Would like information on Seattle, Washington

http://www.seattle.gov/

http://www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=&address=&city=seattle&state=WA&zipcode=

http://images.google.com/images?q=seattle+topography&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Google has lots more.

But there is NO substitute for actually visiting a place.

swvaughn said:

What I'm specifically looking for, if such a place exists, is a metropolitan area which is situated closely to a large wooden wilderness, in which one might successfully place a fictitious commune populated by folks who'd really rather not be found.S. W. Vaughn

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If you come to find Seattle doesn't work for you, I can suggest some places in Tennessee near Nashville or Knoxville, specifically areas near the Great Smokey Mountains, or on the Cumberland Plateau. Sometimes people who want to be found around those areas aren't. ;-)

And hello there, Sarah. Welcome to AW. Say hello to Lesia for me.

ac

Hey A.C. Thanks for the thought.

S.W. remind me not to get in a car with A.C. when I go to visit him.
It reminds me of some bad slice and dice movie I saw a couple weeks
ago. Wish I could remember what it was called. I heard one of the
actresses was Buffy, but I didn't watch that show, so I don't have
a clue. But it took place in one of those areas A.C. is talking about
where these inbred zombie cannibals were preying on people who
got lost. Even though I was wasting precious time, I had to watch
anyway.

And just what have you got against inbred zombie cannibals? And besides, the politically correct term is “genetically challenged ambulatory deceased homogetarians.”

ac

Careful about writing about a city you haven't been to. Locals will be able to tell and will defenestrate your book. Reminds me of the book The House of Sand and Fog which was written by someone obviously not from California because they kept sitting down and being waited on by a waitress in Carl's Junior. Yes, research will show you it's a popular chain restaurant originated in San Fran, but they didn't search hard enough to discover it's a fast-food joint. You never know what you might miss without even realizing you aren't asking the right questions, you know?

I can possibly help a bit, though I haven't lived in Seattle for 10 years. However, I was raised on the Olympic Peninsula MacAllistar was talking about, and I wouldn't be surprised about communes out there.

I was in seattle for a very short time but I can tell you that I found that there were a lot of odd people roaming the streets. It was quite relentless, even in the nice downtown area. There was the random guy in the black hooded sweatshirt that sat on a rock for a while, staring in the same direction, staying absolutely still. There was the other guy who was crossing the street and staring directly at my husband and as we were approaching him (we were both crossing at a light). He said something unintelligeable and had a limp and grizzled hair. There was that and the constant obsession with walking around with a paper cup filled with coffee. "Seattle's Best" was advertised constantly, and a bird that was hanging out on a roof overhang crapped in my hair and my husband and I took napkins from Starbucks to whipe it down until I could take a shower. We ate dinner in a pretty nice Risoteria (Italian place specializing in risotto) but all I could think about was how I needed to wash my hair. Seattle was odd. I think I was hypersensitive to all the "not quite right" people because I read parts of the Green River Killer and know that a lot of really deranged serial killers came from that area.

kohuether said:

I was in seattle for a very short time but I can tell you that I found that there were a lot of odd people roaming the streets. It was quite relentless, even in the nice downtown area. There was the random guy in the black hooded sweatshirt that sat on a rock for a while, staring in the same direction, staying absolutely still. There was the other guy who was crossing the street and staring directly at my husband and as we were approaching him (we were both crossing at a light). He said something unintelligeable and had a limp and grizzled hair. There was that and the constant obsession with walking around with a paper cup filled with coffee. "Seattle's Best" was advertised constantly, and a bird that was hanging out on a roof overhang crapped in my hair and my husband and I took napkins from Starbucks to whipe it down until I could take a shower. We ate dinner in a pretty nice Risoteria (Italian place specializing in risotto) but all I could think about was how I needed to wash my hair. Seattle was odd. I think I was hypersensitive to all the "not quite right" people because I read parts of the Green River Killer and know that a lot of really deranged serial killers came from that area.

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Apologies, as I'm about to get a tad defensive about my hometown. What part of the city were you in? And have you been to many cities? Seattle has areas with weirdos (hello, Pioneer Square) and nicer areas with weirdos who hide it under suit jackets. But all cities are full of somewhat unsettling transients; I don't think that's an attribute unique to Seattle.

Also, I lived there for 22 years and never had a bird crap on my head. I think that experience was unique to you, personally, and not your average Seattle experience.

Last--the reason "a lot" of serial killers are from the area is because Anne Rule worked as a police officer there and she is the best known true-crime writer. She writes what she knows, which are local cases, and those become high-profile due to her books.

Go, Mariners!

Okay, I'm done now.

If it's about a bird crapping, it's lies--all lies! Actually, we train them to do that on tourists only, so they go away. Put that little-known detail in your book.

Bremerton, Wash.

