Thoughts from people who moved from Midwest area (IL, WI, MN) (Seattle: apartment, house)

[AceShopper]

Hi everyone, Our annual research to move to a milder climate has been narrowed down to Seattle area. It's like an annual ritual - Come January with it's single digit & below zero temps, we long to move out of the midwest area and by month of May the initiative has fizzled out. But, looks like the idea is finally gaining traction and the move to Seattle looks promising.

I would like to hear thoughts from people who have moved to Seattle area from the midwestern states (IL, WI, MN).

- What was your primary motivation to move to Seattle ?
- Did you consider any other places in the country ?
- What did you like the most about Seattle ?
- What is your perspective on the "long & gray" winters ?

** And, if you moved along with school age kids:
- Which school district did you choose ?
- How do the schools in Seattle area compare to the Midwest ?
- How are the local/community parks ? Outdoor activities for kids ?

[AceShopper]

And let me answer some of my own questions :

Our primary motivation is to move to a milder climate where the winters are cool (not COLD!). At one point we were checking out Little Rock, AR & Dallas, TX but the thought of unbearably hot summers made us change our minds - Mind you, having lived through 10+ cold winters, 30F is a heat wave for us And the argument was : "You can always add more clothes layers if it gets cold, but you cannot remove your skin when it gets really HOT" !!

After reading through many many posts of C-D forums, we really like the Seattle area with it's scenic beauty, good schools, plentiful outdoorsy opportunities. The ethnic diversity, fresh seafood, Oriental/Asian food would complete the picture for us.

Now, weather-wise, the long and gray winters ? Did I mention we are from the midwest ? It's dull and gray in winter here too - except we have an added bonus by way of snow, ice & low temps. I'd take rain over that anytime. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has moved from the Midwest.

Based on what I am reading, the Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington & Tahoma are the recommended ones. Again, without being in the Seattle area, it is hard to get an idea and compare it to the schools here. Any insights from your experiences ?

Most of the subdivisions in our area will have a nearby local/community park with swings, playground, picnic shelter, volleyball courts etc. Our boys will play for hours on the end and sometimes it will our lovely summertime mosquitoes that will eventually prod them out of the playground How do the parks there compare to the above ?

[eskercurve]

Originally Posted by AceShopper

Hi everyone, Our annual research to move to a milder climate has been narrowed down to Seattle area. It's like an annual ritual - Come January with it's single digit & below zero temps, we long to move out of the midwest area and by month of May the initiative has fizzled out. But, looks like the idea is finally gaining traction and the move to Seattle looks promising.

I would like to hear thoughts from people who have moved to Seattle area from the midwestern states (IL, WI, MN).

- What was your primary motivation to move to Seattle ?
- Did you consider any other places in the country ?
- What did you like the most about Seattle ?
- What is your perspective on the "long & gray" winters ?

** And, if you moved along with school age kids:
- Which school district did you choose ?
- How do the schools in Seattle area compare to the Midwest ?
- How are the local/community parks ? Outdoor activities for kids ?

I'm from Chicago originally, worked in Cincinnati and St. Louis.

My primary motivation was a job. I work in aerospace, and if I wanted to work for a major airframer, that limited me to a handful of states (though if I wanted to work for a supplier, I would be able to work almost anywhere). I started in St. Louis, and I saw the tea-leaves when my program got cancelled and decided to high-tail it out of there.

I never looked back, and I'm so glad I made the move! Seattle is a beautiful area with a diverse in thought and some ethnic diversity too laid back type of vibe.

In short, I love almost everything about this area. The "long and grey" winters are no worse than what you experience in Chicago. Maybe a little grayer, but not much. DEFINITELY more mild. Today was about 50 deg F and the low was 40. The only downside is the people here have ZERO sense of driving in snow. I telecommute on days when there's more than a light dusting of snow, because of all the whackjobs behind the wheel here. May also not help with the fact that snow removal here is nonexistant, except in the mountain passes.

There will be some who despair about the winters here and I grant it can be gloomy some days. The near constant drizzle and overcast skies for potentially weeks on end will make even the most bubbly California blonde get the mood swings to the negative end, but there's one reason why I think it is balanced out. SUMMER. 75 and sunny, perfect humidity, every day, early June to early September. The city bursts with activity and is like a flash in the pan. It's so mild here that you will be hard pressed to find a house or apartment here with AC, it just isn't needed!

And I don't have kids yet, but the schools here range from bad (mostly in Seattle) to excellent (especially on the Eastside, Bellevue, Issaquah, and Kirkland).

The local parks here are more frequent than in Chicago in my experience, but they also tend to be smaller, at least in the city of Seattle itself. Where I live, on Mercer Island, there are miles and miles of interconnected forest trails and they go to many parks in the area. There's a few very large ones on the north end of the island. The community activities are not lacking either, from what I've seen. So, I guess it varies from place to place. And there's TONS of public land to the direct east of the city in the mountains, which is hiking/snowshoeing/rafting/kanoeing/fishing/sightseeing/skiing/forestry/conservation heaven. This truly is a beautiful corner of the nation.

You mentioned mosquitoes ... bugs here are nearly non existent comparatively speaking, but spiders are more common.

