Weekly Ask Seattle Megathread: August 17, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

This thread is created automatically and stickied weekly for r/seattle users to chat, ask for recommendations, and discuss current news and events.

Don't forget to check out our Discord - we have dedicated channels for moving/visiting questions and recommendations and lots of locals to help answer them.

r/AskSeattle is another great resource dedicated to questions like these.

The following topics are welcomed in this thread:

• Moving and visiting questions
• "Best Of" recommendations
• General off-topic discussion, chatting, ranting (within reason)
• Events happening this week (or in the future)

If you have questions about moving to (or visiting) Seattle:

• First - please search the subreddit, wiki, sidebar, and your search engine of choice!
• The more specific your question is, the more likely you are to get a helpful response
• If your question is common, generic, or has been answered extensively before, check out r/AskSeattle to avoid targeted sarcasm from our wonderful local subscribers
• If you've already researched your topic a bit, lt us know what you've already found!

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[u/Novias-br]

Is it okay if we have just a thread solely dedicated for what’s going on in Seattle? That way more people can see whats happening if they don’t have social such as Instagram or Facebook etc.

I think it would be great for people to post and get everyone to meet someone new too.

[u/Melodic-Building9748]

Anyone else notice the smoke drifting back in this morning, or is my sinuses just being dramatic?

[u/retrojoe → u/Melodic-Building9748]

There was plenty of yellow haze in the air yesterday.

[u/Crimcrime69]

Any cool underground shows happening tonight or tomorrow night? Punk, techno, goth- pretty much anything not country. Only in town a couple days and would love to sample some for the alt/underground culture

[u/doberdevil]

I haven't kept up with the news. Did they ever catch the other shooter from the Bite of Seattle?

[u/AngvlOzz]

Skrillex at Gasworks is coming up. I’ve never been there for a show, what’s it like as a venue?? Is there bag rules???

[u/Hot_Relative_110]

1. is Katie Wilson a good mayor
2. Would I be better off in San Francisco, as someone who’s grown up in the Bay Area and wants to get into smth like urban planning, economics, skilled trade or something art related, and possibly trans, or is Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue stronger

[u/Bizarrebazaars → u/Hot_Relative_110]

Wow number 2 is all over the place haha. 

UC Berkeley has a fantastic urban planning program, one of the top rated in the nation.

[u/Electronic-Tear1363 → u/Hot_Relative_110]

1. I like Katie 
2. It depends on your niches and prior experience of these things. Both of those areas are HCOL/VHCOL. Seattle has good trade schools for certain local trades like aviation electronics and marine/boat-stuff. Seattle is a harder city for artists to survive in since there isn't a lot of infrastructure to support full time artists of mostly any niche. Both Sea and SFO have comparably strong resources for trans folk. Tacoma and Bellevue are different and in some lenses distant cities to Seattle, but each have their own charm (well, Tacoma does). 

[u/Top-Ear-4807]

Dog Dental Cleaning Under $500!?

Hi! Just moved to Bellevue from the Midwest - was wondering if there are any vets / places that offer dental cleaning for dogs for $500 or around that? Most quotes I'm getting are $1k+

I have a 7 year old maltese (just turned 7 today actually lol)

And also need the bordetella vaccine! Perferrably less than $30.

Thanks!

[u/Open_Ending_1015]

Does anyone in this sub personally know a local Asian American filmmaker?

[u/SpecialistEcho7218]

Wellness / somatic therapies  I suffered a horrific and unexpected medical trauma in the spring of 2025. My life is very altered and the prognosis is unclear, though I will have issues and risks for life. I am in need of serious healing modalities. Talk therapy has not helped my body release its trauma. I'm looking for the following recommendations:

• naturopath
• accupuncturist
• hypnotist
• lymphatic masseuse
• any trauma based somatic healer

I am in desperate need of help. Thank you.

[u/yuhyuhariana]

Any drag shows tonight or tomorrow night or a guide for queer events? Visiting from ATL!

[u/Equivalent_Slice2495]

I’ve had better luck asking very specific neighborhood questions here, like where to eat near a light rail stop after 9. I usually get more useful answers than from generic travel guides.

[u/Illustrious-Emu1526]

does anyone have an extra hot dog in heaven hat they don’t want? <3

[u/TheBlueSuperNova]

I feel stupid for asking, but where are good places to join a rec league? I feel I either don't see many options on the sites I go on, or they've already closed for the season.

Just wanting to be more active

[u/DogManDogDayz]

Is it really 60 degrees right now? God you guys are so fucking lucky

I feel like im right inside the devils asshole right now. Its 92 degree in what was supposed to be the breezest part of socal.

[u/conradbryceparker]

Cheap place to get a contact lens prescription in Seattle? (Guardian / VSP network)

My contacts prescription is expired and I need to get a new one. Trying to find somewhere that isn't going to charge a fortune for it.

I have Guardian vision insurance, which runs on the VSP network, so the eye exam itself is mostly covered. From what I can tell the contact lens fitting fee is where the price varies a lot between offices — some places seem to charge $40ish on top of the exam and others quote way more.

Anyone have an optometrist in Seattle they'd recommend for this? Eastside is fine too, I'm over that way a lot, mainly in Downtown Bellevue. Bonus points if they'll just hand over the prescription without a hard sell on buying lenses in-store.

Thanks!