Relocating to Seattle: impressions after 3 months

I relocated to Seattle three months ago after dreaming of living in the PNW for over a decade. Having had a lot of time to explore and get settled, I wanted to share some of my experiences as a former East Coaster:

• “Seattle Freeze”: sorry guys, I’m just not seeing it. Overwhelmingly people here have been friendly and helpful. Strangers have been open to conversation, and when I sit on my patio folks stop to say hi and talk to me about my plants. The one thing I’ll say is that folks in general seem a little more reserved (I’m a native Southerner so I don’t expect anyone to match my socialization energy), but I wouldn’t call that a “freeze” by any means.
• Cleanliness and urban beauty: this is really a remarkably clean and gorgeous city by American standards. The architecture is amazing, the green spaces are well-kept, and most of the streets have been clear of trash. It shouldn’t be a pleasant surprise anywhere, but I rarely have trouble finding a trash can outdoors. You may be shocked to find out that this isn’t common at all in other cities and probably contributes heavily to the presence of garbage everywhere.
• Homelessness: yup, it’s a problem. That said, I haven’t found it to be any worse than what I’ve experienced elsewhere. The big difference is that in Baltimore/DC (my last two cities), the focus is on hiding the problem, so unhoused people are uprooted and corralled into parts of town that are less visible. It’s not uncommon to turn a corner and find an entire city block full of homeless and substance-addicted people cramped together because they’ve been stuffed there by the police so the rest of the city doesn’t have to look at them. It’s also heartening to have a city government that is actually making constructive efforts to address these challenges, instead of sweeping them under the rug. People here also have generally expressed empathy rather than disdain for these populations.
• Access to nature: this one is a given. Both within and outside the city, the scenery and activity options here blow away anything you’ll find on the other coast.
• Drivers: I’ve read a lot of comments about bad drivers here, and all I have to say is that y’all are adorable. I’ve had no issues at all and I’ve driven quite a bit in the past few months. Back East I’ve dealt with some of the most aggressive, erratic drivers you can imagine. Red lights are treated as a suggestion rather than a rule, and god help you if you try to use a crosswalk.
• Crosswalks: did you guys get lessons on crosswalk usage from the Canadians? People actually wait for the signal even if there’s no oncoming traffic and it is so cute. Pedestrians back East are almost as dangerous as cars, crossing against lights and wandering across busy streets without a care in the world. I’m still training myself to always wait for the signal.
• Public transport: wow, what a pleasant change. I’m used to buses that either show up extremely late, or in many circumstances blast past your stop even though they’re in service and have plenty of room. I’ve found the light rail to be efficient and unbelievably clean compared to Baltimore’s filthy padded cells that amble through town seemingly on their own schedule. Even the DC Metro, once considered one of if not the best systems in the country, has gone way downhill in the past 20 years and is often filthy, unreliable, and in a few experiences I’ve had, dangerous. Also, tap to pay on all transit? What a luxury.
• Cost of living: yes, very, very high. That said, most things such as rent and food cost about the same as DC, but with far better city amenities and a much more laid-back atmosphere. I’m also seeing higher salaries in my field here and no state/local income tax (a huge deal in Maryland), so overall I think the difference will be a wash.

tldr; My experience in my first months in Seattle has been amazing. I now fully understand “I’m never leaving Seattle.” I had been actively looking at emigrating to Canada before moving here, and now I’m second-guessing that idea since I’ve found a place in the US that is very, very wonderful to live in.

Picture: me, Violette and Sheba (RIP).