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Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

nytimes.com

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Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#191

Post by [deleted] »

ForHackernews wrote: post #156
pm90 wrote: post #12

> John Criscitello placed posters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood proclaiming “Welcome! Rich Kids,” and “Wish you weren’t here.” Its hard not to feel angry at people like this. "Rich Kids" really? These "Kids" spent years developing their engineering skills to get to the point where they are now. Are engineers paid a lot? Of course. But we're certainly not in the same category as those who inherit wealth. Most…

You may not have inherited great wealth directly, but it's a fair guess that you "inherited" some or all of the following: * Parents who pushed you to focus on your schoolwork. * Parents who owned a computer, or bought a computer specifically for their kids' education. * Parents who lived in a house with consistent water, electricity and internet service. * Parents who made sure you got glasses if you needed them, so…

[deleted]

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#192

Post by rhino369 »

ForHackernews wrote: post #156
pm90 wrote: post #12

> John Criscitello placed posters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood proclaiming “Welcome! Rich Kids,” and “Wish you weren’t here.” Its hard not to feel angry at people like this. "Rich Kids" really? These "Kids" spent years developing their engineering skills to get to the point where they are now. Are engineers paid a lot? Of course. But we're certainly not in the same category as those who inherit wealth. Most…

You may not have inherited great wealth directly, but it's a fair guess that you "inherited" some or all of the following: * Parents who pushed you to focus on your schoolwork. * Parents who owned a computer, or bought a computer specifically for their kids' education. * Parents who lived in a house with consistent water, electricity and internet service. * Parents who made sure you got glasses if you needed them, so…

Sure. People who are born into the middle class are certainly better off than people born into poverty. That still doesn't make them rich kids. Three of your factors are true for virtually everyone in America. One is pure luck unrelated from wealth. And the other two are just good parenting.

Tech is a very middle class profession. Much more middle class than most high paying professions like Medicine, Law, Executives, Consultants, Banking, etc.

And most people who would call someone a rich kid were born just as middle class (or even better).

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#193

Post by arasmussen »

pazrul wrote: post #24
pm90 wrote: post #12

> John Criscitello placed posters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood proclaiming “Welcome! Rich Kids,” and “Wish you weren’t here.” Its hard not to feel angry at people like this. "Rich Kids" really? These "Kids" spent years developing their engineering skills to get to the point where they are now. Are engineers paid a lot? Of course. But we're certainly not in the same category as those who inherit wealth. Most…

This guy is a terrible hypocrite; he creates art bemoaning new people in his neighborhood, while being a recent transplant from New York himself. He's cashing in on the worst kind of 'us vs them' mentality. Some people make excuses that he's only rallying against the stereotypical brogrammer, but I don't think that's true. He's really against anyone being in his neighborhood he didn't personally approve of. He's the…

And the worst part is that Capitol Hill is one of the most open-minded and welcoming neighborhoods in Seattle.

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#194

Post by baconner »

pera wrote: post #71
wfo wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seattle has never been particularly welcoming to newcomers; people there tend to be insular and it can be hard to make friends if you don't already know people (even before the amazon/tech stuff -- plenty of articles about 'the seattle freeze' that predate it). Being from there helps. Not being in tech helps -- there are so many new software engineers meeting one just isn't very interesting. You can hardly blame peop…

I keep reading all these scary stories about how unwelcoming people from Seattle is; I moved here back in February and my experience until now have been completely the opposite: almost every Seattleite I meet is super friendly and talkative, at the point that it feels almost like being in a small town. Maybe I am just lucky? but I think Seattle is one of the coolest cities in the US, except of course for the traffic.

My experience was the same as yours. Frankly I've never lived anywhere where I felt like I made more beyond the surface connections with people than the Seattle area. I never experienced any hostility for being in the software industry, nor any for being an outsider not from the pnw. IMO Seattle has something that I've missed since leaving quite a lot - a high % of thoughtful, intelligent, down to earth people.

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#195

Post by walshemj »

pazrul wrote: post #24
pm90 wrote: post #12

> John Criscitello placed posters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood proclaiming “Welcome! Rich Kids,” and “Wish you weren’t here.” Its hard not to feel angry at people like this. "Rich Kids" really? These "Kids" spent years developing their engineering skills to get to the point where they are now. Are engineers paid a lot? Of course. But we're certainly not in the same category as those who inherit wealth. Most…

This guy is a terrible hypocrite; he creates art bemoaning new people in his neighborhood, while being a recent transplant from New York himself. He's cashing in on the worst kind of 'us vs them' mentality. Some people make excuses that he's only rallying against the stereotypical brogrammer, but I don't think that's true. He's really against anyone being in his neighborhood he didn't personally approve of. He's the…

MM and in the old days it would have been "No Irish No Dogs No ..."

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#196

Post by zardo »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #150
rconti wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was there ever a reason to travel around South Lake Union at the end of a work day before? Other than to exit 99 for the Mercer Street industrial wasteland pothole-dodge on the way to I-5, of course.

Queen Anne Capitol Hill Glazer's Camera Downtown to Eastlake yeah.

Downtown to Eastlake

Head up to the REI and hang a left, you can bypass the cluster fuck of SLU traffic.

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#198

Post by chrismarlow9 »

bduerst wrote: post #162
mattress wrote: post #9

Took a job in Bellevue in April and moved from Philadelphia to Seattle. So far it's a been an interesting experience. I've encountered many people hostile to software engineers in general. A bunch of people immediately ask if I work for Amazon with a hint of disdain after I state my occupation. So it hasn't felt super welcoming so far. I get it, even in some neighborhoods in Philadelphia the same thing is happening.…

The same has been happening with NIMBY's in the bay area for years. I silently follow a private facebook group for a bay-area city (which you need prove you're a resident of to get access) and it's an echo chamber of xenophobia, anti-tech bias, and misguided hate.

Ah, I didn't know this was a thing. I'll tell people I work at Peets from now on. I don't really care if those damn starbucks lovers hate me. They can eat it!

Re: Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul

#199

Post by kyleblarson »

I lived in First Hill / Downtown from 2001 until 2011, and from the perspective of an engineer who is into outdoor sports, I can't think of a better place to have lived. I averaged 3 nights a week of skiing at the pass after work during the winters, and 2-3 nights a week of climbing at various locations (Index, 32, 38, Gold Bar) in the summer. There are also dozens of equally accessible mountain biking locations, sailing, fly fishing, hiking, etc. Sure there are more tech bros and self important hipster douches now, but it's still an awesome place to live. (I moved out to the mountains and live in a remote town of about 200 people in North Central WA now.)
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