Want to move to the Seattle area

[UglyCasanova]

So the misses and I have decided that we would like to move to the Seattle area. I'm job hunting there ATM and she can transfer.

I'm guessing that when we get there apartments are going to be our only real option at first. I have 2 kids, both elementary school age. For those that live there, are there any affordable areas with decent schools? Places to watch out for?

 

[Printer Bandit]

where are you currently?

 

[UglyCasanova]

Louisiana, and we want out.

 

[KaOTiK]

Screw work and protest outside of Valve's building demand HL3

 

[BrokenVisage]

I'm sorry, for a second there I thought you said you wanted to move TO Seattle, must be my eyes.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I'm sorry, for a second there I thought you said you wanted to move TO Seattle, must be my eyes.

?

Why. I'm looking for the pros and cons of the entire area. What's wrong with Seattle?

 

[Ricochet]

First of all, do you have a job already lined up?

For me I prefer suburbia over city so I don't like to be too close to downtown Seattle. Surrounding areas I would prefer: Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Mill Creek, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Newcastle. Those are the ones off the top of my head at the moment. Of course your job should dictate where you should go.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Why. I'm looking for the pros and cons of the entire area. What's wrong with Seattle?

Rain, hipsters - Did I mention rain? Only about 58-days a year in Seattle are classified as sunny.

http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4103321.html

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Rain, hipsters - Did I mention rain? Only about 58-days a year in Seattle are classified as sunny.

http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4103321.html

I could use that as a balance!

My goodness, where I am it's 350 days of 'sunny' (if you don't count the days of sand storms.)

No doubt a few years of 40 degrees and drizzle sounds good in comparison to a swamp.

I read that seattle has the highest proportion of people with an undergraduate degree or better, and one of the lowest percentage of homeless persons.

 

[Argo]

What's your budget? Housing is pretty expensive in Seattle. Also, are you looking at apts or houses?

 

[lupi]

seattle, the place with such shitty weather it almost makes me think the hot & humid of the southeast isn't soo bad.

 

[RampantAndroid]

seattle, the place with such shitty weather it almost makes me think the hot & humid of the southeast isn't soo bad.

Do you live here? Summers are amazing. And if you like snow sports, so are winters. I love living in the PNW.

OP: Seattle itself isn't cheap. Tons of tech jobs though. And when people say rain...they either don't live here or are lying. It's drizzle We never get a real downpour - it's a rather rare occurrence.

You don't need AC other than one week in the year (the people who say you don't need AC at all must be masochists.)

If you like hiking, you're 30 minutes from the Cascades. Same goes for boarding - 3 resorts close to Seattle; further out you can find mission ridge and baker. Tons of water (sailing and whatnot. Don't swim here, the water is too cold.)

The region is just generally beautiful. Love it here.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Do you live here? Summers are amazing. And if you like snow sports, so are winters. I love living in the PNW.

OP: Seattle itself isn't cheap. Tons of tech jobs though. And when people say rain...they either don't live here or are lying. It's drizzle We never get a real downpour - it's a rather rare occurrence.

You don't need AC other than one week in the year (the people who say you don't need AC at all must be masochists.)

If you like hiking, you're 30 minutes from the Cascades. Same goes for boarding - 3 resorts close to Seattle; further out you can find mission ridge and baker. Tons of water (sailing and whatnot. Don't swim here, the water is too cold.)

The region is just generally beautiful. Love it here.

What's the real risk of death by volcano?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, 300+ days a year of drizzle, light showers, sprinkles, minor precipitation, and sky-falling wetness. But not much heavy rain.

I now think of a "sunny" day as a day where the sky is light gray instead of dark.

Expect to pay a fair amount, rentals are expensive and went up another ~5% this year.

 

[RampantAndroid]

What's the real risk of death by volcano?

Meh, Rainier will go off some day. Just don't be in Renton, Auburn or Tacoma or the surrounding areas when it does, lest you learn what a lahar is.

 

[DaveSimmons]

The killer quake will get the rest of us. Or the sharknados.

 

[cubby1223]

Rain, hipsters - Did I mention rain? Only about 58-days a year in Seattle are classified as sunny.

http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4103321.html

I recently visited Seattle for the first time, and dang it if I was looking forward to this famous rain and got none of it... 4 whole days and nadda!

What was disturbing was the sheer quantity of homeless, beggars, gangsta wannabees, and stoned junkies roaming the streets each evening. It's like, do the world a favor and go away!

I actually had a great time visiting the city, would return for another vacation in the future, if for nothing else at least to visit more breweries, their beer is a lot better than what I have around me back home.

 

[RampantAndroid]

I recently visited Seattle for the first time, and dang it if I was looking forward to this famous rain and got none of it... 4 whole days and nadda!

