Young couple from NJ/NY looking to move to Seattle (Bellevue: fit in, real estate)

[Zima1349]

Hi there,

I'm a 25 year old soon-to-be software developer, and I'm looking into the prospect of moving to Seattle when I'm finished with my degree in just a few short months. I'll likely start applying to jobs there during the Fall semester.

My girlfriend and I have considered many places, but Seattle seems like the perfect fit for us. First of all, the climate. We're perfectly fine with clouds and rain, and the NJ Summers are just too hot. I'm from a northern European country originally, and I prefer a colder climate. As well as pine trees - I love pine trees. Which brings me to my next point.

We're both very much into nature and outdoorsy activities. We go hiking every other weekend, go running outside, ski in the Winter, and all our vacations revolve around some type of outdoor adventures. The Seattle region is by far one of the most beautiful in the country, with majestic forests and plenty of hiking trails to keep us busy - this is absolutely huge for us.

Lastly, we're both huge nerds - complete with high introversion, as well as anxiety. It may not sound healthy, but I've come to distrust loud, extroverted people over the years, and would rather be around my own kind. Also we're very much on the artistic side - I'm a musician and she's a writer - and these things are a quite a bit more than "hobbies" in our lives.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice, words of wisdom, etc. Even attempts to deter us from moving to Seattle - anything you'd like to share is more than welcome.

----------------------further details - sorry if this is getting a bit long-winded----------------------
One thing I'm curious about is, as you might expect, the different neighborhoods. We're not looking to live in Seattle proper - more in the suburbs. Preferably not overly congested ones. I highly dislike parts of NJ close to NYC, and much prefer areas like Princeton and Hunterdon County(google image search "Hunterdon County, NJ"). "Quaint" is a big plus. I was looking at Sammamish/Issaquah - those seem very nice from what I can tell. Close to nature and hiking trails, but not too far out is ideal.

Another thing - I know the software jobs are there, but how are things in terms of publishing/editing work for an English major? That's the line of work my girlfriend is in, though she has her writing and entrepreneurial pursuits as well, so she won't be lost without that.

And lastly - making friends. This is hard for us as it is. Any advice in this regard when it comes to Seattle? Our idea of a good time is hiking, cooking a nice dinner for a small group of people, some red wine, board games...low key stuff. We're both "old" for our age, but not looking to hang out with people who are already having kids and such.

[flyingsaucermom]

Nothing you say deters me from recommending Seattle yet. You have the profile of someone who would enjoy living here. Making friends is hard for some, but others say it's easy. I guess that means it boils down to the particular dynamics of, and around, the individual in question.

[civic94]

Originally Posted by Zima1349

My girlfriend and I have considered many places, but Seattle seems like the perfect fit for us. First of all, the climate. We're perfectly fine with clouds and rain, and the NJ Summers are just too hot.

the clouds here are dark, and can last for 9 months straight, and during the wintertime you might not see the sun for even 1 second for months at a time. it zaps the energy out of many people, and some people love this kind of climate. If you have spare time, try visiting here with your girlfriend for 2 weeks, during the wintertime. if its not for you, at least you saved lots of headache. if it is, at least you know this area a little and would be easier for you to pick an area to live, know where all the grocery stores are, etc.

for me personally, i am from the east coast area, i cant take the darkness here, i have been here for 13 years but, in the end, i can survive here. if i lived where i wanted to live i would have a horrible standard of living. living here, i have money but im depressed, but back east, i would have no money, no time, live where i want to live, but the cost of living would just make me even more sad, so I cant complain.

[Zima1349]

Originally Posted by civic94

the clouds here are dark, and can last for 9 months straight, and during the wintertime you might not see the sun for even 1 second for months at a time. it zaps the energy out of many people, and some people love this kind of climate. If you have spare time, try visiting here with your girlfriend for 2 weeks, during the wintertime. if its not for you, at least you saved lots of headache. if it is, at least you know this area a little and would be easier for you to pick an area to live, know where all the grocery stores are, etc.

for me personally, i am from the east coast area, i cant take the darkness here, i have been here for 13 years but, in the end, i can survive here. if i lived where i wanted to live i would have a horrible standard of living. living here, i have money but im depressed, but back east, i would have no money, no time, live where i want to live, but the cost of living would just make me even more sad, so I cant complain.

Is the cost of living there really that much cheaper? I know NJ is expensive, but I thought all the software engineer salaries had driven up the cost of living in Seattle suburbs. Many "six figure towns", just like here. Of course, it doesn't compare to New York city, if that's what you're referring to.

As for the clouds, I'm quite content with that. I enjoy rain, actually - it sort of raises the contrast on everything outside. On the other hand, there you've got pine trees, so you still have color in the Winter. Here, all the leaves fall off and it's just barren, which can be rather depressing regardless of how sunny it may be.

I do agree that seeing the area for ourselves would be our best move, and we do hope to visit and explore a bit soon.

