From NYC to Seattle - Culture Shock?!? (Chelan: credit, movies)

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by xmavrekx

I'm not sure if you're trying to make an insult here. Just so you know... New YAWK... has many cheap AND expensive Italian and Pizza restaurants but that doesn't mean they're all good. I'm sure you can believe that there are many very expensive restaurants in NY. Some great, some terrible. Money isn't the factor here. With that said, I'm sure you'll experience that when you go to Brooklyn.

Hey mavrek, my intention was not to insult you and I apologize if you perceived that I way. Actually, I was emulating the way many of my relatives and rabbi's pronounce New York, because I really admire the accent. Sometimes I try to have a New York accent because I think it makes me sound more Jewish. Anyhow, I like the accent and just thought the west coast plain sounding accent may have sounded awkward to you.

I also joke with Ira about the Joisey accent. He's from Jersey and so is my mother, who grew up there, but was born in Brooklyn.

Anyway, I know NYC is a place that caters to both the extremely wealthy and the more frugal lower middle class types. I know there are probably many more fine dining options in NYC than almost anywhere in the US. However, there are a lot of really great cheap eateries in New York as well, which sadly severely lacks, in my opinion.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by xmavrekx

BATCAT - I understand that and having been to Hawai'i, I'm pretty stoked to get to go back without the 12 hour non-stop flight. However, what I was referring to were beaches within driving distance as homesinseattle suggested. For a few years it was nice to finish the work week and head down to the shore to enjoy the ocean-town life for a few days. (Sometimes even just a day trip) Thank you for the input though!

Gardyloo - That would definitely be an experience to fly on a plane of that size haha. Looks like fun.

DevanXL - Have you ever been to any of those islands? I've heard Bora Bora is great to visit and I'm sure there's tons of culture too. New Zealand seems like it would be beautiful but Australia is home to an awful lot of "The World's Deadliest Animals" lol. An Alaskan cruise or trip would definitely be in the future since my wife has already been and she loved it. (Even got to mush snow dogs)

CrazyDonkey - Are there any tips to the beaches along Lake Washington? I once came across a chart on google that said closed for bacteria or something like that. Does that happen a lot? Do people have to check for that kind of stuff before swimming? In NYC metro area, swimming in the Hudson or along the boroughs isn't as popular as beaches in Long Island or the shore points. There's a beach in NJ that you can drive your car on and we liked that. That's definitely a plus for us.

Thanks again everyone for the input. It's all greatly appreciated.

There's all kinds of swimming beaches on Lake Washington, and on Lake Sammamish on the east side. They're not really "beach" because they're grass, not sand. It's pretty rare for them to be closed because of bacteria, but it does happen. Popular Lake Washington beaches in Seattle are Madison park, Madrona, Mount Baker, Seward Park, Magnuson park, and Renton has Coulon, there's Kennydale..Bellevue has Chism Beach and others. Kirkland has Juanita Beach.
If you go to the Pacific Ocean beaches in Washington, you can drive on the beach. It's too cold to swim, and it's hard to find a slice of pizza or a sausage sandwich on the boardwalk, because the boardwalk doesn't exist.

[xmavrekx]

Originally Posted by Ira500

There's all kinds of swimming beaches on Lake Washington, and on Lake Sammamish on the east side. They're not really "beach" because they're grass, not sand. It's pretty rare for them to be closed because of bacteria, but it does happen. Popular Lake Washington beaches in Seattle are Madison park, Madrona, Mount Baker, Seward Park, Magnuson park, and Renton has Coulon, there's Kennydale..Bellevue has Chism Beach and others. Kirkland has Juanita Beach.
If you go to the Pacific Ocean beaches in Washington, you can drive on the beach. It's too cold to swim, and it's hard to find a slice of pizza or a sausage sandwich on the boardwalk, because the boardwalk doesn't exist.

Great list! Thanks Ira. I keep hearing it's too cold to swim in the water without a wetsuit which I'm starting to accept. After looking at google's Earth Map and seeing just how vast the pacific is and how short the coastal shelf is, I'm sure on beach is going to be like the Atlantic Beaches. (Not a bad thing, just a reality) However, checking flights to Hawai'i, Florida and even the Caribbean makes me feel better. I know I can still visit these places without breaking the bank.

Boardwalks are nice when their maintained well. Otherwise it's not something I'd miss greatly. Beach walks or paths are just as nice.

