Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For those considering the move to the greater Seattle area, one thing to consider is what is your life's energy worth? I mean, we have a limited amount of time on this planet and a limited amount of time in a given day, what is it worth?
There are several threads on here on why people are leaving and even the people who are staying complain about traffic, congestion, etc.
My biggest complaint is Traffic, but it is greater than Traffic, it is mobility. It is just too hard and costs too much to get around this area.
There is the time spent commuting, the cost of the commute and the pollution that is created by commuting. For being such a tree hugging state, we sure do waste alot of energy commuting.
Don't forget, most people don't LIVE in Seatte, they Work in Seattle, thus commuting.
I'll give you an example of my commute, depending on where you live the commute will be shorter, but the concept is still the same.
I ride the ferry to get to work, but it's more a game of planes, trains and automobiles. I live in Port Orchard, WA and work downtown Seattle.
I leave the house at 3:50 am, walk 1 mile catch the 4:15am passenger ferry to Bremerton, there I catch the 4:50am ferry to Seattle to arrive in Seattle at 5:50am, from there I walk 20 mins to work: Total time from door to door: 2 hours, 20 minutes, sometimes 2 & half hours if the ferry is delayed, etc.
Now on the return trip should be the same, but due to scheduling conflicts with the ferries, it takes me an extra 30 mins to get home, total: 2 hours, 50 minutes. And that's if you leave on time, how many times have you had, hey buddy, can you stay an extra 5 minutes to do a small task, etc. Realistically, if you say no, you are not a "Team" player. What they forget is that 5 to 10 minute job makes you miss your ferry which adds an hour to an hour and a half to your total day.
To recap: Leave 3:50 am, get home between 4:30 to 6:30 pm, the effective work day is 13 to 15 hours, that's each and every day, mon - fri.
Even those that live on the Seattle side have a fun filled, 30 to 60 min drive, depending on their distance from Seattle, but that 30 to 60 min can easily be 60 to 90 min drive depending on weather, traffic, etc.
Now before everyone starts saying, "but my commute is only 2 and half minutes, etc, etc. I realize your time and distance will vary from mine, all I'm pointing out that spending 4 to 6 hours per day, 20 to 30 hours per week, 80 to 120 hours per month commuting is NOT worth living in or near Seattle.
Lest we forget why we travel to Seattle, that where most of the jobs are and you do what you have to do to get by. Me, I'm done, I'm leaving this job and leaving Seattle.
I'd rather make less money somewhere else, in a cheaper part of the country and if I really needed the money, I could spend that 20 to 30 hours per week working a second job, not commuting in Seattle.
I am a stay at home mom, so I didn't commute. However, my husbands hour to hour and more commute each way (from Bothell to Redmond) was a killer on our family and quality of life.
He now commutes about 8 minutes. This, and a better cost of living, better weather, better family life, even a better social life for us ... leaving Seattle (although it was familiar, and hard to do) was the best decision we ever made.
Yeah, I'm pretty bummed about the whole traffic thing in Seattle and surrounding areas, but my mother needs major help, and she won't leave the house that she has lived in for the past 40 years. I love her dearly, so back home to Seattle I'm heading. Yes my time is worth a lot, but my mother is priceless.
My life is worth a heck of a lot more than spending a minimum of three hours per day (closer to five when it's "raining" - which it usually is) commuting. I'm leaving this coming Monday.
Sorry, but you chose to live where you live. What do you expect living in Port Orchard? My life on this earth is worth plenty. That's why I chose to live where I live and I do love living in Seattle. What have you done to alleviate your commute? In this car/suv driven suburban society, people complain about traffic problems but what are they doing about it? All I read on here is suburban people complaining about their commute and how horrible traffic is. I catch public transportation or carpool with a co-worker to and from work everyday. I come home and walk to the market, post office or walk to the park. I can walk to a nice restaurant(not Apple Bee's) or to a coffee shop. The library is 3 blocks away. I can even walk downtown in 25 minutes. And schools are another thing. I went to big city public schools all of my life with no problem. I went on to graduate from college. Both of my neighbor's kids graduated from Garfield HS and now attend Morehouse College in Atlanta and Howard University. I know many parents with their kids in Seattle public schools. Tony1790 there is no way on earth I would ever go through what your going through. But again you chose to live over there so maybe it is time for you to leave.
Tony, that's an insane commute. Most people living in Kitsap County soon realize, it's not practical to work in Seattle. When you factor in the ferry costs, along with the time spent, it's simply not worth it. A much higher quality of life can be found elsewhere. Many, as is evidenced by this thread and others, are leaving the area entirely. The Puget Sound, while beautiful, is highly overrated. With terrible weather, horrendous traffic, high crime, insane housing costs, and hack politicians, many have had enough. I think the area is experiencing a high rate of flight as I type this. In a few years time, the numbers will reflect it. And I won't even start again on the great scam that was the real estate market over the past 4 years. Enjoy it, those of you who do. I am certainly happy to have escaped the madness.
Unfortunately some people don't choose to live farther out. That's all some can affrd with good housing an good schools. It's the case of the haves and the have nots. If money were no object to most they would live closer in. Not all can find jobs so close to where they work.. I agree it's about choices, but not every choice is perfect.
