moving to WA (Seattle, SeaTac: 2015, rental, crimes)

[StealthRabbit]

I personally would love to be relatively close to the water.

What kind of water? (Water does not necessarily mean We_tside)
How close is close enough? (we lived on a BC island for $300 / month in a staff cabin at a sailing camp during off season) That was close. Sailboat and kayak, = 30 second walk.

My we-tside fishermen friends (I they don't go to their MN lake cabins...) go to east side WA for lake / river fishing, Pend Oreille is a favorite destination (NE WA), some have moved to Metaline Falls just for lake / water access. (20 lakes within 20 miles... usually, NO other fishermen)

There are a few nice lakes on We_tside WA as well. + a few very big rivers.

I spent many yrs visiting Port Orchard, WA (Retsil) it was very nice, and just a short ferry ride to Seattle. From Bremerton or Southworth. Really nice area, and very handy to services / Seattle but too close to Seattle and Bremerton for quiet.

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by abigailjmac

Hello! My husband & I live in Minneapolis & are planning to move to WA in the fall. (We are in our late 20s/early 30s)

We would love to move somewhere that has great access to hiking & I personally would love to be relatively close to the water. My husband is a PA & I work from home in a marketing position. We would be renting & our price range is still being discussed, but maybe around $1,500-$2,200/mo.

Since we’ve lived in the city for awhile now, we are craving to live somewhere more quiet. We’re very open to a smaller town, but would like access to a more developed area to not be incredibly isolated, especially since we won’t know anyone. We don’t mind being somewhat close to a city but definitely do not want to live right in one. Our main priority for this move is a slower pace of life & lots of access to nature.

Any towns you’d recommend looking into? Thank you!!

How far from the city are you willing to be? Do you have kids or planning kids in the near future?

[fishbrains]

Your housing budget eliminates Seattle and it's peripheral cities such as Bellevue, Redmond, Samamish, etc.

The higher end of your housing budget would be sustainable in the northern and southern parts west of the Cascades with a bit of looking and luck. With a PA salary and whatever you make, you should be able to pay more than the $2200 you are budgeting and may have to, depending on what you want.

As others have said, nature is easy in Washington. Hiking is everywhere, and it is possible to go skiing and sailing in the same day. Puget Sound is ideal for small craft, kayaks and the like, and there are numerous lakes throughout the state.

The Olympic Peninsula towns are likely to be too remote from the city for your tastes.

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by mayfair

I agree with this. As a Midwesterner, I found many scenic plusses about WA such as less snow, mountains, saltwater, warmer winters etc., but there is a bit of culture shock and the old logging areas are different from well-kept rural towns in parts of the Upper Midwest. Granted, there are crappy towns there too. But also nice, walkable ones with friendly people and good infrastructure that are rare in WA.

I agree with this, Washington has beautiful scenery second to none. Also junkers in the yard, homeless camps and isolated little towns second to none. Rural parts of the state have always reminded me of West Virginia.

Seattle is still a great city in many ways, and depending on where you go, there are interesting people and things to do. If you like hiking, you’ll be amazed how beautiful this state is. Be very careful in some of the rural areas though. It’s a culture shock with insulated locals and long gloomy winters.

After a month, I’m still trying to get the washer fixed. I was told by several local shops that they don’t work on front load washers, only top load ones. I finally called a nationwide service and ended up talking to a guy in India who set up an appointment, only to have the repair man in Olympia call in sick twice. We think it’s because he doesn’t want to do the drive to come out here.

Anacortes sounds like a good bet. If you’re wanting reasonably friendly people, along with a nice area, and decent infrastructure, head north towards Seattle and look at communities there. Approach some of the rural towns with caution, they can be very different culture wise, than places you’re used to.

[happygrrrl]

^^^LOL, I have said Appalachia more than once.

For your demographic, I would shoot for Camas/Vancouver for the south & Kitsap peninsula (Bremerton, Poulsbo, Silverdale) for further north.

Port Townsend is beautiful but $$$!!

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by happygrrrl

^^^LOL, I have said Appalachia more than once.

For your demographic, I would shoot for Camas/Vancouver for the south & Kitsap peninsula (Bremerton, Poulsbo, Silverdale) for further north.

Port Townsend is beautiful but $$$!!

Good call on tbose areas, they're pretty and close in to amenities.

Hope we didn't offend anyone, but amenities and the modern world haven't arrived in all parts of Washington yet. Instead of blowing smoke, there's nothing wrong with a little truth for newcomers.

