moving to WA (Sequim: for sale, to rent, neighborhoods)

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Luv the twist on ALL us rural smut in WA.

So Californian !

Enjoy your suburban digs, privacy fencing, friendly and loving neighbors!!!.... And....screwing up our rural locations using them for your frequent recreation! I just got the usual weekend dose of that in rural California! Perfect, a familiar home, WA is becoming just like it! Congratulations, soon to succeed as has Colorado... Reservations for NP, campgrounds, hiking, wildernesses. Those hanging out all day on the fastest internet get to nab ALL the rural recreation. (And Covid tests and vaccines). What a wonderful quality of life for all, just like home. (As you desire it).

I'm a Midwesterner, and rural at that. Never lived in California. We had farm towns and no confederate flags like here. People didn't pile trash in their yards and have a dozen druggie homeless campers on their acreages. It's different and there's something between suburbia and looking like an episode of hoarders. Rural areas don't look like this everywhere.

Rural areas don't even look the same in every area of Washington. There are nice ones. You have to look before you buy. On real estate ads they often conveniently leave out things like the homeless camp next door. People really do live in a van down by the river around here!

[happygrrrl]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Luv the twist on ALL us rural smut in WA.

So Californian !

Enjoy your suburban digs, privacy fencing, friendly and loving neighbors!!!.... And....screwing up our rural locations using them for your frequent recreation! I just got the usual weekend dose of that in rural California! Perfect, a familiar home, WA is becoming just like it! Congratulations, soon to succeed as has Colorado... Reservations for NP, campgrounds, hiking, wildernesses. Those hanging out all day on the fastest internet get to nab ALL the rural recreation. (And Covid tests and vaccines). What a wonderful quality of life for all, just like home. (As you desire it).

*You* really need to stop with that. Who are you *helping*?

[Diana Holbrook]

We do have more homeless issues, particularly near the freeways, than we used to even 5 years ago. This is a new thing... We're having an epidemic of drug abuse and homelessness nationwide. If you haven't been back to your roots lately, I wonder if they haven't cropped up there too, in places they weren't before. I've been hearing about them everywhere from friends back east and in the south and southwest. I've written much on this subject on this forum, I think it's something we need to solve as a country.

I remember them spending a fortune landscaping all the 1-5 corridor. It used to be a showplace, driving from Seattle through Olympia on the freeway. Something to really be proud of. I did a quick search to TRY to find pictures of what it looked like 10 years ago. I haven't found it yet. I'm not super good at finding old things on the internet but I'll keep trying. I did find this:

WSDOT landscape architect Bob Barnes retires after 33 years
https://www.theolympian.com/news/pol...e25275322.html

"He came to Olympia in 1984 to work on the Olympia freeway expansion project, emphasizing native, drought-resistant vegetation for the freeway rights of way.

When you drive along the Olympia freeway, it looks prettier every year,” DOT engineer and co-worker Kevin Dayton said."

That was written in 2010. It's that sea change that makes me really sad. Because it wasn't always this way. It's not some deep part of the culture here to have homeless camps and junk. It really isn't. You can blame us for flannel shirts and casual dress, rain and mud and 4x4 trucks... That's actually what I love about it. And there are times of year when it's hard to keep everything pretty all the time. And we may have a junk pile somewhere because we're planning a trip to the dump.... we often have big projects and we don't have weekly garbage pickup. Hopefully it's not in the front yard.

That said... I spend a LOT of time in rural Washington and it's pretty rare to see a confederate flag. In my entire memory, I can count the ones I've seen on one hand. THAT is just really not an issue to be worried about.

My two cents for now anyway!

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by mayfair

I'm a Midwesterner, and rural at that. Never lived in California. We had farm towns and no confederate flags like here. People didn't pile trash in their yards and have a dozen druggie homeless campers on their acreages. It's different and there's something between suburbia and looking like an episode of hoarders. Rural areas don't look like this everywhere.

Rural areas don't even look the same in every area of Washington. There are nice ones. You have to look before you buy. On real estate ads they often conveniently leave out things like the homeless camp next door. People really do live in a van down by the river around here!

I hear you, your post is very well stated. In some areas the culture shock is incredible. Pretty little towns do exist in Washington, but you need to do your homework. Don’t rely on realtors, family, word of mouth, just get out and do the looking on your own.

Washington is a quirky state, people live in all kinds of ways. In real estate they might say the neighborhood is diverse or in the process of being gentrified. Again, don’t rely on spin, get out and do the looking. Washington has enough different lifestyles, that you can find whatever you want.

I moved here thinking this state had earthy types out in the country who recycled their trash and grew their own pot. I’ve always gotten along with artsy types, politically, I have both red and blue friends, eccentric people don’t phase me, my relatives hunt. At work, I had a knack with grumpy customers, they usually responded well to me. I was prepared to handle whatever types I ended up living around. Washington threw a curveball on that.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by mayfair

I'm a Midwesterner, and rural at that. Never lived in California. We had farm towns and no confederate flags like here. People didn't pile trash in their yards and have a dozen druggie homeless campers on their acreages. It's different and there's something between suburbia and looking like an episode of hoarders. Rural areas don't look like this everywhere.

