Seattle demographics young like Portland and Austin? (Lakeview: buying a home, neighborhoods)

[gookgette]

Is Seattle a young population like Portland and Austin? Im in Chicago and ppl are too old here for me to mate.lol

[Ira500]

Yup, younger like Austin and Portland.

[BatgirlsBootyCall]

Chicago feels way more youthful than Portland and Seattle. The median age of Chicago and Austin is 31. In Portland and Seattle the median age is 36 and the population of those latter two cities is noticeably older and more middle aged.

You're crazy if you can't find young people in Chicago. Chicago is the youngest feeling city I've ever lived in. Especially on the north side, neighborhoods like Lakeview and Lincoln Park are full of seemingly only people in their 20s. You must not be looking or you must live in an old people neighborhood.

[Molli]

Originally Posted by gookgette

Is Seattle a young population like Portland and Austin? Im in Chicago and ppl are too old here for me to mate.lol

I'm trying to educate myself about Seattle and from what I've read certain neighborhoods consist of a pretty young crowd, while other neighborhoods are more a mixture.

[JBVirtuoso]

I can't speak for Portland or Austin, but Seattle has essentially one young neighborhood: Capitol Hill. There are a few young people scattered around everywhere, but Capitol Hill is the only neighborhood here with a youthful atmosphere. Chicago has four or five neighborhoods that are as youthful as Capitol Hill.

In any case, Chicago is a very good city for young people. It's a huge city, so it has a lot of young people by default. It's relatively inexpensive for such a large city and has friendlier tenant laws than many other cities that are dominated by single family homes (like Seattle and Portland). It's much more hospitable to people who don't have cars, and the city is set up well for late night adventures (i.e. the bus routes don't stop at 10 pm).

Is there a particular reason you think Chicago is not working out for you? We might be able to give better advice if you provide some more details.

[gookgette]

thanks for all the info. yeah, lincoln park and lakeview have lots of young folks. i live in ravenswood, which is quieter and more residential, but i work in lincoln park, lakeview, downtown, gold coast, greektown, everywhere with my job, so i have experienced just about every neighborhood in chicago.

i dislike large metropolises like chicago. i think i want a smaller city. i hate the traffic, constant busy-ness, high COL, 10 percent taxes, LACK of nature, car tickets for everything under the sun. oh, and i HATE the bitter cold winters and HATE SNOW. i can deal with rain and temperate conditions. i'd rather be super hot than super cold freezing my butt off. i can run in 90 degrees, but not zero degrees.

i'm here b/c some of my family is here, but the rest is all over. i'm 32, and still single, so i figure i might as well move b/c if i find someone, i don't want to end up staying here for the rest of my life. i'm afraid of moving...b/c there are so many uncertainties. if i move, there's no guarantee that i'll be happier, that i'll find someone, my family isn't going to be around...

what i'm looking for in a city is warmer weather than chicago, no more snow/freezing temps, NATURE (more places to explore my hobbies---i love hiking, running, surfing, and being OUTDOORS), diversity, liberalism. nice ppl is a plus. i like midwesterners.

my cities of consideration are seattle, portland, austin.
i was considering portland more so than austin b/c it's less sprawl and homier and ppl were nicer until i found out it had a 10% income tax and lower income for jobs and less likelhihood of meeting a gainfully employed man, given the young homeless population and lower incomes. my friend told me that portland is still cheaper overall b/c COL is higher in seattle. plus, seattle would be more stressful b/c of traffic, it's greyer, and it is less diverse. do you agree/disagree? i'm looking for a higher QOL. thanks in advance for your input!!

[west seattle gal]

Supposedly this is a difficult city in which to be single in your 30's if you are seeking a partner, but that could apply to women more so than men. I view Seattle as a mixed age city, maybe more mature than Portland.

