Honest opinions about amenities, please! (Seattle, Tacoma: sales, coop, big house)

[SabrinaAne]

Let me start by saying that I have been to Seattle once and that was in the fall of 1980. I was young, but I remember liking it there. Now, for the the past two years, I have been anticipating a move to the Portland area. I know a good deal about Portland and I really was looking forward to moving there. My husband has his heart set on San Francisco, but the company wants to send him to Seattle. Everything is up in the air, now! Ugh :-( I know nothing about Seattle. I have to weigh in with my decision soon, though. I do know that I DO NOT want to live in the Bay Area. Not with 4 young children. SF was great when DH and I were childless newlyweds. The thought of living there with children gives me nightmares. So, what the heck am I doing on this thread? Well, without stepping on too many toes, I'm hoping to get some info about the Seattle area as it compares to the Portland area. Please be kind. I don't need to hear that if I like Portland so much I should go there. I don't have a lot of say in the matter. So, here are the things that appeal to me about Portland. How does Seattle compare?

1- Lots of urban park space for walking/biking. When I say park I mean someplace you can go and forget you are in the city. I don't want to see roads or hear traffic.
2- A slower pace of life (people have the time to get to know their fellow human beings)
3- A climate that makes gardening and growing fruits/vegetables a realistic pursuit
4- U-pick farms
5- Flat-water kayaking
6- Clamming and beach combing oportunities (I don't care for swimming, so it does not matter that the water is so cold)
7- Camping within 30 min-1 hour drive
8- Inexpensive cultural outing opportunities.

So, what does Seattle have by comparison?

We are the type of family that likes to grill outdoors and get to know our neighbors. We don't complain about the things a place does not have. We embrace the new things that places do have! We like to camp, ride bikes, be outdoors. We don't care for crowded places.

Thank you for your thoughtful replies and advice.
And, yes, I know about the weather!!

[southking500]

If you like Portland, you will probably like Seattle too. The 2 cities have a lot in common including all of the things you listed with the possible exception of a slower pace of life. Seattle is faster-paced than Portland, bigger, more traffic, more of everything. Which isn't to say you couldn't find a Portlandesque neighborhood and settle down with your bicycles and chicken coop in the backyard, there's plenty of that lifestyle here.

[Ira500]

I've answered some of your questions. It sounds like Seattle would be a good fit.

Originally Posted by SabrinaAne

Let me start by saying that I have been to Seattle once and that was in the fall of 1980. I was young, but I remember liking it there. Now, for the the past two years, I have been anticipating a move to the Portland area. I know a good deal about Portland and I really was looking forward to moving there. My husband has his heart set on San Francisco, but the company wants to send him to Seattle. Everything is up in the air, now! Ugh :-( I know nothing about Seattle. I have to weigh in with my decision soon, though. I do know that I DO NOT want to live in the Bay Area. Not with 4 young children. SF was great when DH and I were childless newlyweds. The thought of living there with children gives me nightmares. So, what the heck am I doing on this thread? Well, without stepping on too many toes, I'm hoping to get some info about the Seattle area as it compares to the Portland area. Please be kind. I don't need to hear that if I like Portland so much I should go there. I don't have a lot of say in the matter. So, here are the things that appeal to me about Portland. How does Seattle compare?

1- Lots of urban park space for walking/biking. When I say park I mean someplace you can go and forget you are in the city. I don't want to see roads or hear traffic.

Seattle's got some huge parks where you'd have no idea you were in a large city. Seattle's a great city for parks. easy to get lost in them2-
A slower pace of life (people have the time to get to know their fellow human beings
Downtown Seattle and some neighborhoods are busy, but others are slow paced, nice and quiet. People from larger cities complain about Seattle's slow pace.3-
A climate that makes gardening and growing fruits/vegetables a realistic pursuit
You can grow a lot of things here, and some things year round. Wonderful climate for growing veggies and fruit, though melons are difficult and oranges are impossible.
4- U-pick farms
All over the place. Blueberries especially.5-
Flat-water kayaking
6- Clamming and beach combing oportunities (I don't care for swimming, so it does not matter that the water is so cold)
Fabulous for that! All kinds of places for clamming7-
Camping within 30 min-1 hour drive
8- Inexpensive cultural outing opportunities.

So, what does Seattle have by comparison?

We are the type of family that likes to grill outdoors and get to know our neighbors. We don't complain about the things a place does not have. We embrace the new things that places do have! We like to camp, ride bikes, be outdoors. We don't care for crowded places.

Thank you for your thoughtful replies and advice.
And, yes, I know about the weather!!

[SabrinaAne]

Thank you both for your thoughtful replies! I'm happy to hear that both areas are relatively comparable. Now I feel better about relocating to Seattle.

Southking500- your reply regarding chickens made me laugh :-) I'm not quite that crunchy, but my daughters would go crazy if they could have a chicken or two. Is that legal in city limits?

[southking500]

Yes, but you might have trouble keeping up with the Jones:
The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine

But no roosters please!

[SabrinaAne]

Originally Posted by southking500

Yes, but you might have trouble keeping up with the Jones:
The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine

But no roosters please!

Oh. My. Goodness. I don't think I've ever read the words 'spiritual' and 'chicken' in the same sentence before, let alone the same article! Thanks for posting the link. I had a good laugh. Everyone needs a hobby and I suppose chicken-pampering is fairly innocuous. Too funny!

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by SabrinaAne

Thank you both for your thoughtful replies! I'm happy to hear that both areas are relatively comparable. Now I feel better about relocating to Seattle.

Southking500- your reply regarding chickens made me laugh :-) I'm not quite that crunchy, but my daughters would go crazy if they could have a chicken or two. Is that legal in city limits?

I noticed a home with chickens in their front yard the other day in Ballard. Seattle itself may not have as much of the amenities you asked about but if you drive 1/2 hour east everything you want is there. Sammamish and Redmond have acres of trails through the woods, where you hardly see any other people. Carnation has farms, I grow vegetables but due to the lack of sun (big house and tall trees) and short season I have a greenhouse on my front lawn. In my neighborhood this has become very popular. Seattle and many other cities have farmer's markets all summer. Portland gets about 5-6" less rain than Seattle but that's not enough difference to make a move on. Seattle is closer to more camping opportunities than Portland. Also, if you like Portland, you can do day or weekend trips. It's only 3 hours drive. We went last weekend, left early Saturday and returned Sunday afternoon. Would you rather pay income tax or sales tax? We have no income tax but 9.5% sales, while Oregon is the opposite. I prefer here, because I always get paid, but I can decide whether or not to buy something.

[tobester]

I live in Seattle and, in five minutes, can walk to old growth forest and flat water kayaking (boating, swimming, paddle boarding), one of the premier bike routes in town and the best running path (IMHO).

[SabrinaAne]

Originally Posted by tobester

I live in Seattle and, in five minutes, can walk to old growth forest and flat water kayaking (boating, swimming, paddle boarding), one of the premier bike routes in town and the best running path (IMHO).

That's exactly what I'm looking for! What area of town is that in?

I live in the desert. The closest 'park' for hiking and biking is about 20 minutes away and it's just dirt, rocks, cactus, and scrubby trees. Some people love it, but I can't see the beauty in it. It's just not for me. My idea of a beautiful place to hike is some place like the Muir Woods.

[Botev1912]

The largest parks in Seattle city limits are Discovery Park, Lincoln Park, Carkeek Park, Green Lake, Seward Park and Magnuson Park. Other big parks in the area are Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Marymoor Park in Redmond, Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Meadowdale Beach Park in Edmonds.