I Hate Seattle

I used to love coffee until I moved here.

Of course, I don't mean Starbucks. Nothing against the original place, but the chains that cropped up all over America became (get this, Seattle) another personification of corporate America and the eradication of local culture via gentrification.

Sound familiar?

Right, see, the rest of the United States isn't this monolithic chain of strip malls and condos, with the only vestiges of authenticity left in the country being the underbelly of Fremont.

We can all appreciate irony: a city that laments its own gentrification and loss of identity contributing in its own way to the same phenomenon happening in suburbs, exurbs, small towns, and urban neighborhoods all over the country.

Every small town wants to protect its historic district after all, it's only natural to wax nostalgic.

For the record, I don't really hate coffee. One of the good things about this place is the roadside espresso stands.