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Hello! I know there have been many posts about moving from East coast to Seattle, but none quite hit the mark for my questions. Most deal with moving into the city. We definitely don't want to be in the city (although my husband's job would be in the city). Would rather be outside of the city with 2 or more acres. We are from New England and the Philadelphia area, currently living outside of Philly. We hate the area, too crowded, people are rude, the energy is way to frenetic, and the weather is miserable (ice and freezing in the winter, then from May through September too hot and humid to enjoy the outside). We used to be very active outside, hiking, kayaking, etc, but there's just no place enjoyable here to do that (mostly due to the weather and the rude people). New England was much better, but that too is getting crazy crowded (where we would be). Finally, we have dogs and like to let them run along off leash on our hikes, not much availability for that here and the ticks in our area and new England are beyond awful and simply a huge health hazard at this point.
There is the possibility of a job for my husband in Seattle. Unfortunately as I mentioned, he would have to work in the city a few days a week, but could telecommute the other days (same situation he's in now in Philly).
Could we get advice on suburbs that are less than an hour out of the city? My understanding is that weather can vary around the area.... Are there some that get more rain? Which suburbs have cooler summers? Is taking the ferry over to Seattle an option?
I've also read the traffic can be a nightmare and that concerns us for my husband's commute. Any suggestions?
Finally are there good opportunities for letting dogs hike and just be dogs? Thanks!!!!
Interesting article in the Seattle Times just yesterday about people moving east of the Cascades for space and (relative) affordability, but working in the Puget Sound area:
"Some make the long east-west commute to Westside jobs. The 80-minute drive from Roslyn to Seattle 'just isn’t that far when it takes 90 minutes to get from Tacoma to Seattle.'"
Hi agilevs, I have a number of friends who went to Penn and my mother in law graduated from Central High in Philly. I have relatives in NYC, Boston and I went to uni in Burlington, Vermont. You'll find way more East Coast people out here than you can imagine. Let me just start by saying that the pizza is better in Philly than Seattle. . That being said, we have tasty food here, particularly Asian (of all kinds), Ethiopian, delicious farm to table restaurants and amazing seafood.
2 acres is tough, you'll have to go quite a ways out to find it, or pay a real premium. Closer in spots where it exists (if you can afford it) would want to focus on Woodinville or Bridle Trails in Bellevue. Bridle Trails, in particular, is coveted and expensive. Think $3 million for that size lot. Woodinville still expensive but less. You could accomplish the property more affordably in the town of Snohomish. Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island are good options too, Bainbridge the more expensive (and easier to get to Seattle) of those two.
I've helped a number of people over the years who set off with a 2 acre vision but eventually settle on something like a nice, wooded 1/2 acre lot in a place like Woodway, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park that combine decent commute time with relative affordability. All is not lost, we have a few good pizza joints here too . Our autumns don't quite have the colors of New England but you'll see enough reds and oranges on leaves to make you happy. Access to hiking trails and mountain sports/skiing is quite good.
Of the options I gave you, Snohomish town best combines acreage options, small town feel and affordability.
Last edited by homesinseattle; 08-25-2018 at 10:24 AM..
Hello! I know there have been many posts about moving from East coast to Seattle, but none quite hit the mark for my questions. Most deal with moving into the city. We definitely don't want to be in the city (although my husband's job would be in the city). Would rather be outside of the city with 2 or more acres.
(snip East Coast trainwreck story)
There is the possibility of a job for my husband in Seattle. Unfortunately as I mentioned, he would have to work in the city a few days a week, but could telecommute the other days (same situation he's in now in Philly).
Could we get advice on suburbs that are less than an hour out of the city? My understanding is that weather can vary around the area.... Are there some that get more rain? Which suburbs have cooler summers? Is taking the ferry over to Seattle an option?
I've also read the traffic can be a nightmare and that concerns us for my husband's commute. Any suggestions?
Finally are there good opportunities for letting dogs hike and just be dogs? Thanks!!!!
