What's the lowdown on the PNW?

[burrito]

The PNW is a lot larger than Seattle. Nor Cal, OR, ID, MT...

Um…no shit. Unfortunately quantum physics has not advanced to the point where I can live in all those places at once, but in the hypothetical situation where I relocate specifically to Seattle for this job I’m curious about anywhere and everywhere in the area - hence why I’m asking broad questions.

[TBS]

The PNW is a lot larger than Seattle. Nor Cal, OR, ID, MT...

Oregon resorts suck, particularly Mt Bachelor and its evil parent POWDR

[thefortrees]

Is burrito a troll or just a dickhead?

[californiagrown]

The burritos are much worse here. Nearly everything else is better, to much better.

[k2skier112]

Um…no shit. Unfortunately quantum physics has not advanced to the point where I can live in all those places at once, but in the hypothetical situation where I relocate specifically to Seattle for this job I’m curious about anywhere and everywhere in the area - hence why I’m asking broad questions.

My point being, there's a shit ton of options in the PNW vs Seattle
So I thought you may be more concerned about the
Seattle area
It's a great place, but traffic sucks balls
Locating yourself North or South of downtown to avoid always going thru the city would be beneficial

[burrito]

My point being, there's a shit ton of options in the PNW vs Seattle
So I thought you may be more concerned about the
Seattle area
It's a great place, but traffic sucks balls
Locating yourself North or South of downtown to avoid always going thru the city would be beneficial

Right on. Wasn’t trying to be a dick, just a tad snarky. Thanks for the info. A friend of mine mentioned something similar that the bridges are a mess these days (or apparently closed all together) making traffic a nightmare most of the time.

[phatty]

There's a lot of information we don't know about you and your situation that impacts recommendations. I live Eastside, work remote and have a family. Plus I'm old. That's going to color my opinion.

Personally, I love it. Traffic is way better post Covid. I'm minutes from great MTB, awesome hiking in under 30 minutes, waterskiing on Sammamish in 10 minutes, 40 minutes to Alpental and 10 minutes from I90 and getting to wherever I want to go. Great schools, lots of jobs, etc. Has it changed significantly in the 20yrs I've been here? For sure. Is housing crazy expensive? Yup. It sucks. Will my kids be able to afford to live here? Unlikely.

With my job being remote, I can move anywhere I want. I don't have family here, so nothing that creates a solid tie. When my wife and I talk about where else we might want to move, we always come back to the fact that we have everything we want here.

[altasnob]

This pretty much sums it up
Santa Cruz

Washington

[burrito]

There's a lot of information we don't know about you and your situation that impacts recommendations. I live Eastside, work remote and have a family. Plus I'm old. That's going to color my opinion.

Personally, I love it. Traffic is way better post Covid. I'm minutes from great MTB, awesome hiking in under 30 minutes, waterskiing on Sammamish in 10 minutes, 40 minutes to Alpental and 10 minutes from I90 and getting to wherever I want to go. Great schools, lots of jobs, etc. Has it changed significantly in the 20yrs I've been here? For sure. Is housing crazy expensive? Yup. It sucks. Will my kids be able to afford to live here? Unlikely.

With my job being remote, I can move anywhere I want. I don't have family here, so nothing that creates a solid tie. When my wife and I talk about where else we might want to move, we always come back to the fact that we have everything we want here.

I feel you, and I appreciate this perspective. Not to get too deep into my personal life, but here goes: In general the Seattle area seems to fit in nicely with the things I’ve found I like the most in a spot, at least geographically - proximity to mountains (to ski, hike, and camp), water (because it’s pretty), and a proper city (ballgames, art, museums, melting pot culture…the usual stuff.)

The potential job is in SoDo. While there’s the possibility of hybrid remote work, part of the role involves really embedding myself in the company culture to get to know it from the inside out. This will be much easier in person, so I’d very likely be commuting more than 50% of the time, at least to start.

Single, no kids, dog, built-out adventure van that is too tall for urban garages (though I’d be willing to part with it if it makes sense.) I don’t need or necessarily want a lot of living space, but I do like to have some kind of outside area for the pup during the day (patio, yard, etc.), which probably disqualifies most urban apartments and condos.

Being a completely new city I’d try to rent for at least a year before looking at buying a place…though at the same time if housing prices continue to skyrocket it might be worth buying right off the bat. Even though cost of living is expensive in Seattle, so is anywhere else I’d consider living. 10+ years in coastal California has acclimated me to the inherent “tax” of living in a desirable area.

My biggest qualifier for any relocation is that I want to find an area to settle into for at least a decade, possibly the rest of my life. Packing up and moving somewhere new every few years was fun in my 20s, but at 35 it’s a lot less exciting than it used to be. The biggest drawback of my time in Santa Cruz has been that there is no way I can see myself settling here long term, for a variety of reasons. Small town vibe and geographic isolation (it’s not really part of the Bay Area proper), the insane cost of living for what you get ($1000+/sq ft that likely wasn’t built to code and is consequently either infested with black mold or about to fall over), and the general ignorance, lack of diversity, and hypocrisy of a town full of 60-something hippies.

