Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Is it hard to make friends here?
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May 10, 2015 at 3:22 pm #817395
buffalobleuMemberMy wife and I are house-hunting in Seattle and fell in love with a place in Belvidere. I’ve been reading up on Seattle neighborhoods (and this blog in particular) and I get the “small town in a big city” thing – it sounds wonderful but I just wonder how long it will take to be part of it? The only people we know in the city (just acquaintances really) are up around The U. We’re no dummies – I can use the internet – and come the fall I’ll volunteer at the kids’ school (we’ll have a K & second grader) and meet some people that way but I’m just wondering – for any families who moved recently – was it hard to meet people?
May 10, 2015 at 5:23 pm #824129
SmittyParticipantVery easy. Our neighborhood is awesome and we became fast friends very quickly. West Seattle in general really does have a small town feel to it, even though it is actually quite large.
That said, fair warning. If you like any chain restaurants, have a green lawn, drive a SUV or fly an American flag (all of the above for me!) you might find it hard to fit in – we got lucky and live in a “red” neighborhood!
The libs are nice too, just a bit judgmental.
May 10, 2015 at 9:24 pm #824130
JanSParticipantcommunity is a big, big thing in West Seattle. I have lived here for 40 years, and have met many very wonderful people. A couple of very, very good friends actually became friends through this forum. My only family here is a daughter, her hubs, and 1 yo, so the community is definitely where it’s at)
LOL..smitty…wasn’t that just a bit judgemental? Possible newbie, us liberals on here still like Smitty, though :) (there’s a “red” neighborhood in WS?) And I’m more liberal than Smitty, and looking forward to Chipotle (a chain) coming to the Alaska Junction :)
If you end up here, in Belvidere (lovely neighborhood), be sure to stay in contact on this forum…and an early welcome to our small big town :)
May 10, 2015 at 10:56 pm #824131
MercyMoiParticipantLast year my aunt and uncle moved to West Seattle after living 40 years in another Seattle neighborhood. Now they say they can’t imagine living anywhere else! They love their neighbors and the larger community, they even think people tend to smile more in West Seattle. I have lived here fifteen years and while I’ve had the opportunity to leave I’ve opted to stay because I like the community. I have a young son and have made friends with many like-minded parents. We’re lucky to live where there are so many good schools, so whichever school your kiddos end up at, you have a great chance at enjoying your involvement and getting to know the families there.
By the way, I’m a Seattle native (from Ballard) and I do believe in the “Seattle Ice”. It can be hard to make friends, even for natives! But West Seattle really is different. It’s like, “Seattle Lukewarm” over here. ;) Having kids is a natural foray into just about any community, however… just especially so here.
May 11, 2015 at 2:38 pm #824132
BonnieParticipantNo, I don’t think it’s hard to make friends. Once your kids start school in the fall you will meet many other parents and that will be a great start.
May 11, 2015 at 3:52 pm #824133
birdrescuerParticipantAll the above is true—-however, Seattle folks are often more polite than warm and friendly. If your from the east coast be prepared for a big change in emotion level. Pretty low key here. I have been here over 30 years and, fortunately for me, I had some communities in which to connect. Professionally I have seen it over and over again that it is hard to find deeper connections. With kids you have a much better chance through school and other kid activities. Welcome.
May 11, 2015 at 4:06 pm #824134
mpentoParticipantI’m a little concerned that most of the replies you will get there will be well intentioned yes people are nice and it will be easy to make friends. Yes if you are “normal” and have the standard 2 kids a cat and a dog. But west Seattle is also quite exclusive by nature and layout. Also a good bit of passive aggressive. All you have to do is look at the rant posts on the forum compared to community positive posts. If you have an opinion that differs to the norm it will be smothered not by those who are against your opinion but by the overpowering desire to enlighten you about how your opinion might be due to a lack of understanding on your part
May 11, 2015 at 4:28 pm #824135
texasMemberyes, it is hard to make friends here. I have lived in several European cities, as well as Chicago. I have been in Seattle for 35 years and this city, by far, is the hardest place to connect socially. West Seattle isn’t much different than other parts of the city, socially. (although we like to think we are) Partly it depends on your neighbors. I have had those who barely said hello, and those who wanted to socialize. Having children is a big plus, as you immediately have a social circle with other people of similar interests. I think I made the most friends when my kids were small, through the various sports teams, bus routes, school activities, etc.
Anecdotally, of all the areas of Seattle where I’ve lived (Ballard, UDist, Maple Leaf, Fremont, Cap Hill, West Seattle, Burien) I found the friendliest to be Capitol Hill. Just my personal experience…..
May 11, 2015 at 5:08 pm #824136
clulessinwsParticipantPossible newbie – just fyi, all of the elementary schools in West Seattle are over crowded. A new elementary school is opening in 2016 but it will basically be at capacity when it opens.
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There are a lot of nice, community minded people (at least to your face .. the forum is a whole different animal) but there also some people who act out aggressively in public. I never used to see this in West Seattle. I guess it’s a sign of getting bigger and “better.”
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Many neighborhoods in WS are targets of home and car break ins. We have some friends in the Belvedere area whos home was broken into by a mentally ill homeless man. A lot of sentimental items were taken as well as electronics like ipads, iphones, etc .. None were recovered and the police know who they guy is but he is still free.
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Homelessness in general is on the rise in WS, panhandling, property crime, etc.
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Transportation is something to look at too. If you drive, be prepared for it to take a long time to get out of WS in the morning and almost as long to get back home at night. If you use the bus, they have been crowded these last 2 years with routes being combined, budget issues.
