Welcome to Seattle, California!!

[Cascadian]

I had a California moment today....

I was going for a walk around Green Lake. Something I have not done in a long time. I was struck by much it has changed. All of these new condos and stuff. I kept walking and I start seeing these homes and condos with palm trees and there is this new building (where Zeek's Pizza is BTW...) and everybody was out side drinking their lattes or whatever and then a car with surfboards on top of drives by (probably going to or coming from Westport!) and all of sudden I am not in Seattle. I almost forgot where I was. I think I was in Santa Monica for a moment. I just kept thinking to myself..."what is this all about?"

I really do get the feeling we have been colonized by Californians. I am not knocking Californians per say but it still blows my mind how much Seattle has changed. I am one of those people ( a native Washingtonian!) who still goes by the Emmett Watson (Creator rest his soul!) principles of Lesser Seattle. Can't people just leave well enough alone? All of the stuff I encountered would have never had existed 25 years ago. Just amazing.

John

[Liberal Veteran]

1. The thing that gets me about migrants from other parts of the country...

...is they usually move to Washington to get away from the place they were in. Then they proceed to turn it into a little replica of their original place.

[lapfog_1]

2. It's called

Californication.

Get used to it, it's been going on for some time.

BTW, I'm from California... Maybe I can move to Seattle now that
it's been homesteaded by my bros.

[Cascadian]

11. Go ahead but....

Just remember not to plant a palm tree in your yard. They don't grow very well here anyway.


John

[lapfog_1]

13. Nah, all we do is sell

our POS houses here for $700,000+ and then drive up the
cost of housing there. At least that's what my aunt and
uncle that live there complain to me about every time I see
them.

(Don't worry, unlike typical Califorians, I don't own a house
here, and while I *love* Seattle, I was just joking about moving
there).

[flamingyouth]

16. I have palms in my yard

They've been there for years. Some of the hardy varieties do quite well here.

[LeftCoast]

3. Sounds like you've been watching too much TV

No offense, but as a native californian your description sounds like it would only fit a few small areas of CA, and I'm not even sure of those any more. Every place changes, and the fact is, ALL our communities have become horrifically homogenized. Go just about anywhere and it's cookie cutter malls with the same stores and merchandise.

California is not your enemy. :)

[Cascadian]

9. I don't hate Californians.

I really don't. I count many friends from California and even some of them hate what Seattle has become. I view California the way a Scotsman views Englishman. They don't mind being neighbors but wished they would just stay in their land and quit dominating them. Not only that, it is easy for Northwestern people to be horrified by Calfornia. Look how many there are compared to here... (Washington/Oregon combined population: 9 million. California: over 35 million.). Not only that California particularly L.A./Orange area is not what you would call a model of urban planning. An overwhelming number of freeways, rampant crime, smog, mudslides, and other things I could go on about. The same crap is happening here now and it bugs me that nobody is doing a damn thing about it.

Do people really want Seattle to become North Los Angeles?


John

[SHRED]

4. I am a native SoCal'er

You should see how it has changed here over the last 40 years!

Those darn east coasters!...hahahaha



:nopity:

[stevedeshazer]

5. Oh, my Northwest brother

I'm a native Oregonian, and I know of what you speak.

It's very much the same here across the Big Creek.

Anyone who dares to take a real peek

Will rue the invasion of the California geek. :)

on edit: I love most Californians who move here, especially the Democrats!

[Cascadian]

10. See we have to stick together.

CASCADIA FOREVER!!!

[NV Whino]

6. As a Californian

I would be happy to send Starfucks back to you.

[LeftCoast]

7. LOL

I'm not a hard-core anti-Starbucky, but it would be nice not to see them across the street from each other...

[Cascadian]

8. Another Fact....Gourmet Coffees did not start here!

This is another tall tale. The truth of the matter is that Lattes and things like that did not originate here. That was stuff brought over from California, the East Coast (Howard Schultz is from Brooklyn FYI!) via Europe. Years ago, if you ordered for a double tall around here you'd be given a "?" look. Just trying to keep the true Cascadian (Northwest) history, culture and heritage alive.


John

[marlakay]

12. No palm trees promise to be good!!

My husband and I own land in Leavenworth and are semi-retiring there next year. We live in CA now. But we have lots of family in WA and my cousin a teacher and fellow dem in Seattle has been trying to get me up there for 30 years. Just took awhile! Since the middle of WA is more conservative you need two more dems there! Also I will be planting flowers and having a nice little house that fits in. I belong to Sierra Club and plan to volunteer with them and other dem issues since I will have more time.

But our state gets it too, we have had so many people move here from all states and mexico, no wonder we are over populated!

[progressivebydesign]

14. You know.. those hideous highrise condos are built by washingtonians..

Can't pin that on the Californians! One thing I liked much more about Portland than Seattle, is that Portland values their old buildings, and Seattle is going the way of Vancouver.. which is sad.. a sea of high rises and modern mcMansions. Most of the people I know from California that moved up here (incuding me!), actally moved here BECAUSE it was the Pacific Northwest, not wanting to change it. You really have to look at the developers in the area.. they are the ones screwing it up. I wish they'd leave it alone.. but they're trying to find ways to pack hundreds of people into one building.. Vancouver is forever ruined, in my eyes.. because of that.

[shingashong]

15. I'm originally FROM California myself

I don't plan on turning our abode into something California. We moved away from there because the cost of living was horrendous in Monterey (that's where I'm originally from). Plus, my DH grew up here in Whatcom County. One thing that bothers me is, if DH wasn't from here originally, I would be looked at in disgust because I moved here from Cali. Give me a break. People migrate everywhere...

I miss California only for my family...but I don't miss the crazy drivers (Crazy how 8 months can make you forget how crazy people drive over there!), the cost of living, or the pace of life over there. Things are a lot more slow-paced here and I like it.