Starbucks eliminated 224 support roles at its Sodo headquarters in August, part of a larger restructuring that began earlier this year. But 120 of that group are employees who, although offered roles at Starbucks new Nashville office, declined to move to the Tennessee complex.
Given the option: Go to Nashville or remain in Seattle — perhaps in need of a job — employees had made career-impacting decisions. Will they eventually come to regret their choices? It’s difficult to say since it depends on individual circumstances. Just comparing the two cities makes it clear that each region offers distinctive attractions.
The two regions are similar in population: each is home to around 700,000 residents. Nashville’s population is younger and has a higher ratio of women to men. Seattle is the more compact city, while Nashville is more geographically spread-out.
Nashville offers lower cost in-city living: less expensive housing, quicker commutes and, as befits the nation’s country music capitol, a wealth of free live music events. Seattle, on the other hand, provides more economic opportunity, career mobility and higher salaries.
Both cities offer educational opportunity: Seattle with its generally good public schools, Nashville with prospects that vary widely by school district but are enhanced by several magnet schools. In higher education, both cities are fortunate. Seattle with a half dozen highly-rated colleges and universities and Nashville with top institutions like Vanderbilt, Belmont and Tennessee State as well as some outstanding Black colleges.
When it comes to climate, Nashville has the warm and often humid climate of most southern cities, marked by periods of excessive summer heat. Seattle, on the other hand, is known for its temperate marine climate with many cloudy and wet days in spring and even into summer. Newcomers often complain of Seattle’s long winter weeks of rain and drizzle and find the city excessively “gloomy.”
Eating in Nashville is known for its southern comfort food as well as barbecue choices: pulled pork and brisket. Traditionally there’s hot spicy chicken with fiery cayenne sauce, crispy catfish, hush puppies, spicy green beans and hot slaw served with buttermilk biscuits. For dessert, Nashville dines on banana pudding and chess pie.
Seattle is famed for fresh seafood like wild-caught salmon, Dungeness crab, raw oysters, fresh geoduck and clam chowder. Favored locally are Asian-inspired dishes including sushi, tuna roll, Chinese dumplings and Seattle-style teriyaki. Locals enjoy Dutch Babies pancakes for breakfast and, in ballparks, quirky Seattle cream-cheese smeared hot dogs. Coffee culture, first launched by Starbucks, continues to prevail. Among the city’s dessert favorites are Marionberry pie and Tom Douglas’ legendary triple coconut cream pie.
Safety concerns vary widely between the two cities. Nashville is ranked among the ten least-safe cities in the county, placing high in violent crimes including murder, rape and aggravated assaults. By contrast Seattle is generally considered safe for residents and visitors, but it ranks high in property crimes, theft and burglary.
When it comes to “things to do,” Nashville is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, home to the Grand Ole Opry and is well known for its bluegrass, rock and blues. Hit songs play 24/7 from speakers that line the sidewalks of Music Row. Dolly Parton made her home in nearby Brentwood and, since her death, her fans are hoping to rename Nashville International Airport for the beloved music star/philanthropist.
Seattle’s music reputation is less heralded, but the city is celebrated as the birthplace of grunge and also is known for jazz. The city is home to seasonal festivals like the Capitol Hill Block Party, Bumbershoot and Folklife. Seattle shines brightest for traditional concerts and opera, as well as for ballet and dance performances.
Seattle is famed for its museums – almost one for every taste. To name a top few: Seattle Art Museum, Asian Art Museum, Northwest African-American Museum, Frye Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum, Museum of History and Industry, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Museum of Flight, the National Nordic Museum, Olympic Sculpture Garden, Museum of Pop Culture and the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.
In the field of visual art Seattle easily one-ups Nashville. The southern city does have The Frist Art Museum, but that institution, housed in the city’s historic U.S. Post Office building, has no permanent art collection; it features traveling exhibitions.
Seattle and Nashville with their varied attributes appeal for different reasons. And who can say that the 120 Starbucks employees who elected not to travel to the country music haven erred in making a no-doubt fraught decision? But, after looking at the contrasts between the two cities, few among us can blame them.
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