Top 10 Seattle Newbie Surprises in 2010

Image tagged Seattlest by Mike Fietchner

Some Seattlests, like this one, are new to the city, and moving to a new place always has its surprises. Sometimes, the surprises come in the form of exciting hidden gems. Other times, they come in the form of confirmation of stereotypes. And still other times, they come in the form of things we really wish we'd known we'd have to deal with before we got here. We've got all types of newbie news (that certainly won't be news to natives) on our list of the top surprises (some pleasant, some distinctly unpleasant) we encountered as new Seattleites in 2010.

1. Damnable Drivers

Maybe the transition from honk-happy Boston to subservient Seattle particularly emphasized PNW drivers' unusual level of deference, but good goddamn: nobody here knows how to drive. Whether slowing to a crawl because of a few raindrops, shockingly bad traffic (I seriously expected everyone here to bike, not drive), pedestrians who aren't even needing to cross, one of those tricky four-way stops (seriously guys, there are rules* on how to handle those), or daydreaming distractions (PAY ATTENTION AND DRIVE PEOPLE), Seattle stands out as a uniquely frustrating place to operate a motor vehicle. I'll take the angry drivers of New England any day: at least they cut you off on purpose, not because they're contemplating whether they need to turn their compost pile. On a related note...

2. Poor Public Transit

The bus system is passable (and runs much later than Boston's), but the light rail is useless, and the middling use of transit overall is a real surprise in such an eco-friendly city. Everyone seems to drive when going out on weekends, making it kinda awkward to be the lone party-attired lady on a mostly-empty bus. We should probably get some more effective solutions in place so folks don't feel the need to drive so much, but...

3. Passive-Aggressive Politics (and everything else)

Passive-aggressiveness interferes with getting almost anything done around here, whether at the office or in the obfuscating system of government. But I guess if I were smart, I would have known Seattle was passive-aggressive. Right?

4. A City of Not-Neighborly Neighborhoods

People also like to call Boston a city of neighborhoods, but the 'hoods in Seattle are somewhat more divisive and difficult to navigate between. This can lead to strong neighborhood identity, but also to insularity and a certain type of ego about one's area, which in combination with passive-aggressiveness fosters the infamous Seattle Freeze. Have I already met people who immediately gave me the cold shoulder for not living in Capitol Hill or for not hanging out in the Central District? Why yes, I have. Welcome to Seattle?

5. Hillarity

Seattle is so hilly it's not even funny. This city may be known mainly for its rain, but it also deserves mention for the considerable hills that make the city topographically interesting but cardiovascularly challenging. Whether running a marathon up Madison and Interlaken (which sucked, by the way), biking up Fremont, or just trying to walk to work downtown, Seattleites have plenty of help from hills in staying fit. The Burke-Gilman does provide welcome flat terrain for commuting, but it's almost impossible to avoid at least some inclines on most trips around Seattle. Along with #6, it's a good reason to stay home and foster your neighborhood identity.

6. Rain City

Having previously lived in Portland, I expected Seattle to be a similar dose of nonstop drizzle—never heavy enough to soak your hoodie, but never light enough to dry the sidewalks. Seattle actually rains quite a bit harder (making umbrellas more handy), but a bit less often, making it possible to go outside at least once a day and not feel those dreaded drops on your head. Case in point: this morning, I got completely soaked while waiting for the bus; now, it's sunny out and the sky is blue. Even the rain can't make up its passive-aggressive mind.

7. Snow Daze

As the northernmost major city in the United States, you might expect Seattle to know a thing or two about the white stuff. I'd heard the horror stories about the storms of 2008, of course, but I took them with a grain of salt: a major metropolitan hub 30 minutes from the mountains can't be that incompetent in dealing with snow, right? Uhh, wrong. A measly two inches shut down the city for four days, until the familiar rains arrived to wash it all away—but not before streets became slip 'n slides, buses became toboggans, and thousands of folks stayed home to watch weather-related YouTube videos rather than do real work.

8. Coffee Craze

It shouldn't be a surprise, but it kind of was: Seattle really has coffee shops everywhere, many of the shops really are independent, and the coffee is actually really good (really!). It's a pleasant change from the generic Dunkin Donuts experience on the East Coast and has almost converted me into a coffee drinker (though I'm still mostly attached to tea). Give me a few more months here and I'll likely be espresso-addicted.

9. Asian Influence

It makes sense, given how far west we are, but it still feels nice to nestle in an enclave of delicious Asian food, including some amazing sushi and inventive Thai dishes. Uwajimaya is a real haven for those craving Asian ingredients, and it's easy to find decent Asian food (something Boston is somewhat lacking in) on almost every block. The strong community of Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders is welcome too: I love being able to listen to the Hawaii Radio Connection and get mac nut chocolates at the Hawaii General Store. Plus, a six-hour flight to Hawaii instead of an 18-hour one? Yes, please.

10. Microsoft Madness

Everyone really does work for Microsoft. Or did. Or would like to. Or has lived with someone who did. Et cetera, et cetera, and thereon. Oh, and people actually have Zunes and Windows phones? Huh.

Several new Seattleites contributed to this post. Other surprises included how beautiful it honestly is (stunning views everywhere, gorgeous parks, and—my favorite—the fucking mountains), how expensive (though delicious) the beer is, and how many homeless people there are, everywhere.

*Seriously, there is a real rule about what to do: "At a four-way stop the driver reaching the intersection first, goes first (after coming to a complete stop). If more than one vehicle arrives at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first." So stop waving me through and just take your turn already.