Sounds like Monroe/Duvall would hit your marks. I have pals who work at the professional centers (Eastside, mostly) who commute in. They too did the escapee-thing. Guess they just deal with the commute; one and his husband definitely via working flex hours: early AM to early PM, and three days/week offsite. They love it and are working on permits and such to think about domestic animals, starting small. A far cry from their former rental in West Seattle.
Read the weather thread, that place is a cool, wet swamp minus the bugs for maybe 6 months/year. Rest of the time, darn nice to say the least. Nothing like summers in the wild lands up there, what I'd generally call "Sultan Basin". Let the dogs roam. Bring a rifle and a hefty bag, do some cleanup on the back roads from where the meth heads and idiots leave crap laying around.
You could go the other way, live on Whidbey (which is growing), a dumping ground for potheads, halfwits, defectives, retards, outlaws, inlaws, land speculators, and a growing contingent of professionals who won't deal with life Seattle-side anymore. Then you're hemmed in by the ferries, which means being either a pedestrian (a tough and hardy one), motorcyclist (and then some), or car pooler. SOV on a ferry totally sucks and add an hour to your timelines daily, worst case.
"Any suggestions" for the commute is for you to research, this is 2018 and the data simply must be out there and available. They've been collecting enough of it for decades.
Interesting article in the Seattle Times just yesterday about people moving east of the Cascades for space and (relative) affordability, but working in the Puget Sound area:
"Some make the long east-west commute to Westside jobs. The 80-minute drive from Roslyn to Seattle 'just isn’t that far when it takes 90 minutes to get from Tacoma to Seattle.'"
See, now that is an interesting article: Wenatchee certainly is intriguing, if not exactly picturesque. Nor ugly, to be sure. Probably a good place to make a home these days. Wonder what the long-term folks think of Seattle-types wandering over the hills.
Found a motorcycle dealer for sale there last year, did some quick math and found out the seller was someone not unlike me who was looking to make profit via sketchy finance terms on a new owner. I would thus become "her" retirement plan, in-part. Guess there must be many out there incapable of parsing, much less creating, their own business plan with break-even, EBITA, Gross vs. Net, etc. Pass. I had the half-mad idea of doing exactly what the article says, selling out in 'Sound area and paying cash for a home over there, plus money down on a business. A man can dream.
But the idea was interesting, if not exactly a big money maker (most retail is a dog these days; so much for "pursuing your dream" BS) though there may yet be a high-demand business that is somewhat immune to economic downturn in a semi-rural spot like that. Maybe a software shop is the answer, if it's 100% telecommute. Wenatchee does have a small puddle-plane airport that I've flown through, once.
Surprised to see the population is only 35K. I'd have guessed double that. Definitely a bit isolated but there are some major quality of life upsides to that whole valley.
I'd look east. Here, for example, is a house on 1.5 acres near Snoqualmie. You'd be close to I-90 with a fairly quick commute (around 40 min. most of the time) to downtown Seattle.
A lot will have to do with your price tolerance, and recognize that an hour commute can depend on what time of day you're talking. Sometimes an hour can take you quite some distance, while at other times - like Philly, which I know pretty well - it can mean a short distance in the company of a lot of cars. Your husband's Seattle job site is also VERY dependent on WHERE in downtown Seattle it's located. Some parts of the downtown area are easy to reach by transit or have okay freeway access, while others are a PITA for anybody not using a moped.
Interesting article in the Seattle Times just yesterday about people moving east of the Cascades for space and (relative) affordability, but working in the Puget Sound area:
"Some make the long east-west commute to Westside jobs. The 80-minute drive from Roslyn to Seattle 'just isn’t that far when it takes 90 minutes to get from Tacoma to Seattle.'"
Pug, good article. I actually love that area around Roslyn but wouldn't live there or Cle Elum. The mountain pass can be tough during the winter. Although beautiful, those parts are a little too dry (forest fires) for me, a little too Trump loving and more importantly, a bit too geographically disconnected from the cultural amenities that make Seattle special.
