Every city has problems, but Seattle is trying to work them out, while giving free college to city school kids and paid leave etc if you work in the city etc. As well as being a sanctuary city.
It's not perfect and it's struggling with drug abuse and homelessness, but it's better than many.
Congratulations on being able to afford to live in an expensive liberal city. Not everyone can afford that. My goal is to move to the DFW area which is cheap, liberal, very gay friendly and it doesn't fucking snow. To each their own, but their is no reason to be a braggart.
I don't mean to burst your bubble but be aware that I wouldn't describe DFW like that. Lived in Dallas, Uptown & Allen, for the last 4 years. I would hardly call the area gay friendly unless you visit Oak Lawn. Also uptown apartments are soaring past $1500-2000 per month and even the cheapest 1 bedroom in a suburb like Allen 40 min out of Dallas with no public transit and SHITAWFUL traffic is $1100+ per month. Also it is liberal compared to the rest of Texas, but that's a pretty low standard to surpass. Most people won't kill or rob you for being gay (unless you dare to walk around Oak Lawn at night), but you'll still get rudeness and stares from people at banks, apartment leasing offices, and grocery stores if you show any signs of being gay.
In terms of gay friendliness:
West Coast/Northern East Coast>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Texas/Florida>>>Mississippi/Alabama>>>>>>>>Iran
OP do you have AC? Get ready for the August heat, and I hope we don't get the wildfires smoke this year.
The housing here is crazy. We got an unsolicited offer of 1 million for our house the other day from some realtor. Sure that's nice but we won't be able to find anything else in our neighborhood for that with what we'd want. [sigh]
We like our neighborhood too much and the idea of a McMansion kinda grosses me out. We love our 80+ year old brick Tudor. Been in the house for 12 years now and the Roosevelt light rail station opens two blocks from us in less than two years. Walkability is a big deal for us.
I read a piece of "if you don't like it, move away" study in a german newspaper 2 or 3 years ago. It was thought-provoking and eye-opening. The basic, oversimplified conclusion was:
Moving away from the conflict and root of the conflict, strengthens the other party or the fanatical/narrow-minded people. A political minority could become a majority if those "opposing views" are not fought and the people who would oppose those, move away. Especially when young people move away, those people are always the biggest factor in invigorating a region, to change old ways, to make a future where their kids could grow up in. Without those, you have dying villages and cities with old grumpy people who are suspectable for extreme views.
Politically, in Germany, that isn't an enormous issue (more like the death of the german countryside and infrastructure issues resulting from villages who are only 20% of their normal populace but need the same infrastructure care as cities) because we have an absolute voting system based on percentages.
The issue in the UK and the US are their "winner takes all" voting systems. A state with 1 million people has the same weight as a state with 60 Million people. And this problem will get more serious in the coming decades. More people will move to a few specific states. And somewhere in the future you have the majority of the population living in a few states but the voting power still lies in those 30 to 35 other states. You would have a scenario where 30% of the population would have 70% of the voting power.
In the end though minorities are people who need to be allowed to live life and not have to fight the good fight 24/7. Ultimately the failure here is that not enough allies are standing up to fight and so in the end LGBT folk in this case are left to their own devices and getting the fuck out is a legitimate move that no one should be judged for.
OP do you have AC? Get ready for the August heat, and I hope we don't get the wildfires smoke this year.
The housing here is crazy. We got an unsolicited offer of 1 million for our house the other day from some realtor. Sure that's nice but we won't be able to find anything else in our neighborhood for that with what we'd want. [sigh]
With that said, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Born and raised here and love it, even with all the changes the city has gone through recently.
No. I have had enough of friends and family in the south inviting me and my husband to their weddings and game nights and social events with smiles and hugs, only to pull me aside another day and say "I don't agree with your marriage/I believe you're living in sin, but I let you come to my wedding/family event because we decided it was the polite thing to do."
I've had enough southern grandmas hug me and my husband at thanksgiving only to hear them talk shit about me being gay in the corner.
I'm tired of churches in the south saying they welcome gay people and as soon as you come in they say you can't become a member unless you renounce your sexuality.
