Air Quality/Inversions (Salt Lake City, Washington, Heber: renting, transfer, tax)

[dcisive]

Santa Fe is indeed beautiful (and expensive). Forget about Albuquerque as they too experience some bad inversions. There are many choices to live. The list is huge and it all depends on your individual situations. Do you need employment and if so in what field? Do you have kids that require external educations (non home schooling)? Do you prefer lots of land around you or an urban setting? All questions that need to be answered. If it wasn't for the fact I'm NOT retired nor will likely ever get to be, I'd no doubt move up to Washington State. Contrary to common belief they don't live in rain all the time depending on where you choose. The air is clean as is the water most of the places. Less populations outside of the huge metro areas, and cost of living is reasonable as is access to health care. And oh the physical beauty is astounding. Green and lush most places with mountains and waterfalls galore. As an avid photographer I'd be kept plenty busy. I typically vacation up that way with my wife and I am quite smitten. Given the right situation and opportunity I'd be there and OUT of here in a New York minute. One thing I'd make sure of is living in an area that had a small or no tax base needed for the schools. That alone is killing me here and it's about to get worse Ahh Washington....what's not to like

[movingonagain777]

Wow!!! That is gloriously beautiful Dcisive!! My sister in law lives in Seattle and loves it. It would be a little rainy for me though but there is one area there of interest....Pullman, Washington. I have researched it a bit but never been there. It looks enticing. Santa Fe is definitely on the top of the list!

I am really sad that we even have to discuss leaving here but again my overall health takes precedence. Even with the air purifiers (which aren't cheap) and all the added extras I am still sick from the air. I am just one of those folks that feel everything!!

[dcisive]

Pullman is of course a "college town" and as such is geared mostly towards that lifestyle. I'd prefer Lewiston between that area, but frankly of all SE Washington I'd be picking Walla Walla. Good intelligent crowd geared also to higher education and now also vast amounts of wineries. I also love it up by Spokane in particular across the Idaho line up that way. The West part is my preference but not so much in the "rain belt" as there are many nice spots out of it. Ideally Sequim where there is an older crowd and no school tax burdens right near the Straits and out of the rain belt. A truly magical place where the sea air and flowers are always what you are breathing, not industrial and car waste.

[movingonagain777]

I will research those areas in Washington. Victoria is right across the water from Sequiim....how lovely that must be! I also had looked into the Spokane area but researched Coerur d'Alene and know that this must be a magical place as well. My husband and I are going to meet my sister (lives in Monterey, CA) this Spring. I don't know if it would be too cloudy most of the year.

I thought Salt Lake was it. We are at that age where the moving around needs to wind down. My first choice is Park City as we have so much going on here. If I can keep my health by living there I don't mind the colder temps as I can go to Salt Lake easily when the inversion is not looming on us. I can work from home so that makes it easier and I don't think the small amount of pollution they have will exacerbate my symptoms. It's the chemical mix that is creating my illness. I really can smell and taste what ever mix there is in the air.

[11thHour]

Saw yesterday on airnow that the air in the Seattle area all the way down through Olympia was in the red (unhealthy) like ours was last wk. So they get them too unfortunately, at leat in certain area. I too love the nw and hope to live up there again sometime.

[dcisive]

when you get further out on the Penninsula from Seattle the air get's pretty darned pristine however. The wind currents of the Straits there keep things pretty nice. Yes indeed Victoria is a short ferry ride and B.C. is beautiful indeed. My wife loves the flowers up that way. Sequim is known for it's lavender festival. The Olympic Mountain Range is one of the most beautiful and pristine of all. It's another world up there for sure. Kind of like what Utah was back up till the late 70's As far as I"m concerned THAT ship has sailed. Coeur d' Alene is a fast growing retirement area and justifiably so. Cost of living is still reasonable and it's a small, clean town with all the amenities such as needed shopping and health care. Weather ain't half bad either. Like I said if my options were greater I'd head up that direction in a heartbeat. I'm stuck with a home upside down like most, and have a good job and no health insurance with rising taxes that seem to have NO ceilings placed on them. The govt. here in Utah seems to think EVERYONE that lives here has 6-8 kids and no income limit so just go ahead and tax tax tax away. For me there IS a ceiling at which point I'll just have to throw the towel in. And from all indication that's where they are heading. I can just imagine the Utah school systems deciding they have enough money and don't insist on yet another tax increase...yeah NOT

[hilgi]

When it is 10 out I just don't spend a lot of time outside, I don't care what the air is like. To me it seems the air is more visual and mental, I really don't notice it much more than that. That Beijng article should put this in perspective.

I think some people just need to change their attitude a little.

"Everything is amazing and nobody is happy" - Video Dailymotion

[irman]

Originally Posted by hilgi

I think some people just need to change their attitude a little.

Rep rep rep rep !!!

[movingonagain777]

I wish my illness was attitude related! It would make it a lot easier!!

[dcisive]

Ahh more of that "glass is half fool...er I mean full" going on eh? Just like the rest in Utah you can feel free to ignore it, but it ain't goin away anytime soon......good luck with that.....it's beginning to shape up that each year that goes by will set new toxin levels in our air. Not something to look forward to. Sad thing is they can do NOTHING that will truly change it.