science when I go to college, so a place like Seattle is a place I’m thinking about moving to.
God! I relate to being from Washington but spending so little time here. I just got my first 'serious' job here, starting tomorrow, and I am both excited and nervous for what is to come. I will be renting my first apartment on my own! I do get what you mean about safety, because I too have spent time in other cities, notably Chicago where I lived for a year, and the crime is ridiculously overstated.
Sure thing! Were starting to do comic-con and anime convention vlogs this month as well as other creative vlogs in Seattle so if youd like to potentially collaborate feel free to follow us as well 😁
"The last exit" on Brooklyn in the U district was the happening coffee shop of the 60's and 70's...dozens of chess boards, beat poetry readings, singer songwriter open mikes, it was a hippy paradise open almost all night. Go to Morningtown Pizza before hand and have pint at the Blue Moon after figure drawing class it used to be hip in the district.
I've lived here since 1991. The idea that Seattle is somehow unsafe is a kind of a joke. It is safer than it was when I got here, and it was relatively safe back then. There is a dire homeless problem, and may of those unfortunate souls are more than a little wack, which may create a sense of danger. But you have to remember that the state of contemporary Seattle is entirely driven by a massive influx of white money into the urban core - a thing that is happening in many, but not all, U.S. cities. And all this money might make it impossible to get an apartment, but isn't going to rape, mug, or kill you. You can look up the stats, Seattle has always been a relatively safe city, remains so, and is as safe or is safer than many smaller cities in Eastern Washington, not to mention much more dangerous cities, in terms of violent crime, like Chicago or St Louis or New Orleans. One factor in this misperception might be the local media's turn to sensationalistic reporting. Another beef is the way people in other parts of the state talk about Seattle as some kind of 'socialist dystopia.' Seattle is culturally and economically dominated by the largest and least restrained capitalist project in the history of the world. Finally, the city is dirtier than it used to be. It was bombed by graffiti during the pandemic. But if graffiti is something that is going to bother you much, and you prefer your cityscapes more manicured, you might consider the possibility that urban living is just not for you.
seattle freeze seems similar to any city with lots of non-natives esp non natives who were also not born in the US (so think any US city with moderate/large population that has lots of immigrants in tech). exactly the same.
Driving in seattle isn’t that bad honestly. And it’s worth it to have a car so that you can explore the many amazing places just outside of the city. So yes, DO get a car to get the most out of living in Seattle / washington. (Of course only if you can afford it - there’s a huge tradeoff but it is worth it if you have the means. If you don’t seattle is pretty easy to get around without one)
Hello from Kara. in Saint Paul Minnesota. Im moving to Seattle in the fall and im feeling both so so excited but also kind of scared. having never lived in Seattle. so lisatneing to your video and others has relaly helped me. I would love to ask you more questions.
I dont know why im on such a seattle kick recently. Im from Philadelphia and I'll always be an east coast person, but i really want to visit for some reason.
it's looking like my job is going to move me here.. this video is super helpful! :D I was wondering about the Seattle freeze when most people are transplants too.
I loved the video! I just saw you video for the 1st time tonight afterwork. I am moving to Arlington soon to work for Amazon in the Robotics department. I want to meet you for coffee so you can tell me more.
Great question! Personally I would recommend somewhere in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, there’s so much going on there. Downtown is a solid option, since it’s so central. Alternatively anywhere with a light rail station because you can save $$$ going to/from the airport!
Ok so I moved to WA from the DMV area 7 years ago and people who grew up here have no idea what real traffic congestion is. Also public transit sucks compared to other places. However, WA is beautiful af.
I noticed you said the affordability is something else. Is it really that expensive? I currently live in LA, but i plan on moving to Seattle in Fall 25. lol, so i guess im used to those high rent prices 😅
LOL at the lack nightlife; there's always parties happening. How about you say there is little that you like to do, or stuff you find entertaining. There are so many dance clubs and raves on the regular. Just last weekend there was a huge rave under the First Ave bridge from 7pm-7am. Extend your friend circle a bit and try to change your views on meeting people from different backgrounds. Then you will see how fun and open this city is.
When people are talking about it going to shit, they’re talking about the massive homeless camps and used needles in parks. It’s not a about violent crime as much as junkies overrunning the entire city
I'm looking to move to Seattle in a few months. I've done lots of research on neighborhoods but do you have any suggestions for good neighborhoods to raise children?
Great question! I immediately think of Queen Anne, Wallingford, Greenlake, and Roosevelt for schools/parks. However, I wouldn’t rule out other neighborhoods for raising a family!
I always find it interesting people would recommend cities up north vs the south end. For affordability, freeway access, and good access to shopping, I prefer neighborhood south of Seattle.