Sorry, but you chose to live where you live. What do you expect living in Port Orchard? My life on this earth is worth plenty. That's why I chose to live where I live and I do love living in Seattle. What have you done to alleviate your commute? In this car/suv driven suburban society, people complain about traffic problems but what are they doing about it? All I read on here is suburban people complaining about their commute and how horrible traffic is. I catch public transportation or carpool with a co-worker to and from work everyday. I come home and walk to the market, post office or walk to the park. I can walk to a nice restaurant(not Apple Bee's) or to a coffee shop. The library is 3 blocks away. I can even walk downtown in 25 minutes. And schools are another thing. I went to big city public schools all of my life with no problem. I went on to graduate from college. Both of my neighbor's kids graduated from Garfield HS and now attend Morehouse College in Atlanta and Howard University. I know many parents with their kids in Seattle public schools. Tony1790 there is no way on earth I would ever go through what your going through. But again you chose to live over there so maybe it is time for you to leave.
Pwright, sometimes walking and commuting is not an option. I think Tony is not complaining but truly wishing that things were different. I drive and I hate driving. I'd walk everywhere if I could. I'd take ferries/buses/trains anything especially since I didn't learn to drive until over 30 years old. But our cities are set up so that driving is a necessity!! When I have opted to walk, I've risked life and limb because there are no sidewalks or pedestrian walkways. Motorists try to kill you. People stare at me as if I am a homeless poor person with "idiot-should-have-a-car-type" jeers. Carpool? Not one person at my job would like to carpool with another person. Too much closeness and no one wants the responsibility. You may have had much more freedom in your choices to chose where you live.
And I am sure that people don't just arbitrarily choose to commute 2+ hours to and from work. Some times it isn't just as easy as quitting or moving.
Reading this thread is quite informative -- I am in the early stages of planning our move.
Sorry, but you chose to live where you live. What do you expect living in Port Orchard? My life on this earth is worth plenty. That's why I chose to live where I live and I do love living in Seattle. What have you done to alleviate your commute? In this car/suv driven suburban society, people complain about traffic problems but what are they doing about it? All I read on here is suburban people complaining about their commute and how horrible traffic is. I catch public transportation or carpool with a co-worker to and from work everyday. I come home and walk to the market, post office or walk to the park. I can walk to a nice restaurant(not Apple Bee's) or to a coffee shop. The library is 3 blocks away. I can even walk downtown in 25 minutes. And schools are another thing. I went to big city public schools all of my life with no problem. I went on to graduate from college. Both of my neighbor's kids graduated from Garfield HS and now attend Morehouse College in Atlanta and Howard University. I know many parents with their kids in Seattle public schools. Tony1790 there is no way on earth I would ever go through what your going through. But again you chose to live over there so maybe it is time for you to leave.
Yes you are correct, I did choose to live in Port Orchard, but really what options are there?? Live in a condo in Belltown? Live in West Seattle....
Truth is, those of us that live in Kitsap and work in Seattle don't really have a choice, not unless I could afford the home prices in Seattle area, they are quite literally twice what they cost here. And even at the "commuters" discount of Kitsap pricing, in order to pay for housing here most have to go to Seattle to find a job above minimum wage.
Let me be clear, I chose WA state to live due to it's scenic beauty and quality of life, but while the beauty remains, the quality of life is not what it needs to be to justify this commute.
As far as suburbanites driving their SUV's....you'll notice my "entire" commute is either on foot or mass transit, I'm doing my part to keep emissions down, but not those slobs on I-5 everyday......but then again, what real choice do they have. If they spend 3 hours commuting, adding the time it takes to catch a bus and deal with that you add what, an hour a day to their commute....not worth it.
All I'm saying is that Seattle is a victim of it's own popularity and with the geographical limits, there are no places to put new roads and for those that are deciding to come here, they need to factor in a 2 to 6 hour commute, depending on their income level. The rich will have a short commute from Medina, etc, the less rich will have an increasingly long commute......unless you are able to work near where you live and afford the home you live in. But even that, if you want to go see a Mariners game or transit thru downtown Seattle on I-5, you will be "involved" with Seattle's lack of transportation choices, it's one of the reasons companies think twice about coming here, it costs them more in time and expense to operate here due to congestion and their employees will need to commute long distances and pay excessive prices for homes....not a good thing for either.
So again, my point on this thread is not to bash Seattle too much because as far as cities go Seattle isn't half bad and the area is gorgeous......just nowhere near worth giving up ones life for...........
Tony
p.s. Thus far I've only addressed the "life" cost of the commute and general inability to "easily" travel thru Seattle. I did not address the hundreds and hundreds of dollars in monthly costs to commuters......those ferries are not free, the gas tax here is very high and gas is now $3.00 a gallon, so those hours are driving are worth, what? $500 per month in fuel bills? Less? More? Depends on you and your vehicle and distance, but still there is a very large bill to pay for living here......again.......NOT worth it.
Last edited by Tony1790; 03-31-2007 at 02:07 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
