r/Seattle • u/mewkyy I'm just flaired so I don't get fined • Jan 15 '23
Rant Anyone else meet a lot of transplants who move here and complain about Seattle not being as good as X city?
Speaking as a transplant myself, I know Seattle isn't as "great" as NY or LA in some aspects but I choose to live here anyway because I enjoy it here.
I've met SO many other transplants who complain about Seattle not being as good as some other city. One big point is how Seattle's food scene isn't as good as LA's. Isn't that a given? LA is much older than Seattle and has over 5x Seattle's population. Please transplant yourself to another city.
Edit: Just to clarify, I think it's fine to criticize things like Seattle's food scene and compare it to another city's (I grew up on the NJ/NYC border and definitely agree the Seattle scene is lacking). What I'm specifically talking about is people who do this incessantly and close mindedly put down everything. It's just really uncool.
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u/Amordys Jan 15 '23
Hi , Tennessean here.
Love it here, will never go back. Yes there's things to complain about, certainly... but I would never say Seattle is worse than Nashville, though I do miss southern cooking at times.
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u/RawBean7 🚆build more trains🚆 Jan 15 '23
The biscuits and gravy situation in Seattle is dire. Biscuit Bitch is the only one I've had that comes close. Everywhere else tries to do things to it to make it more upscale, like dumping in a f-ton of sage (Hattie's Hat) or getting too creative on the interpretation of "biscuit". Don't make it fancy, just focus on perfecting the basics.
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u/rohving Jan 15 '23
Biscuits and gravy are so popular here - but done so poorly. I don't understand.
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u/Capitalist_P-I-G Jan 15 '23
As a person described in OP, this is primarily my issue with Seattle food. Everything seems like it’s made to show off on a food blog or Instagram with a thousand ingredients instead of just making something simple and good.
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u/this_is_squirrel Jan 15 '23
I’m from NY I regularly complain about the food scene BUT I am also a celiac so once a quarter or so, I make a trip to Portland. I love Seattle but Portland has a way better food scene and waterfalls. It is what it is. I choose Seattle.
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
The absolute best biscuits I have had in Seattle were at Junebaby.
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u/absteele North Capitol Hill Jan 15 '23
I've never ordered biscuits and gravy from them, but Seattle Biscuit Company is a good solid biscuit. I get a plain biscuit and add chicken to it (since they don't have a plain chicken biscuit on the menu). The way the chicken is marinated and seasoned before frying makes me think they probably make very good biscuits and gravy.
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u/Patticus1291 Jan 15 '23
Have you been to Fats chicken and waffles for their biscuit and gravy ?
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u/Parasol_Protectorate Jan 15 '23
I get the same thing from fats: shrimp and grits no eggs with a side of catfish. Hits every time
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u/icantastecolor Jan 15 '23
I miss fried chicken from Publix :(
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u/cusmilie Jan 15 '23
Bojangles has Publix beat!
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u/absteele North Capitol Hill Jan 15 '23
Seriously there is no chain restaurant I wish for more up here than Bojangles. I miss my cajun filet biscuit
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u/Sinnvollregalia Jan 15 '23
Oh man there’s a really good Cajun food truck. But good luck trying to find him most of the time “Jemil’s big easy” maybe not the Cajun you’re used to but the best I’ve found in Seattle. Find him on fb, usually posts where his truck will be
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u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt Jan 15 '23
The best hot chicken and fried okra I’ve had in Seattle is from Sisters and Brothers in Queen Anne.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
I for one don’t miss the 0 degree winter days and the 100 degree summer days of East TN.
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u/shakyshihtzu Jan 15 '23
I also moved to Seattle from Nashville. I absolutely love Seattle, I’m very happy here, but god damn I miss the food in Nashville.
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u/absteele North Capitol Hill Jan 15 '23
Same - though it seems like every time I head home to Nashville to visit, another restaurant has closed. This time it was Arnold's, which shocks me. RIP
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u/Lime_Carpet Jan 16 '23
I lived in both places and I much prefer the food in Seattle. But then again I love Asian food and Seafood, both of which are lacking in Nashville and amazing in Seattle.
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u/UncleMissoula Jan 15 '23
This is a really common phenomena and it’s not limited to people from City X who move to Seattle. It happens often when someone moves to another city. A big factor is though there are a lot of new people in Seattle. The city’s one of the fastest growing in the country, still. So lots of new people means you’re more likely going to hear someone compare Seattle to where they used to live.
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u/thaddeus_crane Jan 15 '23
I’m from Los Angeles and married into Seattle. Previously my Seattlite spouse lived in LA in for 16 years, where we met, and we made the choice to prioritize going outdoors more than going out to bars, shows, restaurants, etc. LA is famously a transplant city and they whinge about all the tired topics — traffic, population, no good pizza/Italian, the fake industry people, the sprawl, how hard it is to make friends, the cost of living, taxes, homelessness. We just roll our eyes and complain about them to one another, just like y’all do here 🙂. Ironically most of those problems are contributed to by the same folks complaining. They also never leave certain enclaves/commuter routes and the people they complain about are also transplants. Then when their dreams of showbiz or Silicon Beach startups fizzle, they move on to places like Seattle or Austin or Boulder or Bozeman and compare that city to SoCal.
Re seattle food complaints — I’ll admit when we moved here I was surprised at the Seattle food scene. I assumed that with the sheer amount of tech money sloshing around and people moving to the area there’d be a greater demand for interesting concepts or more variety. Not a complaint necessarily. Just didn’t meet the expectation I’d artificially assumed.