Happygrrrl, I wish someone like you who is honest and realistic had guided me before moving here, moving is expensive and stressful. Settling in the right place means many years of happiness. Picking the wrong place and getting no useful advise stinks.People who come to these forums are looking for truth, not a bunch of info on how rainy it gets. Everyone in the country already knows that Washington gets rain. My aunts dog is probably aware of the rain here.

Washington is a jaw dropping, beautiful state. Not perfect though. If I've helped someone not to get slapped in the face with a wet fish like I was after moving here, then good. Washington has something for everyone, but everyone has a different idea of what they're looking for.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Taz22

Good call on tbose areas, they're pretty and close in to amenities.

Hope we didn't offend anyone, but amenities and the modern world haven't arrived in all parts of Washington yet. Instead of blowing smoke, there's nothing wrong with a little truth for newcomers.

Happygrrrl, I wish someone like you who is honest and realistic had guided me before moving here, moving is expensive and stressful. Settling in the right place means many years of happiness. Picking the wrong place and getting no useful advise stinks.People who come to these forums are looking for truth, not a bunch of info on how rainy it gets. Everyone in the country already knows that Washington gets rain. My aunts dog is probably aware of the rain here.

Washington is a jaw dropping, beautiful state. Not perfect though. If I've helped someone not to get slapped in the face with a wet fish like I was after moving here, then good. Washington has something for everyone, but everyone has a different idea of what they're looking for.

Lol, Taz, I love your honesty and frankness - a wet fish across the face!! I love that visual of a wake up call. Surprise!! lol

I've actually been scolded on CD before for calling a spade and spade when describing parts of WA that are run down. And while I don't want to be 'insensitive' to people's plights, there are some really broken down, junked out areas in the PNW and also some in between. It just is what it is. I'm sure there's a long backstory there about golden days when those towns were in their primes. But whatever happened then as unfortunate as it was (factory closed, fishing industry diminished, logging not what it once was, increase in crime/drugs), some are in a state of shambles now, dilapidated and/or just depressed/depressing on a number of levels. Not acknowledging that is a disservice to anyone thinking about moving to such 'quaint' little places outside the more populated areas of the state. The same thing can be seen throughout Oregon as well with similar backstories.

Derek

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by happygrrrl

^^^LOL, I have said Appalachia more than once.

Yup. Complete with confederate flags! Who would have thought? That's why you have to actually drive around these scenic areas of WA and see what's really there. The scenery is the easy part.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by mayfair

Yup. Complete with confederate flags! Who would have thought? That's why you have to actually drive around these scenic areas of WA and see what's really there. The scenery is the easy part.

Haha, yes. I've seen those flags flying proud on the back of our state's beloved monster trucks. The backwoods of Appalachia aint got nothing on parts of the PNW. No sir! If you want hillbilly/redneck, you don't have to travel far at all.

Derek

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Lol, Taz, I love your honesty and frankness - a wet fish across the face!! I love that visual of a wake up call. Surprise!! lol

I've actually been scolded on CD before for calling a spade and spade when describing parts of WA that are run down. And while I don't want to be 'insensitive' to people's plights, there are some really broken down, junked out areas in the PNW and also some in between. It just is what it is. I'm sure there's a long backstory there about golden days when those towns were in their primes. But whatever happened then as unfortunate as it was (factory closed, fishing industry diminished, logging not what it once was, increase in crime/drugs), some are in a state of shambles now, dilapidated and/or just depressed/depressing on a number of levels. Not acknowledging that is a disservice to anyone thinking about moving to such 'quaint' little places outside the more populated areas of the state. The same thing can be seen throughout Oregon as well with similar backstories.

Derek

Loved your reply and thank you Derek! It’s tough trying to be fair in telling people about the good parts of Washington and the bad. Someone always gets offended. You totally get that and we’re definitely in agreement. When people ask questions about Washington, they’re often told a lot of spin. I know this from experience and it’s hard to pick up and move when you realize you’re in the wrong location. Your answer should be a standard reply to everyone who is thinking of moving here. There is no question that parts of Washington are tough, gritty areas, and telling people that a town like this is quaint is not doing them any favors. Giving people a realistic answer will cause them to look harder and see if it’s what they really want. Washington has a steady stream of newcomers and they all deserve a little honesty. City Data needs more posters like you in the moving forums.