Lived in Bremerton, Wash. just across the water from Seattle for fourteen years. Seattle has a hell of a history. I used to call it the big city that never grew up. When the sun shines there is no place on this earth as beautiful. The problem is the sun does not shine that much. You will meet some of the greatest people in the Northwest. Unlike anywhere else. There was a family that lived out past Siverdale Wash. called the Louis Family. They tried to cash in on D.B. Cooper. They wrote an account of stealing the money and jumping out of the plane and sold it to a newspaper. FBI were everywhere. If I had time I would tell you about this girl I was dating and a boat ride and Seagulls--they dump on everybody.

southernwriter said:

Hey A.C. Thanks for the thought.

S.W. remind me not to get in a car with A.C. when I go to visit him.
It reminds me of some bad slice and dice movie I saw a couple weeks
ago. Wish I could remember what it was called. I heard one of the
actresses was Buffy, but I didn't watch that show, so I don't have
a clue. But it took place in one of those areas A.C. is talking about
where these inbred zombie cannibals were preying on people who
got lost. Even though I was wasting precious time, I had to watch
anyway.

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You're most likely referring to the extremely awful teen horror flick "Wrong Turn" which did, indeed, star the very delicious (no pun intended) Eliza Dushku (who was also the star of "Tru Calling"). While she did NOT play "Buffy" in the eponymous named series by Joss Whedon, who also wrote the movie, she did play the "slayer" Faith who got called up for active duty when a second slayer (who was called up when Buffy died at the end of season one and then was revived) was killed by Drusilla toward the end of the second season.

In the third season Faith was introduced as a carefree, partying foil to Buffy's indecisiveness about her 'calling' and stolid ways and then went 'bad' after she killed a normal human (an employee of the demon wannabe Mayor) who was trying to pass on critical information to the slayers about the evil plan the Mayor had in mind to become a very powerful demon.

She made some brief reappearences in the fourth season, mostly in dream sequences with Buffy but then in a couple episodes where Faith took over Buffy's live and discovered just how horribly miserable she was and decided to change her ways by turning herself into authorities. She also then appeared in the spinoff 'angel' (which was a royal crapfest) and they decided to quickly retconn her character as I understand it.

But...then again...that's probably more than you wanted to know about the character of Faith and Eliza Dushku (which is a shame because "Tru Calling" was at least watchable - mostly in part to the yumminess of Eliza).

Oh, and as for the Seattle, Washington area that I know?

They have HORRIBLY bad traffic there...I'm talking road rage in Ghandi bad traffic there. And the locals I complained about it too seemed to take pride in how bad it was.

They have a great tea shop called "Market Spice" (they sell other products now apparently, including spices and meat rubs, as well as scented candles) in their big wharf area (I want to call it Pier 51 but I'm not sure if I'm remembering that correctly). They're also famous for the start of Grunge and Starbucks. But what I remember most is how nice the 'gangbangers' were while we were there, especially to my ailing father. Which was a complete shock.

But, in all honesty, I feel I need to go back sometime and spend more time in the city. After all, it's always fascinated me and I'd hate to have that ruined by really bad traffic and choosing the absolutely WORST time to go to that pier market place (the crush of bodies was beyond sardines in a can).

Oh, and the four days I was there? NO STINKING RAIN!!! That was a MAJOR disappointment to me!

Rabe...

Hi there swvaughn:

I was doing some research on slang today & stumbled onto a site that might help you out:

http://www.callihan.com/seattle/lexicon.htm
"A Seattle Lexicon: Lingo from the Far Corner"

Even if you don't find anything that makes it into your story, it's an entertaining site.


C

I dunno if this thread is still required, but I live in Seattle. If I can help?

swvaughn said:

I'm starting a new novel and want to set it in Seattle, Washington.
What I'm specifically looking for, if such a place exists, is a metropolitan area which is situated closely to a large wooden wilderness, in which one might successfully place a fictitious commune populated by folks who'd really rather not be found.

Also, any of the following would be helpful:

• The general grid pattern in Seattle's metropolitan area
• Any popular landmarks, bars, restaurants, and such things familiar to the locals
• Dialect peculiar to the Seattle area
• General weather conditions (other than "it rains a lot")
• Pics would be great too

S. W. Vaughn

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As a Seattle native and lifetime resident, I'm very qualified to answer your questions:

Seattle is both on a grid and not on a grid;
The only landmark we have is a sports arena called the King Dome;
Don't know about no peeculeear dialect here;
It rains or is overcast every day of the year and then some, plus the smog and traffic is the worst in the nation;
The streets are filled with weirdos who ask people for money and they'll follow you around until you give it to them;
The skies are littered with seagulls that will make your hair will turn white;
There are quite a few crazies living in the woods that shoot you if you come onto their compound;
We really like it when people write about us who have never been here, especially if they're writing about what great people we are.

swvaughn said:

I'm one of those hermit homebody author types, and I live in West Nowhere, Upstate New York, I've never actually been there.

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As I recall, upstate New York was home to quite a few communes throughout history... why not set it there?

Does all that help?