Moving to San Juan County - Need Info (fit in, cliquey)

[ChefsWife88]

Hello. So my husband and I are moving to San Juan Island county sometime in the next couple of months. I've heard many great things about living there, but one common thing I've heard a lot is that people can be rude to newbies and are very cliquey - if that makes sense. How true is this and will this make it harder for my husband and I to fit in? We're probably going to make this next move our last. I mean we might move more inland down the road, but Washington state will most likely be our last move. We're just tired of the extreme heat or extreme cold and just want to be in the moderate climate. Not to mention I would like to work closer to where I can see Orcas so I can help their community thrive again. So many reasons to move there, just one thing that gets me a little worried is the island community not liking "outsiders".

[Diana Holbrook]

I think people are friendly to friendly people! If you come in and have a nice and easy going attitude, you'll be fine. If you come in with a lot of apprehensions and distrust of people, others pick up on that.

Just settle in and enjoy who you meet. Don't expect anyone to notice you, maybe they'll think you've always been there Just don't come in with a big list of things you want to change.

There are several good Orca watching groups on facebook that post pictures and videos of them each day... Definitely join those! As well as local neighborhood and Island groups.

[mayfair]

Join some hobby groups. People in WA make friends through shared interest groups. In winter, when it rains, people tend to stay inside more and so if you can move during the drier season you'll find your neighbors outdoors more where it's easier to talk to them initially.

[MechAndy]

Diana and mayfair make some solid points.
One thing that has worked for me is just going outside and doing things as often as possible.
I’ve met a couple nice people I socialize with just from going to our local dog park.

[jertheber]

This mass generalizing when discussing any area one wants to relocate to is unnecessary and only serves as a preconceived view of things we know nothing about. I've always been a fan of actually going to any place I wanted to move to, BEFORE I moved. Spend your vacation there, look around the region, visit a cafe, a bar, talk, put yourself out there, be friendly and open about your relocating intentions when speaking to the locals, and most importantly--don't carry any preconceived notions with you.

I've lived in Wa state for over sixty years, I've lived in California, Oregon, Montana, also, and all those areas have melted together in my memory, none have stood out to the extent that I remember the governors, the politics, taxes, the cost of things, etc, but I most certainly have great memories of the people I met, people I got to know and like, and they are in in every place I ever lived.

There is no bogeyman in the San Juan islands, but there are opinions galore about Washington in general, and the islands in particular--- but it's just another American state with all the problems, surprises, ups and downs that all the other states have. We have people on every state forum who profess to absolutely HATE the area they live in, hate the governors, hate the homeless, hate the weather, AND, they have been hating and living in that state of mind for decades but never leaving those areas they tell others not to move to.

I've know a few who've lived in the islands of Washington, mostly they loved the tranquility of life there, some hated the tourists, others the weather, and still others who have been there for over fifty years and have no hard and fast opinions of their choice of address. This website provides the necessary demographic data for those who feel a need to view those metrics, and sometimes that can suffice. Come with an open mind, and allow yourself the luxury of forming your own opinions..

Best of luck to you.

[CalWorth]

^^^Well, that should help.

[texasdiver]

The San Juans are essentially the same as beach towns anywhere in the country. They are small and get flooded with both tourists and wealthy vacation home types who don't live there and just AirB&B their homes which brings in more tourists, drives up housing prices, and doesn't contribute at all to the local community.

Don't be those people, be an actual part of the community, and you'll be just fine.

[rkcarguy]

Living in such a place may seem like heaven, but as your home, you'll find that in tourist season with every ferry having hours of wait for the next sailing, ferry breakdowns, staffing shortages, or being reserved full all-together for the entire season(leaving only walk-bike-on as an option), long lines and full restaurants, mile(s) long lines of ferry traffic blocking driveways and parking lots, and high costs for everything make it more like a prison. Then, in the off-season, power and internet outages are more common and take longer to fix, ferry sailings are cancelled due to bad weather, and poor access to medical/emergency care. Many are purchasing separate life-flight helicopter policies should they have a medical emergency, as most medical insurance will not cover it if you live there.
Having been all over the San Juans by car, foot, and boat, I'll admit it's an absolutely beautiful place, but you've really got to read the fine print before you commit to living there.

[wolfdog]

Has it been mentioned, those islands are politically liberal? Quite so.

[Snowman05]

Originally Posted by wolfdog

Has it been mentioned, those islands are politically liberal? Quite so.

It's funny to see rich people acting liberal and I consider anyone living in San Juan islands as relatively affluent. To not need to work or commute and be secluded means they want to be private and have the means to live that way. I think anyone who doesn't accept tourists while living in one of the most touristy counties is full of it, so I wouldn't care what they thought of me, go suck on it.