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How to Seattle
There are certain to-dos to check off your list when moving to any new city: collect free boxes, book a moving van, change your address at the post office. But to thrive, or even survive, in the Seattle area, you might need some extras, locals say.
What should fill a gift basket for someone about to call the Emerald City home? Nearly 400 readers shared their recommendations for daily necessities through an online form, email and social media comments.
Some of their suggestions (like “passive aggressiveness” and “a willingness to learn a lot more about Macklemore than you might initially suspect”) aren’t exactly available at REI. But many did agree on several important tangibles, including the almighty sun lamp and an ORCA card.
We’ve compiled some of the most common tips, plus other favorites, lightly edited for grammar and length. So, whether you have a friend or family member joining you in the Pacific Northwest or are still getting settled in yourself, here’s what Seattleites think you’ll need.
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How to Seattle
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Everything but an umbrella
Reader Illa Chhabra put it most concisely: You’ll need “waterproof everything.” (According to some of you, however, that doesn’t include an umbrella. More on that, below.)
We’ll start with the basics: “A warm, waterproof coat with a hood is an absolute necessity,” Carrie Rabasa said.
That may seem obvious, but we’re not talking about “just ANY rain jacket,” said a reader named Crysta. “It needs to be waterPROOF (not water resistant), have long length (down to your knees) and have a duckbill hood.”
Meg DeWan King seconded this point, recalling: “When my family moved to Mercer Island from Southern California in 1975, our neighbor told me I needed a great raincoat and a new attitude. She told me I must NEVER let the rain change my plans.”
Even the best knee-length raincoat won’t keep your feet dry, though. That’s why readers say you’ll also need waterproof shoes and warm socks — specifically wool socks, and even more specifically, a few recommended Darn Tough merino wool socks. (If you haven’t heard of the benchmark brand, Darn Toughs made WellRigged.com’s list of top clothing warranties due to lasting “practically forever.”)
When it comes to the elephant in the room — umbrellas, of course — some would agree with Deb Gates: that you should “donate [them] to charity” upon moving to Seattle. But others fall into the camp of Chelsea Nesvig, who said: “A new Seattleite absolutely needs an umbrella — don’t believe the hype that we don’t use them.”
Once you make these critical, and sometimes controversial, calls on rain gear, consider the other impacts of a water-ruled climate. For example, the humidity. Readers suggested owning a dehumidifier and (as Christa Kriesel-Roth phrased it) “a container or five” of a moisture-absorber like DampRid.
“The north side of my car grew a mushroom once,” said Andrew Taylor, who recommended a pressure washer to take care of such fungal surprises.
Navigating the maze
Seattle has some rather, let’s say, unique intersections. In a KUOW story bluntly titled “Why is Seattle’s street grid such a disaster?” local historian Knute Berger explained that factors include the way glaciers have shaped the landscape and disagreements among Seattle’s early founders.
Regardless, you’ll want to own “a good map of the city,” Kathleen Fueger said, since “it’s terribly confusing that the same street name appears in many neighborhoods but isn’t continuous.” Gail Yates specified: a “fold-out plastic Seattle map” will come in handy.
If you’re driving yourself around (which should be in a Subaru, according to several readers), consider “meditation apps to prevent meltdowns while stuck in traffic,” Sharlene B. suggested.
Or, maybe you’re using public transit. Numerous readers mentioned ORCA cards, which will get you onto King County Metro and Sound Transit buses, Link light rail, Washington State Ferries and other transportation services. Janie Putt elaborated: “A prepaid ORCA card, information on how to use it and a visitor map for exploring,” plus “some ferry schedules and a link to online transport information.”
Even if you have a Subaru handy, “public transportation gives you the opportunity to see all the people, business and sights you don’t see when driving,” Brian Ducey said.
Fuel up!
Though WalletHub ranked Seattle as the third best coffee city in the United States this year, behind San Francisco and Portland (rude!), coffee is still an important part of the city’s identity. After all, we are Starbucks’ hometown.
