Tropical Fish Forums

[Psyfalcon]

Whats the good/ bad about Seattle?

I'm looking at gradschool at U. Washington and while it appears very good, I am borderline on applying for a number or reasons. Therefore, any good/ bad about the area would be helpful!

[menagerie mom]

My husband and I both did our undergrad work at the U and loved it. (Go Huskies!!) Actually, we both grew up in the Seattle area, too, then escaped to sunny California where I went to grad school and just never left. We do go back often to vist family and friends. It rains in Seattle. A lot. And the winters are dark - really short days. That's the bad, although some think that's the good, so it all depends on what floats your boat. The people there are sophisticated and friendly, there's lots of culture, tons of water to look at and play in and on, and it's one of the most beautiful places you could ever want to live. Unfortunately, lots of other people think so too, so housing is pricey, and the traffic is as bad as in any big city. They have very good public transit there, though. There's a great mix of urban/suburban in close proximity, and you can get away to the great outdoors for camping, skiing, hiking, boating, etc. in a very short amount of time.

It's been many years since we went to school there, but the U is a good school, and if you go to grad school there you're in for a treat. The graduate school library is not only a beautiful building, but houses a respectable number of books (do people still use those?), and used to be the quietest place on campus to study. The campus is big but not overwhelming, and a lot of people live on campus or very close by in the U District, so it feels like a campus. That being said, the Seattle area houses a number of colleges and universities, but is large enough and has a diverse economy so that it doesn't feel like a college town.

Sheesh, now that I think about it, why'd we leave?? Of course, if your other choices include Cal or Stanford I could go on and on about those, too! There's a lot to like about Seattle, but like any place, it's not for everyone. I hope I gave you some information that is helpful. Best of luck to you!