Follow up poll -- what deters you from Seattle or why would you leave? (Republic: transplants, insurance)

[HistoryAficionado]

Again, adding the "Other/it's just me" option.

[CityGirl72]

It's S.A.D. for me

But it's also I really liked where I lived and it's the complete opposite weather wise to here...I was so sick the first year I lived here - it was like my body was wondering when summer was ever going to come

[robertpolyglot]

Good poll. I put people/culture....well, duh, from all my rants. It's not my style. I belong in the Sunbelt as I'm too casual and irreverent for Seattle.

The next thing is that my line of work is a little "crowded" in Seattle, though I did always remain employed in my field while I lived there.

More recently, I think the $/s.f. in housing is ridiculous and ridiculously overpriced.

Lastly, I'm don't like the city's schizophrenic liberal politics. How can liberal and uptight coexist? I'm in that blend zone between conservative Democrat/liberal Republican, always voting for the person and not the party, and hate living in an area (PDX included) where people's hair stands on its ends and they get super agitated when W comes to town...and I'm not a big fan of his...but come on....

Weather could be better, but not horrible, as I like sitting in a coffeehouse reading or writing...the only difference between me and the "other type of people" is that I'm actually capable of engaging someone in conversation in such a place. So, weather is not a reason....

Four reasons I don't live there.

[PencilMeIn]

Well for me it is mostly the climate. I do not like cold rain. I do like good old thunderstorms...it pours, it thunders, lightning....I loved watching the lightning from my screen porch. I miss the smell of the Atlantic, I miss walking on the beach for miles, I miss the whole tropical feel. I miss reggae music by the water and Cuban food. I miss boating on the intracoastal.

As far as people go....I have met nice people here but they are way too reserved for me....which I find strange since they are supposed to be so liberal. Spend some time in Key West (which I love) or South Beach.

And for Robertpoly, I stood hugging my (at that time) Italian boyfriend's 80 yr. old mom in the middle of Publix while she cried over worrying about her son. I'm a hugger and if someone is in distress....I have to hold them and comfort them. I have also danced down the aisle in Publix with the same guy when a good song was playing.

And it is true that you see more smiles when the sunshines. It's good for your soul.

[jwb123]

Since I couldn't pick more than one -

For us it was the lack of affordibility on one income. We have one child who has special needs and will have on-going medical and physical therapy needs for life, likely... he's had multiple hospital stays that have taken our entire savings, even with insurance. Lower cost of living was key for us.

Second is was the weather. We ARE an active family and I don't agree that it's easy to get out and about with little kids and rain, drizzle, chilly gray days constantly. Plus it pretty much sucked to not even be able to go in your backyard for months at a time because it was a swamp.

Commute was another reason. My husband spent sometimes 3 hours a day commuting. That's less time from us, and super stressful for him.

We didn't even know that there was a so-called "Seattle Freeze" until we had moved... I mean we commented all the time on the lack of socialibility and how weird people were and removed... how hard it was to make connections with people, and how we wouldn't even see our neighbors but for the summer time.... but we didn't know the term for it.... I much prefer being in a place that is more laid back, friendly, welcoming....

[The A-Team]

Weather hands down is the biggest general reason I'm going to leave.
The more personal reason is that my family is so far away(parents/grandparents live in arkansas) as well as my friends, i haven't made many friends since i moved here

[wannabeaTexan]

Geez samsmom...you're making me miss what you miss and I've never even lived like that! LOL

I didn't pick anything on the poll because weather and unaffordability rank the same with me. And so does other because part of it is that I just don't want to be born, live and die in the same place. That is so boring and I have too much of an interest in the rest of the world. Ideally, Iike to live in TX, maybe a couple more states in the US at some point and Italy later on.

[seattlenextyear]

Why are people so whiny about the weather in Seattle? Is it because there's so many transplants from sunnier places?
I grew up near Syracuse, which has the same sunny/cloudy day ratio, and no one really said boo about the cloudiness there. I guess when there's so much snow to complain about, cloudiness just seems minor. And, like Seattle, there's a beautifully mild summer that people know is coming soon.

[MomInNY]

My sister lives in Seattle, she's been there 7? years give or take.
She wouldn't leave that area for anything.
I've never been out there, but my daughter flew out and my mother's been there several times to visit. They rave about Seattle.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Why are people so whiny about the weather in Seattle? Is it because there's so many transplants from sunnier places?
I grew up near Syracuse, which has the same sunny/cloudy day ratio, and no one really said boo about the cloudiness there. I guess when there's so much snow to complain about, cloudiness just seems minor. And, like Seattle, there's a beautifully mild summer that people know is coming soon.

Because people are different and don't like the same things I would guess. Pretty simple.

I'm not a transplant and I don't like the weather so not sure if that's it.

Also, there may be a beautifully mild summer coming up (not hot enough for me most days), but it will be too short. And there will be some cloudy, rainy days thrown in too. I've always been so happy that my birthday is the first week of August soley because it will most likely be nice weather. I've had a couple birthdays messed up by clouds and drizzle though. Yuck.

Case in point, 2004...came back from Vegas the day before my birthday and the next day, it was pouring. Coming from the weather I had just been in, that REALLY sucked.