Is Seattle a nice place to live? Portland or Seattle... (Kirkland: to buy, living in)

[wutitiz]

It's funny because although I am older now, in my younger days I was fond of black girls and had a very tough time meeting any (I am white). The ones that I did meet and date were of the opportunistic/materialistic variety. I am not Dash Riprock but I am not that bad either. I know they were out there but I couldn't find them. Eventually I wound up with an Asian girl.

I think the real answer is to go out and get what you want and not passively depend on things like geography. I am the least aggressive person you will ever meet but looking back, sometimes you have to be a little aggressive to reach your goals in life. And a corollary might be that sometimes you have to put up with some rejection to reach them too.

[UrbanAdventurer]

22 year old female...eh go take your lumps in the big city and have some fun doing it. Portland is where 20-somethings go to retire (or never start to begin with). There's more opportunity in Seattle. Portland is a better bang for the buck if you're looking to settle down with the fam and have an already-established way in life and no longer care as much about the extras. I would never recommend a typical mainstream young single person to go flocking to Portland unless they had an "in" somewhere. There's just not nearly enough going on in that town to waste any time there, frankly.

[caprigirl12]

At furious, I'm sorry, but I'm just gonna be blunt I live in the south and white guys not only try having sex with me but dating me as well, I know this is not typical. Whatever. All I'm saying is, if I get along just fine here, I should get along even better there...it can not be somehow worse than in the south. I work in the public..I see so many biracial people here. Is there some sort of reversal there? I personally know several black women involved with non black men here and one is married...why would that be so impossible up north exactly?

[caprigirl12]

This thread is becoming about dating and asked about more than just that

[The Furious]

Well put, Wutitiz. The reason you likely ran into so many opportunistic and materialistic black girls in your youth is that Seattle did not afford the same level of opportunities that older cities like Boston gave to blacks in terms of education and employment, as it now does. That coupled with the fact that the Northwest was one of the last areas of the country where Blacks settled. And a little known fact is that it was once illegal for Blacks to live in Oregon. The rule was, you could pass through, but you had better be out by sundown. Times have changed considerably and you are more likely to find a larger pool of self-sufficient, intelligent women - including black women - living in the Northwest as the word has gotten out that it's a great place to live. C'est la vie.

[The Furious]

Caprigirl12, I'm no academician nor psychologist. I can only provide a personal point of view.

In terms of employment, Seattle seems to have a more stable economy than other areas of the country. Depending on the type of work you do, there are stable companies for employment from which to choose such as Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Russell Investments, Starbucks and University of Washington to name a few. However, some top employers that were historically seen as permanent fixtures in the Seattle community went bust, like Washington Mutual and Seattle P-I. This has lead to a large pool of unemployed folks who have been knocking on doors for upwards to a year or more. You are quite young and I don't know what your educational background is, but if you have a college degree, you might have a decent chance of getting entry-level employment at one of the aforementioned companies. Otherwise, Starbucks is always looking for baristas in their shops.

Portland Oregon is in a bit sad state in terms of gainful employment. I know many college-educated -- some with Masters degrees -- that have moved to Seattle for a chance at work in a Whole Foods Market or Starbucks. If that's your cup of tea, then go for it. The single life in Portland is not especially recommended for a single, adventurous female of any ethnic persuasion. In my humble opinion, unless you have an established network of friends in Portland, you'll find yourself wanting a richer cultural experience. Of the two cities, Seattle will offer a much richer experience.

Now back to the whole dating thing. Any girl that will put out for free love will have no trouble finding a man to sleep with, regardless of race, ethnicity, or geographic location. In fact, in the singles scene, Seattle is known to be quite the booty call of states. If a long-term commitment is what you are after, then you might seriously consider not moving to the Northwest. If you are just looking for a good time, by all means, book your flight.

[Inkpoe]

Honestly, I've seen more BW/WM combo in Seattle than anywhere else and not all of them were young.

Originally Posted by The Furious

Portland Oregon is in a bit sad state in terms of gainful employment. I know many college-educated -- some with Masters degrees -- that have moved to Seattle for a chance at work in a Whole Foods Market or Starbucks. If that's your cup of tea, then go for it. The single life in Portland is not especially recommended for a single, adventurous female of any ethnic persuasion. In my humble opinion, unless you have an established network of friends in Portland, you'll find yourself wanting a richer cultural experience. Of the two cities, Seattle will offer a much richer experience.

You mean Portland?

[The Furious]

Have you lived anywhere other than the Northwest, Inkpoe, or are you a lifelong local? I say this because mostly all I see is BM/WF relationships, hardly the opposite. I see more BF/WM in the South than I see here. Enlighten me, please.

[Inkpoe]

Yes. I have lived elsewhere and also visited (and some long term stays as well at) many other places. I have family in the South. So what of it?

I'm starting to think your issues are clouding your perception. Either that or you have to get out more.

[The Furious]

We are all slaves to perception, there is no true reality.