Obviously this is for motorcycling purposes. I love Seattle in just about every other respect.
Pros:
– Great places to ride as soon as you get out of the city.
– When it’s clear, it’s freaking beautiful and perfectly temperate (picture 75 degrees, sunny, with a cool breeze). Summer is fantastic.
– uhhh….
Cons:
– It’s never clear. Ever. No seriously. It’s overcast/drizzly/rainy from October to late April.
– Tons of BIG hills. Then again, I did just move back from San Francisco…
– Really weird roads in some parts. Intersections can be confusing. This is a problem for the idiot drivers that almost kill you as a result, more so than for you as a rider.
– Traffic. I’ve lived in Los Angeles, so I can’t say it’s THAT bad, but it’s still really bad.
– Pardon the french. THE SHITTIEST ROADS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. I swear to God. I’ve ridden or driven in LA, San Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland, Palo Alto/Mountain View, Boston, New York, Wellesley, Pittsburg, Portland, Phoenix, and on and on, and I’ve never seen a city with roads so systematically crappy as Seattle’s. Specifically:
1) Every single road I regularly ride needed to be repaved ten years ago. They’re all ridden with gigantic potholes, cracks, tree root damage, and phat ruts where car tires go (I’m talking 4-6″ deep, compared to the center of the lane). There is virtually no smooth asphalt anywhere.
2) We had a “bad” winter here (aka there was a bit of snow) this last January. Every idiot and their mother was out on the road with snow chains on, long after the snow melted. As a result some roads are so destroyed that they’re literally unrideable (unless of course your family jewels are made out of impact-resistant material).