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Old 12-28-2015, 09:21 PM
 
133 posts, read 450,818 times
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I posted this in the overall Washington forum but decided to post here since I'm leaning more toward the Seattle area.

We've been talking about moving to the PNW for a while. We actually floated the idea by the kids a few years ago after my husband got a call about a job in Seattle and they were all for it; fast forward a few years (and now one of them has a girlfriend) and suddenly they don't really want to move. I get it, but I also think starting new can be pretty exciting. So we're coming up next month to tour some schools.

A little about us... my husband and I both grew up in small town Indiana, but we've been living in Raleigh, NC since before we had kids. Raleigh has been good to us, but we really want to experience something different and we both love what we've seen of the PNW. Both of us work from home, so commuting isn't an issue but I'd like to be close enough to a city with job opportunities in case something changes (he's a Linux guy, I'm a project manager).

We have a 9-year-old girl and 13-year-old twin boys. The schools here are great but the county has had so much growth that the schools are all over the place. The boys are currently in 8th grade and have pretty much no hope of knowing anyone who will go to their base high school next year (they can apply to one of the magnet high schools, but there are no guarantees that they'd get in to one where any of their friends might go). That being said, I feel like this summer would be a good time to move (it's really now or never). We've agreed to let them finish the school year here, but we're planning to move next summer. Wherever we end up, we'll plan to be there at least until they go off to college, if not forever. We're looking everywhere from Vancouver/Camas up to Seattle and the surrounding areas. I'm not as interested in the eastern side of the state.

The top two things on the kids' list... snow and a great band program. I realize the areas that we're looking at don't get much snow, but neither does Raleigh. If we could find a place with a great high school band program (preferably with an active jazz band) and at least some possibility of snow they'll be happy. Other active after school clubs would be nice too.

I have a whole list of schools I'd like to visit, but I'm kind of leaning toward not even looking in Seattle proper because we'd like to be able to have a little land (even just an acre would be nice, and we would like to keep housing under $500K). If I take out Seattle proper, some of the top schools on my list are Camas High, Mt. Si, Cedarcrest, and a couple around Olympia (Black Hills and North Thurston). We might even check out Kelso or Battle Ground, but so far I'm really drawn to Snoqualmie and North Bend. The kids are all into scouts and the boys like Fencing.

What am I missing? What isn't worth the time?

Hubby will be in WA for most of January, but the kids and I will only be there for a week.
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Old 12-28-2015, 09:33 PM
 
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Odd that one of the top two things on the kid's list - snow - is not really in the Seattle metro. Eastern Washington, or Denver, would have a better chance of that. Our last snowy winter was almost ten years ago.
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Old 12-28-2015, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Seattle
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North Bend is a wonderful little community, right next to beautiful Mt Si, also only 35 minutes from skiing. We've had a tremendous amount of snow in the mountains this year, I skied a couple days ago. You could find something in your budget, also isn't too far away to go into Seattle now and again. Here's a link to their band programs: http://www.mountsibands.org
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Old 12-28-2015, 11:11 PM
 
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I fully realize Seattle doesn't get snow, but if we can drive an hour to see a little that's plenty.

Thanks for the Mt. Si band link!
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Old 12-28-2015, 11:14 PM
 
Location: Seattle
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You are welcome. BTW, my brother lives in Boone in the high country of NC. On that bank link, if you click on the "band" header at the top, they have a few programs. Welcome (almost) to the Pacific Northwest. I think you will like the nature and open mindedness out here.
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Old 12-29-2015, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Seattle
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Two Seattle high school jazz programs, at Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools, are consistently ranked among the leading programs in the USA. Last year both schools - along with Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie - participated in the "Essentially Ellington" competition at Lincoln Center in NYC. Garfield and Roosevelt have both been invited numerous times and have both won the competition; Mt. Si has been twice, not bad for a pretty small school.

Your housing dollar would go considerably farther in Snoqualmie/North Bend than in Seattle, and you'll certainly be closer to the snow; the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas are 30 min. from North Bend. In fact the snow will come to you much more often than in Seattle proper; the Cascade foothills get it fairly regularly (melts off quickly too.) If either of you have to commute to high-tech areas, it's not too bad; you can get to Issaquah or downtown Bellevue in 20 -30 minutes most days.

The Snoqualmie Valley, which extends from North Bend north to Monroe, is a lovely rural area (now more zoned as such due to the region's rapid growth.) The cities of North Bend and Snoqualmie have opted for fairly rapid growth, so many of the residents, especially in the new real estate developments like Snoqualmie Ridge, are relative newcomers themselves, so your kids assimilating into schools won't be particularly unusual. But they're definitely still more rural than urban areas, so don't come expecting big-city nightlife or restaurant/shopping options; they're definitely suburban in that context.

Note too that parts of Snoqualmie and North Bend are in flood zones, so don't be tempted by a lovely riverside home - you might be buying a houseboat and not know it.

Be sure to visit Snoqualmie Falls if you come; in the winter the falls can be amazing after the rains.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK-rWXCiFtU
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Old 12-29-2015, 10:29 AM
 
1,630 posts, read 3,866,965 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CK in NC View Post
I fully realize Seattle doesn't get snow, but if we can drive an hour to see a little that's plenty.

Thanks for the Mt. Si band link!
Currently, if you drive an hour, you can see nine feet of snow.
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Old 12-29-2015, 02:04 PM
 
133 posts, read 450,818 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tobester View Post
Currently, if you drive an hour, you can see nine feet of snow.
That's awesome!
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Old 12-29-2015, 02:07 PM
 
133 posts, read 450,818 times
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Thanks again for all the info.

Snoqualmie Falls is on my list to see.

I might have to reconsider looking in Seattle proper. I guess it would be worth it to still tour the schools. We'd like a little land, but would consider less if the schools are worth it.
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Old 12-29-2015, 02:49 PM
 
1,630 posts, read 3,866,965 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CK in NC View Post
Thanks again for all the info.

Snoqualmie Falls is on my list to see.

I might have to reconsider looking in Seattle proper. I guess it would be worth it to still tour the schools. We'd like a little land, but would consider less if the schools are worth it.
Also you won't find much in housing for $500K in Seattle proper (perhaps a 2 BR, 1 Bath cottage). It's a sign of the times. It's also smart that you're visiting in January. Many people come here in the summer and think it's heaven. If you can deal with the January (well, actually November to June) gray skies, you'll survive here.
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