I skew very left ideologically, but the Santa Cruz mindset is something else entirely. I like to describe it as, [aged stoner voice] “I just want to live my life of peace and harmony…but fuck you and everyone you love if you do anything that gets in the way of that!”

All things considered, I think Seattle could be a good fit. Looks like I’m being brought up for an in-person in the next few weeks, so hopefully I can get a better sense of the area while I’m there.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and perspectives.

[burrito]

Also, is this a real thing?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattl...ze?wprov=sfti1

[Stikki]

^^ Yes, Seattle freeze is very much is a real thing. With so many people moving here in the past decade it's not as bad as it used to be, all the new people were nice to each other and made friends amongst themselves.

[AK47bp]

Also, is this a real thing?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattl...ze?wprov=sfti1

Yes.

Been here since 2006 and have zero friends.


Other than other transplants from my home town.

I’m introverted and don’t try though.



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[MagnificentUnicorn]

Seattle nimbyism, the “Freeze”, passive aggressive behavior and all the other bs that goes along with living in a large metro and it’s suburbs. It’s everywhere.

I’m fine with infrequent trips to the city for the “culture” but would never want to live in a large metro or it’s suburbs. It’s just a rat race. Enjoy!


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[Huskier]

Yes.

Been here since 2006 and have zero friends.


Other than other transplants from my home town.

I’m introverted and don’t try though.



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'04, same. Except for maybe like 1 or 2.

Ya I think there are so many people moving here now it's kind of overwhelming that trend on a temporary basis. Esp the Colorado folk god damn those people are smiley.

I always chalked it up to everyone being chronically vitamin D deficient and a little gloomier/lethargic than they would be elsewhere, making for a higher required activation energy to reach out and engage people. Less passive aggressive and more passive friendship engagement. Like I may have enjoyed our conversation the other day, but it's a low energy day today and my social plate is already more full than I'd like, even if it's mostly empty.

...Unless you ski bike good. Then I tuck away that contact info for the next time company sounds like a good idea. That may not be for few months though.

[Ted Striker]

...passive friendship engagement. Like I may have enjoyed our conversation the other day, but it's a low energy day today and my social plate is already more full than I'd like, even if it's mostly empty.

That's a good summation of it. I have a lot of friends who'd go for a beer, but only a few who'd help move a couch.

[altasnob]

If there is a Seattle freeze, you can't blame long term residents as most have already been priced out of the city. Seattle, like other booming metropolises in the West, is now just an endless stream of young, mostly tech-workers moving in, staying for a bit, making money, then cashing out and moving on. One giant corporate office park.

Seattle is one of the least diverse large cities in America, which plays into its lack of friendliness (I think only SLC and Portland are less diverse). Although like everywhere in America, it is getting more diverse. It's also one of the most educated and wealthy. Think ivy leaguers with sticks up their ass who don't want to make eye contact with you because then they might have to talk to you.

Oh, and people who move to Seattle from Colorado aren't actually from Colorado. Colorado is just the first place they moved to from back East, South, and Midwest. That's why they are so friendly. People who grew up in Colorado are just as big of a dick as people who grew up in Washington. Think of Seattle as one giant campground, where all the good spots are taken, but more and more people keep showing up at night trying to cram themselves in, getting mean mugged by all the other campers who got there first.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I don’t really think of Seattle when I think of WA and I’m a native. It’s okay as cities go but that’s it. The entirety of the Puget Sound lowlands and western slope starting below the foothills is shitty. Sure there are nice days but the monotony of grey skies, drizzle and Doug fir monoculture is tedious.


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[powdork]

So think of it as a giant Coporate Office Park Campground where Ivy Leaguers with anal obtrusions mean mug you?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

So think of it as a giant Coporate Office Park Campground where Ivy Leaguers with anal obtrusions mean mug you?

Pugetopolis sucks. The Cascades and the east slopes are amazing. Basically anything north and west of the Columbia to the west slope foothills. You can throw in Stevens and Pend Oreille counties too. The Olympic peninsula is amazing if and when the weather cooperates.


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[Huskier]

If there is a Seattle freeze, you can't blame long term residents as most have already been priced out of the city.

Depends on the type of residents. Homeowners cemented in place by their booming home equity and love for the familiar. Old Seattle renters now live in Des Moines or Kent.

Staying for a bit, making money, then cashing out and -buying property on the east side and hanging out-

FTFY.

Seattle is one of the least diverse large cities in America, which plays into its lack of friendliness (I think only SLC and Portland are less diverse).

