I’ve learned a few things about my new hometown since moving here. Some of them are apparent as soon as you step off the plane, while others are more subtle.

1. Seattle is so liberal that one of the sections, Ballard, sent not one but two Kucinich delegates to the DNC.
2. In Capitol Hill, the area I live in, if you’re not pierced, tattooed or gay you’re generally considered an outsider. You get bonus points for looking like The Ramones.
3. You need a tape measure and a compass to park.
4. All the rumors about people in Seattle taking their coffee seriously is the understatement of the century. I hear oders like “grande non-fat latte with extra foam” every day in any of the 3 (yes 3) Starbucks in my building.
5. Don’t walk on the metal parts of the sidewalk when it’s raining.
6. The rain is actually more like mist and nothing like the rain back in the midwest.

Overall, I rank Seattle behind only a few of the cities I’ve visited in my few years on this planet. San Francisco is still tops and San Diego is either tied with Seattle or slightly ahead.