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.
There's so much violence in Dt. Seattle if you look the comcast video of reporter stopping a fight at the downtown Seattle waterfront. Heck, people just got stabbed on 3rd and Pine. There's so excuse or rubberstamping it. Dt. San Jose has very few or violence in its downtown. It's very safe with few drunks at night. That's about it. Maybe a stabbing or a shooting every 2 years, not every week like in Dt. Seattle. Avoid Downtown Seattle like a plague until the city cleans it up.
New to this forum, but wanted to get some advice from people who might be familiar with both cities.
Currently living on the East Coast, Ive been lucky enough (considering the current job climate) to recieve a job offer in both Seattle and San Jose. The offers and positions are comparable (San Jose job is a little higher but I know COL is higher there too), so Im trying to figure out which city would work better for me. Let me start off by saying that I'm interested in San Jose itself, not San Francisco or other Bay Area cities - except maybe the ones that directly border San Jose.
Anyway, I'm single and in my late 20's, and the factors that I care about are the usual suspects. I want to live in a walkable area with good restaurants and bars, good ethnic food, music scene, quality grocery stores, decent public transportation, an area that is vibrant, etc. How would downtown San Jose compare to downtown Seattle? The weather seems way better in SJ and that is a factor to me as well.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thanks...
Even though you're well aware of this, you have to keep in mind that SJ is in California, which is a state in complete shambles right now. The taxes and regulations are insane, which means you pay more directly in taxes and more indirectly through higher energy prices, etc.
I haven't been following as closely, but have heard that Gov Brown is taking some good steps, which is a bit of a surprise b/c he's a radical leftist owned by the public sector unions. That said, I don't trust the politicians in California to make the right decisions and expect them to dig further into their citizens' pockets.
It's not that WA is well managed, but I believe they have no state income tax. I'd recommend Seattle; California is risky.
Even though you're well aware of this, you have to keep in mind that SJ is in California, which is a state in complete shambles right now. The taxes and regulations are insane, which means you pay more directly in taxes and more indirectly through higher energy prices, etc.
I haven't been following as closely, but have heard that Gov Brown is taking some good steps, which is a bit of a surprise b/c he's a radical leftist owned by the public sector unions. That said, I don't trust the politicians in California to make the right decisions and expect them to dig further into their citizens' pockets.
It's not that WA is well managed, but I believe they have no state income tax. I'd recommend Seattle; California is risky.
WestCoastBound123 - I don't about Brown being a radical leftist, but LIS123 is a radical right winger for sure. I just clicked on his/her profile and voila - 62 pages of right wing vitriol against all the usual suspects - Obama, public teachers, gays, liberals, environmentalists etc etc. LIS123 is also a rabid CA hater. You get the drift. I would take his/her suggestions with a "grain of salt" (code word for ignore it)
I would choose Seattle. I lived in San Jose for many years and didn't have much to show for it. I now live in Seattle and my life is much better in many ways.
I lived in SJ, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara for most of my 20's and it was a struggle for me. I paid way too much in rent and often lived with roommates and shared a bathroom. I was single much of the time. Men really do outnumber women in SJ by a large margin. That is no exaggeration. One time I drove all the way to Monterey to meet a girl for a date.
I left the Bay Area in 2007. As soon as I got to Seattle I was making more money and the dating scene was much better. There were many high quality educated women moving to the area from other countries and other parts of the U.S. I also bought my very first condo in 2008. No more roommates! I am now engaged to an amazing woman and we are getting married next year!
I also have more disposable income. I have taken vacations to Hong Kong, Italy and other places I always wanted to go when I lived in San Jose, but it was not possible. The cost of living and surviving was overwhelming.
You said you are Korean. The suburbs of Seattle have a large Korean population. It seems to be concentrated in Federal Way and Lynnwood. Seattle is a very diverse and tolerant city. It is less segregated by ethnicity than San Jose.
Anyway that is my experience. I hope it helps. Good luck!
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.