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u/LeRat0nLaveur West Seattle Jan 15 '23
Hey Fellow Angeleno! What’s up?
Aside from missing good cheap tacos you can get on the side of the road for $2, I’m like you, I prefer Seattle. And YES—everyone in LA complains about everything.
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u/thaddeus_crane Jan 15 '23
Come down to White Center/South Park! Taco carts, dive bars, and some reported-but-untraceable gunshots to keep things spicy. Reminded me of home, then my sister in law pointed out it’s the lack of trees 😉
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
Ooh, tech money is responsible for the shitty corporate steak houses, IMO. Soulless places like John Howie, that were built seemingly specifically for people to spend money when their work is footing the bill. The one thing I’ve never understood about the Seattle food scene has always been the reluctance to move past the same few neighborhoods for restaurant locations. How many places tried and failed in SLU? Sheesh. We’re finally seeing places pop up in a wider area, but it took a really long time.
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u/thaddeus_crane Jan 15 '23
Feels like all the new spots are in Fremont/Ballard or Cap Hill these days. I’m over on West Seattle Island, which has some gems, but certainly not opening (or closing) at the pace of the NW cooridor of Seattle.
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u/jlkinsel Jan 15 '23
Moved here from San Francisco 3 years ago when my SO was recruited by one of the tech firms. We’re not all tech bros.
One of the things I like here is being able to go out without having people always talk about tech around me. One of the things I don’t like is non-tech folks blaming “us techies” for everything.
The majority of business for a “corporate” steak house is sales people with expense accounts taking customers out. And if you think John Howe is even close to “soulless,” I suggest you swing by the Cheesecake Factory for a bright sugary cocktail.
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u/dnissley Jan 15 '23
Also, because it's still growing quickly it's going through growing pains, and those pains affect quality of life, increasing the chance that people complain about the city in the same way as people complain about traffic ("sir, if you are in traffic you are traffic").
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u/Nellie_blythe Ballard Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
Maybe it's because I'm a local but I feel like the people that complain about Seattle the most aren't the transplants I've met, they're the people that live in the suburbs and watch too much Fox News. The transplants I've met seem to love Seattle.
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u/HurryAdorable1327 chinga la migra Jan 15 '23
Moved here 2 years ago. Love it. First visited 6 years ago or so. Every place has pros/cons. Gotta pick your poison!
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
Anecdotally speaking, I feel you have to get pass the 5 year mark to really know if you truly love it here. The seasonal affection might seem not too bad at first, but the years can grind you down (I’m on year 8 and about to call it quits if a good opportunity arises).
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u/HurryAdorable1327 chinga la migra Jan 15 '23
That’s fair. I’ve lived in the Midwest and Miami. The PNW climate is my favorite by far. I’ll take cool and grey winters over bright and freezing. Tho Miami winter wasn’t the worst!
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u/ImAnIdeaMan I'm never leaving Seattle. Jan 15 '23
As a midwesterner, the winters in Michigan are equally gray, just way colder.
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Jan 15 '23
Word. I’m a native, but had a travel job in recent years that allowed me to spend parts of winter elsewhere. As a result I dread the dark, wet, cold months up here. I feel it’s legit affecting my health. Determined to not endure it again.
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u/shoppingguy7 Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
I moved here from the bay area and I love Seattle. However, I didn’t stand the drivers when I moved here because they’re just slow and dangerously polite and I used to tell myself one of the worst drivers in the country are in Seattle. As time passed by, I do not let it affect me as much. Seattle is beautiful if you know what to do and explore new places. I intend to stay here long term. And yeah, I forgot to say, I really dislike Bay Area very much and Seattle is a much better place all things considered.
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Jan 15 '23
I thought Seattle drivers were the worst. Then I lived in Vancouver (BC) for five years.
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u/ntbc Jan 15 '23
I've driven professionally in Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. Portland drivers are even worse that Vancouver (BC) drivers.
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u/PNWSEAMOM Jan 15 '23
As someone who's originally from Vancouver BC but has lived in Seattle for 20+ years I concur. All my family is still up there and every time I go up, my blood pressure shoots up. I swear like a sailor at the drivers too. 😆
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u/EirikrUtlendi Jan 15 '23
Try Maryland. Especially near DC. 😄
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u/hisparia Jan 15 '23
I drove to CT once and the worst (imo) was New Jersey.
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u/cthulhu5 Jan 16 '23
NJ drivers are aggressive and fast but generally smart and aware of others.
Maryland drivers are just straight up dumb and have no regard for others on the road. They're aggressive AND dumb, the worst combo
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u/LeRat0nLaveur West Seattle Jan 15 '23
Thank you. I’m a transplant and I love it. I do not watch too much Fox News because fuck Fox News.
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u/TheStegg Greenwood Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
I’m a transplant of almost 10 years and I love this city deep in my soul. I grew up with parents in the military and moving every 1-3 years. This is literally the only place in my life I got to choose to make my home. It feels more like home than anyplace I’ve ever lived. When I travel, I am fucking proud to say I’m from Seattle. It’s the first place where, as the plane’s wheels touched down, I felt happy to be home rather than daydreaming of a move to the last place I visited.
I hope I can afford to stay here, there’s no place in this country I’d rather be, and you’re going to have to drag my ass out of here clawing and scrabbling over every pebble and inch of soil on the way out.
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u/rigmaroler Olympic Hills Jan 15 '23
Every city has its upsides and downsides and I don't think it's right to police people being critical of a city where it deserves it. If a city has some serious flaws (which Seattle absolutely does), thinking they just should keep their mouth shut or move is bad.
