“Lesser Seattle” (as opposed to Greater Seattle) was an invention of Seattle Times columnist Emmett Watson. It was a satirical rail against mindless expansionism. While it wasn’t the topic of every column, the “organization” did appear frequently.
Included were references to his “KBO Agents” (KBO meaning “Keep the Bastards Out”), diatribes against Californians (sorry, Emmett, they came), and admonishing outsiders about all of the horrible things about the city.
The Northwest is no place for your kind – sun-loving, sun-kissed, soft-headed, restless, nomadic Californians. This place is not for you. It is for spiritual descendants of Capt. Ahab, in pursuit of whales on stormy seas.
Emmett Watson
From what I understand, Watson was actually very welcoming to people, but I do wonder what he would have thought about how the area has grown since he passed away in May 2001. It turns out that Geek Wire mused on this very question…and asked Chat GPT.
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Description generated by Gemini
This is an AI-generated description of this term, so please take that into consideration when you are assessing the content
"Lesser Seattle" isn't a formally defined term like "Greater Seattle." There's no official geographic boundary or common usage. It's likely used informally and somewhat humorously or ironically to refer to areas around Seattle that are:
- Close geographically but perceived as less important or influential: This could include nearby suburbs or smaller cities in the Puget Sound region that are often overshadowed by Seattle's prominence. Think places that are economically tied to Seattle but maintain a distinct, perhaps more "small-town" identity.
- Similar in some ways but lacking key characteristics: This might refer to cities that try to emulate Seattle's vibe (e.g., coffee culture, tech scene, progressive politics) but are seen as falling short. The usage often implies a slight condescension or a playful rivalry.
- Used by Seattleites to playfully (or sometimes dismissively) refer to surrounding areas: It's a way of centering Seattle as the primary hub and everything else as secondary.
Essentially, "Lesser Seattle" is a subjective and relative term. Its meaning depends heavily on the context and the speaker's perspective. It's unlikely someone from Tacoma or Everett would self-identify as being part of "Lesser Seattle."
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