Do you have shitty "Seattle Freeze" neighbors?

[mancat]

A lot of us have heard about the "Seattle Freeze" for years, and recent studies have found that it's probably a real thing: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepoliti ... ors-study/

In my experience, it definitely is - at least in the immediate Puget Sound area. I've experienced too many years of unfriendly, introverted neighbors, or those that are friendly on the surface at first, but who pull back and distance themselves at the smallest slight.

I've just about reached my limit for people in this region of the state. I have experienced this shit from time growing up, but I didn't start to notice it until I got older, moved out as an adult, and started to have "my own" neighbors. We bought a place out in the rural area in lower Kitsap Peninsula about a year and a half ago, out on a gravel road with about eight other houses. Of course I don't want to be up in people's business, and I don't want them to be in mine either, but...

I'm tired of neighbors that look at me like I'm crazy when I introduce myself to them and simply tell them me and my wife's name, and they don't even tell me theirs.

I'm tired of neighbors with blacked out windows on their cars that slow down when I wave to them as they drive by, then just blow by me on the road and leave a cloud of dust in my face.

I had a neighbor threaten to kill one of our cats that kept going into her yard, and wrote us long and rambling letters about how the cat was ruining her life, sent through USPS even though she lives across the road from us.

My next door neighbor is my wife's age, has several kids, and is a stay at home mom who makes money on the side doing some hobby stuff that my wife also likes to do. I met her once and suggested she come by and say hi to my wife, they might get along well. Not only did she never stop by, but she drives by our place and ignores us when we wave - looks straight forward and pretends that we're not there.

The only cool neighbor we have is a retired combat engineer from the midwest.. He's the type of guy that shows up at my backyard gate in his pajamas when he hears me running some loud piece of yard equipment on a Saturday morning, and invites me over for a beer later.. He's the man..

I'm even tired of rude ass grocery store employees that act like I'm fucking bothering them by ringing up some merchandise and asking them how they're doing, you know, like normal people do.

I travel all over the country for work, and nowhere do I run into more unfriendly and private people than in the PNW. Seriously, fuck Puget Sound people, they are the most unfriendly people and the worst neighbors that you could ever have. My wife and I can't wait to move to eastern WA or OR, where a lot of our family lives, and where we never encounter this type of treatment.

[XDM9cWA]

lots of people moved to the rural area to be away from other people...

they just don't like people... period...

if I was buying a house, first thing I'd do is talk to the neighbors and see what's up... they usually know who the meth cookers are and such.. unless it's them..

[Mediumrarechicken]

Yeah it is bad here, I kinda have it in me too. I don't like going on a walk and saying hi to everyone that walks past me. This is a perfect example of how we are different than other places, my bro and sis in law bought a house last year at the same time I bought mine. They live in new braunfels TX, they know all their neighbors by first and last name. They had a big party when we visited a few months ago, it was a neighbor hood party. I on the other hand have lived in my house for just over a year, i know the name of my neighbor to the right of me, and the neighbor to the left but I don't know his wife's name. Just last month I finnaly saw what one of the neighbors across the street looks like, I'm not sure if she is married or what not. There are 3 houses just up the road I have never seen who lives there. All the houses are 6 ft apart and I know nothing about them. A couple neighbors wave but that's about it. I find it kinda creepy. I tried to be friendly when we first moved in but screw it.

[mancat]

lots of people moved to the rural area to be away from other people...

they just don't like people... period...

if I was buying a house, first thing I'd do is talk to the neighbors and see what's up... they usually know who the meth cookers are and such.. unless it's them..

definitely true, and so did we, but my thoughts on that have always been that I we can introduce ourselves and casually wave hello, but don't have to be in each other's business at the same time.

the aforementioned attitudes are basically a giant "fuck you."

I don't want to know what they'll be like if we ever have a major earthquake or other "event."

[XDM9cWA]

I don't want to know what they'll be like if we ever have a major earthquake or other "event."

you won't hear a peep from them... they'll either survive by themselves or die by themselves... those kind of folks just don't like other people even if it's necessary to survive...

[mcyclonegt]

I grew up not to far from new Braunfels. The south has its own set of problems. Half the people in your neighborhood will know your entire life story within a week of you moving in. I live in a similar place as you now. Gravel road with eight houses. I have met most the folks on my road and they seem to be nice and wave to me when I pass them. It's better than California. Those fuckers will live next to someone for thirty years and not know their name. Washington seems to be in the middle. It just takes time. Sorry you are having this problem. It does suck.

[Sissyboy]

Maybe it's you? I say move to another state, and see if it follows. Might I suggest sunny California?

[glockgirl]

Okay, mediumrarechicken, one of my very best friends in the whole world lives in New Braunfels, TX, along with her husband and young son. That is just bizarre.

As to the "Seattle Freeze", well, it's existed for as long as I can remember, but I am relentlessly friendly and polite to my neighbours, and eventually, the "freeze" breaks. Possibly this is because they wish to stop receive random packages of baked goods left on their front steps, but whatever.

[DSynger]

I'm not very outgoing with my neighbors, but I'll be friendly as hell with them. I don't fully support having deep relationships with neighbors, but I believe you should always be friendly, courteous, wave, and chat depending on the situation.

I grew up in the Midwest, we knew our neighbors, but they weren't really close.

We're starting to deal with new neighbors... the husband plays the drums and they encourage their kids to scream when they play. It's less than an ideal situation.

[That1B08]

If you go to eastern wa, expect weirdos, and you will probably have to fight for water. However driving there is much more relaxing.

Your right those people up there can be snobs, very few decent people, its almost like the shitty bitterness rubs off onto others

[Old Jim]

I just had a new neighbor move in. He asked me "how are the local residents?" I asked him how were the neighbors where he moved from and his reply was "Great people". I told him the locals were the same way. Another new neighbor asking the same question would say they were a bunch of ass wipes. My response to him would be "they are the same way here."
It depends a lot on the way one presents their selves.

[root]

Fuck Seattle.

[dmonwai]

If you don't like it then you can move.

I've lived here my whole life, 46 years. Born here in Seattle and have lived in the Seattle metro area all the time. I've lived in the same place for the last 20+ years. I know the name of the person on the north side of my house and the people on the east side I say hi to but don't know their names and really don't care to. The people on my south side I don't know at all and have never spoken with and I'm fine with that too, they have been there for about 10 years. No one is on my west side, there is a major street there.

I say hi to the people on my north and west sides when I see them but thats it. We never talk about anything and thats fine with me. I don't care or want to know how their day is or whats happening in their lives. And I don't want to tell them about mine. If they ever need help, I'll do everything I can to help but I like it just the way it is.

[B.Random]

There's an old guy next door to me that I talk to about gun stuff at least once a week. He gives me all his gun magazines after he reads them. The people on the other side of me have never said a word to me in 3.5 years. Of course that means I haven't tried to talk to them either. I'm not the kind of person to go knock on someone's door and tell them I just moved in next door. That old guy is going to be the main thing I miss about my old house after I move next month.

[Eddie Dean]

Fuck Seattle.