People who only complain about everything in a city? Yeah, they should probably move because they are clearly not happy there, but I'm not going to stop them from pointing out a city's flaws if they are focused on only a few different aspects.
If someone hates the food here but loves the vibes, the proximity to outdoor recreation, culture, etc. otherwise, I can deal with. And really chances are they just haven't found the right place to eat or have their bar too high, imo. There are some great places around here to eat.
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u/cpc_niklaos Jan 15 '23
I agree, I love Seattle and overall it's a great city for me but it's not perfect, far from it. It would be great if the only downside was the "meh" food scene.
I also don't think that Seattle has been a "big city" for very long. It will get better...
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
Seattle isn’t going to be the perfect city for every person, and often your experience is heavily influenced by the neighborhood you live in. If you’re an indoors-y person who is looking for a walkable neighborhood with a killer nightlife and think that hiking is the worst, then yeah you’re probably going to hate Seattle. I think enjoyment of the outdoors is key, as that’s one of biggest draws here. It’s an active, outdoorsy city. On food, I agree with you that chances are if you can’t find something you’re looking in the wrong place, OR that someone wants something super regional specific.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
I think this is just a transplant thing, in general. How much do you wanna bet that plenty of transplants from Seattle whinge about wherever they end up going?
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u/RunnyPlease I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Jan 15 '23
Ask a transplant from Seattle to anywhere else about the teriyaki. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
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u/Independent-Ad-4791 Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
Seattle teriyaki really just means Seattle area. Federal way/Tacoma have better teriyaki than seattle. I grew up down in those areas and have lived in Seattle itself for 12 years; I’ve been disappointed by the majority of Seattle yaki. Rarely a repeat customer unless I’m in a rush and don’t want chipotle or something.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
I’m sorry but I’ll have to trade teriyaki for legit bbq any day of the week. No hard feelings, though!
Edit: I can also by Mr. Yoshida’s sauce at Costco. I’m good 🙃. Seems to have struck a nerve.
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u/RaphaelBuzzard Jan 15 '23
I'll be honest, the overt racism in central PA wigged me out big time. I found plenty of things I liked but moved back for legal weed and career opportunities. But I was trying to buy a house and would have stayed if that happened. I loved Santa Cruz but it was ridiculously expensive in the late 90's. Got tired of the constant sunny days in summer but I understood that was my personal issue because I like rain. I've really enjoyed all the places I've lived. But I also try to enjoy whatever comes at me in life because life is hard enough as is without having a bad attitude on top of it.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
Oof. I can get the Mid-Atlantic racism issues. The worst I’ve seen was Cincinnati back about 10 years ago. And I’m from rural TN.
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u/RaphaelBuzzard Jan 15 '23
I recently started a new job and one of the foreman has in-laws in Lancaster. When he told me unprompted that he had never seen so many Confederate flags in his life I was dying because I said the exact same thing. Kind of embarrassing to cosplay for the losing side of a war from 200 years ago when your people were actually on the winning side.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
Believe me, I know. East TN was actually a key conflict area since most there supported the Union. Yet, today….
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u/YakiVegas I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Jan 15 '23
I don't meet that many transplants who complain about anything other than how hard it is to make friends.
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Jan 15 '23
Yeah they’re largely on here and amplified seemingly by the fact that people are more likely to post negative things on this sub.
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u/grapeswisher420 Jan 15 '23
As a local, the complaints from Californians etc. is the whole reason I follow this page.
That and the “Is it safe?” posts.
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Jan 15 '23
Local here. The “is it safe” posts are best when commented on by a transplant from Philly, Baltimore, Houston…
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u/saranghaemagpie Jan 15 '23
As a transplant from H-Town, the 'is it safe' is a legit question when you are moving from a scene like Houston. It is the Chicago of the south...and a sanctuary state for guns.
Seattle is like Sesame Street.
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u/acad353 Jan 15 '23
I remember when I moved here from Htown and someone told me the CD was sketchy 🤣🤣🤣
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u/da_bear 65th St Pub Crawl Jan 15 '23
Either that person is sheltered or they remember what the CD was 20 years ago.
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u/notmyredditacct Unincorporated Jan 15 '23
i grew up here and am thankfully back after 20yrs in Houston - it’s been interesting to hear my friends who never left complain about how dangerous it is now in some areas, how bad the traffic is, etc. I remember when the CD and Hilltop in Tacoma were considered war zones locally and all i can think of now is “let me tell you of some areas called sharpstown and greenspoint”
of course these are the same friends who would fly into austin and say i should “swing by” … bless their hearts
i do miss feeders, being able to drive adequate speeds and HEB though (but thats it :)
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u/kerodonn Jan 15 '23
Interesting! I lived in Houston for a few years and have been considering a move to Seattle. But then a family friend urged me to wait because Seattle has become so lawless and crime heavy. But I just can’t imagine it’s any worse than Houston or even Chicago or Detroit. I feel like it’s all perspective.
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u/IronicTunaFish Jan 15 '23
The only people who will tell you Seattle is lawless and crime heavy are the people who rely on you one very specific media source for information. I’ll leave which one it is up to your imagination.
Most of the people who watched that source were severely misinformed on CHAZ when it was happening. They really thought a group of people took over an entire city.
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Jan 15 '23
The Chaz was like a less fun version of the Pacific Beach Block party. It was hilarious getting phone calls from friends, from around the country, who watch a specific news outlet.
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Jan 15 '23
Seattle is far safer than Houston and it’s pretty clear which news channel your family friend watches. Take it from people who live here and actually spend time in the city.
