‘Almost Live’ proves Seattle hasn’t changed much in 27 years
Apr 11, 2017, 5:31 AM | Updated: Apr 12, 2017, 1:54 pm
(Bryan Johnston)
(Bryan Johnston)
As the adage goes: The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s very true when it comes to Seattle, and one need look no further than the sketch comedy show “Almost Live.”
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While the local comedy show — which aired from 1984-99 — is now decades old, it still rings true. Host John Keister takes a few jabs at Seattle in his song,”We Didn’t Start the Fires.” And it still works in 2017.
You can watch the sketch here. But here are a few points that haven’t seemed to change much in 27 years.
“Traffic is backed up on I-5”
The highway is so jammed with cars that almost any incident will echo through the region and bring it all to a halt.
“Hypo needles in the park”
“Almost Live” noticed syringes left over from heroin users in the ’90s and the opiate crisis continues to grow. So much so that people are taking the issue into their own hands — from an Everett mom who organizes weekend clean-up groups, to a neighborhood class that teaches people how to handle used syringes.
“Californians, here they come”
At least now a lot of those people are coming to Seattle after gaining experience in California first.
“Carpool lanes”
The modern carpool lanes have more restrictions than in the ’90s. The I-405 express toll lanes, which actually cost money, still confuse drivers. Lawmakers have tried to alter how the toll lanes work on I-405, but it looks like they’re here to stay.
“High rent”
A growing population — that includes highly-paid tech employees — and a very limited supply of housing has added up to higher rents. People wanted to be in Seattle in 1990 and they want to be here in 2017.
“Real estate’s sky high”
The median home price in Seattle is now a record-setting $700,000, according to The Seattle Times.
In fact, the real estate market is so complex and expensive, many are finding it to be a better deal to just take their entire house and move it to a new location.
“Neo-Nazis on the lawn”
Bias crime has been on the rise around Puget Sound over the past year. From white supremacists’ posters plastered throughout the University of Washington campus to threats at local Jewish sites — this issue isn’t going away.
“The Space Needle on fire”
OK. So that was a joke and the Space Needle has not been on fire. But it has been struck by lightning recently.
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