[tom331]

Originally Posted by gookgette

thanks for all the info. yeah, lincoln park and lakeview have lots of young folks. i live in ravenswood, which is quieter and more residential, but i work in lincoln park, lakeview, downtown, gold coast, greektown, everywhere with my job, so i have experienced just about every neighborhood in chicago.

i dislike large metropolises like chicago. i think i want a smaller city. i hate the traffic, constant busy-ness, high COL, 10 percent taxes, LACK of nature, car tickets for everything under the sun. oh, and i HATE the bitter cold winters and HATE SNOW. i can deal with rain and temperate conditions. i'd rather be super hot than super cold freezing my butt off. i can run in 90 degrees, but not zero degrees.

i'm here b/c some of my family is here, but the rest is all over. i'm 32, and still single, so i figure i might as well move b/c if i find someone, i don't want to end up staying here for the rest of my life. i'm afraid of moving...b/c there are so many uncertainties. if i move, there's no guarantee that i'll be happier, that i'll find someone, my family isn't going to be around...

what i'm looking for in a city is warmer weather than chicago, no more snow/freezing temps, NATURE (more places to explore my hobbies---i love hiking, running, surfing, and being OUTDOORS), diversity, liberalism. nice ppl is a plus. i like midwesterners.

my cities of consideration are seattle, portland, austin.
i was considering portland more so than austin b/c it's less sprawl and homier and ppl were nicer until i found out it had a 10% income tax and lower income for jobs and less likelhihood of meeting a gainfully employed man, given the young homeless population and lower incomes. my friend told me that portland is still cheaper overall b/c COL is higher in seattle. plus, seattle would be more stressful b/c of traffic, it's greyer, and it is less diverse. do you agree/disagree? i'm looking for a higher QOL. thanks in advance for your input!!

Austin could be the place meeting most of your requirements. I have lived at both Austin and Seattle. If you like hot more than the cold weather, Austin is your place. otherwise Seattle is a nice place. Texas does not have state income tax, but the property tax is very high. For someone in your age, no state income tax might be out weight the high property tax.

[DP79]

Originally Posted by gookgette

thanks for all the info. yeah, lincoln park and lakeview have lots of young folks. i live in ravenswood, which is quieter and more residential, but i work in lincoln park, lakeview, downtown, gold coast, greektown, everywhere with my job, so i have experienced just about every neighborhood in chicago.

i dislike large metropolises like chicago. i think i want a smaller city. i hate the traffic, constant busy-ness, high COL, 10 percent taxes, LACK of nature, car tickets for everything under the sun. oh, and i HATE the bitter cold winters and HATE SNOW. i can deal with rain and temperate conditions. i'd rather be super hot than super cold freezing my butt off. i can run in 90 degrees, but not zero degrees.

i'm here b/c some of my family is here, but the rest is all over. i'm 32, and still single, so i figure i might as well move b/c if i find someone, i don't want to end up staying here for the rest of my life. i'm afraid of moving...b/c there are so many uncertainties. if i move, there's no guarantee that i'll be happier, that i'll find someone, my family isn't going to be around...

what i'm looking for in a city is warmer weather than chicago, no more snow/freezing temps, NATURE (more places to explore my hobbies---i love hiking, running, surfing, and being OUTDOORS), diversity, liberalism. nice ppl is a plus. i like midwesterners.

my cities of consideration are seattle, portland, austin.
i was considering portland more so than austin b/c it's less sprawl and homier and ppl were nicer until i found out it had a 10% income tax and lower income for jobs and less likelhihood of meeting a gainfully employed man, given the young homeless population and lower incomes. my friend told me that portland is still cheaper overall b/c COL is higher in seattle. plus, seattle would be more stressful b/c of traffic, it's greyer, and it is less diverse. do you agree/disagree? i'm looking for a higher QOL. thanks in advance for your input!!

How can you think Lincoln Park is too old?? The median age is like 21 and 3 days!

[JBVirtuoso]

Before making a move like this, you really need to do some extensive traveling. I'd recommend spending at least a few days (with weekends included) in each city you're considering. The big risk with your situation is that the grass will always look greener on the other side, and as you mentioned, you could move and not be any happier. Giving up family and professional connections to move to a new city is a big deal, and it's not a decision to take lightly.

Portland is definitely cheaper than Seattle, especially if you plan on buying a home. Seattle is roughly as expensive as the more desirable areas of Chicagoland, and the traffic is similar. It's tough to say where QOL would be better for you. In any case, your decision should start with lots of travel.