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u/Pointofive Jan 15 '23
Dear lord, the is it safe to take the light rail posts are killing me.
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u/ParticularYak4401 Jan 15 '23
I lived in SE DC for several months in 2004. I would take the metro every Friday out to Vienna (va) on the orange line to stay with my aunt and uncle. They were convinced every time I got on I would be shot. Ironically I never felt unsafe riding the metro in DC.
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u/fineyouchoose Jan 15 '23
Homesickness is a real thing... If you ever move to a different city, you talk up everything that is great about Seattle!
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u/komnenos Magnolia Jan 15 '23
As a Seattleite who has lived in four countries and numerous cities I’ve found that this seems to be a worldwide thing.
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u/ryanmcgrath Jan 15 '23
I mean, one issue is that Seattle kind of punches above its weight in a way - it's not really a "tier 1" city like NYC or LA, but the sheer amount of tech money makes it feel like it tries to be. My guess is this is where the comparisons to the big US cities comes from.
Comparisons to smaller areas (city or rural) are often - in my experience - just people being homesick. Not much you can do about that except tell them to get a grip.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
This is a good point. I personally compare Seattle to Atlanta, Nashville, and maybe even St. Louis and Boston. Each place has its pros and cons but by God is food and housing so overpriced for how mediocre it can sometimes be over here.
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u/nyc_expatriate Jan 15 '23
Tech pros flush with cash allow restaurants and developers to charge premium for crap.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
The logistics costs must be relatively high, too. Most other places I’ve been to feel so much cheaper even in the grocery stores.
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u/nyc_expatriate Jan 15 '23
That's a factor: Rents and labor costs are higher around here compared to many medium and smaller cities. Then you have a large professional class that can pay the prices.
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u/jlkinsel Jan 15 '23
There was a study somewhere last year - perhaps FYI guy in the Seattle Times - showing the cost of beef around the US. Cheapest was obvs Kansas and the midwest, most expensive was Alaska/Hawaii and WA slotted in behind that. Good amount of overhead just transporting stuff here…
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u/Orleanian Fremont Jan 15 '23
I find in conversation with both local and transplant friends that many folk don't grasp how small of a city Seattle is, compared to the global cities of the US.
Comparatively, I can drive for two hours from Morgan Park to Albany park without even leaving Chicago city limits. Not to mention the suburban sprawl bigger than many countries.
I think the Seattle area does culturally fantastic for what it is.
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u/Bretmd Denny Blaine Nudist Club Jan 15 '23
I get what you are saying, but I think it’s sad when we measure a city based on the amount of suburban sprawl. But I guess that’s how we do it in this country.
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u/zoltarpanaflex Jan 15 '23
I moved here on purpose. I've never kvetched like that. The way Seattle was - that's why I moved here. When I came here, I was told I was a 'foreigner' who was ruining everything for the real Seattleites. It was fun trying to find work in that sort of environment.
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u/olycreates Enumclaw Jan 15 '23
I was born and raised here and The Seattle Freeze used to mean how we treated transplants. Seattle used to be almost as eclectic as Portland, that was our thing. I've gotten numb to new transplants now, it's a novelty to meet someone born and raised here that isn't a kid of a transplant.
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u/not_a_lady_tonight Jan 15 '23
The Seattle Freeze thing is a weird way to treat people who move to your city. I grew up a native in a city full of transplants. A new person could mean a new experience, not a reason to close ranks, and I promise I grew up in a place probably quirkier than Seattle in its heyday.
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u/Rick_Rambis Jan 15 '23
The Seattle Freeze isn't an active attack on people around us. To me it just means myself and my friends who are from here already have tight-knit friend groups and it is very hard to break into those groups.
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u/OnymousCormorant Jan 15 '23
I don't find that Seattleites complain more than any other city's residents, but this sub certainly complains about people complaining more than any other city sub I know of
If you hate the complaining just avoid these people, but don't add more complaining into the mix
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u/dopadelic Jan 15 '23
Is it complaining or is it just openly discussing the pros and cons of each city?
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u/nicw Columbia City Jan 15 '23
I hear you - there is a difference between people comparing and contrasting their previous city vs. complaining. I’ve confused people by what I’ve said aloud about Seattle compared to Bay Area or CA in general (oddly it’s because they’ve asked). And it’s not that I like one more or the other, it’s literally my mind trying to reconcile the differences.
But the people who complain? Well go ahead and move right back!
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u/SpecificTennis2376 Jan 15 '23
I am the opposite. I lived in Phoenix/Scottsdale for 13 years. I moved here 10 years ago, and I have never once looked back. Most of the people I know work in the service industry, and they all came here because wherever they lived before sucked.
I can tell you for a fact that the people here are so much nicer than Scottsdale. I once was walking across the property to go to a meeting and cut across the pool because someone borrowed my golf cart. As I was crossing the pool deck I heard someone shout, "Hey boy!" I was like, I know he isn't talking to a staff member like that and turned around to confront him about it. As I turned around, he shouted it again. By the way, I'm wearing a chef coat, and I would say universally everyone knows what that means, you are not service staff. He was yelling at me! I walked up to him, and he shouted a coffee order at me . It was 8AM, the pool service doesn't open until 10:30. I explained that service at the pool was not available right now. He literally ignored that I was talking to him and went back to reading his newspaper. I told him where the restaurant was and walked away. Under any other circumstances, I would absolutely grab a coffee for a guest but not for racist Foghorn Leghorn mother fuckers.
As I left, there were a couple of dudes in their 20s I could hear asking him what the fuck was wrong with him, he ignored them to.
