Relocation Vacation - Where should I go in Seattle? (high school, salary)

[supernova9]

I am a single guy in my late 20's who just graduated with a second Bachelor's in high school English Education (first was in PR/Marketing). I'm considering a move out of Champaign, IL, and have Austin, Seattle, Portland, and Raleigh on my list. June 1st, I'm flying to Austin for a week, then I'm flying to Seattle and checking out the Pac NW. I've been to Raleigh in the last year. I have friends and/or relatives in each of the places, except for Raleigh, where I would know no one outside of Atlanta, GA.

I want to get a good feel for these places, and am looking for suggestions for places to check out when I make my visit. What would make Seattle a good choice for a young Midwesterner looking for a change? How is the market for education jobs? Craigslist has been no help for the latter, and it's hard to get any sort of feel for where to live just based on price alone. I'm looking to meet someone, as well, and am curious to the prospects of singles in the area. Looking forward to your repsonses!

[CityGirl72]

Just as a person who relocated here - and this is my opinion only - but you are coming during the prettiest time of year in Seattle.

You will love it. period

If you want a "feel" for Seattle visit in January, that will give you the better "feel"

[sean98125]

The market for education jobs is pretty competitive, mainly because a lot of people want to live here.

[supernova9]

When it's dreary with negative wind chills and snow for four months (like where I'm from in IL), or dreary and near 50, I'll take the latter every time. ;-) The amounts of snow we get up here and the sub freezing temps are equally crippling to one's psyche, hence all the places I'm considering will prove to be an improvement over my present climate. Anyone who lives in central or northern IL knows this to be true!

That, and the scenery around here is, well, limited. There are pockets of great stuff, but it's really a whole lot of farmland. The skies can be pretty awesome, but... really... you can't hike a sky or do anything remotely interesting in the cornfields. Champaign, however, is probably one of the coolest small citites in IL, and definitely a piece of cake to get around. It just feels a bit too small to me anymore, though. The locals are pretty milquetoast outside of the music/art scene, and the singles scene is pretty blah. Great bars, but that's no reason to stay anywhere. A very nice place to settle down, but I've been around here (and Bloomington, IL) for around 10 years. Unless your married or heading that way, this place is a bit rough. This is a stopping point for a lot of people, not a destination.

Are there any areas that I should be looking to familiarize myself with during my stay? Places that would be integral to a life here?

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by supernova9

... have Austin, Seattle, Portland, and Raleigh on my list. June 1st, I'm flying to Austin for a week, then I'm flying to Seattle and checking out the Pac NW.

How is the market for education jobs? Craigslist has been no help for the latter, and it's hard to get any sort of feel for where to live just based on price alone. I'm looking to meet someone, as well, and am curious to the prospects of singles in the area.

I'm in Austin. The singles game and stuff to do is mega. Weather is hot in the summer, mild in the winter...sometimes humid all year round. If you don't like heat (like me), you may not like it here. I've always said that Austin would be the perfect place if I could just pick up the whole city and move it north - somewhere in the Rockies or Sierras or Cascades.

Regarding jobs...Austin is a hard market to bust into. This is very much a "who you know" town. I took a few years of working jobs that were below my previous management level and salary before getting back up to par. PR/Marketing is especially difficult (I've done those jobs here), and you need to be ok with doing a sales-type job because that's what you may end up with. It will take you some time to network and work through a few jobs before people will recommend you for something. That's mine and my husband's experience, however, people tough through the lower pay for a few years because they like it so much here.