Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Newcomers, Growth, and Hostility
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July 11, 2015 at 2:53 pm #817892
yes2wsParticipantYou know?… In reading through the forum, I inevitably run across a post/comment that seems almost hostile in its attempt to discourage newcomers and growth. I’m not a native, and of the friends I’ve made here in Seattle, only a few actually are native to the area. Also, several of us live in apartments while we search for our next home to purchase. Around town, I haven’t picked up on any latent hostility toward my friends, myself, or those like us; only here in the blog. Is this really how some of you are hoping to come across… as mean and unwelcoming?
July 11, 2015 at 3:10 pm #825749
NorthwestParticipantI am from here and have always lived here in West Seattle alot of the people I grew up with around here went to school with lived in and around the neighborhood 98116 they have all moved to Bothell Kent or out of state priced out. I don’t at all look forward to the growth here but have to accept it. Have deep roots in this region for over a hundred years and it really sucks seeing it dramatically change. I don’t welocme new comers either but also have to come to some acceptance.
July 11, 2015 at 3:42 pm #825750
montanapupParticipantWelcome to Seattle! You are encountering our typical Seattle passive agressive. Have you experienced the Freeze yet? So the answer to your question is – yes.
I think the hostility is magnified by the lack of rain and how hot it’s been as well. We dont like this Africa hot – and our ire becomes more evident when the newcomers tell us how much they like the sunny weather as it reminds them of California, Florida……….
July 11, 2015 at 3:53 pm #825751
SmittyParticipantWelcome.
I don’t think it’s unique to West Seattle – you would more than likely experience the same things in other neighborhoods – but it might be exacerbated here because of the highly used WSB.
I wish that people complaining about growth would state when THEY arrived so we know when the growth should have been stopped!
July 11, 2015 at 4:11 pm #825752
yes2wsParticipantGood one, Smitty! Thanks, montanapup. :-)
July 11, 2015 at 4:32 pm #825753
datamuseParticipantA few years ago somebody here told me I was still a newcomer because I’d only moved to West Seattle in 1999. I was surprised, because I’d previously only encountered that attitude in New England. (There, you’re a newbie until you have grandchildren.)
July 11, 2015 at 4:34 pm #825754
WSBKeymasterWhen we moved here in 1991, it was the middle of the “evil Californians, stay away” fad. No consumer Internet back then. Just newspaper articles, letters to the editor, etc. We were “evil Californians,” came here from San Diego because I had a job offer. Didn’t encounter much actual F2F hostility and didn’t really care. So I hope none of our new residents are paying much attention to it now. When we are at festivals, as we are again this weekend, we get a fair amount of booth visitors who tell us they moved here in part BECAUSE they found WSB and tons of information about the area and a reliable source of actual as-it-happens news (plus an updated neighborhood-specific event calendar) … something many other neighborhoods don’t have. – TR
July 11, 2015 at 4:41 pm #825755
yes2wsParticipantOh, I love the blog… You guys are fantastic. :-) It’s just the unexpected post/comment that I invariably run across that inspired my post this morning. [Especially after having enjoyed the WS Summer Fest yesterday.]
July 11, 2015 at 4:41 pm #825756
NorthwestParticipantA great way for some of you new comers ,and I would be happy to join you, would be to show West Seattle how much you do love this area and organize a community wide cleanup in and around your neighborhood. Your typical bus stop, curbside in front of apartment or business, sidewalks and streets in general are littered with debris. It’s easily visible just outside of your home and with the growth here will only increase. How often do you see this type of event organized on the highly visible WSB? Prove me wrong that renters in these new cookie cutter apartments care about the community they live in enough to go pickup garbage. It does happen and I have participated in them great way to work together with those who have been here almost half a century to those a mere few months. Bring it on yes2ws and others!
July 11, 2015 at 4:51 pm #825757
datamuseParticipantIt seems a little odd to me that people who are new to the neighborhood and haven’t yet cultivated the kinds of social connections that make that sort of effort successful would be expected to organize such a thing.
Also, “Welcome to the neighborhood–now pick up the trash” doesn’t seem very welcoming to me. But what do I know, I’ve only been here for 16 years.
July 11, 2015 at 4:59 pm #825758
yes2wsParticipantNorthwest, I honestly hadn’t realized that I, and others like me, shouldn’t be simply joining in on these type events and instead, should be organizing them.
July 11, 2015 at 5:01 pm #825759
yes2wsParticipantThanks, datamuse. :-)
July 11, 2015 at 5:11 pm #825760
NorthwestParticipantSpeaking from my own personal experience working with groups I tend to like to work along side and not lead. I have not unfortunately in and around the junction surrounding streets neighborhood Genesee heard of or seen routine community cleanups maybe a new comer can step up and show some natives how it’s done. Just an idea. It takes a person with strong character to pickup trash just for the sake of doing it! With this dry weather it’s more about rescuing it from local waters which have been here long before any of us!
July 11, 2015 at 6:56 pm #825761
JanSParticipantI have been here for over 40 years…east coast transplant because of marriage (now divorced). Is that long enough? lol.
