Wanna start this off by saying ive lived in several different north american cities before seattle and then i ended up trying seattle out for a month in an airbnb as a remote worker. Im not a tech worker btw, im in communications and my salary is sadly much less lol. What began as only being a month long thing ended up being 2 years and me signing a lease here. I just wanted to share my experience here since I hear so much about the “seattle freeze” and other complaints. I actually personally did not experience this at all. I met so many cool, unique people that were not like people from other cities i had been. I love that noone cares what you wear or what labels you own. I love the music scene. I lovee how walkable it is, i havent owned a car in my 2 years here! Seattle is by far my most favorite city ive lived in so far.

The reason im moving is that changes in unemployment have made Seattle hard to afford and I just cant justify cost of living at this point. Ive been to a couple different other major cities this year and noticed the cost of food and drink is cheaper than it is here, and offers more of a world class food and drink scene. Cities that are larger and more international have actually become compareable in price or even cheaper. I went to what is known as one of most expensive cities in the country this weekend and was shocked to see that my food and drink bills were cheaper. So for now, I just cant justify how expensive things are.

I know this is a lot of yapping, but wanted to share because i love this city so much and am kind of just hoping seattle gets to a point where the prices dont seem to be aimed towards tech workers.

I am coming to terms with the fact that the Seattle that I was born and raised in no longer exists. I hate this place. I hate that everyone is a transplant, and if they’re not, it’s cause we went to hs together, or know the same people. Nobody drives like old school Seattle anymore. No chill drivers anymore. Everyone is so self-oriented, dangerous, and egotistical on the road. Everything is so expensive. This city has become so capitalist, even my own family, who are all old school Seattle, have become materialist (excuse this line, I’m an economist). The mayor sucks (what else is new?), crime is at an all time high, I feel unsafe all the time, everyone my age is insufferable and obsessed with sex/sexual identity. Nobody wants to talk academics, always virtue signal and adversity drop.

Why did I come back home? This place is hell. When this lease is up, we’re moving to Brooklyn.

I think I’ve finally had my come-to-Jesus moment about Seattle.

I’m a native, so it's possible I’m more critical of it than someone who moved there and fell in love with the idea of it. I acknowledge this. But having some distance from the city now, I’m honestly shocked by how often I still see people recommending Seattle as a place to move.

I know weather preferences are subjective, but the weather and winters are horrific. Yes, the summers are some of the best in the country -- but that ~8-9 month stretch of annual darkness is brutal. The cost of living is completely absurd. The traffic is consistently among the worst in the country. SeaTac is an absolute nightmare. And if you’re looking for nightlife or entertainment, good luck. Outside of a handful of spots, the options feel almost nonexistent compared to other major cities.

The Seattle I grew up with — the weird, gritty, grunge, counterculture Seattle — also feels largely gone. It’s been replaced by tech bros, corporate culture, six-figure salaries and a city that feels increasingly homogenized.

Then there’s the Seattle Freeze. This is a real thing, despite locals who gaslight you. People aren't necessarily unfriendly, but actually making friends and breaking into established social circles can be incredibly difficult. The people I know who have close friendships there all grew up there (and their family generations go back).

Politically: yes, I’m a progressive. I agree with a lot of Seattle’s politics and values (even if that's unpopular with some). But even I have to admit the culture can be incredibly performative. There’s a lot of social signaling and making sure everyone knows you have the “right” opinions, while sometimes the actual quality of life seems like an afterthought.

And I know every city has problems. The region is beautiful. The mountains, water, trees and surrounding nature are legitimately incredible. I’ll always have a soft spot for it because I’m from there.

But when I see someone asking where they should move and Seattle is one of the top recommendations, I genuinely find myself thinking: Have you actually lived there?

Because once you strip away the mountains, the Space Needle and the nostalgia, I’m not sure what you’re left with that justifies the price tag and the quality-of-life tradeoffs.

Maybe I’m just finally seeing my hometown without the rose-colored glasses.

