Hi,

I'm considering a move to either DC or Seattle. I'm relocating to find more affordable housing and milder winter than NYC. I would love to hear locals perspective on housing, job market, culture, weather, etc. or what you like/dislike about your city. Thanks!

sleepless:

I would recommend D.C. The reason is that the weather is better and I had a friend living in Seattle and he told me the cost of living is high. I lived in D.C. twice in the 1980s and really enjoyed it because it is a wonderful walking city with a very reliable subway system (very clean) which makes living in the suburbs easier than most cities. Regarding crime, I never felt threatened while walking around the city. There are some places you avoid at night but overall most places were relatively safe during the day.

Another bonus is that you are so close to the Atlantic beachtowns and if you'd want to go back to NYC, there is excellent train service at Union Station which I use to take to Baltimore if I missed my local train and they would leave regularly to go to NYC.

Well, I'm sure both are pretty expensive by most standards. I know that several years back I took a business trip to DC (I live in Seattle) and remember being shocked that the home prices in DC (which I expected to be higher than Seattle's) were actually about the same at the time (not sure about now). However, having said that, I have to add that by NYC standards you will probably find Seattle to be pretty reasonably priced in this regard.

Weatherwise, Seattle has a VERY mild climate by most Americans' standards. Winters are pretty darned easy and at no time of the year does the average low ever drop below freezing (January lows average around 35-36 degrees, with average highs around 45-46). In addition, real winter weather tends to be pretty short-lived. I actually consider January to be the only really true winter month around here. The very last of the leaves don't usually fall from the trees until the end of November (or latter) and the first ones start reappearing on bushes by about the middle of February. The last few years the daff's have been blooming in my yard (I live near the airport) by the 1st of March. As you might expect, within the city area snow is pretty rare. Typically we probably get anywhere from 0 to 5 days a year where there is some snow on the ground (it never stays long). We had "significant" snow (4 inches) at my house this year for the first time in the last 3-4 years. Outlying areas will be colder and get more snow (especially north of the city where a weather "convergience zone" results in the heaviest snow in the metro area.

Dispite our reputation, we only get about the same amount of rain as NYC - however, it tneds to come in the form of light rain/drizzle during the 9 months of October-June instad of in heavy summer thunderstorms like NYC. The result is that we get a lot of gray days (especially during the winter). July/Aug/Sept tend to be sunny and dry, with blue skies and highs in the upper 70's and (sometimes) low 80's (pretty darned perfect). Summer humidity is pretty low and we generally have few "muggy" days like you are used to. Occasionally however, we get a year with "no summer" where it's cloudy and cool most of the time.

Job market sucks. Both Boeing and the the "tech sector" have been hit hard by the economic problems of the last few years. Seattle is heavily dependent on both so we have been slower to take part in the "economic recovery".

Traffic stinks and we have very poor public transportation service. Like most western cities, it's pretty spread out wo if you don't have a car, you are pretty stuck.

If you like the outdoors there's lots to do pretty close by and (on a nice day) there is truly NO area of the country more beautiful. The combination of mountains and sea is truly spectacular and unique. We have one of the worlds' only 2 areas of temperate rainforest (the other is in New Zealand) and 2 hours drive across the Cascades you even have desert.

I'll let others talk about culture.

Ken

Rumors of Seattle rainfall are greatly exaggerated. New York and Chicago are among the cities that average more yearly rainfall than Seattle, but as LordBalfor pointed out, it's distributed more evenly over the year, so it probably just seems like more. Also, it rarely snows and when it does, it rarely sticks around for more than a few days.

The weather that one experiences here is quite dependent on where one lives. In the summer, the farther east or south that one gets from the Sound, the warmer it is. You probably want to live within the city, so this is probably academic, but I live 15 miles east of Seattle and it's always about 5-15 degrees warmer in the summer months than it is in the city. 80s and 90s are common in the suburbs nearer to the mountains. It was even 100+ by my place a few days last year. This probably confirms the theory that a lot of Seattlelites have that the Eastside is actually Hell, but I digress. On the flip side, it's usually a bit colder in the winter months in the 'burbs.

Public transportation could be better, but it isn't horrid. I've lived here for 16 years without a car and I've never had a problem getting where I need to go. There are places that *do* require a car to get to, but that's so seldom for me that it's not worth the expense of owning one year round. It all depends on your lifestyle and where you want to live.

I rent, but I know that housing is generally expensive. It's pretty much dependent on the neighborhood, but deals can be found with some research. My aunt bought a 3 bedroom house in the Seward Park neighborhood of Seattle for $180,000 last year. It's a bit of a fixer upper, but it's in a nice neighborhood that's convenient to downtown Seattle.