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Tough call but to me, one has to pick a spot that is the best fit over all.. I think there are some better areas of Seattle but maybe they have the same problems we do and we just don’t hear about them.
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Your having young kids, you will make friends quickly. I know we did.
May 11, 2015 at 8:41 pm #824137
buffalobleuMemberThanks everyone for your thoughts – even the “cautionary” ones are helpful :)
Well, we’re sold – we’re going to put in an offer on the place we saw this weekend. Wish us luck! See you around the junction . . . hopefully.
May 11, 2015 at 9:16 pm #824138
JanSParticipantGood luck !! :)
May 11, 2015 at 9:24 pm #824139
JanSParticipantClulessinws…contrary to popular belief, many of us on the forum are pretty nice people. We even have get-to-gethers, and have made friends on the forum. Also, there is crime in every neighborhood in Seattle. We hear about it more now, but it has happened for many years. I have lived here for 40 years…and I don’t think I have ever seen anyone panhandling. Homelessness is on the rise in the whole city, not just in West Seattle. It’s a sad sign of the times.
So, yes we have the West Seattle Blog, and they have crime reports on a weekly basis. We share and keep up on what’s going on in our community. Other neighborhoods have blogs, too, that report on such things. Yes, West Seattle is growing…but the community and the people are friendly, respectful, for the most part. Belvidere is a lovely neighborhood, and close to many things. No place is perfect…how boring would that be? ;-)
May 11, 2015 at 10:37 pm #824140
BonnieParticipantGood luck! I hope you get the house. There have been bidding wars on houses recently so I really hope it works out!
May 12, 2015 at 3:58 am #824141
JoBParticipantpossible newbie..
the easiest way to make friends is to get involved.. whether it is in kid’s activities, sports, church organizations, volunteerism or even one of the many local book clubs.
good advice anywhere.. especially good advice here.
you’ve made a good start by posting in the forum.
May 12, 2015 at 4:00 am #824142
JoBParticipantsmitty
my lawn is green. mostly god is watering it but it does catch some overflow from the new veggie/flower bee/butterfly garden out front
May 25, 2015 at 2:18 am #824143
buffalobleuMemberHey everyone, we got it! So I changed my name to buffalobleu (long story) because I am no longer a possible newbie – I am an actual newbie, or a soon-to-be-newbie. We’ll be up on July 1st, ready to participate it your (our) special brand of crazy.
May 25, 2015 at 2:43 am #824144
PibalParticipantCongratulations! And welcome!
May 25, 2015 at 3:45 am #824145
JoBParticipantwelcome!
May 25, 2015 at 4:45 am #824146
JanSParticipantbuffalobleu….bring on the crazy ! :)
May 25, 2015 at 1:09 pm #824147
BonnieParticipantCongratulations!!! Welcome to West Seattle
May 25, 2015 at 2:38 pm #824148
miwsParticipantCongrats and Welcome, buffalobleu!
Once you get here, be sure to check the WSB Main Page, not only for up to the minute news, recaps of meetings relevant to West Seattle, (and much more), but also for the daily report of goings on for that day.
Included in that, will be any Community Events and/or Meetings going on. That info can also be found in the “Events” Section (Tab at top of page).
Just about the time you should at least have narrow paths to get from room to room in your new Home, and will need a break from unpacking, the Annual West Seattle Summer Fest will be happening in the Junction, July 10, 11, 12.
Along with all of the fun stuff at the Event, this will be your first chance to meet the WSB Team, usually Tabling at the California/Alaska intersection. Don’t be shy about stopping and saying “Hi” to them, they’re Good People and are the reason we are all here, and that many of us have become close, personal friends.
Again, Welcome! And sending positive vibes for a smooth move!
Mike
May 25, 2015 at 3:14 pm #824149
2 Much WhineParticipantWelcome to the neighborhood! You might be a bit distracted with the move and all but if you can find time to do the July 4 kid’s parade you will not be disappointed. It is an awesome, grassroots neighborhood event (whether you have kids or not). Definitely gives WS a small town feel. You will most certainly be able to find out more about it on the West Seattle Blog.
May 25, 2015 at 5:49 pm #824150
buffalobleuMemberthanks everyone! we do have kids and we’ll definitely need a fun distraction for them besides an intro to the neighborhood, so I’m sure we’ll be at both the parade and the festival.
I’ve already been following WSB on Facebook, so it’s like we’re already there . . . except it’s 49 degrees in SF right now, so, not quite :)
May 25, 2015 at 5:58 pm #824151
WSBKeymasterNot very warm today here either. Memorial Day is invariably cloudy … our first Memorial Day in our house (1993). it poured. But by the time you get here, it’ll be awesome.
P.S. Re: Facebook, we only crosslink there about a tenth of the news and events we cover, so just know, especially once you get here, that the website remains the sole home of ALL our coverage (plus the calendar mentioned by Mike, the lost/found pets page, weather, traffic, local business information, what have you), Crime Watch, and so on.
And welcome. If you see the occasional grumps about newcomers, by the way, don’t let it get you down, that was happening when we headed this way in the early ’90s … dire warnings that Californians in particular should dump their license plates at the border … it all turned out OK. Great place to raise kids; ours, the only West Seattle native in the house, is leaving the nest shortly, but what a time it was, digging in the sand at Alki, playing on the original Roxhill Castle playground (which now has a successor), ferry and water-taxi rides, I could go on, but it’s back to work. Good luck with your move.
-Tracy (editor & co-publisher)
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