Now that I’ve lived in each city for two years, let’s compare!
| New York | Seattle | |
| Food | There is an endless diversity to the food in New York – an entire spectrum of prices and cultures to experience. And there are so many options that are constantly ever-changing that you could live there a lifetime and still not eat everywhere. But generally speaking, the attitude is this: overpriced and, when such, occasionally underwhelming. But I can get a pizza delivered to my doorstep while I sit on my fat, lazy, American ass, whenever I want, and that just can’t be topped. | HOLY PHO, the food is cheap here! (See what I did there? DAD JOKES, yuk yuk yuk) The downside is that there isn’t as much variety, and the quality of food is not always up to par. But the seafood, Vietnamese, and gastropub fare are immense. And the local food markets! *Drool* Best strawberries I’ve ever had in and around my mouth. However, if you want to order delivery, a cloud of societal shunning encroaches, and you are easily bullied into take-out, or – perish the thought – cooking for yourself. |
| Service | Thankfully the service is good. Mostly servers are working for tips or are on commission, so you get anywhere from fine to great service. The only time I experience bad service is if I am somewhere publicly haughty, in which case I expect to be treated like dirt and pay for it regardless of my feelings *sniff* | Frustratingly, the service blows – and now that the minimum wage has risen to $15, ain’t nobody workin for them tips no more. It didn’t use to bother me until I moved to New York where within a minute of sitting, you’ve already been offered water and asked for a drink order. In Seattle, expect that time to rise anywhere from 10 minutes to did-they-forget-we-came-in? |
| Transportation | The MTA has its faults but it is arguably the most convenient method of transportation in the US. Certainly kicks the T’s ass. Traffic sucks if you have to drive, commuting sucks if you have to suffer that, but overall, everyone who lives in New York is spoiled with a mostly functional transportation system and the options of taxis when you’re too drunk/lazy/spoiled to function. No information on the trials and tribulations of owning a car in the city, but I imagine it costs as much as my rent. | You need a car. Yes there are busses, but they are slow as hell and include a free-ride zone through an ironically dangerous part of town. So, unless you enjoy lectures from your local homeless man living in Pioneer Square with the bonus of a spill of his beer each time he gets amped up, driving is the way to go. Note: traffic is also shitty, but not because of congestion; rather, traffic is slow because people are too damn nice and no one honks. Ever. |
| Friendliness | Despite what everyone says about New Yorkers being assholes, people are amiable! The distinction shouldn’t be that people are rude, but rather people don’t give a shit about you, which is more liberating than it is obnoxious. Just don’t stop in the middle of a sidewalk or on the stairs to/from the subway and we’ll get along just fine. | The “Seattle Freeze” is real. Also, people are flaky as fuck, which is incredibly annoying. Yes, I know that you want to stay home and snuggle with your same-sex significant other, but dear god, can we just go out for a beer like we had planned a week ago? The main reason I moved was because of the pitiful social life. |
| Weather | Spring and Fall can’t be beat, but Summer and Winter are pretty abysmal for their respectively terrible temperatures. But, there’s enough shit to do that is air-conditioned to keep you busy. And, if you’re crafty, you make friends with the people that “summer” places and hop on the train/bus/zip car to take weekends away at their mansions du jour. Conversely, if you ever tell me that you “summer” somewhere, you risk having me barf on your boating shoes. | 10 months are dreary, and the 2 months that are referred to as “summer” are gorgeous. And since the mayor decided to sell all snow plows and other useful winter weather accessories to surrounding states, when it snows, all hell breaks loose, ice covers the roads, and the polite populace of Seattle drivers turns into a terrifying drifting mess of Subaru’s. Nothing is air-conditioned, so summer’s eagerly anticipated 80-degree weather can be pretty unpleasant for sleeping. Giant fans from Walgreens sell out real fast. |
| Cost of Living | Fucking expensive. | Fucking cheap, but everyone complains about how expensive it is. They know nothing. |
| Nightlife | You can do what you want, wherever you want, up until 4am or later, and worst-case scenario, a friend will shove you in a taxi when you are no longer able to hold a conversation or use your legs. | Shit closes at 2am on the weekends, which really means that they turn on the oh-that’s-what-you-look-like-so-no-thanks lights at 1:30am. And, since mostly everyone drives, there’s a terrifying reality that everyone is drunk driving and hopefully you’re not one of them. |
| Population | Diverse | White people as far as the eye can see |
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