Love Is Blind’s Kwame Is Confident About One Thing: Seattle, You’re Overpriced
Chelsea and Kwame are faced with a decision even bigger than marriage: whether to live in Portland or Seattle.
Image: Courtesy Netflix
Kwame Appiah, one of two Portland cast members on Netflix’s Love Is Blind Seattle-based season four, hasn’t been certain about a whole lot on this show. Shortly after choosing to get engaged to Chelsea Griffin, he gets into a too-intimate poolside conversation with Micah Lussier, who he had connected with in the pods, right in plain view of Chelsea. When asked by one of his friends if he plans on saying yes to Chelsea at the altar, he simply grimaces and laughs. But in a tipsy declaration during his bachelor party, he sounded very confident about one thing: that Seattle just isn’t worth it.
“Seattle, you’re overpriced,” he says. “You are Lamar Odom with Michael Jordan prices. You’re not that great. But I’m trying to get over that.”
Kwame serenades Chelsea in the pods.
Image: Courtesy Netflix
He isn’t wrong. According to NerdWallet, the overall cost of living is 21 percent higher in Seattle compared to Portland. Housing costs are a whopping 31 percent higher, and Portland’s median 3-bed, 2-bath home price is $651,605 compared to Seattle’s $921,344. Grocery costs are also 15 percent higher. Seattle’s restaurants just aren’t as good, either. This year, we have three James Beard nominees in the Best Chef: Northwest category, while Seattle only has one—and let’s not forget, you have to pay over 10 percent in sales tax when you go out to eat.
“It’s really beautiful here,” says Chelsea, looking out of Kwame's window at what appears to be a sunny view of I-405.
“It’s really, really dope,” says Kwame. “I feel like this is my peace.” After all, he notes, he plays soccer five times a week in Portland and runs the same running path every day.
But is Chelsea swayed? Nope. Her job isn’t remote, and her family lives in Seattle. Chelsea is big on compromises. “Welcome to marriage” is her signature line whenever it comes to Kwame questioning meeting in the middle. And I'm guessing that living in the literal middle, i.e. Centralia, won't make either of them happy. But, Kwame, maybe moving to Seattle just isn’t a compromise worth making. Let’s see where he’s living come the reunion on April 16.
