Is Seattle really 'fun'?

Seattle is not very fun. At least, that's the case according to one recent analysis. Get ready, I'm going to gripe about another pop analysis that I found a bit amusing to think about. What makes a city "fun"?

WalletHub has compiled a list of the "most fun cities" in the USA, considering: movie costs; beer prices; fitness centers; dance clubs; bars; park acreage and playgrounds; restaurants; and festivals. It also factored in a range of attractions like bowling alleys, coffee and tea options, spas, and sports venues.

Add all that up and Seattle ranks 22nd on the list. Spokane is 109th, Tacoma ranks 120th, and Vancouver, Wash. comes in at 145th. Portland is 14th. Overall, the Northwest doesn't come off as very "fun" on this list.

We're beat out by cities like Honolulu at eighth place. I visited Honolulu within the past year. It's a lovely city where I had a swell time and came away with great memories ... however, the area seems to be unaware that "Magnum PI" was filmed there. Also, there are only five pinball games on Oahu, two of which are the "Wizard of Oz" machines.

Topping the list is Las Vegas, a city I have never really had any desire to visit (if they bring back a Star Trek attraction of some kind, then we'll talk). Las Vegas always comes off like a city for people who say "back in college" yada yada yada. At the very least, it works for sitcoms where people wake up with a hangover and a wedding ring.

WalletHub's list doesn't consider certain regional realities — Seattleites go hiking nearby, for example. Seattle also has Shorty's, MoPOP, and Emerald City Comic Con. Tacoma has its dome and Grit City Comic Show. The McMenamin's Elk's Temple is an entire day unto itself. In short, "fun" is relative. I know plenty of people who like to visit Las Vegas. But on my personal list of what makes a place "fun": pop culture connections; pinball; quirkiness; local music and food; and no crowds.

But that is just me, and admittedly, I'm a bit odd. "Fun" is going to be something completely different for someone else.

I therefore put to my TSF readers: What makes a city fun? What is your criteria for fun? And what makes our Northwest cities fun? Be it Seattle, Tacoma, Cle Elum, wherever, feel free to weigh in.

Let me know at dyer@kuow.org and maybe we can come up with a local list of reasons/attractions that show our area is fun.

This segment was originally published in the Dec. 8, 2022 Today So Far newsletter.