suze

Seattle has tons of parks. Many of them designed by the Olmsted brothers (Central Park NYC) back in the day. We are extremely "green" here.

In general terms, I'd say the people are mostly laid back. Friendly enough but keep to themselves. Sometimes visitors interpret this as a coolness or stand-off-ish... rather it's just people mind their own business, unless you need help.

btw~ Don't think of Olympia and Tacoma and Seattle as the same place. They are very different cities. I love Seattle myself, but would not want to live in the other two places (for myself and as a single person).

BKP

I wasn't going to post because I felt like your weather question was answered, but when you asked about the people I thought I would throw in my two cents. Before I do, you have to know as a born and raised Seattle suburbanite I am a little biased. I love Seattle-ites. If you're looking to avoid high stress -- Seattle is perfect. As a whole, I think we're very laid back, very cool, very relaxed. The most common source of heated arguments, if you could call them that, are usually about littering or not picking up after your dog! If you don't have kids, I would avoid the eastside -- it's more family friendly. And, I can say this because I own a home there, I think you get more of a materialistic vibe from them. Lots of soccer moms in big SUVs with lattes and designer purses. IT guys in BMWs. Still the nicest people ever, IMHO, but they are aware of their labels. Before I run for cover, just want to let everyone know that I would be that mom right now if my husband hadn't been transfered and we weren't blessed to have a new adventure in our lives!

suze

For a vibrant area to live as a single, I am strongly biased in favor of Seattle's close-in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, First Hill, the Central District, Queen Anne, and Fremont.

Bobmrg

I can't let "drizzle for weeks on end" go unchallenged. It's just not true. It drizzled a little for part of the day yesterday (didn't keep us from our daily walk); today is dry and the weekend is forecast to be dry. Please log onto some Seattle area webcams (Google is your friend) and watch for a few days or a few months. DO NOT believe what you see on The Weather Channel...they overstate conditions wildly.

enzian

Good for you bobmrg. I was going to challenge the "weeks on end" of drizzle myself. I've lived here for 19 years (after growing up in California) and I can't recall it ever doing that. Four or five days in a row maybe. But we also get stretches of glorious high-pressure weather in the middle of winter, with clear blue skies and crisp cold days. And the summer---well, a few rainy days of summer sure beat endless heat and humidity. Summers here are really nice---even one like we just had.

Like you, katolb90, I love the outdoors, and find this a near-perfect place to live. Great hiking and OK skiing are close by; really great skiiing a bit farther. Water sports---kayaking, sailing, etc., all around. We swim in Lake Washington in the summer, and can find forest trails for shorter hikes within 20 minutes of our house. These we hike year 'round. Or we can drive an hour and go snoeshoeing. The weather rarely interferes with out outdoor plans, unless there is an actual storm (and we can get some wild ones).

Our dog loves it here too---lots of dog-friendly parks and trails.

I suggest that if you do move here, look inot the Seattle Mountaineers---it is an outdoor club, with activities such as hiking, nordic skiing, rock climbing, kayaking, etc., with a wide offering of activities on any weekend day in which you can participate. Most of the members are in the 40 and up age group. The "singles" section also does movie nights, tennis, volleyball, and language groups.

Suze gave you great suggestions for neighborhoods.

suze

<It is overcast and grey, or drizziling and grey, or raining and grey for months on end>

Ag3046~ Do you really live here? That statement is just sooooo not true, I keep coming back to it and wondering.

MonicaRichards

I honestly think people self sort and those that don't have a problem with overcast naturally gravitate to the Pacific Northwest. I have relatives in Seattle and go up there to visit a lot, and to ME it does seem overcast and gray all the time. I have been there when it's sunny too, and it's glorious, but I need sun five days out of seven even in the winter. So I live in California. My brother, not as picky, and his wife prefers the overcast, so they live in Seattle.

Bobmrg

I just picked up on the fact that you now live in the DC area. We lived in Cheverly, MD before Uncle Sam headed us west, and I can remember driving down Bladensburg Road and having to pull over because it was raining so hard that the wipers couldn't keep up. That has NEVER happened in Seattle.
There is one parallel between Seattle and the District, though...two inches of snow brings both cities to a standstill.

Gardyloo

Exactly. People from the midwest and east coast tend (got to watch out for blanket statements here) to over-estimate the impact the weather has on life on the Pacific coast, whether it's Seattle or San Diego. There just aren't the extremes - hot and humid, or nor'easters or blizzards or the occasional tornado or hurricane coming up the Ohio Valley or up the Atlantic coast - that one experiences in other parts of the country. Up and down the coast, the key word is "moderate." 90 and humid in LA or Seattle and people think the world is ending. Nobody we know in Seattle (aside from highrise condo dwellers) has central air conditioning. Neither do most people who live within a few miles of the coast in any part of the west. Just not needed.

Sure, you need a rain jacket or an umbrella in Portland or Seattle, just as you need an oxygen tank in parts of LA. But you don't need a storm cellar nor do you see signs for hurricane evacuation routes.

Today in Seattle is a little overcast with some sunbreaks. The leaves in the park across from my home office are in full throat - reds, yellows, and the chestnuts off our (horse) chestnut tree keep us awake all night bouncing off the roof and the deck. Mr. Dog had a fine romp with his pals at the off-leash area today. Did it rain at all? I think so - a sprinkle maybe. Not sure.

