Is Seattle really that bad?

[West Seattle since 1979]

I haven’t been out much since the pandemic started. Yes, I know there have been problems but is it really so bad hat someone would say “That place is crap. I wouldn’t go near there. Don’t open your business there.” This was in response to a company asking if they should open a boutique for their product. I wanted to cry or scream for some reason. So disturbing. I’ve seen this sentiment elsewhere. Yet some folks don’t seem to be completely negative.

• This topic was modified 3 years ago by West Seattle since 1979.

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[Michael Waldo]

I don’t think Seattle is “bad”. We have a terrible city counsel right now but hopefully the next election we can vote in people who actually want to govern.

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[Vanessa]

(Stay off local right wing radio, TV and news like channel 4. Sinclair Broadcasting.)

Bloom where you are planted. Open your business and they will come.

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[aa]

I’d say sad rather than bad. Homeless encampments, massive amounts of garbage, broken down campers/trailers, if anyone asked me if they should move here I would say no, it’s not the city it used to be.

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[melissa]

No. It’s not. As far as people who think this is a Seattle-specific problem, it’s not. It’s a US problem of the wealthy getting wealthier and the less wealthy getting poorer. Our taxation system has become more and more regressive over the past thirty year as housing has gotten more and more expensive. And those problems are showcased here because of the tech sector.

It’s not the city council’s fault, nor is it the governor’s fault. We can help this situation by voting for higher corporate taxes and higher taxes on the super wealthy. We can also support business owners like Dan Price of Gravity Payments, who work to see that all of his employees are fairly paid and that there aren’t huge discrepancies between the CEO and the workers. Support a high minimum wage so that people can afford housing. Recognize that many people who are not houseless because of povery are houseless because of un- or poorly-treated mental illness; work towards health care for all, including mental health care. While blaming the city council and the governor may seem like a quick fix, it isn’t.

Oh, and as a small business owner in Seattle who knows many other small business owners, this is a tough place to have a small business, but so are may others. Large corporations have economies of scale and tax breaks we don’t get.

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[22blades]

I travel for a living so I get a pretty good sampling of other cities both in the US & abroad.

My observation is that while Seattle is not unique to issues such as homeless, the severity is more pronounced. The littering is by far the worst. Since you’ve been here since 1979, you are familiar with the indecision that the city experiences. Bold moves or fixes just don’t seem to happen here.

As for the physical city, I feel like other posters that this is an extremely small business unfriendly city. My retirement dream of a small neighborhood business has long gone. Retail leases for storefronts are unsustainable. I would bet if you asked every food truck operator if they want a storefront restaurant, they would love it. They simply can’t. I consider it retail homelessness.

Aesthetically, it’s architecture on the cheap & probably a victim of Private Equity Funds that care less. How do you have a neighborly conversation with them. The city’s development & construction department is broken & serves only big operators. Private citizens seem to be a nuisance.

I genuinely felt Seattle was the best city by far… until the late 1990’s. Why am I still here? Inertia… My family infrastructure is here. If I were to suddenly to be on my very own, I would probably move to another country altogether.

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[Gretchen O]

Yes, Seattle is that bad. It has gotten worse with each passing year. The acceptance of homeless, trash, crime and open air drug use is revolting.

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[Dunno]

Blame the messenger! Seattle is not going in the right direction. Over 200 businesses have left. Drive through the core! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that we are going the wrong direction. West Seattle bridge, closed streets abound, 25 mph arterials, confusing bike lanes and traffic configurations, needles all over our parks, unsanitary conditions on city streets, electric cords crossing sidewalks and wet streets to power homeless campers and shelters…sure, open and they will come…break your windows, spray paint your siding, and the list goes on and on. Crimes up, safety’s down!

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