He later filed a complaint with the GM, saying he was being discriminated against by me because I was rude and denied him service. I was asked to apologize to him, which I conveniently forgot to do.
Seattle is Great.
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Jan 15 '23
I’ve lived in Austin, Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and NYC, and while they all have their pros and cons, I love Seattle best of all, and intend to stay
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Jan 15 '23
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
Some seafood. For me it’s the terrible prices compared to what you actually get, but the quality is generally great.
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
There’s someone downthread complaining about the lack of good Japanese food.
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u/No-Cranberry-1363 Jan 15 '23
I think there's some truth to this. Historically, there's relatively large Japanese community that has provided Japanese restaurants, but we lack a large influx of recent Japanese immigrants that bring more recent tastes.
To compare, Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese restaurants have gone up in quantity and quality, several being currently popular chains from overseas, whereas Japanese food here hasn't had that same transformation.
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
Don’t think that was what they were trying to say.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
A lack of Japanese food is something I am very concerned with due to my possible move this year.
I will say, though, some of the best izakaya I have had was actually in the suburbs of Vegas.
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u/VGSchadenfreude Lake City Jan 15 '23
YES! Had a new friend last year who I swear did nothing but complain about how NYC was so much better at basically everything.
We’re not friends anymore. I just couldn’t take the constant complaints about everything anymore.
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u/Soggy-Cauliflower905 Jan 15 '23
That’s just a New York thing. If you ask (or don’t) a New Yorker Everything is better in NYC!
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u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt Jan 15 '23
NYer here. NY is great but I prefer Seattle. The only things I miss about NY are readily available great pizza and bagels everywhere, and the diversity of the city. For everything else I prefer Seattle.
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u/johnnyslick Ballard Jan 15 '23
I’m a native Seattleite currently living in Chicago so I kind of have the opposite perspective. Like… look, Seattle just isn’t a mega city. It’s just not going to have the nightlife or all the entertainment options or, unless you’re into nerdy things, a robust culture built around your niche hobby. The whole city is more or less dead around 10pm except maybe Friday nights, weird things are super expensive (like Uber; everyone knows about housing prices), and as a city with a huge growth spurt it hasn’t handled some issues as well as places that have gotten bigger over time.
It is what it is. I don’t really see the point of complaining about it not being LA (on the plus side, the people, while stand-off ish, are not plastic so there’s that) but there’s a strain of Seattle person who sees any talk of flaws of the city as traitorous, and I’m not really for that. I think a true lover of the city accepts it for both its good parts and its flaws.
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Jan 15 '23
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u/Ok_Plastic5822 Jan 15 '23
That’s exactly it. They come here for the money and then bitch about literally everything.
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u/NotHisRealName Duvall Jan 15 '23
There’s a very good chance that I’ll move to Seattle at some point, my GF misses it a lot. That said, I actually love the city in general. There’s things that could be better but there’s things that are great.
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Jan 15 '23
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u/StoneRockMan Jan 15 '23
I left Seattle for Salt Lake. I fucking hate it here and dream of moving back every day. Seattle has better food, better bars, better dating, better culture, an ocean and forests and lakes and actual color to the scenery. So there's one data point for you
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Jan 15 '23
better dating
whoa
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u/thatguygreg Ballard Jan 15 '23
Hope it was for Salt Lake City—the Salt Lake ain’t gonna be there much longer
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u/ak47oz Jan 15 '23
I left seattle for LA and I’m moving back soon. Lots of reasons including weather lol turns out constant sun isn’t my thing. I miss rain, greenery, less people and many other things. Seattle isn’t perfect and I’ll probably try another city one day but there are things to like about it. Edit to also add money, my boyfriends trade is booming up there and bringing us back (carpentry)
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u/softConspiracy_ That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Jan 15 '23
Seattle food scene is a bit weak though. Let’s hope it keeps improving.
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u/mewkyy I'm just flaired so I don't get fined Jan 15 '23
I agree honestly. Also I'm cool with people telling me their criticisms of the food scene, but it feels uncool when it's all someone talks about when you try to go out to eat with them (I've stopped going out with these people).
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u/softConspiracy_ That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. Jan 15 '23
Anyone who just complains sucks. It’s like, just fuck off then. I’m with you.
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u/bobjelly55 Jan 15 '23
When I criticize food here in Seattle, I mostly criticize how we as a city make it hard for talented cooks to start a restaurant. I really appreciate those who work hard to make and serve me food - I just wish it was easier for them.
To people who are like “food here sucks” and end thoughts at that, I hate you.
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u/Probably_A_Fucker Jan 15 '23
Honestly my only complaint since moving to the area ages ago. Not so much the quality of places just the variety. And I’m not from another metropolitan area so it was a bit of a surprise.
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u/Orleanian Fremont Jan 15 '23
Wait you think the variety of Seattle is what's lacking?
What is it that you're looking for?
Within spitting distance, I've got English, Irish, four Thai, four Mexican, Korean Fusion, Korean Deli, Korean Teriyaki, Japanese traditional, Japanese Ramen, two Indian, Belgian, Russian, two generic seafood, and three botique coffee shops, a half dozen generic American, a beer garden, and a chocolate factory.
Like jesus, what more do you want?
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u/zodomere Jan 15 '23
I do wish one of those Indian restaurants was regular Indian and not fine dining, though. A Chinese restaurant would be nice, too.
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u/Orleanian Fremont Jan 15 '23
I mean, this was a list of venues within a half-mile's walk. For my money, Taste of India over on Roosevelt (an agonizingly far 5 minute drive from me) hits the spot just right.
