My adventures in Port Angeles, Washington (Tacoma, Sequim: cost, centers, moving to)

[xPlorer48]

Originally Posted by happygrrrl

Today I had to go into "town" for a doctor appointment & a couple of errands. On Front Street I saw 2 different people walking & talking to themselves. No, they were not talking on phones. One kept spinning in circles & flipping the bird at people.

There were not one, but 2 cardboard sign people at the Walmart entrance.

A crew was working on the remains of one of the last historic brick buildings on Front Street that some houseless folk set on fire.

I drove to Ediz Hook to stop & eat lunch & on the way saw a man with his car parked up by the bluff side, with a big pile of garbage, pitching a tent. The homeless outreach said he was contacted to move on out over the weekend. They said to me "He's still there?"

On a side street between Front & First, I saw a woman standing next to a car, changing clothes. She had stripped down to her bra & underpants. In front of a dance studio on First Street where people take their kids, a man was laying on the sidewalk, curled into a ball. I had to drive up an alley to change directions & drove past a guy in a long cape, carrying what appeared to be a long-handled ax over his shoulder. He had a big grin on his face. He caught up to me just about when I could safely pull into traffic & yes, it was an ax & no, he wasn't a lumberjack. This was a different guy than the one carrying a machete a few weeks ago. At least this time when I stopped to get food, there wasn't a guy with a tarp trying to lay in the half-dead bushes by the sidewalk yelling at nothing.

I had to pay attention to my driving, so I could only count graffiti-like markings on 4 buildings, one fence, 2 dumpsters.

All of this was between 1:00 p.m. & 4:35 p.m. on a Monday afternoon.

As I drove out of town, I thought to myself, "I once worked in this area, took walks on my lunch break, worked in an unlocked office after dark". Hmmmm...

Ditto Bellingham only magnified by the difference in population. Last week 20 mountain bikes for underserved youth (Vamos) were stolen from a locked trailer near the pump tracks by the bay. These are lowlifes that would steal from kids, many who anticipate riding their bikes. It is getting out of hand.

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by Disgustedman

I'd drive into Portland Oregon, foster road, then Lombard going back to 205. Talk about garbage piles everywhere, abandoned vehicles ...

What with tight rules, we're not seeing too many more in Vancouver, wondering what next in 5 years.

Garbage and etc. probably left overs from the Portland riots of 2020/21.

[MechAndy]

Settling for less is the path to the wrong way
Once you start settling for things that are lesser than we normally would tolerate the lesser things become accepted as the new normal.
Me, I’m not liking the “new normal”.
There is a lot wrong with it.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

Settling for less is the path to the wrong way
Once you start settling for things that are lesser than we normally would tolerate the lesser things become accepted as the new normal.
Me, I’m not liking the “new normal”.
There is a lot wrong with it.

Exactly. And once the lower standard for civilized behavior becomes the new normal, the downward spiral keeps going.

[AshSchaef]

While this post describes Port Angeles, I feel like this could really describe any Western Washington city.

[Igor Blevin]

I haven't set foot in Port Angeles since...

Sheesh, when was it? 2003? 1998? Yes. It has been that long.

Port Angeles back then was rural, gritty, a little dumpy & dirty, a little seedy but safe and no homeless people. Sad to hear it has gotten the modern treatment. Very sad to hear this. It was never an elegant, glamorous place. It was always blue collar, but it was safe enough.

How is Port Townsend these days? Still quaint and beautiful and historic, or has it been impacted by the modern decay/malaise as well? Please tell me "no." Those homes were beautiful.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

I haven't set foot in Port Angeles since...

Sheesh, when was it? 2003? 1998? Yes. It has been that long.

Port Angeles back then was rural, gritty, a little dumpy & dirty, a little seedy but safe and no homeless people. Sad to hear it has gotten the modern treatment. Very sad to hear this. It was never an elegant, glamorous place. It was always blue collar, but it was safe enough.

How is Port Townsend these days? Still quaint and beautiful and historic, or has it been impacted by the modern decay/malaise as well? Please tell me "no." Those homes were beautiful.

Yes. PT was like a magnet for bums several years ago (visibly worse each year) , and from what I’ve heard and read, it got even worse.

The beautiful homes should still exist...jammed cheek by jowel with new ADUs.

Gorgeous setting, not so nice a human environment.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Yes. PT was like a magnet for bums several years ago (visibly worse each year) , and from what I’ve heard and read, it got even worse.

The beautiful homes should still exist...jammed cheek by jowel with new ADUs.

Gorgeous setting, not so nice a human environment.

I am very sad. Thanks for the update though. I wanted the truth, even if the truth hurts.

Can't 'rep' you again so consider this rep.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

I am very sad. Thanks for the update though. I wanted the truth, even if the truth hurts.

Can't 'rep' you again so consider this rep.

It’s probably still good for just visiting.

[MechAndy]

I drive through PT every few weeks or so.
To me it’s not so bad but I don’t live there.

It’s head and shoulders above Port Angeles homeless drug addict wise.
I’d wager that there are more panhandlers in Sequim but I frequent there often and cringe each time I see the usual suspects.

My main gripe w/PT is getting a blast of that smell when I don’t expect it.
Many years ago when I was younger I put some time in a couple of paper mills to pay the bills and hated every minute of it.