I'm tired of leasing agents smiling and showing me apartments only to never call me back whenever I mention my husband and I need a 1BR.
I'm tired of waiters sweetly greeting us then ignoring my table when I'm on a date night with my husband in Texas.
Fuck the fake hospitality in the South. I lived here 27 years and my experience is valid. Either hate me to my face or MEAN IT when you say you want to be my friend.
People here in WA have been genuine and respectful to me and my husband because I'm a human being and I deserve equal treatment.
When someone says they experience something you don't have to erase it or invalidate it just because it wasn't your experience or you don't agree with it.
Hell, I live just outside the perimeter, and I have to drive everywhere. Granted, the plus about Peachtree Corners is that it's central to the northeast quadrant of the metro, so I'm kind of 'near' everything, but this place is clogged with residential and the only things "walking distance" from me are a pet hospital, three gas stations (at a single intersection), and a Domino's
No. I have had enough of friends and family in the south inviting me and my husband to their weddings and game nights and social events with smiles and hugs, only to pull me aside another day and say "I don't agree with your marriage/I believe you're living in sin, but I let you come to my wedding/family event because we decided it was the polite thing to do."
I've had enough southern grandmas hug me and my husband at thanksgiving only to hear them talk shit about me being gay in the corner.
I'm tired of churches in the south saying they welcome gay people and as soon as you come in they say you can't become a member unless you renounce your sexuality.
I'm tired of leasing agents smiling and showing me apartments only to never call me back whenever I mention my husband and I need a 1BR.
I'm tired of waiters ignoring my table when I'm on a date night with my husband in Texas.
Fuck the fake hospitality in the South. I lived here 27 years and my experience is valid. Either hate me to my face or MEAN IT when you say you want to be my friend.
People here in WA have been genuine and respectful to me because I'm a human being and I deserve equal treatment.
When someone says they experience something you don't have to erase it or invalidate it just because it wasn't your experience or you don't agree with it.
Pretty much all this happens in GA also. Especially the talking behind your back. People be so fake down here pretending to like you only to talk shit about you the second you are gone. Not gay but I'm black and I can't think of all the times I've had people treat me like a costumer to my face but then follow me around the store like I'm about to steal something. It's gets pretty ridiculous down here sometimes.
Hell, I live just outside the perimeter, and I have to drive everywhere. Granted, the plus about Peachtree Corners is that it's central to the northeast quadrant of the metro, so I'm kind of 'near' everything, but this place is clogged with residential and the only things "walking distance" from me are a pet hospital, three gas stations (at a single intersection), and a Domino's
The only thing walkable in my home town is 2 gas stations. If you want anything but snack food from them you'll have to walk 12 miles to Tifton and that walk is nothing but farm land and a couple of houses.
No. I have had enough of friends and family in the south inviting me and my husband to their weddings and game nights and social events with smiles and hugs, only to pull me aside another day and say "I don't agree with your marriage/I believe you're living in sin, but I let you come to my wedding/family event because we decided it was the polite thing to do."
I've had enough southern grandmas hug me and my husband at thanksgiving only to hear them talk shit about me being gay in the corner.
I'm tired of churches in the south saying they welcome gay people and as soon as you come in they say you can't become a member unless you renounce your sexuality.
I'm tired of leasing agents smiling and showing me apartments only to never call me back whenever I mention my husband and I need a 1BR.
I'm tired of waiters sweetly greeting us then ignoring my table when I'm on a date night with my husband in Texas.
Fuck the fake hospitality in the South. I lived here 27 years and my experience is valid. Either hate me to my face or MEAN IT when you say you want to be my friend.
People here in WA have been genuine and respectful to me and my husband because I'm a human being and I deserve equal treatment.
When someone says they experience something you don't have to erase it or invalidate it just because it wasn't your experience or you don't agree with it.
No. I have had enough of friends and family in the south inviting me and my husband to their weddings and game nights and social events with smiles and hugs, only to pull me aside another day and say "I don't agree with your marriage/I believe you're living in sin, but I let you come to my wedding/family event because we decided it was the polite thing to do."
