velvetmagnus t1_itsrrb0 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:01 AM

Reply to comment by loonarknight in For those who have left Boston, what do you miss the most? by [deleted]

I lived in Seattle for 8 years and have lived in Boston for the last 5. Overall, I enjoyed my time there. I met some wonderful people, including my husband, and had some of the best times of my life. But we bought in Boston because we like it better.

Some of the main reasons we left:

-The weather wears on you. It's 45 and drizzling for 7-8 months of the year. Its miserable not seeing the sun. Our first year here, my husband commented on how much happier he is even though it's a bit colder. Summers are perfect: 75-80 with no humidity. Except the one month where the air quality is so atrocious thanks to the wildfires that they tell everyone to stay inside and it hurts to breathe after a while.

-I found it hard to make friends even though I went to college there. People here are more straightforward and it's easier to know where you stand. I like to joke that "We should hang out sometime" is Seattle's unofficial motto and bailing on plans the unofficial past time. They get angry at you when you say this, but I found the Seattle Freeze to be real.

-Transit is a joke. Yes, worst than Boston. It's also such a large city land-wise that bussing from one part to another can take hours and hours and multiple transfers. They're extending the light rail, but it won't be finished by 2040. You'll be driving a bunch if you want to explore the city. Traffic is bad and parking is annoying.

-It's just not as close to things as Boston is. You got Vancouver and Portland. CA and Vegas are a short flight. It's closer to Asia, but that's still a long flight. Boston has all of New England within driving distance. NYC is also close. DC, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, Philly, are all short flights. Europe is closer to Boston than Asia to Seattle and the flights are cheaper too.

-Homelessness and addiction is a real issue. I don't know the solution. More public services and better mental healthcare probably. But I know that I've been spit on, screamed at, followed, groped, someone pet my hair once, one time a man almost peed on me, and my husband was pricked by a used needle stuck between two bus seats. Mass and Cass is standard in multiple places throughout the city.

-Property crime is also ridiculous in Seattle. Nearly everyone I know who had a car had it broken into at one point (me included). Half the people I know who had bikes had theirs stolen (me included). I had so many packages stolen. People regularly prowled our parking lot and garage. Cops didn't care even if you called while the person was there. Speaking of cops, SPD had more cops at Jan 6 than any other PD in the country.

That being said, I met some of my best friends, had some of the best nights, and ate some of the best food in Seattle. Some people absolutely love it there and you might too. It's similar to Boston in a lot of ways and does some things better than Boston.

SLUer12 t1_itus7e8 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:48 PM

All true except schools in Seattle are still largely functional compared to Boston. It was much harder to raise a family in Boston and before we left Seattle we had moved to a Boston collar suburb because BPS was just so terrible. This means a lot of the benefits of Boston aren’t quite as applicable and accessible anymore if you have kids but can’t afford private school. In Seattle we are still able to raise three kids in the city proper. So pound for pound the amenities available to us are much greater.

You will also notice there are well maintained playgrounds everywhere across Seattle with actual kids in them. In Boston, many of these playgrounds are empty. Overall I feel the city is more family friendly.

I also don’t agree on the public transportation either. Seattle has a phenomenal bus system, way better than Boston’s and it goes everywhere including sleepy single family home neighborhoods past midnight at 15 min frequency. There are also dedicated bus lanes everywhere. The rail system is small but it is growing and really I get around faster on the bus in Seattle than I did on the green line in Boston, and most lines now with the state of MBTA. We are 15 min bus ride from science museum, pike place, zoo, three or four farmers markets, concert venues and several large parks.

Vancouver is a phenomenal city too and it’s just 2.5 hrs away. We go often for events and festivals. NYC is much farther away for Boston and not a great drive.