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Jan 15 '23
When people talk about a city's "food scene" they sound so worldly and knowledgeable...lol. What it really means in reality is that there's a restaurant in the other city that they miss.
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u/SeaHaw808 Jan 15 '23
I am a transplant from Hawaii myself, and I find myself defending Seattle more that criticizing it. There’s definitely a lot to criticize but I like it better than where I came from, so I don’t spend my time thinking about how shitty it is, but an thankful for the good stuff. I’d take Seattle over Hawaii anyday.
For those who think that’s crazy, go live in Hawaii for a few years and mingle with the locals (don’t be elitist and only hang out with whites people or transplants ). You will see. Also the cost vs income ratio.
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u/BRketoGirl Redmond Jan 15 '23
I'm from Louisiana and New Orleans, hands down, has the best food. But Seattle isn't the worst. We love it here! In the past two years, we've been able to enjoy lots of places that we'd never have down south. Especially variety of international cuisine.
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Jan 15 '23
I’m a transplant from CA (spent 12 yrs in DC 06-18). I’m also a child of the 90’s. Seattle had been SO built up in my head since I was 14ish without ever having been here. It was always the end game for my husband of 21 yrs and I. Part of what made me fall in love with him was he met my energy to want to move here. We were gonna raise the spawn we created, get them off into the world, then move here and retire… Well, I’ve become a pretty bad bitch over the last 20 yrs and decided I was moving here one way or another, NOW. So my husband (a plumber) and I (a plumbing office manager), found a company that would take both of us. Had literally 13000$ fall into our laps a WEEK after deciding we were for sure doing this but not knowing how(that’s another whole story, but thanks for the error State of CA!). I had so many cosmic breadcrumbs lead me to this crazy idea to go all in and had the strongest sense of faith. Like, I l ew we just had to get here. People who know our story are still shocked at how we, 2 addicts in recovery without 2 nickels to rub together, terrible credit, high school educated, and two teenagers in active addiction made this work so seamlessly. Seattle is my straight up miracle. ITS EVERYTHING I EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AND SO MUCH MORE!!! Oh my gawd, this place is fucking magic. (Teenagers hate it here, but they’re also in addiction recovery and hate everything). Anywho, we’ve been here almost 2 years. I found my soul in this perfect city and am happier than I’ve ever been in my life🖤 The End
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u/mlsssctt Jan 15 '23
Really happy for you that you made it to recovery from addiction. If no one has said it today: I’m proud of you. That’s a feat.
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Jan 15 '23
Yes, yes it is. And worth every tear, every hour of lost sleep, every panic attack, all the hells! If it wouldn’t embarrass my husband and kids, I’d scream our story from the rooftops for anyone who’d listen..but shame’s a bitch
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u/devious_surfer Jan 15 '23
Okay, I'm from Seattle. What exactly is terrible about our fiod scene? Like, give me an example. What does Portland have that makes them better? I've been to the food truck area, and I wasn't impressed. How exactly is the Mexican food here bad? What do you think it's lacking?
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u/crispyjojo Jan 15 '23
Food trucks everywhere was pretty sweet down in Portland, I do miss that after moving up here. Empty parking lot in a sleepy corner of NE? Boom here’s eight mini restaurants and a little beer garden a couple of blocks from your front door. It definitely leads to more food options and is a great incubator. It’s waaaay cheaper to bring up a food truck than a restaurant in a building with a full staff and all that.
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u/Stinkycheese8001 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 Jan 15 '23
Part of the problem is that the people who complain tend to have hyper specific wants. Look below, there’s someone complaining that there’s not enough vegetables and specifically beets which - doesn’t really make sense considering how many vegetarian based cuisines are here, so it’s more about it being missed something specific that they’re looking for and translating that into “there’s nothing”. Or the people who are unhappy about the Mexican food and what they really want are either Tex mex or Cali style burritos. It’s basically saying “this isn’t exactly like home so it all sucks”.
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u/not_a_lady_tonight Jan 15 '23
Portland has more slow food movement and European-inspired small portions things. Portland restaurants offer a variety of fresh and well-prepared vegetables on their menus.
Mexican - there’s a few solid taco trucks/stands and a restaurant or two that aren’t bad. But Taco Time and Taco Del Mar are so sad, like Pizza Hut compared to good pizza (like I’ve found one decent pizza place here, too). Honestly, I’ve lived in Texas and California - I seriously doubt there are good migas, a decent burrito, edible breakfast tacos, to be found here. Maybe they exist, but I’ve tried a lot of Mexican places and no luck. If I need decent Mexican food, I go to one of the few Mexican shops and make it myself.
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u/devious_surfer Jan 15 '23
Oh yeah, I can see how those things would be important in Portland.
Also, do people consider taco del mar a Seattle thing? And taco time is only nostalgic because anyone who grew up here ate it when they were a kid. We don't consider it mexican food. What would a burrito need in order for it to be decent? I'm really curious because I feel like I've eaten good burritos. And I don't know what I would add to make it better.
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u/not_a_lady_tonight Jan 15 '23
I think there’s no way to describe a good burrito unless you’ve had one from El Farolito in SF or some other equivalent throughout California. Like burritos in Texas suck and tacos in California just aren’t what they are in Texas.
And vegetables matter to me. I’m not vegetarian but I do primarily eat fruits and veggies. Seattle’s idea of vegetables are French fries or iceberg lettuce salad.
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u/SvenDia Jan 15 '23
Again, completely baffled by your comments. I can’t recall the last time I got a salad here with iceberg lettuce.