Full stop, what? Patently false. Seattle is actually more diverse than New Orleans, but it's a meaningless statement if you're assigning points to exposure to a non-white experience. Also Unsure how you're equating low diversity to low friendliness, particularly if the only people moving here are homogenous tech bros. Statistics like these are skewed by the fact that these surveys focus on city limits and not larger metro. The Seattle area has some of the largest Ethiopian, Filipino and other API communities in the country.

Seattle proper and KC metro obviously look different on paper but are functionally the same place

Think ivy leaguers with sticks up their ass who don't want to make eye contact with you because then they might have to talk to you.

Huh? Old Seattle vibes bruh, which I thought you said got run out of town. Maybe Madrona or Queen Anne.

The character you're most likely to run into in Seattle proper is crazy far left holier than thou activist Karen who demands more affordable housing for the homeless but also raises the alarm on Nextdoor about "that hobo in the woods", and how dare you raise property taxes on her $1.2 mil bungalow. Also, wrong pronouns = death sentence.

People who grew up in Colorado are just as big of a dick as people who grew up in Washington.

Again, what? Yes, Coloradans and Washingtonians are all disgruntled assholes. Not a kind soul among them. We should all go move to the east coast.

This is all to take issue with generalizing based on where someone is "from". Different personality types pursue different life courses. Picking up and moving to a different state to pursue an opportunity suggests a reasonably outgoing optimistic mindset. People who don't do that are obviously more likely to stay natives of wherever, sometimes unhappily so. Maybe that's the basis for your anecdotal experience?

We're all just grumpy because it used to be awesome and deserted, now it's just awesome and crowded, so agree with last point. Pre-Amazon Seattle was tits.

And yeah, if you don't take advantage of the monotonous nature, the big weekend activity will be your run to Costco. Maybe a sportsball game.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Depends on the type of residents. Homeowners cemented in place by their booming home equity and love for the familiar. Old Seattle renters now live in Des Moines or Kent.



FTFY.




Full stop, what? Patently false. Seattle is actually more diverse than New Orleans, but it's a meaningless statement if you're assigning points to exposure to a non-white experience. Also Unsure how you're equating low diversity to low friendliness, particularly if the only people moving here are homogenous tech bros. Statistics like these are skewed by the fact that these surveys focus on city limits and not larger metro. The Seattle area has some of the largest Ethiopian, Filipino and other API communities in the country.

Seattle proper and KC metro obviously look different on paper but are functionally the same place



Huh? Old Seattle vibes bruh, which I thought you said got run out of town. Maybe Madrona or Queen Anne.



Again, what? Yes, Coloradans and Washingtonians are all disgruntled assholes. Not a kind soul among them. We should all go move to the east coast.

This is all to take issue with generalizing based on where someone is "from". Different personality types pursue different life courses. Picking up and moving to a different state to pursue an opportunity suggests a reasonably outgoing optimistic mindset. People who don't do that are obviously more likely to stay natives of wherever, sometimes unhappily so. Maybe that's the basis for your anecdotal experience?

We're all just grumpy because it used to be awesome and deserted, now it's just awesome and crowded, so agree with last point. Pre-Amazon Seattle was tits.

And yeah, if you don't take advantage of the monotonous nature, the big weekend activity will be your run to Costco. Maybe a sportsball game.

Neither you nor altaslob make it sound appealing. Throw out the skiing and I’d much rather live in Oakland than Seattle and I left there in 2003.


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[Buster Highmen]

37 blind TGnaRistas describe the elephant.
Every claim is true except making it from Issaquah to Snoqualmie Pass in 40 minutes on a snowy weekend morning.

And let us not gloss over the parking problems: Stevens Pass is parked out by 8:00, Crustal access road on a snow morning is snarled by 8:00 and Snoqualmie got parked out a dozen times last year.

The SW corner of lot4 does a little to defrost the Seattle freeze, if only by virtue of the dank.

Failing that, there's always Ogden.

[Huskier]

Neither you nor altaslob make it sound appealing. Throw out the skiing and I’d much rather live in Oakland than Seattle and I left there in 2003.


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Not trying to sell, just paint an accurate picture. There are at least 4 other areas I'd pick over Seattle RN, if I could pick up my current gig and move it. Wenatchee one of them

[nickwm21]

My unpopular opinion:

Seattlites like to complain. Everything is relative.

- Traffic is not bad here. There is a literal “rush hour”. Outside of that you can cross the city in 5min. People complain about the 405 here… my guess is they have never driven on the real 405.

- The mountains are crowded, but nowhere near the crowds you see at Squaw, Mammoth, Vail, Breck, etc… if you can wake up early and ski through lunch, you’ll be fine.


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[MagnificentUnicorn]

Not trying to sell, just paint an accurate picture. There are at least 4 other areas I'd pick over Seattle RN, if I could pick up my current gig and move it. Wenatchee one of them

What’s your specialty? Pm me if you want, I work for Confluence/CWH.


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