What was disturbing was the sheer quantity of homeless, beggars, gangsta wannabees, and stoned junkies roaming the streets each evening. It's like, do the world a favor and go away!

I actually had a great time visiting the city, would return for another vacation in the future, if for nothing else at least to visit more breweries, their beer is a lot better than what I have around me back home.

The homeless people on the highway offramps usually aren't homeless. They're professional. Don't really notice the gangsta wannabees, but it probably depends on where you are. Don't go to Pioneer square alone at night, for example.

 

[velillen]

Yes, 300+ days a year of drizzle, light showers, sprinkles, minor precipitation, and sky-falling wetness. But not much heavy rain.

I now think of a "sunny" day as a day where the sky is light gray instead of dark.

Expect to pay a fair amount, rentals are expensive and went up another ~5% this year.

Ill take our gray, mild weather over those "sunny" places any day. Spent 8 months in San Diego last year and sure its sunny, but you also see a giant fing brown cloud over the city everyday. Not that every city is like that but screw that. And all the brown. Its like everything was dead unless they were watering in every single morning in which case it just looked out of place next to the brown barren dirt next to it. And when it does rain i loved how everything floods down there. Even the most basic street feels like it floods. That and there being no seasons. The entire time i felt there we all (coworkers) mentioned how it felt like the exact same season the whole time.

But then again im an odd ball. I hate big cities and would much rather live where i do now, quiet, out of town, and able to do what i want and not have people bitching at me.


As for housing/rent prices...we never got hit by the housing bubble as much as other places. Prices did drop but not as much as say Arizona. And prices have been on the rise for the last 2-3 years as well. (state average at least). but hey the county tax guy said my property went down 15k in value this year so who knows if its true! (o and btw thanks for the tax break county guy!)

 

[Orsorum]

Ain't nothing better than summer in the Northwest, as Geologic might say. Rest of the year can be tough with the overcast weather, but that can be dealt with if you have the right frame of mind. Spent my whole life in Seattle until I was 27, then spent six months in India and the last two and a half years in Houston, and am used to sun now, but do miss the Seattle landscape.

 

[Ricochet]

PNW has some of the best outdoor activities (hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, kayaking, etc) of any area in the country. People also forget that just the other side of the Cascades (less than 3 hr drive east from Seattle) the weather is completely different. Not uncommon to find 300 days of sunshine in some of the areas. It's great for those who love clean air and green.

 

[AreaCode707]

linuxboy and I own a nice (granite countertops, engineered wood floors, etc) 5 bedroom, 2500 sq ft house on acreage in Redmond, WA. We shared it with Orsorum and Zenmervolt for a while, but ZV is the only one left there, since the rest of us have moved out of state. If you're looking for a place to rent, even temporarily while you look for permanent housing, we could cut you a deal. (Looking to sell it too...)

I lived in Seattle 8 years. My observations:

• It takes a few years to really starting "feeling" Seattle. At that point you'll be able to decide whether you like it or not
• People are quite polite, not particularly friendly. Most entertaining is done out, not in homes. Plan ahead to come up with a way to build yourself a social circle that meets your tastes. It'll probably take some deliberate effort.
• Summers are beautiful, but they are short. Outdoors season is pretty much year round, just be ok with hiking in the rain.
• Traffic is getting worse and worse. Drivers there really do suck more than they do elsewhere. Nobody signals, nobody knows how to drive in the rain... if your kids are near driving age, be prepared to bite your fingernails to the quick while you're teaching them.
• Food is expensive.
• It takes 45-60 minutes to get anywhere, for some reason
• The Olympic Peninsula is awesome. Learn how to razor clam. Enjoy the prehistoric forests.
• Summer Shakespeare in the Park. I miss it.

What do you do for work? I've got good connections in several of the big tech companies in the area.

 

[cubby1223]

The homeless people on the highway offramps usually aren't homeless. They're professional. Don't really notice the gangsta wannabees, but it probably depends on where you are. Don't go to Pioneer square alone at night, for example.

I was around 3rd & Pine at night. Walking up the street and there was a group of 4 black men, as we're almost right up on them to pass by, one of them sucker punches another on the side of the head and begin fighting and yelling about money. Keep walking, they start following in the same direction, a block later they're running to catch the bus, one of them trips over his own feet and a lot of tiny, shiny, sparkling things disperse throughout the street! Free meth!

Little further down passing an architectural art piece in front of a building, a 20-something stoned guy jumps out from behind and tries to scare us. None of the people downtown gave the appearance of being threatening, but it's still not anyone I have any desire to be around.

 

[Malak]

?

Why. I'm looking for the pros and cons of the entire area. What's wrong with Seattle?

Third worst traffic in the country. But hey, come join us in the communist northwest.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I will be working in the financial, not the tech sector. My background is mortgage banking. No job lined up yet, this is still in the preliminary phase.