Seattle Vs Los Angeles Cost of Living (Long Beach: quality of life, prices)

[homesinseattle]

I lived in LA for a year in my 20s. The weather was undeniably nice, a few things stick in my mind though.

-Brown hills. I hated it after awhile. I wanted some rain, some growing green things, besides those you had to water.
-Flaky people. People just didn't show up, didn't do what they said they would. Bizarrely, that was considered normal.
-Body obsessiveness, not in a healthy way.
-Strange things that made no sense to me. I was once invited to a private invite only "art" opening. I love art, classic and modern, I'm very open minded. This guy's art just sucked, by any metric. People were ooing and ahhhing.
-The way people talked with each other. No one looked in my eye or seemed to listen to each other.


So, say what you want about this rainy paradise of Seattle. I was in a pub the other day having a pint with a good friend. I looked around the pub, saw about 8 people I could have struck up a friendship with. I'll take that any day.

[daily_mist]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

-Flaky people. People just didn't show up, didn't do what they said they would. Bizarrely, that was considered normal.

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

-The way people talked with each other. No one looked in my eye or seemed to listen to each other.

I have found these to be a lot more prevalent in Seattle than SoCal.

[thedonwind]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

I lived in LA for a year in my 20s. The weather was undeniably nice, a few things stick in my mind though.

-Brown hills. I hated it after awhile. I wanted some rain, some growing green things, besides those you had to water.
-Flaky people. People just didn't show up, didn't do what they said they would. Bizarrely, that was considered normal.
-Body obsessiveness, not in a healthy way.
-Strange things that made no sense to me. I was once invited to a private invite only "art" opening. I love art, classic and modern, I'm very open minded. This guy's art just sucked, by any metric. People were ooing and ahhhing.
-The way people talked with each other. No one looked in my eye or seemed to listen to each other.


So, say what you want about this rainy paradise of Seattle. I was in a pub the other day having a pint with a good friend. I looked around the pub, saw about 8 people I could have struck up a friendship with. I'll take that any day.

AMEN to that.
I live in LA, and am dedicated to relocating to Seattle this fall.
All that you said about LA is 100% accurate, and you were only there for a year to be able to experience it... That tells you something about how alive and well the snobbyness and materialism is there.

[thedonwind]

Originally Posted by jjinla

"IMO...Seattle has nothing to offer that justify's it's current pricing. The mere lack of sunshine should be enough in and of itself to keep prices down. People may be moving here but it isn't because of the weather or the social scene."

I'll take the lack of sunshine if it means a corresponding lack of @ssholes, gangs, crime, smog, 24/7 traffic, illegals, concrete jungle and burnt lawns, etc. I lived between Santa Monica and the South Bay for 20 years, and you couldn't pay me to go back.

As I tell all of my NW friends when they ask how I left that weather....
I'll take the weather in Seattle anyway over the people in LA...and I can put a jacket on here!

I fail to understand why sun-lovers think that everyone else are also sun-lovers...
I hope more people realize that on an emotional level, Seattle weather sucks. But that's just it, ITS ALL EMOTIONAL.
Because if you look at it scientifically and practically, LA weather is very unhealthy.
No rain and constant sunshine=brown air, brown hills, smog, pollution,etc.
Rain = clean air, preserved nature, green forests, healthy wildlife, etc.
honestly Seattle weather only sucks if you're emotional. Because on a scientific and facts-based level, Seattle weather is supreme.

[jjinla]

It's actually not all emotional. Vitamin D deficiency is very real and leads to depression and all kinds of long-term issues. I take 5,000 mg fall to spring, and 2,000 in summer and my levels are just barely normal.

[HuskyDawg]

Yep, its the lack of daylight this far north in the winter that drives some folks crazy, more than the rain thing.

[thedonwind]

Mostly emotional

[shaylahc]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

Yep, its the lack of daylight this far north in the winter that drives some folks crazy, more than the rain thing.

It is both, but yes, the short days are a killer. I use a sun lamp in the winter just to keep my circadian rhythm on schedule. Not only are the days short, but it is DARK out.

[RVD90277]

that's true...but for the next 5 months, this is an awesome place to be...

i love coming home from work at 6 and having the sun out so i can still do things outside for a few more hours. it's great.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by udidwht

I'll tell you how it really is...

I was born in raised in Huntington Beach, Ca. worked in law enforcement for over 2 decades and commuted 41 miles each way for many years (lived in Huntington Beach, Ca.). The cost of living in California in some aspects is higher and others lower. For one buying or renting will be higher in California. This is not up for debate. Food on the other hand is cheaper as is purchasing alcohol of any sort. LA also has a much better variety of food. They also have far better Mexican food and lest we forget...IN N OUT burger.

Property tax and sales tax in Washington is higher (gotta make up for the lack of income tax).

Seattle in and of itself has started to become an LA but with over the top pricing for items such as food, taxes, tolls, labor etc...no reason for it other than pure greed. Example...Seattles food offerings compared to LA are at best...weak and very over-priced. I could walk into the Japanese market in OC and walk out with a case (24 cans) of Asahi beer for $12.XX...here in Seattle...forget it...it will sit you back closer to $25.00. Wanna have a burger meal? Got to IN N OUT and you get:

1 Double Double
1 fries
1 med. coke

$6.XX

In Seattle everyone thinks a burger is to be sold at a premium price. One is looking at a min of roughly $12.XX+ for something similar and not half as good.

IMO...Seattle has nothing to offer that justify's it's current pricing. The mere lack of sunshine should be enough in and of itself to keep prices down. People may be moving here but it isn't because of the weather or the social scene.

OK, if you want to bring on a fast food war, here we go. Dick's is better than In 'n Out IMO. And the prices are similar. Dick's Deluxe, fries, drink, 6 bucks or so, probably even less. Weather? Well, I wish your SoCal friends well, hope they can live without a lot of water.