Jason Chavez suggested gifting a newcomer “a coffee shop gift card to embrace the city’s coffee culture.” Leigh Haynie recommended “a little book of coffee terms (because not everyone knows how to ‘speak coffee’) along with some beans from a local coffee brewery,” or “a good coffee mug and a grinder if you want to kick it up a notch.”
We can’t be 100% fueled by coffee, though. Any new Seattleite needs “a weekly visit to Taco Time to get Crisp Burritos and Tater Fries!” commented an Instagram user named 一 oh wait, that’s Taco Time’s account. But seriously, some regular humans like Analeise Dowd did write in with their go-to orders (“soft taco or crisp burrito plus some tater fries”).
“It is only a local company that people from Washington know. Out of state people are usually confused, but it’s definitely a if you know, you know spot,” explained a reader named Sarah.
Whatever you eat, just minimize your food waste, some locals encourage. You can do so with “[A] compost bin! Obviously!” Justin Vena said, and from Iris Tio: “A set of reusable: shopping bags, coffee mugs, packable straws and eating utensils.”
Get some sunshine (even if it’s artificial)
One of the reasons people move to the Seattle area is the nature surrounding it. For newcomers who want to lean into the Pacific Northwest’s outdoorsy culture, reader recommended:
- A forest or park pass. Most commonly mentioned was the Discover Pass, which, for either $30 annually or $10 for a day, grants access to more than 100 state parks. Some also suggested a Northwest Forest Pass, which can be used at recreation sites across Washington and Oregon, and others.
- A map (or an app). When it comes to digital navigation tools, the Washington Trails Association’s Trailblazer app was the most popular among respondents. “It provides an instant sense of community and local knowledge on all of the great trails around the area,” Shannon Rebersak said. Or, go old-school with a physical map. Readers suggested maps of the Burke-Gilman Trail or the Washington Park Arboretum, in particular.
- Hiking gear. From boots and base layers to puffy jackets, the list goes on, but several readers agreed an REI membership is a great place to start for any new Seattleite. “I feel like it’s a rite of passage to go to the REI flagship store for rain gear,” Heather Krause said.
- Outdoor games. Even without leaving the city, you can access plenty of green space via the area’s public parks. Consider a Frisbee or a pickleball set, Tracey Gauthier said.
While you’re technically free to partake in these outdoor activities anytime you please, be aware that a third of the year (approximately November through February) is what locals call “The Big Dark.” During this notoriously gloomy stretch, the sun sets earlier than in many other parts of the U.S. and is often hidden by cloud cover, anyway.
Not surprisingly, readers emphasized items to help cope with the lack of sunshine, with several mentioning both vitamin D and light-therapy lamps or boxes.
“I always gift a bottle of Vitamin D to folks moving here from sunnier spots. And toss out light-heartedly that my Alaska Light is what has kept me sane for the last 20 years,” LM Larimer said.
Staying informed, memberships and more
Seattle is known for being home to a fair share of bookworms: It’s won UNESCO’s City of Literature designation, along with places such as Edinburgh, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland. Several readers recommend newbies sign up for a local library card, along with checking out local book clubs or independent bookstores.
And don’t forget to take advantage of the free museum entry that comes with a Seattle Public Library, Karen Smithson reminds us. (Participating museums include the Museum of Pop Culture and Seattle Art Museum).
To stay on top of local happenings, Instagram commenters recommended keeping up with local radio stations KUOW and KEXP (or go a step further with a “KEXP bumper sticker and t-shirt”), the satire publication The Needling (“for levity”) and the alternative newspaper The Stranger (“for the election guide”). And Smithson suggested 一 I promise I’m not making this up! 一 a Seattle Times subscription.
Whatever gift-shopping direction you go in, many readers seem to feel that the greatest Seattle-area essentials are those that will last long and take you far, whether it’s near-invincible wool socks, a prepaid public transit ticket or an ongoing membership to a local organization.
Take this example from Cynthia Ryan.
“When I moved here, my boss gave me a 1-year membership to the Seattle Art Museum and an enormous umbrella,” Ryan said. “I gave the umbrella away early on but buy my own membership now. I think of it as a present to myself.”
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