We asked Seattleites what the most under-appreciated things are about living Seattle.
Every city has its perceived flaws that people like to complain about and Seattle is no exception. However, there are many under-appreciated things about Seattle that you may not even be aware of until you take a step back. We asked people who live in Seattle what they think those things are and then compiled the most common responses.
Here are 10 special things about living in Seattle that you shouldn’t take for granted:
1. The rain
Many, many Seattleites called out the rain as the most under-appreciated thing in Seattle—which sounds about right, considering how much everyone likes to complain about it. As we exit summer and enter the rainy season, keep these positives in mind:
“The rain! It keeps us as the ‘Evergreen state.”
“The fresh rain smell and how it looks in the mornings with the trees and the low clouds.”
“The rain! It keeps everything green and fresh and beautiful looking.”
2. The summers
Hopefully most people know not to take Seattle’s beautiful summers for granted, but if you haven’t experienced summer elsewhere you may not realize how good we have it here:
“Freakin summer! Everyone is too rushed for fall but Seattle summer is the best!”
“Our heat waves are other places’ normal temperatures.”
“I love it not being too hot (usually).”
3. The weather in general
Seattle’s weather in general has a bad rap but it’s largely undeserved:
“How temperate the weather is! So much of the country has harsher gloomier weather.”
“How mild the winters are! Anyone who grew up shoveling snow knows what’s up.”
“300+ cool days in a year.”
“I love the gray skies!!”
4. The neighborhoods
Seattle is a city made up of many different neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality and things to do:
“The character of the neighborhoods. Developers are destroying them and the city is encouraging it.”
5. The natural beauty
Sometimes living in a city makes one feel cut off from nature but in Seattle, you’re always surrounded by so much natural beauty:
“Its proximity to the ocean and mountains alike!”
“How green it is compared to lots of other places!”
“Fire sunsets.”
“Fresh air.”
6. The tap water
“Clean air and refreshing tap water.”
All it takes is leaving Seattle and then coming back to realize how delicious the water is here. Multiple people called out Seattle’s tap water as under-appreciated.
7. The walkability
“You can walk basically anywhere.”
It’s true: Seattle was named one of the top-10 most walkable cities in the entire country.
8. The diversity
“Diversity,” was another suggestion.
In Seattle, you can easily find diversity of food, people, and culture whether it’s the historically Black neighborhood of the Central District, the Seattle Chinatown-International District, or the historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Capitol Hill.
9. The history
“The history,” is another unique component of Seattle that can go under-appreciated.
Seattle has a rich history stretching beyond the 1851 settlers to the Indigenous Coast Salish people who called the region home for thousands of years. One fun way to learn about the city’s history is to take Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour in Pioneer Square.
10. The variety of things to do
The Underground Tour is just one of hundreds of attractions in Seattle, ranging from live music and sports to weekend markets and seasonal festivals.
“All the places to play pinball,” is one example that a Seattleite gave of an underrated thing to do in Seattle.
“It’s the best city to take yourself out,” another said.
Living in a lively city like Seattle should never be taken for granted, so get out there and take advantage of it! If you need inspiration, see our compilation of Things To Do in Seattle!