People Who REALLY LOVE Seattle- What Prompted Your Move? What Do You Value? (rent, how much)

[branh0913]

Originally Posted by tekniskagal

People talk a lot about Seattle being overly PC. To me that just means calling people out for saying stupid stuff not based on fact or personal experience.

Of course no one wants to walk on egg shells but I prefer the more socially progressive stance (sidenote: seems like Seattle is a cool place for people who might be fiscal conservatives but socially progressive, which is a double plus).

If you think this, then you clearly have the wrong view of Seattle. There are government programs all over the place, and most people who run this state are a bunch of tax and spend ideologues. They really love taxing the businesses here to kingdom come. Not exactly what I'd call fiscally conservative. I wouldn't call it very socially progressive either. This thread is suppose to be positive, but not make call Seattle what it's clearly not. If you want fiscal conservationism, there are way better cities for that.

[pwright1]

The cost of living in DC is more than Seattle including rent prices. The more desirable areas of DC are more expensive renting or buying. DC's less desirable areas like Deanwood, Anacostia, Benning Road and many of the areas across the Anacostia River are probably cheaper than Seattle's less desirable areas because they are less desirable. Not all but alot.

[jm31828]

My wife and I moved here in November 2009 from Lincoln, Nebraska. We had been looking for a few years for a new place to live that had the perfect fit for us and after careful research we chose Seattle and absolutely love, love, love it here so far. There were two big factors- 1 was the natural scenery in and around Seattle. It is more beautiful than anywhere else in the country that we had ever been (and we've been to many areas coast to coast). We are into sight seeing, landscape photography, and even a bit of hiking, so this has been paradise for us.
And 2nd is the weather- I can't stand heat or humidity, and so the summers here are perfect for me. And I also was very annoyed by the bitterly cold winters back in the Midwest, so the mild winters here- though not as comfortable as places such as California- were a big upgrade for us. To have a green landscape in January is still such a treat as we reminisce about the dead brown landscape back home at that time of the year.

[Seacove]

In the early 90s we took a trip to Portland to investigate a potential move. We knew after the first day that Portland didn't feel right. Disappointed, we decided to drive to Seattle the next day to see the USS Missouri in Bremerton (Under Siege was in theaters and it sounded like something different to do) so the trip wouldn't be a bust. Cities never seem the same on a pleasure trip vs. a work trip and Seattle was so much more than the airport and a hotel. We were stunned as we drove around and by the time we were having lunch in Poulsbo we knew. It still amazes me.

[Rcsligar]

Originally Posted by Seacove

In the early 90s we took a trip to Portland to investigate a potential move. We knew after the first day that Portland didn't feel right. Disappointed, we decided to drive to Seattle the next day to see the USS Missouri in Bremerton (Under Siege was in theaters and it sounded like something different to do) so the trip wouldn't be a bust. Cities never seem the same on a pleasure trip vs. a work trip and Seattle was so much more than the airport and a hotel. We were stunned as we drove around and by the time we were having lunch in Poulsbo we knew. It still amazes me.

It does have a way of clicking with people doesn't it? I was extremely dissapointed with Portland also after looking at colleges in the area and decided to drive up to seattle. It must have been meant to be, because I am attending Seattle U this fall.

[tekniskagal]

Originally Posted by pwright1

The cost of living in DC is more than Seattle including rent prices. The more desirable areas of DC are more expensive renting or buying. DC's less desirable areas like Deanwood, Anacostia, Benning Road and many of the areas across the Anacostia River are probably cheaper than Seattle's less desirable areas because they are less desirable. Not all but alot.

Thanks for the post. If you have the time could you please cite which Seattle Neighborhoods are the equivalent of DC neighborhoods?

I'll bet in weeks if not years to come other people looking at both cities would find the comparison very useful!
Names:
Dupont Circle
Georgetown
U Street
Downtown/Penn Quarter
Foggy Bottom
Upper Northwest (ex. Grover Park, Woodley Park, etc, Conn. Ave, Wisconsin Ave, etc)
Anacostia
Shaw
Ledroit Park
The Various NE Neighborhoods (can't think of 'em all)
Southwest/Waterfront
Capitol Hill

[mrman78]

I chose to move to Seattle because it best fit what I was looking for in an area and surrounding region. I saved up for years, quit my job last April, got a contract job in June and now have a permanent full-time job I just started. I moved mostly for the mild climate, the scenery, the outdoors (access to pretty much everything I could imagine wanting to go on vacation for within a three-hour radius of the city) and the job market in my field.

I moved from Houston, Texas so it was pretty much a 180. I love it here and don't regret moving at all. I'm so active here all the time and find I appreciate sunny days more than ever, but also don't hate the cloudy days. I have found it isn't really any more expensive than living in Houston (probably because I'm single and don't plan to buy a house), yet I am so much closer to everything and the things I love. The only negatives for me are November and the lack of AC in apartments. That's it. I can live with that

[tekniskagal]

Originally Posted by mrman78

The only negatives for me are November and the lack of AC in apartments. That's it. I can live with that

I thought it didn't really get hot enough for them, that's why they're not prevalent in the area??

[JBVirtuoso]

Originally Posted by tekniskagal

I thought it didn't really get hot enough for them, that's why they're not prevalent in the area??

Well, it depends on the person. I lived without AC last summer in NYC, so I find Seattle's weather to be not hot at all. The NWS issued an excessive heat warning last week when it was 90 degrees. But Seattle's hot weather isn't very humid, and even on hot days, it cools down really fast after the sun starts setting. Overnight lows above 70 seem to be pretty rare. And the temperature reaches 90 only a few times a year if at all. Given all that, I find an air conditioner to be a waste of money. But this really depends on the person. If you're really sensitive to heat, you'll probably want one.

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by tekniskagal

I thought it didn't really get hot enough for them, that's why they're not prevalent in the area??

I have been here 4 years now, and find this really not to be true- I don't know how so many people tolerate not having AC because with the sun shining, even if the highs are only in the mid to upper 70's it gets uncomfortably warm in the house and won't cool off enough to get a good breeze through the place until after dark. I hear complaints at work all the time from people about how hot their houses are. We had central air put in our new house when we bought it and we use it quite a bit- admittedly some years such as last year where it was in the 60's so much of the time, we only used it for about 2 weeks the entire year. But this year we've used it almost every day for the past month and a half or so.