By Andrea Reay, Executive Director, Discover Burien

We’ve all heard the term the “Seattle Freeze”; but what does it mean? Does it really exist and how does it impact our communities and social or business relationships?  As someone who was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I was a little skeptical of the term.  Us North Westerners just value our privacy and independence, right? In a 2014 report by KUOW’s Jim Gates, local historian Knute Berger offered the following definition of the Seattle Freeze as “the surprising cold nature of Seattle residents towards newcomers.”  That may be a commonly held definition, but is it real, does it truly exist?  Diane Douglas the Executive Director of Seattle City Club, reported to Mr. Gates “Yes, absolutely”.  In fact when it comes to simply talking with neighbors, greater Seattle is ranked 48 out of 51 similar communities across the United States.  

As I started thinking about my own experience living in Seattle for over 10 years, I began to see the term may have legitimate significance.  I lived in several Seattle neighborhoods (U-District, Queen Anne, Fremont) but I can honestly say I don’t remember the name of one neighbor.  No one introduced themselves to me and it never even occurred to me that I could introduce myself to them.  Imagine my surprise when we bought our house in Burien and were greeted by all our neighbors!  They introduced themselves by name, offered gift certificates to restaurants, information about the community, flowers, baskets full of wine and food and even help unpacking.  I felt a little like I walked into the twilight zone, and remember even asking my husband, “Why are people so nice here?” He grew up in New Mexico and had a different perspective than I did. He offered “I think it’s less about being nice or polite, and more about being friendly first”.  I started thinking about it and realized I was guilty of contributing to the Seattle Freeze as much as anyone.  I was “nice”, but certainly didn’t go out of my way to “be friendly first”.  Especially this time of year, that memory of moving into our house in Burien reminds me of the story of the Grinch.  Before I moved to Burien, I was the Grinch and my heart was two sizes too small.  But, when my neighbors showed us such sincere kindness, it grew!  I think that sentiment of being “friendly first” is part of why our community of over 50,000 residents feels more like a small town than other cities our size.  We take the time to engage with each other, look out for one another and support our community.  This isn’t something that just happens, it is a conscious choice that we all make.

This frozen social tundra doesn’t just have the potential to impact neighborhoods or your social life, it can also have a profound impact on business.  Success in business is at least partially dependent on your ability to network effectively.  Business to business networking is crucial for small business owners.  It offers opportunities to build client and referral bases and allows business owners to seek out advice from other professionals as well as gain confidence. If you are like most people, chances are you are an introvert and networking does not come naturally. Business networking is not so different from neighbor to neighbor relationship building-“be friendly first”.  Discover Burien hosts networking events for local business owners every month on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7pm.  These events are hosted by member businesses and are a wonderful opportunity for local business owners to network, and grow their business and professional contacts and resources. We see a very high engagement level at our monthly networking events.  If you are interested in attending, please just contact our office.  All are welcome to this free monthly event.  Our next event is January 20th at 5:30pm and will be hosted by Discover Burien member Three Tree Wellness.  I promise you a warm and welcoming atmosphere; free of frost or freeze of any kind. 

My Seattle permafrost has officially thawed after calling Burien home for over 8 years now.  Come discover how warm and friendly Burien truly is for yourself and your business!  The Seattle Freeze really does thaw in Burien.  Do you have your own story or experience with the thaw of the Seattle Freeze in Burien?  Share it with us!  You can find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or feel free to send us an email.  You can find more information about Discover Burien, networking, community events, and more at DiscoverBurien.org.

-Andrea Reay is the Executive Director of Discover Burien.  Discover Burien is a non-profit service organization dedicated to economic development and community engagement in Burien.