The West Seattle blog is a place to start…on the forums (fora?). I have been coming here since it’s inception. We’ve had fundraisers for different things..the food bank, someone whose business was firebombed…we’ve had get togethers…just had a picnic at Lincoln Park early last fall…advertised widely, attended by not so many, but those that were there had a great time getting to know each other, if we didn’t already know each other. I have made friends on here, some who I know will be lifelong. I have received support from my community when I was diagnosed with a life threatening, and life changing illness.
There are and will always be those who are more negative than positive, no matter where you go. Personally, when I hear the negative trolls on here, I engage them, get tired of it, and move on. It’s their problem, not mine. They’re the ones who would never participate in meetups when we have them, since they can’t spew the negativity face to face much. Honestly, there are more good than bad on the forums and in West Seattle. I will admit, the political posts can get a little iffy at times, but that’s the nature of discussions.One thing the editors really encourage here is to make your comments relative to the thread topic, and not about the person posting comments…it works really well most of the time (until, of course , we get to know the person away from the forums, and that leads to harmless snark at times – lol)
Welcome here…all are welcome, all comments are welcome…sometimes people will agree, sometimes not…it doesn’t mean you’re not wanted here :)
and, yeah, the heat has bothered a lot of people into crankiness :D
July 11, 2015 at 11:27 pm #825762
JoBParticipantyes2ws
please don’t take it personally
i don’t think it’s the newcomers that people object to
unless you count the newcomers who have chosen not to disrespect the community
but the sheer numbers and lack of infrastructure provided for those newcomers
it’s difficult to remain cheerful when your commute went from 20 minutes to 45 minimum in less than 5 years and when you can’t access the great local shops in the junction because you can’t find parking.
i suspect these are things that distress you too .. even if you only arrived last week
July 11, 2015 at 11:30 pm #825763
JoBParticipantoh.. and depending on where you came from..
you might find it difficult to make friends here
when you invite people over for dinner and they come and have a great time and don’t reciprocate… it might not be because they don’t like you
they just don’t invite anyone except close friends and family to dinner at home
connections here tend to be more activity related..
so go find things you love to do and as a consequence you’ll find people to do them with
July 12, 2015 at 1:30 pm #825764
TanDLParticipantDenny Westneat of today’s Seattle Times says it better than I could (see link below). Newcomers found this cool place and moved here. We certainly don’t fault you for that – it’s a sign of intelligence to move to a cool, community oriented neighborhood. Who we fault are the City authorities who are allowing growth without one twit of planning so far as we can tell and that cool place that drew you here is rapidly disappearing. It seems that City Officials are handing our city over to developers without any thought of maintaining our wonderful quality of life. Welcome to West Seattle, newcomers! Please join the fight to keep our West Seattle neighborhood the quality, caring, close-knit and somewhat affordable community that drew you here.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/more-density-would-only-inflame-seattles-growing-pains/
July 12, 2015 at 5:15 pm #825765
GinaParticipantMy parents moved here in 1939. My mother was from Enumclaw, and would always hear “you didn’t grow up here, you wouldn’t know this, but…” There was a lot of concern about non northern Europeans moving to West Seattle and dragging things down. My father was one of the undesirables. My mother would be presented with petitions to sign about keeping out others. Lots of West Seattle properties had restrictions on them. If all service people had been able to get GI loans and buy without restricted areas after WWII, West Seattle would be a better place today.
July 12, 2015 at 5:38 pm #825766
acemotelParticipantThe only thing that bothers me is city department heads who get jobs in Seattle and come in to make changes without taking the time and effort to understand what’s happening. i.e. SDOT. For that matter, former mayors too. (we all know who) People who come here to live because they like it here: WELCOME! Everyone was new once, if not this generation, then some other one.
July 12, 2015 at 7:14 pm #825767
BonnieParticipantI am a native of Seattle. Grew up in Burien, moved to WS in 1990. While I do not like all the growth that has come to WS I have to say I have met some wonderful friends who are not originally from Seattle. In fact, most of my friends are not from Seattle.
July 12, 2015 at 9:27 pm #825768
AJPParticipantPeople hate change of any kind. They think back to the good ole days with rose-colored glasses, and forget that people have been railing against newcomers and longing for the way things were for, well, the history of humankind. And remember, comment forums are always full of weirdos. Welcome to West Seattle!
July 12, 2015 at 9:28 pm #825769
AJPParticipantAlso, the youth of this generation are worse than any previous generation.
July 12, 2015 at 10:50 pm #825770
StumbledoreMember“we get a fair amount of booth visitors who tell us they moved here in part BECAUSE they found WSB”
Best line in this thread. What would West Seattle be without a blog?
FYI Californians are still evil. Also very parched and looking for water.
July 13, 2015 at 2:55 am #825771
JoBParticipantStumbledore
I liked Gov Tom McCall of Oregon’s slogan
don’t Californicate Oregon
seems apt
July 13, 2015 at 2:30 pm #825772
anonymeParticipantIt’s human nature to be territorial. Feeling the squeeze is something that is happening everywhere, not just West Seattle. Even the most pea-brained among us must realize on some primitive level what this unprecedented growth ultimately means for all of us: the demise of our species. Worldwide population is currently at 2-3 times a sustainable level. Between the population bomb and the climate bomb we’ve got about a century left.
Good job, breeders and boomers.
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