Los Angeles to Seattle (Long Beach: lease, home, transfer)

[cnarun]

Hello,

I'm currently living in Long Beach (Los Angeles County) and I've been living here all my life, 23 years. I've been having thoughts of moving to Seattle just to start fresh and I feel like I want to try something different and exciting while I'm still young. At my current job I'm making about 23k/year, I'm take community college courses here and there. I'm just finishing up a pre-reqs, but I'm not able to transfer anytime soon (2 years). I would be moving with my boyfriend, who makes half of my income and doesn't go to school yet. We wouldn't have a job lined up, but I can start saving. I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions (Culture, diversity, community, school, economy, cost of living vs LA, rent etc) about Seattle or if it would be a good idea to even move out there from LA. Thank you!

[Seacove]

Have you every been to Seattle? In the winter? For a week or two? That's probably the first question most will ask. If your only life experience is Southern California, our cloud cover in the winter may get to you and the only way you'll know is if you've experienced it. Think of the "June Gloom" from November through February and often longer. The temperatures will be mostly between the 40s in the winter to the 80s in the July/August timeframe. It's beautiful, green year round and water everywhere with mountains on both sides.

The social climate is another issue that some find so difficult and traumatizing that loooong after they have moved to places like oh, Chicago or the Bay Area, they still come back months and years later to complain. Seattle has a lot of introverts who enjoy the misty skies, the dampness and the greenery while they drink their coffee and read. It's a cliche based on a bit of truth. There's plenty of socializing but a lot of people need to create their own social circles and some have difficulty adapting.

Seattle sells itself in a lot of ways but you shouldn't just throw everything into the car without doing some homework and saving money. Good luck!

[eskercurve]

COL will be similar to LA, only here we don't have income taxes and but you also have less favorable social programs. You would probably have to be renting a room, or renting in a less desirable area (like the International District). The unfortunate fact is, Seattle is getting really pricey to live in and is pushing lower income folks out of a home altogether and there's been a steady rise in the number of people living out of cars ... .

Personally unless you had family who could board you up in their home here already, I wouldn't consider moving here.

Culturally, Seattle is very different from LA. Mass transit is not frowned upon. Fewer A-type personalities. More nerds, engineers, and scientist types. Substance over style.

Weather is cold, wet,and miserable from about late October through mid June. From late June to mid September we have glorious summers. We have beaches, but nobody swims because the water is too cold. Mountains are spectacular!

[ctr88]

I made the move from SoCal to Seattle and I love Seattle. But I grew up in New England which has cold weather. I was just back in San Diego for business and I couldn't wait to get back up to Seattle. Flying into California the landscape looked so brown and treeless compared to Seattle. I would never want to live again in a place without seasons. And after so many years in CA I really like winter again, reminds me of growing up in NE.

It is expensive here but no more then where you are. Definitely think deep and visualize if you will be able to handle days and days of overcast skies and chilly weather. It will be a shock from someone born and raised in SoCal. Don't visit in summer, everyone loves it in summer up here. I highly recommend a visit in winter if you can swing it before moving up.

[sll3454]

Are you thinking of moving soon and continuing your education here, or moving after you finish CC in two years? Community college is a lot more expensive in Washington than in California, even for Washington residents.

Is it a good idea to move up to Seattle? No. Not unless bf goes first and gets a job that pays enough for him to support himself. (Since you're the one who already has the decent job, you should keep yours and let him go first - he has less to lose.) However, the "saving money" part is an excellent idea. Definitely do that, in after a while you will have more realistic options than you do now.

[josie13]

Ditto the climate caveat. My husband is a native Angeleno recruited by Microsoft to move here. He was not prepared for the way he'd go into a low mood when the Sun had gone missing for a long time. He wasn't expecting himself to be susceptible to that kind of thing, and it really threw him. It's sad to watch.

I was raised in a cooler, foggier microclimate in Northern California, so Seattle's dark skies during winter are not an issue for me. I like clouds and mist and soft light. But there's really no way of knowing how you will actually react to the climate until you visit here.

Edited to add: Summers are usually fine. Days are super long, and the Sun makes up for its absence during the long winter months.

[NorthWetter]

Culture

Highly educated population, introverted people (some would say unfriendly), very left wing politics, nightlife pretty much consists of low-key pubs.

Diversity

Seattle is 70% white, and the neighborhoods are segregated. Most minorities either live in south Seattle or in the surrounding cities. There's a strong Asian presence in the area.

School

Seattle public schools aren't highly regarded, although there are exceptions (in more affluent neighborhoods). The best schools are in the Eastside suburbs. The University of Washington is well regarded, but not easy to get into.

Economy

Excellent if you're in a STEM field...

Cost of living vs LA, rent etc

Seattle is going through a housing crunch and rents are raising dramatically across the board. The success of Amazon in the South Lake Union area is driving most of this - you are competing with many six figure salaries for housing. Check out PadMapper.

[AngelicCreativity]

Originally Posted by cnarun

Hello,

I'm currently living in Long Beach (Los Angeles County) and I've been living here all my life, 23 years. I've been having thoughts of moving to Seattle just to start fresh and I feel like I want to try something different and exciting while I'm still young. At my current job I'm making about 23k/year, I'm take community college courses here and there. I'm just finishing up a pre-reqs, but I'm not able to transfer anytime soon (2 years). I would be moving with my boyfriend, who makes half of my income and doesn't go to school yet. We wouldn't have a job lined up, but I can start saving. I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions (Culture, diversity, community, school, economy, cost of living vs LA, rent etc) about Seattle or if it would be a good idea to even move out there from LA. Thank you!

Stay in L.A, that is my advice to you. I promise you that you will get here and wish you would have stayed where you were.

You are much better off in L.A in many ways.

[Drake744]

In many ways I'm struggling with this also. Two of my good friends live in Seattle and I'm thinking about moving up there next fall with a third when my current lease runs out in Nashville and I get a little more job experience. I always thought if I left Nashville I'd go back to San Diego or LA (where I used to live) but upon visiting Seattle a few weeks ago it really left an impression on me. Sure it was cloudy and gloomy but I didn't seem to mind. I might just be blinded by the fact that I would be around my best friends in a fun city, but who knows?

I think the (stereotype alert) weather is the biggest dilemma. I've never lived in a predominantly cloudy or cool climate before. Only thing that comes close I guess is May gray/June gloom in California. I think the bottom line is there's no way to know how you'll handle it until you're in it. I'd assume anyway. It's a pretty intimidating move though if you don't really know what to expect.

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by Drake744

I've never lived in a predominantly cloudy or cool climate before. Only thing that comes close I guess is May gray/June gloom in California.

Very different. Los Angeles June gloom has a "summer is here, school is almost out, be thankful there's a little protection from the sun" feel. No need for a jacket; shorts are fine. It's mostly in the morning and lasts a few weeks. The days are long, and you still benefit from the sun, because you are likely to be outside doing things.

Seattle winter is twenty or thirty degrees colder, much wetter, and lasts for months. The days are short. The sun comes out, not up, and leaves quickly. You may not get any benefit from the sun because you might be indoors during the daylight hours, either because of work or school, or because you don't feel like going out in the cold.

I don't mind winter, but I thought I should clarify, now that I've read a couple times that it's like June gloom. Don't believe it. It is not. It's like comparing a sunny 68-degree afternoon in January to an unrelenting late-August heatwave, or like saying a weekend in the snow at Big Bear is like spending the winter in Vermont.