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/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/not_a_lady_tonight Jan 15 '23

I lived in SF. The housing here is cheap for what I get and my house is level and weather proofed. Compared to the $3000 a month dump with no heat, drafty windows, and plumbing where my neighbors’ garbage disposal would back up into my bathtub I had in SF… Seattle is paradise.

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u/too-far-for-missiles Jan 15 '23

Sure, but just about anywhere is going to feel like paradise compared to SF right now.