[xmavrekx]

RotseCherut - No harsh feelings. You know things on the internet (or through text) can easily be misconstrued. I never really noticed the accent however I'm sure the west coast has its own accent that you just don't hear. Actually when my wife and I went to Boston we had a young kid behind us making cracks at the NY accent saying "Yeah, Tony Ima sah yah head off" in a horrible impersonation of a NY accent. My wife insisted on turning around and telling him its SAW SAW not SAH haha. So I get it. No harm done!

[perigee]

Our waters are cold and nutrient rich, which makes for excellent diving, but for swimming, sure some venture in, but coming from the Atlantic, I doubt you would enjoy it. Not to mention we tend to lack sandy beaches around the Sound and on the coast, well it's more for looking at or surfing with a wetsuit. You should also look into flights into Mexico, for affordable beach vacations.

NYC has a higher COL of living, but like RotseCherut mentioned, you might miss the inexpensive, but good food that can be found there.

I have flown countless times in/out and through NYC's 3 major airports, SEA is hands down easier and cheaper.

New Yorkers, I have found to be a study in contrasts. One one hand they have a don't F' with me attitude and on the other hand, during my first visits, when phones didn't have GPS, and I was trying to discreetly study a map, people would always approach me and help me find my way to some touristy part of Central Park.

There will be culture shock (like how we don't really use our car horns, no matter what the @#$% the driver in front of us just did). If you do make the move, just budget for needed vacations.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[xmavrekx]

Thanks perigee for the input. I am actually going scuba diving with my father tomorrow in Pennsylvania (Flooded quarry) so diving is huge plus. I know you have DIT (Divers Institute of Tech.) out there so I'm sure you must have some cool diving. I have yet to get to the beach this summer so I'm getting a little use to once or twice a year at this point. I'm looking into Mexico as well. My wife has been to the Riviera Maya and said she had a great time.

New Yorkers definitely have a wide spectrum, however I'm sure that's the same for most of the states' populations. You really can't say one place is full of horrible people, maybe just people you don't "click" with. I understand that having moved from a metro borough to the suburbs. That was a culture shock for me as a teen believe it or not. NYC mass trans covers such a large area that you can almost go anywhere you want with it, hence why sometimes it can be confusing. I've helped others in your situation because I was there once myself.

Originally Posted by perigee

If you do make the move, just budget for needed vacations.

I've actually mentioned this to my wife on account that everyone that bashing Seattle, does so for the "grey". I'm more of a problem solver. I told my wife we would visit our friends in Richland, where it appear to be wine-desert like country if the grey becomes too gloomy for too long. Like I said previously, we don't mind taking road trips. Especially if its for the weekend to see the sun again

[xmavrekx]

On another topic, if anyone can relate...

Has anyone moved and left their immediate family from back in the east coast? My brother seems to be really upset we're leaving but I can definitely relate because I will miss him too. I'm hoping if we move and like it that they will come visit and maybe like it too and move out. hey who knows! I've been looking into flights and they're not ridiculously expensive. In fact they're only $100 or so more than flying from NY to FL. We don't expect to fly back to NY every month but it's nice to know that you can hop on a flight and not break your bank.

[HuskyDawg]

Originally Posted by xmavrekx

On another topic, if anyone can relate...

Has anyone moved and left their immediate family from back in the east coast? My brother seems to be really upset we're leaving but I can definitely relate because I will miss him too. I'm hoping if we move and like it that they will come visit and maybe like it too and move out. hey who knows! I've been looking into flights and they're not ridiculously expensive. In fact they're only $100 or so more than flying from NY to FL. We don't expect to fly back to NY every month but it's nice to know that you can hop on a flight and not break your bank.

If you can find cheap flights from Seattle to the East Coast, please let me know where! A big reason I don't get to see family back East often is the cost of travel.

[franklin42]

"In fact they're only $100 or so MORE than flying from NY to FL."

[xmavrekx]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

If you can find cheap flights from Seattle to the East Coast, please let me know where! A big reason I don't get to see family back East often is the cost of travel.

I wouldn't say cheap like $100. I meant respectively as franklin42 pointed out... lol sorry.

Originally Posted by franklin42

"In fact they're only $100 or so MORE than flying from NY to FL."

For example Sept 5th 2015 to Sept 12th 2015. NYC to FLL is $277. SEA to NYC is $396.... Roughly $100 more.
I don't consider this CHEAP by any means but only $100 more for across the country, not coast, doesn't seem to bad to me.