I want Rain and more Rain ! (Seattle, Vancouver: sales, employment, income)

[Siracides]

@Arushan
Thanks for the reply, that is very important and great information. Just the type of thing I want to know but never stop to consider. I have never lived in a rainy "gloomy" or wet city or area so it is all new to me. But for the most part I suppose we can adapt. Once we close on our house we do plan to visit and get a feel for our top contender areas. Any other information or things I should consider will be of great help ☺

[slan490]

Head for the coast. Anything in Thurston and Grays Harbor county will be plenty gloomy, and more affordable.

[Siracides]

@slan490
Thanks for the advise, appreciate it.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Arushan

That house above is in Sudden Valley. It is a beautiful area and gets a bit more rain/gloom than in Bellingham itself. Lots of hills, mature Douglas Firs, Cedars, alder, Bigleaf Maple, ferns, etc, so you will have the semi-rainforest feel there. The HOA is a mess, but less of a concern if you're a renter. Be aware if you notice a musty smell in the homes as mold growth can be a major problem in that area due to the lack of lighting (The sun sets early, going behind a hill, and of course the giant trees play into it). There can be a dusting of snow every few years or so, so it's possible to be stuck. Visit, get a feel, and talk to people. It may be for you.

There is a convenience store/gas station, but not much else. Chances are you'll be going to town a lot. Fred Meyer on Lakeway in Bellingham is the closest convenience.

Hugely useful info, thanks! So those lakeside towns are more like suburbs of B'ham, apparently. MORE gloom? I guess that would make the OP happy. I'm not a fan, personally. But I've noticed that rents are cheaper in Sudden Valley. Too bad there's not a nice little downtown of sorts, if only for groceries and coffee/tea, and mingling with the neighbors. What about Geneva?

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Hugely useful info, thanks! So those lakeside towns are more like suburbs of B'ham, apparently. MORE gloom? I guess that would make the OP happy. I'm not a fan, personally. But I've noticed that rents are cheaper in Sudden Valley. Too bad there's not a nice little downtown of sorts, if only for groceries and coffee/tea, and mingling with the neighbors. What about Geneva?

Sudden Valley's Valley Market isn't a full fledged supermarket, but it's a little more upscale than a 7-11, and makes their own barbecue. Sudden Valley also has a pizza place, and a Mexican restaurant on the golf course. I don't think there's anything in Geneva.

[perigee]

A couple more things to consider about Sudden Valley. Those tend to be older, cheaply built homes, so heating costs can add up, especially if you can't take advantage of some free solar heat during most of the year. Check for heating source, propane can mean $$$ and electric baseboards can mean awkward furniture placement. Also, the houses tend to be surrounded by trees, yes beautiful, but during wind storms that equals danger and power outage possibilities. It is in a valley so there is some protection, but it is something to consider.

As another post pointed out mold is an issue, but so is moss, especially on roofs.

People from Bellingham, who are use to extra rain and gloom, can be overwhelmed by Sudden Valley, do you really want to jump in the deep, deep end? Remember winter days are really short in Bellingham and even shorter over there.

Best of luck with your move.

[Siracides]

Originally Posted by perigee

A couple more things to consider about Sudden Valley. Those tend to be older, cheaply built homes, so heating costs can add up, especially if you can't take advantage of some free solar heat during most of the year. Check for heating source, propane can mean $$$ and electric baseboards can mean awkward furniture placement. Also, the houses tend to be surrounded by trees, yes beautiful, but during wind storms that equals danger and power outage possibilities. It is in a valley so there is some protection, but it is something to consider.

As another post pointed out mold is an issue, but so is moss, especially on roofs.

People from Bellingham, who are use to extra rain and gloom, can be overwhelmed by Sudden Valley, do you really want to jump in the deep, deep end? Remember winter days are really short in Bellingham and even shorter over there.

Best of luck with your move.

Thank you for taking the time to give in your 2c. I really do have to consider all of the things you mentioned. It does sound like it could be a bit overwhelming being our first time in that kind of situation. It might not be a bad idea for us to delay our move until spring so we can get a real feel of how the summer/winter months are over there.

[rockyinyourradio]

Originally Posted by Siracides

@RuthforTruth

Thanks so much for your reply. Bellingham sounds awesome and like a great fit, I'm definitely going to look into it. I love the "gloom" to me days like that are happy days, exactly what I'm looking for. You've given me hope . Just like you said Yay!

I'm glad to know there are more folks like me out there. I've posted similar responses regarding this in the past and I find it interesting that there are folks wanting to move to Seattle just for the cloudy, grey weather.

Consider this though, depending on where you want to live, places like Olympia can literally go weeks at a time without virtually a ray of sunshine. After a week, I'd be ready for some sun. Bellingham does experience a little more sunshine due to the effect of the Olympic Mountain rain shadow. Peak cloudiest times are November thru February in western Washington. These last two winters have been overall, abnormally quiet weatherwise with above average sunshine during the winter. I think this upcoming winter may be similar with a moderate to low end significant el nino which typically deflects storms either north or further south than WA. state.

Also, you should know that after mid June and lasting until at least mid September, you have bountiful amounts of sunshine.. again, sometimes weeks at a time. I have a feeling once winters returns to normal (probably 2016-'17). You will appreciate the sun during the summer month's.

[thedonwind]

How about Portland Oregon?

[Siracides]

Hello! whenever it rains in my city or its cloudy I feel a lot more happy☺. I do like sunny days but over in my city it's sunny every single day of the year even when it rains and winter. The heat is just exhausting and it gets me so depressed. So ANY rainy/cloudy days will be an upgrade. However I'm not sure how the rest of my family (particularly the kids) will take the no sunshine for days��. We are all ready for something new so hopefully the areas will make up for it and we'll all adapt. What kind of activities do kids enjoy doing in Washington the most?