After living here for three and a half years, we have a more nuanced understanding of the city than we did when we first moved here. Here are the main things we like, and don't like about living in Seattle.

1. 
   Walking and busing - Seattle is the 6th most walkable city in the country and it's possible to get around a lot of places by walking. Public transportation can be a pretty convenient way to get around, as well, so you don't have to drive your own car to get around the city.


• In contrast: Roads and drivers - We don't drive a whole lot here and haven't found traffic as bad as its reputation. However, when we do drive, the local roads are often in poor condition. There are many inner city roads with potholes or other ruts or bumps that make driving a little bouncy and uncomfortable. And, the drivers that drive below the speed limit in all lanes of the freeway do get in the way of an efficient driver like myself.


2. 
   Natural beauty - This is one of the most beautiful parts of the country and an idealized landscape with snow-capped mountain ranges, majestic pine trees, and shimmering bodies of water basically everywhere. Other places may be nice, too, but the Pacific Northwest has more than its fair share of natural beauty.


3. Outdoor activities - I learned to love to walk and spend time in parks from my dad, and there are lots of great parks in the city, as well as great hiking trails outside the city, and other outdoor activities all over the area.


4. Moderate weather - The weather on the West Coast is more moderate than most parts of the country, which spares us from the hot summer weather that affects most of the country, as well as the snowy winter weather that affects much of the country. It's usually not too uncomfortable to go outside in any season.


• In contrast: Clouds - This is the biggest complaint for a lot of people who say that winter here lasts for 9 months. That's certainly not true, but Seattle does have more cloudy days than most parts of the country, which make the summertime that much more special.


5. 
   Character - Seattle preserves its history better than many cities and has many old buildings with character occupied by unique restaurants and cafes, along with some interesting characters.


• In contrast: Cost of Living - While it's great to have hundreds of unique, organic, fresh, natural, boutique local restaurants, sometimes it's nice to be able to get a relatively cheap sandwich to go (not Subway). We do pay more here, but sometimes you do get what you pay for.


6. Neighborhoods - There are many unique neighborhoods here, each a little different, with their own things to see and do. Each neighborhood is like a town within the city, filling Seattle with lots of areas to experience and explore.


7. Culture - People here tend to be conscientious and non-judgmental. It's also a pretty casual place and people seem to be authentic, if a little distant.
   
   
   
   • In contrast: Cultural Elitism - A feeling of cultural superiority and a lack of political diversity are two things that could be off-putting in parts of Texas, and those same two characteristics are not uncommon here, though the culture and the beliefs are very different between the two places. The culture on this part of the "Left Coast" can be a little too homogeneous.


8. 
   Sounders FC - We've become pretty big soccer fans since moving here because we've been drawn into the sport by the Sounders and their fans. Going to a soccer game with 35,000 fans is an experience that is unique in America and one that has made us appreciate and enjoy the game so much more than we did before moving here. The Sounders were an expansion team in Major League Soccer shortly after we moved here and we have enjoyed going to games and watching them on TV since their inaugural MLS season.


• In contrast: Sports culture and losers - While the Sounders sell out their games and the Seahawks are known for having a loud crowd, I'm not sure where those people come from, because the vast majority of people I know here care little for sports. Worse, the Seahawks and Mariners have been pretty bad since we moved here. Unfortunately, because the Seahawks are in the Pacific Time Zone and in the same conference as my team the Dallas Cowboys, I often can't watch Cowboys games because the Seahawks game is on instead.

Another thing to add, and probably the worst part of living here is the distance from the rest of our family and many of our friends. This isn't the city's fault, except that the weather and cost of living discourages family from moving here.

There are plenty of other good and bad things about Seattle but the good outweighs the bad for us.