I've had enough southern grandmas hug me and my husband at thanksgiving only to hear them talk shit about me being gay in the corner.
I'm tired of churches in the south saying they welcome gay people and as soon as you come in they say you can't become a member unless you renounce your sexuality.
I'm tired of leasing agents smiling and showing me apartments only to never call me back whenever I mention my husband and I need a 1BR.
I'm tired of waiters sweetly greeting us then ignoring my table when I'm on a date night with my husband in Texas.
Fuck the fake hospitality in the South. I lived here 27 years and my experience is valid. Either hate me to my face or MEAN IT when you say you want to be my friend.
People here in WA have been genuine and respectful to me and my husband because I'm a human being and I deserve equal treatment.
When someone says they experience something you don't have to erase it or invalidate it just because it wasn't your experience or you don't agree with it.
I'm cishet, but some of my oldest and dearest friends aren't. Those are some of the people I thought of when I first made the point that some people can't afford to move.
I'm Hispanic, so I've experienced some of this fake hospitality, but nowhere to the extent that you, and other people I know, have described.
I'm glad you found a place that makes you feel safe and welcome.
Yeah, Washington would be my number one state to move to but the Cascadia plate has me scared to death. I know it's paranoid but I feel like I would think about it all the time.
I live in austin and have been wondering about Seattle for awhile. I can move anywhere thanks to a remote job but I'm toying with leaving the country altogether
Agreed. I used to live in Vancouver BC in the 90's and I loved the summers but the autumn/winter time sucks ass. Prepare for months of rain and snow on end.
Speaking about diversity from my own perspective, l've only seen a handful of black families out and about in the decade plus of summers going out there. I've only rarely been up as far as Seattle maybe twice.
I grew up in the Miami area, lived in a majority Hispanic area, and went to majority black schools. That is something I had to get used to here. There's a fair amount of Hispanics (mostly commuting in to the cities to do service jobs, frankly), but outside of certain areas like Rainier, it's just a sea of white folk in the PNW.
I read a piece of "if you don't like it, move away" study in a german newspaper 2 or 3 years ago. It was thought-provoking and eye-opening. The basic, oversimplified conclusion was:
Moving away from the conflict and root of the conflict, strengthens the other party or the fanatical/narrow-minded people. A political minority could become a majority if those "opposing views" are not fought and the people who would oppose those, move away. Especially when young people move away, those people are always the biggest factor in invigorating a region, to change old ways, to make a future where their kids could grow up in. Without those, you have dying villages and cities with old grumpy people who are suspectable for extreme views.
Politically, in Germany, that isn't an enormous issue (more like the death of the german countryside and infrastructure issues resulting from villages who are only 20% of their normal populace but need the same infrastructure care as cities) because we have an absolute voting system based on percentages.
The issue in the UK and the US are their "winner takes all" voting systems. A state with 1 million people has the same weight as a state with 60 Million people. And this problem will get more serious in the coming decades. More people will move to a few specific states. And somewhere in the future you have the majority of the population living in a few states but the voting power still lies in those 30 to 35 other states. You would have a scenario where 30% of the population would have 70% of the voting power.
It's something I actually considered quite a bit when I decided to buy here. I actually held on to my Florida residency for a few years just so I could vote back home in the mid-terms. Not that it did much good in the end.
That being said, my decision was just by factors as simple as: I can make way more money here. My earning and career prospects are so much better here that it completely outweighs my cost of living. That means I can help provide for my family and friends who can't make it up here. It means that maybe I can afford to help my parents actually afford a retirement and help make sure my nephew can go to college. And yeah, I'm just happier here, so that's part of it too.
In the end though minorities are people who need to be allowed to live life and not have to fight the good fight 24/7. Ultimately the failure here is that not enough allies are standing up to fight and so in the end LGBT folk in this case are left to their Owen devices and getting the fuck out is a legitimate move that no one should be judged for.
