Anyone move from California to WA, if so what are your thoughts? (Seattle: houses, gated)

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

No, that was an issue long before there was mass migration from CA to WA/Seattle. People born and raised in Seattle don't know how to drive in snow, because the conditions so rarely arise. And yes, I was there in 1997. I don't recall anything unusual in winter weather. Maybe I was out of town for it? When did that happen?

It was the winter between 1996 and 1997. The date on our Texmo pole building is 1997 when it was built after the storm. Sometimes, Seattle escapes the Whatcom County winters, because as rkguy says, they don’t get the Fraser River Valley northeasters. Ask someone in Lynden or elsewhere in the north part of the county snug up against the Canadian border what winters can be like. We live at 750’ elevation but escape the winds as some higher hills block that wind but we can get cold: -2° this past December. That is °F not °C. And, we do get more snow at that higher elevation.

[punkyd]

I visited WA for a while once. I found the moss growing on sidewalks during the summer interesting. Not sure I could handle living amongst Washingtonians. They a bit much! Probably get used to them, and the moss I imagine? Usually only peeps going from CA to WA are old folk home residents. The nursing homes are cheaper in WA.

[SusVelo]

Originally Posted by punkyd

I visited WA for a while once. I found the moss growing on sidewalks during the summer interesting. Not sure I could handle living amongst Washingtonians. They a bit much! Probably get used to them, and the moss I imagine? Usually only peeps going from CA to WA are old folk home residents. The nursing homes are cheaper in WA.

You don’t seem to actually know who is moving here from California.

[punkyd]

No, but I know who is moving from CA to WA. So my perspective is probably more enlightened.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by punkyd

I visited WA for a while once. I found the moss growing on sidewalks during the summer interesting. Not sure I could handle living amongst Washingtonians. They a bit much! Probably get used to them, and the moss I imagine? Usually only peeps going from CA to WA are old folk home residents. The nursing homes are cheaper in WA.

Actually, a lot of the people moving from CA to WA are techies and health care workers looking for lower COL without sacrificing QOL.

[SusVelo]

Originally Posted by punkyd

No, but I know who is moving from CA to WA. So my perspective is probably more enlightened.

I’ve met a lot of transplant Californians, not one met the criteria you laid out. I’d say you just don’t know people in all demographics. It would just be nice if you were self aware enough to know that.

[Hemlock140]

Well actually my parents moved to WA after retiring, after visiting us, but they are the only older people I know that made the move. When we moved here I was 41, my wife 40. My brother moved here from CA at age 36, sister at 22. All of our neighbors from CA moved here when they had kids in elementary school.

[MechAndy]

My daughter and a good portion of her group moved to WA from the Bay Area.
She actually went to high school with 3 of them and knew 2 others from near by schools.
How odd is that???
Most are techies and one owns two small organic farms.

Our area of WA is known as a retirement area but the work from home crowd (with kids even) are starting to make a larger impact.

It is definitely more common to meet a transplant than a local where we are at.
We just had a 65 year old contractor from Davis CA come over to bid work on my kids house.
Transplants come in all different age groups and backgrounds here.

[prosin]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Transplants come in all different age groups and backgrounds here.

(Note, I spent my first 40 years in NorCal and I have lived in the Puget Sound area for 15+ years now)

Yes, transplants do. Many of my friends are Northwesterners. Not PNW, but Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin/Ohio natives.

They like this location as it is still "North" but without snow drifts 15' deep.

On the plus side, they don't have to shovel rain!

[gregory77]

Originally Posted by guessingtherules

I have never lived in California or Washington, but I have traveled through both places.

What comes to mind for me if it means anything is that you need to be ready for the cold winters.

I remember living in Portland Oregon and I remember the resentment I had when I woke up in the morning to drive to my job and had to deal with fresh snow. I think if I had a problem with snow and cold weather in Portland, I would have even more resentment over it in Washington.

Yes, Seattle is further north than Portland, however, there is actually far less snow and cold weather in Seattle than in Portland due to the cold air moving down the Columbia Gorge into Portland in the winter. And in the summer months, Portland is much hotter due to warm air coming from the interior through the Gorge. Seattle may have snow every third year or so and it is much more moderate due to its proximity to the Puget Sound.