Considering Moving (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue: mortgage, hotel, income)

[Lughnna]

There are three places I have lived here in Western WA. I am a San Diego transplant, that grew up in AZ. Believe me I know about the heat. I came here for the same reasons as you have described. I recommend all the places I have lived for different reasons, and here they are.

Olympia...medium sized city, (about 28,000 when I was there) but small town feel, no gang activity that I ever heard of. Major shopping, beach access by way of the puget sound. Cute historic downtown, city is divided into two areas, the east side and the west side. West side has the mall, and newer big chain restaurants, east side is more laid back, and borders a nice town called Lacey. Schools are excellent there in Thurston County, and there is a harbor in downtown with good seafood resturants and a pier. Sometimes I go to smell the water....it smells like the ocean there. There are cool breezes, as well as beautiful changing of the seasons, and even some(not much) snow in the winter. We only moved because my ex husband worked too far north to make the commute everyday. I would have stayed.Homes we in the 130-250,000 dollar range. Nice neighborhoods, friendly folks.

Second, we lived in Sammamish/Issaquah........sooo beautiful, close to the Snoqualmie falls and the summit ski resort. It was only about 20 miles on the
I-90 to get to Seattle. It was fancier than Olympia...there was a lake, and a
gorgeous clock tower coming in to town....but we ultimately left due to the extravagant real estate prices, expensive rent, and neverending construction of all the forrest surrounding. There was so much developement.Financially and personally I was forced to relocate back to AZ for 3 yrs to my family with my children in order to obtain a college degree and prepare to be a single parent. But I never waivered in my plans to return to my new found homeland to settle and raise my children. Washington is green and fresh, and amazing....I missed it every minute.

We moved back last year, and I had a lot of time to choose our destination........So that brings me to my last city, or up to the current town on my plug list.....Snohomish, look it up. It is the "antique capital of WA"
It is in an area with easy access to all of the following towns....Everett, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Duvall, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bothell, Mill Creek and Lynwood. We love it here, we have a beautiful house, I feel safe in my neighborhood, and I am near to anything I could possibly need. I am 15 miles from the ocean, 40 miles from Stevens Pass skiing, and an hour from A&E networks "Best Holiday Town" 3 years running, the charming Bavarian Village of Leavenworth.....small and storybook, but big enough for a Starbucks.
So thats it......hope it helps. Thats my 2 cents-

[chris]

most of the property crime I have experienced in metro Seattle directly correlates with the amount of drug use in the area. The higher the area known for drug use, the higher the amount of property crime.

The only place this scenario did not apply was in ballard (sunset hill area), although I had art stolen out of the basement of a house I was living in while I was moving to another home. Go figure.

A warning to anyone not from the area, *never* leave any computer equipment/electronics in your car. You will be departed from it.

The thing that is nice about Seattle is that it feels safe for the most part. Although we're always reminded about the Green River killings as they continue to find bodies about every six months.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by chris

The thing that is nice about Seattle is that it feels safe for the most part. Although we're always reminded about the Green River killings as they continue to find bodies about every six months.

Serial killings are really, really, REALLY rare. You've got a better chance of being struck by lightning.

But gang violence is on the rise, and it isn't just against other gangbangers.

On the news today I saw that a mother in Everett (one of the suburbs north of Seattle) had her car blocked by about 15 teens. She honked at them to move, and they dragged her out of the car and beat her while her kids watched from the back seat.

Is this common? No.

But this kind of stuff is happening more and more. I've been in the area for about 9 years, and I've seen how much worse crime is now. It's getting worse every month, it seems, and what's so frustrating is that the authorities aren't doing much to combat it. You know those teens who beat the mother? Some of them were back on the street the same day. Didn't even spend one night in jail.

As frustrating as the crime is here, the police and courts and ten times as frustrating.

[DreamWeavin]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Serial killings are really, really, REALLY rare. You've got a better chance of being struck by lightning.

But gang violence is on the rise, and it isn't just against other gangbangers.

On the news today I saw that a mother in Everett (one of the suburbs north of Seattle) had her car blocked by about 15 teens. She honked at them to move, and they dragged her out of the car and beat her while her kids watched from the back seat.

Is this common? No.

But this kind of stuff is happening more and more. I've been in the area for about 9 years, and I've seen how much worse crime is now. It's getting worse every month, it seems, and what's so frustrating is that the authorities aren't doing much to combat it. You know those teens who beat the mother? Some of them were back on the street the same day. Didn't even spend one night in jail.

As frustrating as the crime is here, the police and courts and ten times as frustrating.

oh my gosh, sounds like NY city years and years ago. I can't believe this is happening in this day and age. Reconsidering a move there......hmm. I don't believe for one minute that would be allowed here in Alabama. Not in the city I live in. The public outcry would be so loud that the police would know they better nip it in the bud. Where the heck are the mayor and police chief and why are they not being held accountable for nothing being done?

[jabm67]

Seattle PD took a major gut-punch in terms of public image and morale with the WTO blow-up back the late 1990s (from which, I think, they are still recovering), the King Country sheriff's office has accumulated a (perhaps deserved) nasty reputation for bad cops, and the Tacoma PD had the really icky case where the police chief (Brame) killed his estranged wife in a murder-suicide in 2003. Local law enforcement is not in the best of shape.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by northernexposure

Where the heck are the mayor and police chief and why are they not being held accountable for nothing being done?

Good question. I wish I knew. I think Jab's comments are right on.

It also has a lot to do with budget cuts and the short-sightedness of Washington voters. At least where I live, local cops are seriously underfunded. We used to have a gang unit of one part-time officer. One. Part-time. Even though gang activity has sky rocketed here over the past few years. But even that officer was let go 2 years ago due to budget cuts. Every time funding comes up for a vote, locals vote it down because they don't want to pay $10 more on their property taxes. It's #*%$*%(@ infuriating.

So we're getting out of here. The escalating crime, the worst traffic in the nation, and the outrageous cost of living...it all adds up to make the Seattle/Tacoma area a not very pleasant place to live. Too bad really, because the land up here is some of the most gorgeous in the world. But it's not worth the headache of making a living here.

[KidBlue]

I'm looking to retire in the Elma/Satsop/Montesano area in a couple of years, and I'm wondering if the crime rate is going to be a problem. I currently live in El Dorado County and violent crime is very rare. Of course, there are way more guns than people in the county too (the NRA is alive and well in El Dorado).

Does anyone know if there would be a violent crime problem in the Elma area? Is it something I should be concerned about? I will probably never stray farther than Aberdeen or Olympia. Well, maybe Centralia or Yelm for antiques but not to Tacoma or Seattle. I've had enough of large cities to last a lifetime.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by KidBlue

Of course, there are way more guns than people in the county too (the NRA is alive and well in El Dorado).

An armed society is a polite society.

Originally Posted by KidBlue

Does anyone know if there would be a violent crime problem in the Elma area?

I don't really know anything about the area, but the crime rates look low. Elma's is here: http://www.city-data.com/city/Elma-Washington.html

[chris]

nothing to worry about in Elma. It's small and quiet, very country like. Probably the only crime/violence you will see there is domestic.

Lots of affordable land north of the town. I like downtown Montesano better than Elma, but Elma's more quiet. I think they're getting a new hospital there too.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by KidBlue

I'm looking to retire in the Elma/Satsop/Montesano area in a couple of years, and I'm wondering if the crime rate is going to be a problem. I currently live in El Dorado County

Why would you leave Placerville? It's beautiful there! Do you want something more affordable? Colder and darker in the winter? Is Placerville being overrun with the westward expansion of Snack-pimento and its gazillion suburbs?