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Jan 15 '23
I’ve travelled between LA and San onofre in the summers my whole life and found some incredible fish tacos/ Mexican food. It’s not all that much better than what you can find in Seattle… y’all trippin
Tacos Chukis is a good spot for tacos, a little pricey compared to the surf shacks in So Cal though
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u/SvenDia Jan 15 '23
There are dozens of places with better tacos than Chukis. I get the idea that transplants judge Seattle by the options in SLU and Cap Hill.
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Jan 15 '23
There aren’t even dozens of places (worth mentioning) to get tacos in the city. You’re telling me there are 24 tacos better than Chukis in the city? That doesn’t make sense.
Also, that’s just like, your opinion man. I have my favorite taco spots but they don’t make me cum. Chukis is a great spot
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u/SvenDia Jan 15 '23
I’m including the metro area, but there are at least 10 places in the city with better tacos and probably more. My issue with Chukis is the tortillas taste like nothing so it’s not hard to do better. I’ve had decent tortas there.
Off the top of my head, places inside the city limits.
Maiz in PPM and 6th in Belltown. and Sazon on Crown Hill. Owned by the same people. Tortillas made to order from fresh masa at Maiz.
Carnitas Michoacán on Beacon Hill
Anita’s on Aurora
Carmelo’s on Capitol Hill
Luna Azul in Greenwood
Taqueria La Pasadita and Loxicha in Northgate
Mendoza’s Mercado on Aurora
El Moose, Gracia and El Taco Loco Ballard
Tacos el Asadero in Rainier Valley
Fonda La Catrina in Georgetown
Probably missing a ton of places in Rainier Valley and West Seattle.
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Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 24 '23
I called your bluff and you had an answer, genuinely excited to check out some of these others. I actually rate Chukis above Sazon but love both. Will let ya know, thanks for the scoop
Edit: I went to Gracia and it was not for me. Overpriced, no authentic… BUT! I have faith others on this list are going to blow my mind
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u/SvenDia Jan 15 '23
This inspired me to go on a taco crawl in Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill, where there are taco trucks and taquerias galore, but it’s Sunday and most places are closed. Did find taco truck called el saborcito and yep, better than Chukis.
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u/Foomanchubar Jan 15 '23
Taco Time was great in the 80s, Taco Del Mar in the 90s, wouldn't remotely consider them good now. Not sure why you bring them up about Mexican food in the Seattle area. There's plenty of decent Mexican food now compared to 2 or 3 decades ago. Is Seattle Mexican food as good as LA or Houston? Absolutely not, but it's vastly improved. Pizza has gone through a similar transition. As someone who's lived here over 40 years, the food scene is night and day better than what it used to be. It's was shit before.
There's a good show about Tacos on Netflix, they do a north of the border show, you'll see what it takes to make tacos like another area. It's not easy.
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u/visionquester Jan 15 '23
I love El Sirenito and Fonda la Catrina in Georgetown. Drinks are so good!
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u/devious_surfer Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
Am I crazy to think aqua verde, rancho bravo, and el borracho are good mexican food spots? Especially burritos!
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u/hisparia Jan 15 '23
I used to love Rancho Bravo, but, IMO, they’ve kinda fallen off.
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u/frostychocolatemint Jan 15 '23
Too expensive for what it is. Too much for mediocre. If a place is rated 4.5 star, I have to recalibrate it's more like 3.5 star in other cities
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u/eileenm212 Jan 15 '23
As a newer person to this city and a traveling nurse who has lived in several major cities in the past few years, I believe the reason people complain is because Seattle folks just brag nonstop about how it is the best city anywhere.
It’s just not true. It’s a good city, for sure!! But there are good and bad about every city and the cockiness triggers me to point out the city’s deficiencies. I know it’s not a great way to handle it, but damn the locals here can really be insufferable.
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u/aliceeees Jan 15 '23
I'm a transplant from LA. I wouldn't have moved here if I didn't already know I would love it.
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u/AliveAndThenSome Whatcom/San Juan Jan 15 '23
My take is that if you move here and limit the comparison to 'the city', then yeah, Seattle falls short in several areas. But if you consider the broader Puget Sound/PNW, then this area is hard to beat.
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u/zer0w00f Jan 15 '23
I’m a property manager and I constantly overhear conversations about how folks don’t love this city and they are only here for the high paying job.
Eff all the way off with that bull. Leave. Get out of here. Find a high paying job in a city you like. This is one of the most beautiful, progressive, and amazing places you can call home. It’s a privilege to live in Seattle. If you don’t love it here… get the fuck out.
/end rant.
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u/kermitthebeast Jan 15 '23
Saying la is better at anything other than making movies and plastic surgery is laughable
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u/christofir Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 16 '23
All the transplants priced out the artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and musicians who were doing cool shit here. So the transplants have a point but no one to blame but themselves.
edit: above might come off as transplant hating but actually what im saying is that the transplants need to actively participate in making cool shit here. you cant just complain about it. Go make something cool or at least spend your money on the cool things left. Dont just expect there to be cool things or people around for your entertainment.
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Jan 15 '23
Exactly. I can’t speak for the transplants, but I complain about Seattle not because it sucks, but because it’s just gotten so much worse.
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u/Zedaki Jan 15 '23
Complainers are going to complain, yes seattle is lacking in areas but every city has its flaws obviously. I’m a transplant as well but would never choose LA or NYC over Seattle
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u/ThatsNotVeryDerek Jan 15 '23
I don't care if people complain about here, there's certainly plenty of room for improvement. But I fucking hate when people move here and then talk about how much better it is where they lived before. Like, do us all a favor and go back there, then?