Rural areas don't even look the same in every area of Washington. There are nice ones. You have to look before you buy. On real estate ads they often conveniently leave out things like the homeless camp next door. People really do live in a van down by the river around here!

This is the most well articulated post describing the differences between areas which are rundown and dilapidated, some with rusted out old cars, trash and other junk strewn around which could also be burning at any given time vs. country areas that at least show signs of upkeep and pride of ownership. The former areas tend be to also be those with higher crime/car break-ins/drug issues and failing local economies.

The PNW has many types of areas. It has nothing to do with urban smugness or 'judging' as other are so quick to excuse of. Instead, it's just the facts of life and something to be aware of if moving to the PNW. Not every place is going through a 'revitalization' phase nor do they necessarily want that types of change - especially from 'outsiders' telling them how to improve or fix things. They like things just fine as they are. So, if that's not want you want, keep searching and perform your own due diligence. Otherwise, you may end up with a big surprise and wet fish across the face. Not all rural is the same (good/bad) in the same way as urban nor suburban areas are. There's the good, the bad and the ugly and a lot in between. So, select carefully before making a move.

Derek

[happygrrrl]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

We do have more homeless issues, particularly near the freeways, than we used to even 5 years ago. This is a new thing... We're having an epidemic of drug abuse and homelessness nationwide. If you haven't been back to your roots lately, I wonder if they haven't cropped up there too, in places they weren't before. I've been hearing about them everywhere from friends back east and in the south and southwest. I've written much on this subject on this forum, I think it's something we need to solve as a country.

You are absolutely correct, the homeless/houseless situation is throughout the USA, it is not just a west-coast issue. It's like a fast-growing, particularly malevolent cancer.

When I moved to the PNW 10+ years ago, Seattle looked pristine to me. Something, in my mind, started changing around 2015. That was when I first remember seeing tents & blue tarps & graffiti & piles of garbage by freeways, under bridges, on sidewalks & in parks in Seattle. That was when I first saw many hypodermics in the parking lot, the grass, the bathrooms at Gasworks Park, a beautiful place that I really enjoyed. I do remember posting, at that time, on the Seattle forum, asking "what's going on in Seattle".

When my kid moved to Colorado from the CA Bay Area, as a parent I thought, "Oh good, they're safe now". I was embarrassingly naive.

I have not seen anything like this in my lifetime. It's really quite overwhelming. I have absolutely no clue for a solution. It's just too much.

Kudos to mayfair, post #31, great summation & clarification.

End of rant. It's winter. I'm out.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

My daughters boyfriend is giving up a decent 3-2 house in PT he is renting to move in with her.
His rent is $1,600 per month.

I live in the sticks far away from everything and found urban smugness in those statements as well.

You recommended a small city when you suggested PT. I’m not pretending it was either rural or cosmopolitan. It wasn’t suburban, either.

PT is not “quiet” when the Navy boyz are playing jetfighter jock in their Growlers. Which sometimes went on for most of a day and night. Not every day. But it is not a sleepy little town.

It was so much too densely packed even then that when we left we moved to an actual rural area. And there are dilapidated or outright trashy properties aplenty, just as there are in other places I’ve seen, all over the US.

That’s still preferable to the dangerously aggressive PT bums using other people’s yards as needle dumps and toilets and accosting them to the point they didn’t want to go outside!!!!

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

This is the most well articulated post describing the differences between areas which are rundown and dilapidated, some with rusted out old cars, trash and other junk strewn around which could also be burning at any given time vs. country areas that at least show signs of upkeep and pride of ownership. The former areas tend be to also be those with higher crime/car break-ins/drug issues and failing local economies.

The PNW has many types of areas. It has nothing to do with urban smugness or 'judging' as other are so quick to excuse of. Instead, it's just the facts of life and something to be aware of if moving to the PNW. Not every place is going through a 'revitalization' phase nor do they necessarily want that types of change - especially from 'outsiders' telling them how to improve or fix things. They like things just fine as they are. So, if that's not want you want, keep searching and perform your own due diligence. Otherwise, you may end up with a big surprise and wet fish across the face. Not all rural is the same (good/bad) in the same way as urban nor suburban areas are. There's the good, the bad and the ugly and a lot in between. So, select carefully before making a move.

Derek

And another to you, for this post Derek! Let’s hear it for being realistic.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by Taz22

And another to you, for this post Derek! Let’s hear it for being realistic.

I agree! No more rep. but thanks for the realistic views and understanding.

[MechAndy]

I always thought PT was a slight step up from PA.
Both towns have cute shops, restaurants and yes thieving junkies too.

I posted that rental price to show what the current rent on a nice place in PT is.

Me?
I wouldn’t live near either city center.
My city center days are over.
Plenty of nice places 10 minutes away from the shops and restaurants.
That’s my style.