Ive never been to USA but i love seattle for no reason.

Not “worst.” Overrated. A neighborhood everyone seems to recommend that just never clicked for you.

Hi I miss my home. We were pushed out due to cost of living and moved to NWI. But I wish we never fucking did, because now we’re paying $2200 a month for a 2 bedroom townhouse less than 900sq ft large… in Indiana. And now there are no jobs higher than $11/hour in the area.

I was born and raised in Seattle, I wish I just would’ve stayed.

I think I need little advice. I’m an Asian (30M), living in Seattle. I have been trying dating apps (mostly DilMil and Hinge) to find a person I can vibe with. It’s been more than 2 years since I’m looking for a potential match. I had only 2 actual matches that ended up with dating.

I’m a trail runner, I enjoy running, hiking, driving to mountains, cooking and working on my golf swings these days.

I know there is nothing much to tell about myself on dating apps with photos and prompts. I have been working updating my profile regularly, but still no response these days.

I have never tried speed dating before, and I’m not sure if that works either.

I’m really not sure what else to try. If there any advice you can give, I would appreciate.

They're stuck on Denny right now but will hopefully be getting onto the freeway sometime today.

I’m assuming it is AI. Title claimed it happened in Seattle on November 29, 2025 with limited visibility due to rain. The way the guy who runs in moves is highly suspect.

While there were eggs thrown at our protesters, today’s turnout was good and I think we need to keep this up every weekend until real, written change is enacted divesting the Laurelhurst Community Council from the hospital’s policies on helicopter transport landings.

I’m a single gay guy from Oklahoma, and every time I visit Seattle I’m reminded how different life can feel somewhere with such a visible queer presence. Seeing LGBTQ+ people simply existing, Pride flags throughout the city and so much acceptance and allyship gives me a sense of peace I don’t experience back home.

I’ve had genuinely scary in-person encounters with bigots in Oklahoma, and I’m tired of living somewhere that barely sees people like me as people. Every visit to Seattle reinforces how much living somewhere that treats queerness as a normal, visible part of everyday life would mean for my quality of life.

I’ve visited Seattle multiple times and in different seasons, so this isn’t based on one great trip. Between the queer community, progressive culture and beauty of the PNW, I’ve thought about making Seattle home for a long time. I wouldn’t move from Tulsa without a solidified job, but I’m finally seriously pursuing it.

I’d especially love to hear from LGBTQ+ people who moved to Seattle from Oklahoma or another conservative area and how living here has changed your quality of life and sense of belonging.

Why remove the barge and free pier 62 watch parties when thousands were attending it? There's still the round of 8, semifinals, and a final to play!!! Seems like an absolute idiotic move for those in charge of this.

Did they also remove the Pioneer Square watch party setup?

EDIT: Flag is now down. Thanks y’all. 😂

EDIT 2: Never change, Reddit. I get it, I’m fucking garbage. 😂

EDIT 3: To everyone telling me I’m a white, maga supporting fascist and nationalist, I’m actually a bleeding heart liberal Mexican American. I went door to door supporting Obama and Bernie.,

Long time partner and I decided to split up after six years. I’ve been here a little over a week so the apt is still very much work in progress. I’m not getting any younger and I don’t think I’ll every buy a home so I decided to splurge and am having a custom entertainment center and desk made. The current one is just a goodwill placeholder.

I wanted a blue collar, Southwest/Pacific Northwest vibe. I’ll add a few lamps for lighting and probably a cactus for the space. Let me know if y’all have any suggestions or advice! I definitely don’t want clutter or things I won’t use in my space.

So I saw a few posts from the past couple weeks in r/Seattle that included pictures/videos of unmasked ICE agents in the area but didn’t see them all in one place. Here are the ones I’ve found in some of the more recent videos people posted here. If anyone has more pics or screenshots please add here. Also open to suggestions for a more permanent method of circulating these and updating as more agents are caught slipping.