[Ira500]

I was born in Princeton, and grew up nearby.
Sammamish, for all it's good qualities, is not "quaint".
New Jersey has a lot of charming small towns, historic towns with charm. Sammamish certainly has great access to hiking, has great schools, etc. But it's a place you move to because it's a great place to raise children. I don't think of it as a great place for 25 year olds, even if you're an old, boring 25.

[Zima1349]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I was born in Princeton, and grew up nearby.
Sammamish, for all it's good qualities, is not "quaint".
New Jersey has a lot of charming small towns, historic towns with charm. Sammamish certainly has great access to hiking, has great schools, etc. But it's a place you move to because it's a great place to raise children. I don't think of it as a great place for 25 year olds, even if you're an old, boring 25.

That is actually one of my fears about Sammamish - very nice and family oriented, but not for a young couple. Also, the lack of small town charm is unfortunate. That sort of thing is one of the really nice things about parts of NJ and New England in general.

Any recommendations for alternatives that may be more suited for us?

[civic94]

Originally Posted by Zima1349

Is the cost of living there really that much cheaper? I know NJ is expensive, but I thought all the software engineer salaries had driven up the cost of living in Seattle suburbs. Many "six figure towns", just like here. Of course, it doesn't compare to New York city, if that's what you're referring to.

As for the clouds, I'm quite content with that. I enjoy rain, actually - it sort of raises the contrast on everything outside. On the other hand, there you've got pine trees, so you still have color in the Winter. Here, all the leaves fall off and it's just barren, which can be rather depressing regardless of how sunny it may be.

I do agree that seeing the area for ourselves would be our best move, and we do hope to visit and explore a bit soon.

well im from the boston area. i would say when its all said and done, it costs double to have have the same standard of living in boston. vegatables cost cheaper in the seattle area, on top of car insurance, cars not rusting (value doesnt drop as fast, and can keep a car longer). and of course, real estate is cheaper in seattle, and heating/cooling costs are much, much higher in Boston, as it is much colder in the winter and much hotter in the summer. and yes, parking is much costlier in Boston.

and yes, if your from NJ i cam imagine the property taxes there is highway robbery.

[Kayela]

Any recommendations for alternatives that may be more suited for us?

Ballard. It has its quiet areas, a vibrant, walkable vibe, loads of charm, small houses, not full of chain stores, etc. I also think you should give the NE (ie: quieter) part of Capitol Hill a look - the area N of Madison, S of Aloha, E of Federal and W of 19th. Yes, it's close-in, but here, 'close-in' is not like NJ. It's also fairly residential, loaded with charm, cute shops and restaurants to walk to and full of couples of a similar demographic. Lots of tech geeks in that area, yet it still retains some of its artsy, literary vibe. Disclaimer, I live near this area, and it's hard to beat location-wise. You're convenient to DT, but it's not in your face, and you can be on the nearest trails in < 30 minutes, and up to the nearest pass in less than an hour. Seattle is amazing that way. I would also recommend Green lake, Ravenna, and Wallingford as being similar, but on a smaller scale.

None of those are 'suburbs'. They are tree-lined, lovely, walkable urban neighborhoods. I recommend them because you sound a bit like us - we're also an introverted, geeky couple (no kids) who love the clouds, drizzle, trees and mountains. We tried living in the burbs as a younger couple (Bellevue, Redmond) and went nuts from the boredom. It seemed like it was hard to fit in if you weren't hauling your kids around to various activities and don't shop at Costco twice a week. So even if you don't move to one, you may find yourself in some of those closer-in neighborhoods more often than you'd think (we did, because everyone we made friends with lived there). We also go hiking, skiing, etc on a weekly basis, and living a bit further out doesn't really make it that much more accessible.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by civic94

the clouds here are dark, and can last for 9 months straight, and during the wintertime you might not see the sun for even 1 second for months at a time. it zaps the energy out of many people, and some people love this kind of climate.

I don't mean to turn this into another Seattle weather thread, but this is an exaggeration. First of all, it's not 9 months straight. Cloud cover, without much hope of sun, can definitely last a week, but sun breaks are far more frequent than what this post suggests. Now it might feel like it's 9 months straight without 1 second of sun, but objectively/scientifically/empirically it's not. The trick is to be outside for the 5-15 minutes it does come out. I drop EVERYTHING at the moment to step outside if it's sunny.

[Hemlock140]

Even in the summer there are days without sun, today being a good example, and we have seen years with 33 straight days of rain and no sun, but there is often an hour or less here and there during those "9 months of gloom." When that happens the traffic reports announce a "sun warning" because it's in people's eyes and is unexpected.

I had to laugh at the idea of Sammamish being quaint, as the others said it's anything but, with mainly track homes less than 35 years old and a couple of strip malls. There are still young singles and couples living there, especially in the apartments near Pine Lake, for whatever reasons. I can second Ballard, especially the areas around Market Street above
15th. Also look at Greenlake area of Seattle, Burien, and even downtown Redmond which is still somewhat quaint but has nice, new apartments with amenities below them and has become popular with younger people lately.