I still hold that ATL is the only good city in the entire south. Go 20 miles in any direction and it's a totally different world. If you prefer warm weather and worry about pricey cities, ATL is top tier teebeeaitch famalam.
No. I have had enough of friends and family in the south inviting me and my husband to their weddings and game nights and social events with smiles and hugs, only to pull me aside another day and say "I don't agree with your marriage/I believe you're living in sin, but I let you come to my wedding/family event because we decided it was the polite thing to do."
I've had enough southern grandmas hug me and my husband at thanksgiving only to hear them talk shit about me being gay in the corner.
I'm tired of churches in the south saying they welcome gay people and as soon as you come in they say you can't become a member unless you renounce your sexuality.
I'm tired of leasing agents smiling and showing me apartments only to never call me back whenever I mention my husband and I need a 1BR.
I'm tired of waiters sweetly greeting us then ignoring my table when I'm on a date night with my husband in Texas.
Fuck the fake hospitality in the South. I lived here 27 years and my experience is valid. Either hate me to my face or MEAN IT when you say you want to be my friend.
People here in WA have been genuine and respectful to me and my husband because I'm a human being and I deserve equal treatment.
When someone says they experience something you don't have to erase it or invalidate it just because it wasn't your experience or you don't agree with it.
Welcome to a state that didn't require the shitty Federal Government to legalize gay marriage, the people here actually wanted it themselves. We're pretty good at pushing stuff forward without them and there's plenty of people who truly give a shit.
I'm glad you're being treated well. Also, the rain in the 8 months of not-summer is mostly just drizzle and people exaggerate how bad it is!
Agreed. I used to live in Vancouver BC in the 90's and I loved the summers but the autumn/winter time sucks ass. Prepare for months of rain and snow on end.
i never understood the hate for having to live in multiple seasons. y'all are acting like driving/living/existing in a snow or rain storm is unfathomable to endure. you learn to adapt or else you turn into *that asshole* who drives idiotically in snow
We like our neighborhood too much and the idea of a McMansion kinda grosses me out. We love our 80+ year old brick Tudor. Been in the house for 12 years now and the Roosevelt light rail station opens two blocks from us in less than two years. Walkability is a big deal for us.
Especially homeowners. Well less than 10% of homeowners have earthquake insurance because it's expensive, the deductibles are really high, and a lot of people mistakingly think their homeowner's insurance covers them when it does not.
Not yet but there is a fantastic Venezuelan restaurant in U-district called Arepa that has really good arepas and pabellon and juices. I recommend it. I'll have to explore for more Colombian :)
As a fellow transplant from a southern state (Florida) who moved up here 3 years ago, and liked it so much I bought a home here: Welcome!
And yes, absolutely agreed.
All that being said, a little perspective:
This isn't a viable option for most people. Not least of which, is because Seattle is an expensive place to live, and projects to only get more expensive over time, because the people who are moving here, tend to have the money needed.
Oh yeah, and we're displacing a lot of people who have been here all along. I see some of the worst effects of that every day on my commute. That's kind of a big problem.
Also, check back in when you live through an interminably rainy, dark winter.
Protip: Stock up on Vitamin D supplements, even if you think you won't need them.
Especially homeowners. Well less than 10% of homeowners have earthquake insurance because it's expensive, the deductibles are really high, and a lot of people mistakingly think their homeowner's insurance covers them when it does not.
If you are in a high liquefaction area, I'd definitely consider catastrophic earthquake insurance. We are in a really good spot with little to no liquefaction hazard.
I loved the year I lived there, but couldn't take the skyrocketing living costs and stress of my job. I tried to find work elsewhere so I could stay up there, but had no luck. In my perfect life, I'd have a summer home there, and a winter home in San Diego due to the practically perfect weather and temps in both seasons.
Not yet but there is a fantastic Venezuelan restaurant in U-district called Arepa that has really good arepas and pabellon and juices. I recommend it. I'll have to explore for more Colombian :)
I'll have to ask my friend, she is Venezuelan! There is a Caribbean sandwich shop called Paseo (new owners, same great food) as well as un Bein (Sons of former owner of Paseo), that come highly recommended.
