Seattle Culture
Seattle Brings the Noise
No, we’re not talking Seahawks here
By Rob Smith November 6, 2024
Residents often describe Seattle as a “vibrant” city. Maybe another way to put it is “noisy.”
That’s what a recent Forbes study called it, ranking Seattle as the seventh-noisiest city in the United States. Before you reach any conclusions, know that it’s not necessarily all negative.
For one thing, the city contains about 184 bars and restaurants per square mile, among the highest in the country. Seattle also has a relatively high number of building construction permits, an impressive level of economic development activity. Sea-Tac International Airport is also among the busiest in the country, and is located in a very urban Seattle suburb.
On the other hand, traffic here creates lots of noise — Seattle ranks No. 11 in that category, which should surprise no one.
The study looked at nine metrics across 83 major U.S. cities to gauge the noise that comes from road transport, construction, urban life and air traffic, as well as the density of natural sound barriers such as trees and parkland) that help reduce noise.
So yes, Seattle can be quite noisy, but it contains a mix of lively urban sounds as well as serene spots.
Miami, New York, and Newark, N.J., topped the list.
Follow Us
A Big Win for Pioneer Square’s Small Businesses
New grants fuel neighborhood establishments as downtown changes and pressures mount
The federal government is pulling funding from important community services, research and nonprofits. Across the region, organizations are scrambling to stay open — or closing for good. Small businesses are getting hammered by tariffs and recession fears. But in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, there’s a different story unfolding. The Alliance for Pioneer Square, a nonprofit focused…
The Pulse: Smells Like Spring
Surveillance debates and a Jurassic-sized surprise
It’s been warm enough to eat outside, so we did: enchiladas and cucumber salad on the deck last night, with a light chicken manure breeze for ambiance. No shade to the neighbors — it’s garden season, and I support it 100%. Here’s what’s going on around town… Spice Waala’s soft serve flavor this week? Turmeric…
Spot. Snap. Identify.
Help Seattle win a worldwide wildlife challenge just by taking pictures
Grab your phone, open your camera, and start looking for bugs. Or birds. Or that weird plant you always see but have no idea what it is. Seattle-Tacoma is back in for the world’s largest bioblitz, kicking off April 25. Around here, spotting an eagle during the afternoon commute or a strange mushroom on the…
The Pulse: Too Nice to Work
An elk who knows he's hot and a vending machine that understands us
It’s been offensively nice outside this week. We’re all acting like the past six months of rain never happened and won’t happen again. I love it. I had a colleague once tell me, “No one works past 3 p.m. on Fridays in the Northwest when the weather’s nice.” I’ll be observing that sacred tradition today….