I like so many things about here that it's hard to narrow it down. First and foremost, I love the natural beauty of this area. On clear days, there is a panorama of the snowcapped mountains. They are in any direction that you turn and they are gorgeous. I love that there's greenery year round, even in the dead of winter, thanks to the abundance of evergreens. I love the proximity to all types of recreation and the short distance to either Oregon or British Columbia. I love the festivals, yearly traditions, and activities. I could go on and on.

The only thing that I really don't like about this area are the politics and the seeming voter apathy. We have so many do-nothings in local and state offices, yet they get re-elected 9 times out of 10. It bugs me, but I suspect that most places have this problem.

I'd be happy to answer any more questions.

Another Seattleite, former somewhat frequent traveler to DC.

His lordship is right about the weather, economy, all that. That said, there's nothing like a DC spring; however, DC's economy is even more narrowly-based than Seattle's, so the range of jobs might be just as limited. I don't think Seattle's traffic is any worse than DC's, but in both places much depends on your precise circumstances. If you can afford to live in a nice area in the District, you can afford to live in a nice area in Seattle. If you want to live in the burbs, there are lots of choices in both areas, with job commutes and access to cultural resources being the variables.

In an hour from DC you can be in Richmond or Baltimore. In an hour from Seattle you can be in Tacoma. There's a huge difference in proximity and scale between the right and left banks; some people adapt well, others don't.

Culturally, there's nothing like the buzz of DC in the NW. In my view, DC is tied for second with LA (behind only NYC) in the sense of being "where the action is." That can also be confining to some people.

I guess my (obvious) recommendation would be to visit both places, twice each - once in February and again in August. Visit with the idea of looking at the places not as a tourist but as a resident. Start reading the Washington Post and the Seattle Times online; look at the want ads constantly. Make an informed decision; it's a big one.

I work in DC and live in Maryland. The job market here is strong, depending upon your skills.

The real estate market is insane. There was a house in Alexandria that just sold for $100,000 OVER the asking price. Houses sell in a day with dozens of offers. Houses in the slums are going for $300,000! My brother just bought a house fifty miles from town. It took him a year to get one (he was outbid on five others). He paid $10,000 over the asking price.

Bottom line, expect to pay exhorbitant rent, or you had better be rich.

On the other hand, I just came back from a rainy walk in the Mall, and I not only saw a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, but fabulous Japanese drummers in Medieval garb giving a free concert(It is cherry Blossom Festival week). It is a great place to be.

I really agree with "Gardyloo"--For me I would choose Seattle with out hesitation...So they have rain...its better than snow in winter and humidity in summer.
I always think for the Seattle area is more for "out-doorzy" people!!!!The scenery is outstanding--summer and fall are the most beautiful times...You can get to the mountains and/or ocean in an hour .
I would love to live there...

One major difference between the two is that Seattle is proximate to some world-class outdoorsy activities and national parks and waterfront, etc. Of course you can get to the shore and the mountains from DC, but if you're outdoorsy, Seattle is your best bet.

If you live in the District, you lose your right to vote.

One thing that's being suggested but not directly stated: DC will be more akin to NYC (East Coast, tied to the early history of the US), while Seattle (like just about all of the West Coast) will be completely different. You will have to spend some time in both areas to see if you're ready for something totally new or not.

"If you live in the District, you lose your right to vote."

Yes and no. DC residents do vote for president. DC, like the smallest states has 3 electoral college votes.

DC also has an elected mayor and city council.

What DC doesn't have is true voting representation in the legislative branch or true home rule. They elect one nonvoting representative to the House, and no Senators at all. Congress has appropriations and other powers over DC, but DC has no real representation in Congress.

Are you a city dweller or a suburbanite? Unless you are VERY VERY well paid, you will find yourself in the 'burbs in DC. When I first moved here 30 years ago there were lots of affordable apartments for young singles. I don't know if there are any downtown, anymore. We were thinking about selling our house in MD suburbs and retiring downtown, but in the area where I once paid $135/month for an apartment...we'd have to pay at least $600,000 for a 2 bedroom condo. And that probably doesn't include a parking space. Rents are easily $2000 and up for a nice 1 bedroom apartment. DC does, however, have a thriving downtown with a number of different "hot" spots for restaurants, clubs, and shopping. We are somewhat recession-proof, as the primary industry is government (and the second biggest industry may well be media). You are about 3 hours from the beaches along the Atlantic ocean and 3 hours from the mountains...(think Appalachian Trail) Also a quick train ride to Philadelphia and NYC. Or a couple hour drive from historic areas like Gettysburg, PA or Monticello (Charlottesville, VA) or Williamsburg VA.

Thank you for all of your helpful replies! My heart tells me to go to Seattle for its beauty but my head tells me to go to DC for its better job market. I'm planning to visit both cities again soon and hopefully it will tip the scale one way or the other.
Thank you again all!