Bainbridge Island is a compelling option for this OP. Attractive indeed is possibility of acreage at a reasonable price in an idyllic setting but only a 35 minute direct ferry to Downtown Seattle. Their ability to telecommute part of the time makes this idea even more viable. Bainbridge has in certain ways an East Coast seaside village feel and the access/proximity to the world class nature/hiking of Olympic National Park is attractive.
OP, really depends whether your job is in Seattle proper or the Eastside (Bellevue/Kirkland/Redmond). Any more info about specific job location or potential home budget you can help us with?
Thanks everyone!!!! All info is do helpful. Have done a little more researching and looks like the job location would be about a 10 minute walk from the Seattle terminal) ferry dock. Yeah, figuring we're going to have to Drop down on the acreage, but my parents will also be moving with us, so we're in need of a larger house anyway. Thanks again everyone!!!!
I have roots in Seattle and now ties in Philadelphia. Be careful about your expectations.
Crowding is overwhelming in Seattle and the outside areas are struggling with congestion and a
higher population index as well. I'd love to tell you we're easy going on the West Coast,
but being tied up in a horrendous commute, paying high cost of living expenses,
and working the hours to afford to do so doesn't tend to bring out the best in people. I don't think
Seattle is particularly aggressive, but I do wonder if it's becoming more so after witnessing 2 grown men fighting over a head butter lettuce in Whole Foods
I have a few other examples, but this forum doesn't need any additional negativity. What I will caution you about is thinking you're going to get away from entitlement and just plain rudeness. I think those are two prevalent threads in society and regardless of what city (or, surrounding area) you call home those
traits will still, unfortunately, will be present.
Regarding finding places to walk your dogs! I'm a lifelong dog owner/walker and
the trials in Washington state are amazing! Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia is also a
fantastic place, but I think you'll enjoy exploring new places
But, regarding ticks-we have them on the West Coast as well due to the deer and wildlife, what I would be more careful/concerned about is the coyotes. I've had several friends up in the Seattle/Olympia area that have had their dogs attacked. It's also been an issue where I live part time in San Francisco. The problem is
city/state governments have not done enough to keep them at a minimum and they've gotten very
aquainted with humans. My dog has been attacked multiple times and it's unnerving being trailed
by a pack. It's recommended to keep your dog(s) on leash, but I've had my Sheltie attacked
regardless of what I've done. It's unreal to me that you can have a huge stick in your hand, make
yourself big, and holler until you're hoarse and have one just stare and snarl at you
Good luck with finding a place that meets all your needs and I'm sorry I can't recommend a lot of good dog places outside Seattle (I lived in the city so if you end up there let me know and I'll have great spots to share
See, now that is an interesting article: Wenatchee certainly is intriguing, if not exactly picturesque. Nor ugly, to be sure. Probably a good place to make a home these days. Wonder what the long-term folks think of Seattle-types wandering over the hills.........
......Surprised to see the population is only 35K. I'd have guessed double that. Definitely a bit isolated but there are some major quality of life upsides to that whole valley.
People are fed up with the mass migration from Seattle. Are all the people west of the Cascades this weird??
I had a woman waned to know who to call because she saw a "deer wandering by itself" and she was sure it needed help.
A Seattle businessman was complaining about the smoke and wanted the firefighters to embrace the concept of "acceptable casualties" since the smoke was hurting his business in Chelan. BTW...he was an expert on the fires since he flew his private airplane to Chelan from Seattle and could see the fires burning. I guess the deaths of three firefighters a couple of years ago was not enough for him.
Then the posting of "no trespassing" signs on Forest Service!! Really, just because you own the land next to public land does not mean you get to close it to the public!!
We are fed up.....and ready to close the passes at the first opportunity.
PS...The population of the Wenatchee metro area is 117,000. We don't need anymore people, particularly those from western Washington.
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. That being said, we have tasty food here, particularly Asian (of all kinds), Ethiopian, delicious farm to table restaurants and amazing seafood. 