Tahoma is a font. Did you mean Tacoma? That area is ... a bit more "typical Americana" than Seattle. Not saying its bad, just maybe a smaller version of Seattle with more driving and slightly cheaper places to live with more crime.

Speaking of crime, if you know the south side of Chicago (I do, I grew up there), then you know what ghetto is. This place has NOTHING like it. Sketchiest part of town is probably equivalent to some of the nicer places in Pilsen or maybe some of the downtrodden places in Dogtown if you know St. Louis. Definitely safer than Chicago in general.

[Ira500]

Tahoma is a font

It's also the name of the school district that mostly encompasses all of Maple Valley and a small bit of Renton. Good school district.

[eskercurve]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Tahoma is a font

It's also the name of the school district that mostly encompasses all of Maple Valley and a small bit of Renton. Good school district.

Oh.

... I guess I should be boning up on my school districts ...

[AlohaHuey]

I'm from the midwest and I prefer the gray rainy winters over the frigid cold, ice, snow that turns brown ANY DAY. The cyclical nature of the automotive industry in Michigan led me to leave the state twenty years ago and I've not regretted that decision one day. While every region has their ups and downs, Seattle is more diversified with their job offerings. The mountains, water, fresh seafood, eclectic arts, funky neighborhoods and restaurants all make Seattle a destination city.

That said...

The gray winters are often long and those used to warm long summers are in for an awakening. Spring (by Midwest terms) lasts a long time; summer proper does not. Depending on your area, you will see some to extensive fall color. Be prepared to weather 20-odd straight days of rain; I've had a few of those stretches (the news does a wonderful job of keeping count).

[AceShopper]

Great! Wonderful replies .. thanks!

Ugh! Brown/black snow: Everytime we get a 30F heatwave, I pull out my cars and sweep the wet black muck out of my garage floor - Who would have thought this came from fluffy white stuff that looks so pretty.

True "summers" are short in Midwest as well. June is a hit&miss with the rain. July, August are great - unless it tops 90F (then we complain about heat as well) And then it starts to cool down my mid-September.

And I actually grew up in 100F weather and rain was always a welcome change. In fact, we would dream of vacation escapades to locations with cool temps, fog and misty weather. I know too much of the same thing gets old very quickly .. but I think we would like it. If not, a quick look at the low temps across the Midwest in the winter months would stop any complaints

Good to know about the local parks and hiking/biking trails connecting them. I know my boys will be riding their bikes rain or shine .. Driving through puddles is what comes naturally to them Good rain wear is definitely on the cards.

And yes, every place has it's up & downs .. I came across some threads about volcanoes in the area - Mt. Rainier, St Helens, earthquakes, lahars and now I need to read more on that !!!

[AlohaHuey]

Originally Posted by AceShopper

Great! Wonderful replies .. thanks!

Ugh! Brown/black snow: Everytime we get a 30F heatwave, I pull out my cars and sweep the wet black muck out of my garage floor - Who would have thought this came from fluffy white stuff that looks so pretty.

True "summers" are short in Midwest as well. June is a hit&miss with the rain. July, August are great - unless it tops 90F (then we complain about heat as well) And then it starts to cool down my mid-September.

And I actually grew up in 100F weather and rain was always a welcome change. In fact, we would dream of vacation escapades to locations with cool temps, fog and misty weather. I know too much of the same thing gets old very quickly .. but I think we would like it. If not, a quick look at the low temps across the Midwest in the winter months would stop any complaints

Good to know about the local parks and hiking/biking trails connecting them. I know my boys will be riding their bikes rain or shine .. Driving through puddles is what comes naturally to them Good rain wear is definitely on the cards.

And yes, every place has it's up & downs .. I came across some threads about volcanoes in the area - Mt. Rainier, St Helens, earthquakes, lahars and now I need to read more on that !!!

Not much danger from the volcanoes if you don't live near one of the rivers, but the earthquake threat is very real. The area has only recently been mapped geologically; they seem to find new faults every time they look. One runs pretty much right under I-90 and downtown. The Cascadia Subduction fault is the real worry, but it's unlikely to shift any time soon as it does so in approx. 300-700 year timeframe, and 1700 was the last big shaker on that fault. That was the same kind of fault that caused the tsunami in Asia some years back. Bad times.

[Seacove]

^^^Too true. Earthquakes are a reality all along the West coast. Most places have some major threat, tornadoes, hurricanes, Nor'easters and ours is earthquakes. I wouldn't stress about volcanoes unless you're planning on moving to Orting.

[AceShopper]

Originally Posted by Seacove

^^^Too true. Earthquakes are a reality all along the West coast. Most places have some major threat, tornadoes, hurricanes, Nor'easters and ours is earthquakes. I wouldn't stress about volcanoes unless you're planning on moving to Orting.

But the earthquakes ? There is a predicted 37% chance of a 9.0+ magnitude quake in next 50 years ??!! Most articles say that PNW is not ready to handle such a colossal earthquake - Now there is a sword hanging over your neck !! Plus having never experienced an earthquake, this is something completely unknown for us.

Are the homes in Seattle area built to handle quakes ? Is this something that on everyone's mind but never "spoken" about ?