Memo to Jeff, Howard and Bill
March 29, 2001 12:58 PM Subscribe
Memo to Jeff, Howard and Bill from a Seattle local rag. Just to add a little fuel to the fire. If you're reading after Wednesday of next week, you'll need to find the article in the archives.
Beg to differ jragon. Oddly enough I too was born in Deutschland, have lived all over, and landed in Seattle about seven years ago. What makes you feel the "holier-than-thou" vibe? The only time I ever felt it was when I worked downtown amongst the suits, but then it was just a quick escape to my home on Capitol Hill to deflate any of that crap.
posted by kokogiak at 2:23 PM on March 29, 2001
posted by kokogiak at 2:23 PM on March 29, 2001
If you're reading after Wednesday of next week, you'll need to find the article in the archives
Or, you could just use the URL that they were so nice to give us: "Linking? Use This URL!"
posted by smeat at 2:29 PM on March 29, 2001
Or, you could just use the URL that they were so nice to give us: "Linking? Use This URL!"
posted by smeat at 2:29 PM on March 29, 2001
Holier-than-thou might be the wrong description.
A story : I came to school in Seattle after living in the San Francisco area. In one of my classes, we went around the room and introduced ourselves. I mentioned something like "I'm new to the area, and I just love it. The traffic isn't in gridlock, the bus system is amazing, there are accessible bike routes everywhere ... I just love this city."
The largely Seattle-born class spent the next few minutes trying to convince me that Seattle has the 2nd worst traffic in America, housing costs have skyrocketed, etc etc. I learned quickly that part of loving this city is complaining about it.
I didn't bother telling them that I lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with major roads on both sides of me for $900/month in Marin County. I didn't tell them that the DC area's traffic is easily twice as bad. (not to mention LA, NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc etc)
Maybe prissy is the right word. I love Seattle, but I wish Seattlites realized how good they have it.
posted by jragon at 2:52 PM on March 29, 2001
A story : I came to school in Seattle after living in the San Francisco area. In one of my classes, we went around the room and introduced ourselves. I mentioned something like "I'm new to the area, and I just love it. The traffic isn't in gridlock, the bus system is amazing, there are accessible bike routes everywhere ... I just love this city."
The largely Seattle-born class spent the next few minutes trying to convince me that Seattle has the 2nd worst traffic in America, housing costs have skyrocketed, etc etc. I learned quickly that part of loving this city is complaining about it.
I didn't bother telling them that I lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with major roads on both sides of me for $900/month in Marin County. I didn't tell them that the DC area's traffic is easily twice as bad. (not to mention LA, NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc etc)
Maybe prissy is the right word. I love Seattle, but I wish Seattlites realized how good they have it.
posted by jragon at 2:52 PM on March 29, 2001
Dan Savage is hella funny. I especially liked his advice to Gates to move Microsoft to Redmond.
posted by kindall at 2:54 PM on March 29, 2001
posted by kindall at 2:54 PM on March 29, 2001
San Francisco is the opposite of Seattle. Instead of spending all their time complaining about the city, they spend all their time browbeating you until you agree with then that SF is the greatest place on earth. Ted Rall did a cartoon on this syndrome once.
posted by aaron at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2001
posted by aaron at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2001
Prissy I can accept - but even that's a regional attitude that varies within the Greater Seattle Area. And yes, you're right, most Natives I know take for granted everything that we johnny-come-lateleys find to be unique and lovely. I'm learning a lot these days about many varying attitudes toward Seattle via a site (Self-plug) you may be interested in. It's a project I contribute to, Seattle Stories part of Derek Powazek's City Stories network.
posted by kokogiak at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2001
posted by kokogiak at 2:59 PM on March 29, 2001
WOW. that post scared my for some reason. Maybe the reason is because my name is Jeff Howard. I thought someone wrote something about me. :)
posted by howa2396 at 3:05 PM on March 29, 2001
posted by howa2396 at 3:05 PM on March 29, 2001
I am a native, dudes.
I love it here and have no plans to leave. However, I do resent that much of what made Seattle unique is being destroyed in the name of 'progress'. If you lived here through the 70's & 80's you'd know what I mean. We're just starting to see that being a 'world-class city' isn't all its cracked up to be.
However, nothing beats the sight of the mountains on a clear day.
posted by black8 at 3:40 PM on March 29, 2001
I love it here and have no plans to leave. However, I do resent that much of what made Seattle unique is being destroyed in the name of 'progress'. If you lived here through the 70's & 80's you'd know what I mean. We're just starting to see that being a 'world-class city' isn't all its cracked up to be.
However, nothing beats the sight of the mountains on a clear day.
posted by black8 at 3:40 PM on March 29, 2001
black8, I can sympathize with that. Any time you find something first (whether it's the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metafilter, or Seattle) it can be disappointing to see things mucked up in the name of progress.
But here's the thing -- it happened everywhere. Aside from the mountain comment, your post can apply to any city, as every city has seen a population explosion over the last 10-20 years.
Seattle's unique in many amazing ways. A population explosion, traffic, and the feeling that things were simpler a few decades ago are a few things that Seattle can not claim as unique to itself.
posted by jragon at 7:10 PM on March 29, 2001
But here's the thing -- it happened everywhere. Aside from the mountain comment, your post can apply to any city, as every city has seen a population explosion over the last 10-20 years.
Seattle's unique in many amazing ways. A population explosion, traffic, and the feeling that things were simpler a few decades ago are a few things that Seattle can not claim as unique to itself.
posted by jragon at 7:10 PM on March 29, 2001
I understand that Jragon. It was meant as an explaination of the attitudes of us 'locals'.
This is something that has bees weighing heavily on my mind recently. The earthquake, the destruction of the Pergola and the merger of KCMU and EMP have left me feeling like I've come home find someone has snuck into my house and rearranged all the furniture.
I realize this happens everywhere...But that doesn't mean I have to like it...ya'know?
posted by black8 at 1:25 PM on April 3, 2001
This is something that has bees weighing heavily on my mind recently. The earthquake, the destruction of the Pergola and the merger of KCMU and EMP have left me feeling like I've come home find someone has snuck into my house and rearranged all the furniture.
I realize this happens everywhere...But that doesn't mean I have to like it...ya'know?
posted by black8 at 1:25 PM on April 3, 2001
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When it comes to being holier-than-thou, Seattle puts them all to shame.
posted by jragon at 2:17 PM on March 29, 2001