One other thing - when it's gray outside it's cozy inside, and when it's raining in Seattle in the winter it's snowing in the mountains - good skiing (downhill and XC) within an hour of the city. Plus, Seattle has the highest book-reading habit in the country, highest movie-going rate, and second highest (after NYC) live theater attendance per capita. The Seattle Film Festival is (I think) now the biggest in the country. And there's plenty of coffee around to keep you awake. What's a little rain?

fritzrl

"People from the midwest and east coast tend...to over-estimate the impact the weather has on life on the Pacific coast"

After I moved back to Seattle from Minneapolis, we entertained a fairly steady stream of Minnesota visitors coming to check out our new home. One of them, a former neighbor, remarked on what he found to be an unbelieveable number of restaurants in the city. He was right: Seattle restaurants of all kinds outnumber their Mpls counterparts by, I'd say, 2-to-1.

I thought it over, and I believe the answer is simple. For at least 5 months of the year in Mpls, going out to eat can be a major undertaking: put on 3 layers of warm clothing, brush the snow off the car, start the car to warm it up, slalom thru unplowed side streets to get to a main drag, drive slowly over the ice to your destination, unbundle the 3 layers once inside, eat -- then reverse the whole process to go home. A big hassle.

In Seattle..it rains. Unless a snow disaster is afoot, one need only throw on a little jacket, maybe a hat, drive without further ado to the restaurant, doff the hat and jacket and enjoy a quick dinner away from home. Much simpler.

A midwesterner may simply not realize how little mere drizzle and overcast interferes with the little pleasures of life -- compared to what they're used to dealing with.

Bobmrg

Piggybacking on suze's neighborhood recommendations...

We lived on Queen Ann and also in Magnolia before moving south of the city, and these days we seldom travel that far north without a good reason. Today we had a good reason...Larson's Bakery.

Ballard is definitely being condo-ized, as is Fremont. Not that that is a bad thing, but some of the flavor is being lost.

As we drove north toward the Ballard Bridge we saw the humonguous Genentech building...if your skill set fits that kind of work, it is easy to get to by bus or car and has lots of free parking.

enzian

Larsen's bakery, yum! Real Danish (Wienerbrod), just like in Copenhagen.

Fodorite018

We got one of those (the danish) for Christmas last year! Very good

suze

Well it's sunny outside right now! Absolutley gorgeous fall day.

Orcas

Here are some gross generalizations about the people. The PNW is a "blue area" politically. It is not as materialistic as some areas of the country (particularly the sunbelt). It is cooler and prettier than many places, so many people enjoy outdoor activities. My east coast (especially NY, NJ) friends complain that the friendliness of the people is superficial - that you don't know what they are thinking or going to say when you walk out the door. I actually appreciate the friendliness and don't find it superficial, but I hear this a lot. I think it depends on what you are used to.

The weather, I really don't mind it until about February. Try posting again at that time and the responses may be more negative. Everytime I go to a sunny climate, I wonder if I really want to stay here, but I can't imagine living anywhere else.

suze

Great post Orcas, I agree with everything you said. And that's why February is the perfect time for a week's vacation in Hawaii or Mexico!

enzian

Dang! Every time I open this thread I start thinnking about a Larsen's Kringle.

Guess I will just have to ride my bike up to Ballard today. After the fog burns off it is going to be lovely.

katolb90

Thanks for all the replies. The cloudiness is sounding more and more attractive. I guess I should be excited about the fact that it is still raining there. It hasn't rained here in over a month and every stream I pass is all dried up and the lakes and rivers are so low. In the last 10 years or so have you seen a change in your weather in that area???

I work for the feds so I will be limited in where I can work especially if I don't want to leave my current government agency. My income will probably only afford me a home in the 250,000 dollar range. I'd love a quiet, clean neighborhood with trees and winding, hilly streets. I'd like a little space between me and my neighbors. The width of a house or two would be enough. And of course close to parks and dog parks. I don't have to have a new house. Brick, single story is my preference.

I think I will take a trip out there in January to see Seattle and visit some suburbs and hopefully get a feel for the weather.

LordBalfor

Hate to give you such bad news, but your expectations of a "width of a house or two" between your place and the next for a price of $250,000 is pretty unrealistic for a city where the average price of a home is over $400,000. Prices in Seattle are more along the lines of those in DC than in Michigan and it's one of the higher-priced areas of the country. In fact, so far, even the current problems in the housing market have had little effect in the greater Seattle area and a price of $250,000 is better suited to a condo than a standalone house. You will do a bit better down by Tacoma or Olympia, but $250,000 will not buy you much in Seattle or it's suburbs.

Good luck!

Ken

suze

I know I've been encouraging about Seattle, because I love it here, and it fits what you seem to be looking for. But for that price range you would need to look to Tacoma or Olympia instead.

You'd be lucky to find a nice studio apartment or small 1- bedroom condo in central Seattle at that price. Take a look at the MLS on any realtors website, all real estate is listed and easy to sort by area and price, you'll quickly see what we mean.

All the reasons we are talking up Seattle (it's GREAT place to live imo) makes it deservedly popular and keeps the real estate prices unfortunately sky-high.