Seattle recently ranked as one of the nation's best cities for dating — but many singles here say the experience feels far grimmer on the ground.

Why it matters: Seattle's disconnect reflects a broader shift in how people form romantic relationships: Dating has become easier to access through apps and online tools, but forming meaningful connections in the digital age seems harder.

By the numbers: Seattle ranked No. 4 out of more than 180 cities in a recent WalletHub analysis of the best places for singles, driven by strong scores for dating opportunities and recreation.

Yes, but: The numbers don't mean all those singles actually talk to each other, some local singles say.

Zoom in: New to dating after a divorce, James Meadows, 57, of Lake Stevens, said the experience feels unrecognizable compared with decades ago. "There used to be more of a playbook," he told Axios.

• As a data expert, he studied dating rankings, app usage and demographic research to understand how Seattle could score so highly on paper while feeling so difficult in practice.
• His takeaway: The WalletHub ranking favors cities like Seattle that have lots of single people and heavy use of dating apps. But it fails at measuring how well people actually connect.

Case in point: Haley Van Dyck, 34, said she didn't believe in the Seattle Freeze before she moved from the Midwest a few years ago, but her experience dating here changed her mind.

• Van Dyck joined a running club, attended singles activities and leaned into hobby-based social groups — the kinds of offline options often cited as alternatives to apps.
• "When I approach people, they open up," she said. "But nobody approaches me."

What they're saying: For Elizabeth McMahan-Flack, 32, who has dated in multiple cities, Seattle's dating culture feels more guarded — and more emotionally draining.

• She describes a scene heavily reliant on apps, shaped by long work hours and a pressure to fit dating into already busy lives.
• "There's a lot of desperation," she told Axios.

The bottom line: "Dating is hard everywhere," Van Dyck says — but Seattle's reserved culture and tendency toward self-isolation sure don't make it easier.

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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced two executive orders yesterday: one aimed at accelerating the city's response to homelessness and the other at prioritizing bus service on Denny Way.

Why it matters: The moves mark Wilson's first major policy actions since taking office, signaling action on campaign promises tied to two of Seattle residents' most pressing concerns: housing instability and transportation.

What's inside: One executive order creates a new interdepartmental team tasked with speeding up the expansion of shelter and housing.

• The team is directed to identify incentives, permitting changes, policy barriers and publicly owned land that could accelerate new openings.
• Wilson said the city needs to move quickly to bring more people indoors, pointing to the World Cup this spring as a near-term deadline.

State of play: Wilson's order comes a day after she decided to delay the removal of a homeless encampment in Ballard.

• She said yesterday that the people living at the encampment want help, and she wants to take the time to connect them to the services they need.

The second executive order directs SDOT to prioritize transit on Denny Way — including adding bus lanes and other improvements to make service faster and more reliable.

• The order targets Route 8, one of Seattle's highest-ridership and least reliable bus routes.
• Wilson, a frequent bus rider, said she knows "the feeling of sitting on the bus knowing that you could be walking up that hill faster."

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🎥 Seattle's historic Varsity Theater in the University District will close this week after 86 years, undone by dwindling audiences, rising costs and an industry shift toward streaming. (KING 5)

Boeing warned operators of MD-11 cargo planes in 2011 that a key engine-mounting part had failed multiple times, but also said it posed no safety risk. That part is now under investigation in the 2025 UPS crash that killed 15 people. (Seattle Times)

As the Seahawks get ready to face the 49ers in tomorrow's divisional playoff, we're offering a brief guide on how to annoy a 49ers fan.

Why it matters: Seahawks vs. the Niners isn't just another matchup on the road to the Super Bowl.

• It's a long-simmering rivalry shaped by grudges, scars and memories Seattle fans can't forget.

Start here: Call them the Santa Clara 49ers. This is a nod to the team's move to a Silicon Valley city south of San Francisco and it hurts fans' feelings.

Then: Bring up crowd noise innocently. Say you've heard it matters. Let them know it's louder in Seattle — even when much of Seattle is watching from home.

Mention: Casually bring up "The Tip," the fourth-quarter play in the 2013 NFC Championship that ended the 49ers' season and became one of the most famous moments in Seahawks history.

Finally: Sit back, smile and let history do the rest.

Been to the grocery store lately? All we can say is, "Ouch."

Driving the news: Nationwide, the price of food spiked 0.7% from November to December — and locally, the increase was much higher.

We want to know: How are you dealing with these rising grocery prices? Have you changed your shopping or cooking habits?

• Let us know by hitting reply or writing us an email.

We may use some of your testimonials in an upcoming story about how much food prices have risen locally and how it's affecting people.