Welcome Week 2015: Seattle Cultural Quirks
The Pacific Northwest region has a range of eccentricities and we asked students, faculty and staff what quirks they noticed about living in Seattle.
Dog visits the Terry Avenue Farmer’s Market.
“Seattle is super dog friendly. You see dogs in restaurants and grocery stores, everywhere,” said Laura Iwane, Assistant Director, International Student and Scholar Advising, who moved to Seattle from New York more than a year ago.
In addition, Laura was pleasantly surprised how civil “Seattlites” are to each other, especially noting the absence of honking.
Ian Gorton, Director of Computer Science, echoed this statement, commenting on how cars always stop for pedestrians. And even during a Super Bowl celebration, Seattle pedestrians wait for crosswalk signals.
Strangers casually greeting each other on the street is something to get used to, especially if you are from a different country.
“In India, you might nod to somebody on the street, but here they greet you and it’s rude not to reply,” said Karthik Mannava, who moved to Seattle eight months ago for the MS in Engineering Management program.
“Make sure you are mentally prepared for the cultural difference. It’s easy to feel self-conscious, but you have to build up your self confidence,” he advised.
Laura also commented on a common greeting that she hadn’t heard before Seattle: “People always ask “How’s your day going?” and then they wait for answer,” she noted.
Casual attire including shorts and t-shirts at some businesses was another big difference from the East Coast that Laura noticed.
Yooree Chae, MS in Bioinformatics student, said one of the hardest things at first was meeting people. An occurrence sometimes referenced as the Seattle Freeze.
“Seattleites are very friendly at first, but it was hard to make close friends,” she said. Things turned around when Yooree found a community around a common interest, for her it was boxing.
Students meet and mingle at the Neighborhood Vendor Fair.
“Go to a lot of events, especially on campus,” she recommended. She met her roommate, a local Seattlite also in the Bioinformatics program, at a campus event and it helped expand her social circle and knowledge of the area.
Every country, city and neighborhood can vary greatly in cultural identity, and the time to adjust is different for everyone.
“If you are moving from the next state over or a different country, it can be challenging adapting to new surroundings,” said Laura Iwane, describing the four stages of “culture shock” as Honeymoon, Frustration, Adjustment, and Acceptance.
“It can be scary at first, but it always helps to surround yourself with people,” said Keerthana Subramanian, MS in Engineering Management student. “Grab someone and go get a coffee. Push yourself beyond the point of feeling awkward.”
- A Wall of Gum, a rocket ship, a troll under the bridge. Seattle has its fair share of quirky locations. Weird Seattle: Seattle’s Oddities and Unusual Attractions
- Also, find out the must see locations to introduce you to Seattle.
- Check out more South Lake Union specific recommendations here.