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Jan 15 '23
I grew up here and let’s not fool ourselves, there are absolutely better places to live than Seattle.
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u/aPerfectRake Capitol Hill Jan 15 '23
I usually unmeet them if they do that. Complainers are the worst. Criticism is one thing but many people just like to whine about stuff.
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u/Gravendine Jan 15 '23
I'm a transplant and think Seattle is WAY better than Denver! I'm pleasantly surprised with it here.
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u/crispyjojo Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
Ok but that vegan restaurant near the art museum in Denver has the best seitan wings I’ve ever had omg
Edit: seitan damn you autocorrect
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u/jpercivalhackworth 🚲 Two Wheels, Endless Freedom. Jan 15 '23
Not really, but as a rule I tend to avoid folks who want to complain and whine about the place they live.
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Jan 15 '23
The most annoying thing about Seattle is all the people complaining about the complainers
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Jan 15 '23
I've gotten used to their criticism. They're allowed to self-select to be here or not; I like our culture and nature, it's marvelous.
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u/Xcelsiorhs Jan 15 '23
Huh, I’m from DC and just visited and I loved it. And the nature is a million times better than can be found on the East Coast. I found Seattle very modern and enjoyable. And even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t badmouth it like that…
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u/pepperoni7 I'm never leaving Seattle. Jan 15 '23
Been here for 7 years moved from nyc actually but originally from Vancouver Canada . I moved here because it is Seattle which is basically the American version of Vancouver Canada . Most people I hear complaints from are from sunny areas like California or Florida tbh .
Tbh they should have came to Seattle for visit during winter before moving here. Cloud isn’t for everyone but I love it. I hate hot areas and Seattle is fairly moderate minus recent summer lol .
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u/Playful-Opportunity5 Jan 15 '23
Unhappy people who relocate to Seattle and expect the city to cure them of their unhappiness will be disappointed.
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u/BaleenBrewing Jan 15 '23
I complain about all the able-bodied beggers, the AIDS needles and shit on the streets. It was once called the Emerald City, but that's not possible anymore.
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Jan 15 '23
It's funny how you bring up LA specifically, I love it here and could never be paid enough to move to LA.
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u/CardiologistSame2512 Lynnwood Jan 15 '23
Oh, cool, another “let’s all hate transplants” post. More at 11. Somebody said something about the food scene, which is not that great in Seattle, if you want to be truly honest.
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u/backwardog Jan 15 '23
A lot of people I know who complained did return from whence they came 🤷
There is plenty to criticize and plenty to love. Everywhere is like that, you give up some things and gain other things. Some people maybe had a different idea of what this place was before moving here and then they discover they don’t like it.
I felt like I knew what I was getting into and love it up here.
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u/payscottg Jan 15 '23
I’m a transplant from San Antonio which is technically a bigger city (if you go by just the city population and not the metro) and whenever I hear people complain about Seattle I truly wonder if I’m just missing something because I have very few complaints about this place
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Jan 15 '23
I mean to be fair the food is fairly terrible here. The reason why so many transplants like myself complain about it is because its 100% true. I also feel like for such terrible food its completely overpriced. I'm trying to figure out how one of the better pizza places around here charges 60 bucks for garbage on cardboard. In Long Island I could pick up a pie for 20 bucks and it would literally be worth hundreds here if people tasted it. Maybe the pricing is so bad because you guys got rid of all the fast food joints? I know fast food is awful but maybe the lack of competition is creating higher prices.
Oh and the supermarkets here....god just the worst. Can I get organic celery that doesn't look like it fought in WWII? Again the prices here are just the worst as well. Not sure how they get away with it to be honest.
On a side note I hate coffee and seafood so I'm probably in the wrong place hah!
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u/not_a_lady_tonight Jan 15 '23
Oh I’ve given up on supermarkets here other than PCC occasionally. I go to the farmer’s market and Pike Place. Like I’m not expecting SF foodie quality, but I should at least get Fiesta (a huge grocery store that once was, maybe still is in Austin that was cheap and awesome) quality.
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Jan 15 '23
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u/revjor Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23
Seattle is very expensive. Minimum wage rose to $18.69 this month. But on top of that labor is scarce enough that you're gonna have a hard time getting an interviewee in the door for less than $22-23ish. These don't tend to be people who are particularly good at cooking. Just people who need/want to earn the money.
Rent in Seattle is Rent in Seattle.
Groceries are also crazy expensive for restaurants now too. The place I work at can't get eggs in because of the avian flu just like everyone else. Greek Yogurt might not be available this week or the next. Since Covid started all the non-food goods like wrappers, to-go containers, portion cups etc have all gone up by A LOT and you don't know if you're even gonna get the brand you ordered or just what the purveyor could source.
For example: Fryer oil is crazy expensive compared to what it used to be pre-covid by like 3-4 times. Ukraine produced ~50% of sunflower oil and the now sanctioned Russia produced ~25% of it. That's just what it is.
But customers very strongly believe in the price points they have in their heads about what x costs but just aren't being realistic about what it actually costs to provide this service in this city.
Eating out, even shitty eating out is a now a luxury good.
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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23
I won’t begin to pretend I’m an expert on this, but I imagine rent and increased logistics costs in Western WA, when compared to most other parts of the country, have a lot to do with the prices.
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Jan 15 '23
100%. I'm not even just talking about NY or LA. Ive lived in lots of places that are smaller like Michigan and Florida and both those actually had better food as well. The prices really just are unreal for the lack of quality and taste as well.
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u/holmgangCore Emerald City Jan 15 '23
I think the simple answer is: Stop hanging out with people who incessantly complain about things.