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| pic credit: (tripadvisor.com, 12bosox, Nov 2006) |
I've lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, just a short trip from Seattle. I'd been to Seattle many times, but it wasn't until I attended the University of Washington that I actually got a chance to live there for a couple years. I developed a unique relationship with the city of Seattle during that time. City life had its ups and downs.
The positives. Everything was within walking or busing distance. I didn't need to drive, and since I have a fear of driving, that works out nicely. When I lived in the U district I had four Starbucks within a 5 minute walk from me, takeout restaurants all around, a nice shopping center next door and I could walk to the grocery store easily. It was nice. If I was going somewhere new, just check the bus schedule, it was usually pretty easy to get there. I also enjoyed the sounds of the city. Going to sleep with the sounds of cars, other people and the hustle and bustle of the city might bother some, but it was comforting to me. As long as the drunk kids kept their yelling to a minimum.
On the flip side there were a few sounds that drove me nuts - one in particular. Cars honking. Everyone honks constantly in Seattle (and probably every big city). Hey get out of my way! HONK! The light's been green for a second! HONK! How dare you use the crosswalk when you have a walk sign! HONK! It started to drive me nuts. When you're walking and honks are coming from everywhere you start to get a little tense. Are the honking at me? Why are they honking? Stop honking!
One plus, but mostly a negative, of living in Seattle is I developed the skill set of being a defensive walker. I nearly got hit by cars and bicyclists frequently. By the time I got back to my apartment I'd be muttering curses under my breath. Bicyclists really started to bug me. DISCLAIMER: Not all bicyclists, some are very nice, others are horrible and bring the whole group down. There were the mean bicyclists who didn't follow the rules of the road and would yell at you if you got in the way of their reckless bicycling. Then there are the multitasking bicyclists who are a little amusing as long as they're not nearly taking you out. A few examples - talking on your phone, carrying your takeout, or sporting an umbrella while biking (if you can master this, I can see the usefulness). My favorite bicyclist was a guy who had a bike that looked like a banana. As he zipped past me on the Burke-Gilman Trail I was inspired to find what this strange bike was. I found it here. And for a little under $8,000 you can have a banana bike too!
But even with its ups and downs I find that after living away from the beautiful Emerald City, I miss her, even if Seattle has left me with a permanent case of Bitchy Resting Face. After a year apart - Seattle and I really needed a break - I'm heading back to Seattle to hang out with a good college friend of mine and I'm happy to see the city again.
What have been your experiences with city life?
Love that banana bike! I understand your dislike of the honking in Seattle. You never quite know what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI found my Bitchy Resting Face to be very useful in the city. The honking was bad, but if it makes you feel better its much worse in places like Beijing or Bangkok. Seattle needs a better public transportation system though. If they could just expand their light rail, it would be a lot better. Sometimes it took me over an hour to get home from downtown and I lived 5 miles from my work.
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