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Opinion: I didn’t move to Seattle for progressive politics. I moved here to survive.
(www.thestranger.com)
this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
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I like all the people who move to Seattle thinking it's some progressive utopia then they find it's pretty much like every blue city in the U.S. and what makes it worse is the state is ran by corporate and billionaire backed Dems that are essentially guaranteed every election win because of those people who move here.
These people still have a shocked Pikachu face when they find out the person they just voted for isn't actually progressive. Every year it's the same cycle.
Hey it's the account that always has something bad to say about Seattle whenever it comes up. Without fail, I know that if Seattle or Western WA is in the post, you'll be here, saying some shit like this.
You once said that people here deserved what was coming with ICE because people here voted in Dems that implemented gun control. A very sane and balanced take, to say that people here deserve fascism because they would rather not die to 30 mag semiautos.
I moved to Western Washington from a deep, deep red state (but a blue city) and the difference is night and day. I was represented by a Dem rep where I used to live, too, but he was a full DINO. My rep is progressive, and actually defend things like trans rights, public transit, and healthcare. Not only that, but the people in my area give a shit about my trans community as well. I have not once been "shocked" by the way my rep is voting, I've been happily represented by them.
I moved here so that I could survive, too. I don't regret a thing. Maybe you should go live somewhere else if it's just like other blue cities but worse? Maybe one in a red state like where I used to live?
While I agree with the guy who moved out because this place is unaffordable, I also agree that this is our LGBT ghetto. Getto in the good sense of the word being the place where we can all call home.
It's unaffordable. I moved in 7 years ago and bought a place at around 500k. My neighbor sold her home for 900k...like what??? Then the person lived for a few years paying that mortgage and tax rate, but finally moved out. They fixed up the house and put it up for sale at 1.5million. a few months went by and they dropped it to 1.3mill. and a few months later with almost zero attention they dropped it to 910k. They've just lost any money they thought they could get and then some on a really bad bet.
This place is magical, wet and extremely unaffordable. It will bankrupt you in a pinch. Seattle is made for people with grit. I'm starting to believe that just living here to pretend that this is a nice place to live is the reason to live here. To live hard. This place is that legendary city that burnt to the ground so they rebuilt it after cutting down mountains and raising the floor level above the sea level. It's the city that was built expecting a railroad that never came so they built their own. If it sounds crazy enough, it will fly here. Microsoft created Windows 11 here. Remember that.
This area in general is beautiful as beautiful areas could be. We have LGBT galore. But it's just expensive to live here. I highly do not recommend moving here with no plan and no backup and no money. You'll end up homeless....and in winter I don't see any homeless anywhere. The winter can be brutal here. Maybe not lately due to global warming, where it just rained. But there have been winters where you couldn't walk for a mile to the store in the suburbs. In the city itself you might survive, but it's just not a good prospect.
I don't think it's a bad idea to say this out loud. But I mean, I moved here and I'm nothing special. Just plan for the worst and enjoy the views. If you can survive here you can probably thrive elsewhere. So move here to test your grit and motivate your self about life.
Yeah... for what it's worth, the Eastside is slightly less unaffordable. Seattle affordability is generally comparable to the SF Bay Area, so it's hard for a normal person to find a living situation where they can have any disposable income. Most of my old Seattle friends from the late 70s are living elsewhere now: Everett, Renton, Port Townsend, or even further afield.
There are encampments. Homelessness is still a major problem in Seattle, as it is in many parts of the US.
I never found the winters that brutal, but I had previous experience of places like Chicago, where it can really get lethal. I now live in England, and where I am, in winter it's like a brighter, less dismal version of Seattle. That should tell you something. People accustomed to California or southwestern US weather will often experience seasonal affective disorder after moving to the PNW. Winter days are short, and there can be extended periods where you don't see the sun. It definitely got to me the first winter. Going out running year-round helped, but you'll need to get used to being wet.
Some of my friends who are still there are gay, lesbian or trans. They seem to be doing fine, except for the same financial constraints everyone else faces. Outside of Seattle and the Eastside, the locals can be more phobic, especially in eastern or southwestern WA, but still not bad by US standards.
I agree that going there without a plan is risky. Look before you leap. But also keep in mind that desirable places to live all seem to end up with high cost of living. There are few (and short-lived) exceptions within the US. The same is true globally, though sometimes with a slower market reaction rate. If you can move there and it's affordable and nice, someone else has already thought of doing that and has driven the price up for the next person.
Well said.