Quote:
Originally Posted by Mililani Gal
Aloha. I've posted here before and appreciated the information. Husband and 2 young daughters seriously considering a move from Hawaii late this year or early next year. We're looking at the Duvall/Issaquah area of Seattle, WA because my sister lives there and has been trying to get us to move for the last 15 years. But, my MIL and SIL live in SA and so we're considering SA. We've done A LOT of research (re: cost of living, schools, jobs, etc.) and each area has it's pros and cons. We both work do administrative/fiscal at the University of Hawaii. So I think we'll be able to find decent jobs in either area. Can someone that has lived in the Seattle area tell me what they've learned in their move from WA to SA,TX. Good. Bad. Do it. Don't do it. Any comments would be helpful and appreciated. We're coming to SA in early July and hope to get some of our questions answered during our visit.
|
I won't sugar coat anything about either of the two places. Here are my thoughts.
Seattle Good:
- The summer is unbeatable. Sunny weather, highs in the mid-70s and not humid. It lasts from May through sometime in September.
- MUCH more to see downtown, if the big city is your thing.
- Good access to skiing. Snoqualmie, Stevens, Whistler (BC), and place or two off the north side of Mt Rainier are the places that come to mind.
- Low summer utilities, unless you have A/C.
- Much better views, but I like big trees and mountains.
- Good Asian food abounds, Mexican is limited to Taco Time and Taco Bell unless you search around.
- NFL and MLB city.
- Not a lot of public transportation there, but there's the Sounder which I like (commuter train running north/south) and light rail in very limited areas (Seatac to downtown).
- No state income tax.
- Good university, harder to get in, cost... is up there.
Seattle Bad:
- Cost of living is MUCH higher, particularly in housing but food is 10-15% more too. Wages are higher, but I don't think by as much as cost of living is. That said,...
- A person would have to be nearly insane to buy a house over there. Average price got up into the low-$400s for a single family home at the peak and prices are in the process of "adjusting," which will take however long it takes. In any case wages didn't support the price.
- In general people I know back in the northwest are much more down about the current economic times. When I'm back there I keep hearing about all the layoffs in the area. Microsoft is the only big name company I know of in the area that doesn't seem to be doing it.
- Try to get across Lake Washington anytime other than the middle of the day or in the night (in other words, commute from the east side to the city). I dare you...
- Winter isn't always the most fun time. I didn't care about the rain, but the temperature really doesn't move around a lot for a while. Things start picking up more or less around April.
- Taxes for nearly everything, except your income.
- Flying takes a while since there aren't a lot of international flights out of Seatac except to parts of Canada. You'll probably connect in LAX or somewhere if you're traveling far.
San Antonio good:
- Like I said, housing is much more reasonable here. Lots to be had under $100/sqft in the northside. $120 / sqft on the much nicer end. It's hard to see how you could wind up completely upside down on a place here since prices are pretty much land (not a lot) + what it costs to build the place.
- Rush hour isn't as bad... or maybe as long (or maybe I'm taking the right roads).
- Winters are ok. I was told that this year it's been much warmer and drier than normal.
- I still see lots of 'now hiring' signs around. A plus if gainful employment is your thing.
- Instead of skiing in the winter, you get waterparks in the summer.
- I have a sneaking suspicion that there are good Asian places around... you just have to find them? They're probably small and out of the way. Much better Mexican food than you'll find at Taco Time anyway.
- NBA City.
- Smaller city, but MUCH better selection at the grocery stores.
- No state income tax.
- People are a bit more upbeat. I actually know most of the people living in the houses around me and some of them came over while I was moving in... that's a first for me.
- The airport is small but 40 minutes (by air) away from a HUGE international hub in Houston that'll take you anywhere.
- Good university, doesn't cost a lot, easy to get in.
San Antonio bad:
- You find dumb drivers everywhere; you just find a lot more of them here. If you can almost fit a car in the opening, some genius will try it.
- Summers are not fun for me (except for the waterpark part). Too hot out, but this summer people said was a lot warmer than normal.
- I can't grow the plants that I like here without going to great lengths. But I'm the only house with berry plants growing out back.
- People complain about there only being 2 options for grocery stores, but prices are lower and selection is better. Dunno how that came about.
- Terrible radio here. You'll need satellite or an ipod.
- You don't really get a chance to wear all that cool winter stuff... that you probably don't have anyway since you're from HI.
- There are less people trying to find creative new ways to tax things. But that said, property taxes are higher. However, they're also a great deduction when doing your federal return.
- Growing explosions of suburbia in particular areas of town that I don't venture out towards.
Anyway, hope this helps!
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Seattle (east side) vs. San Antonio (northern)
and my friend. 
Linear Mode
