Seattle-Bound

[Wisteria]

Yes, the highways in Seattle are treacherous. I am one of those rare people who doesn't drive highways, and I settled in Ballard, so it was pretty easy for me to get around on the side streets.

The one thing I recall is that they made the lanes on the highway smaller because they needed more lanes, and I recall watching trucks riding over the lines because they didn't fit into the lanes! I hated driving the highways.

However, I still think that one must like rain to happily live there. I do not like rain. I lived in areas with snow, especially back east, and I thought I would prefer rain over snow -- I was wrong. Snow is drier and often there are blue skies with snow. Seattle is dark and gloomy. A beautiful city, yes, but dark and gloomy also.

I recall coming from Vancouver and each time we'd be about 50 miles away and see this huge grey cloud hovering....it was hovering over Seattle and that is what we were driving toward. It would be clear and sunny and warm in Vancouver, but wet, cloudy and grey in Seattle.

If you live in a good neighborhood (like Capitol Hill or someplace walkable), you'll be okay if your needs are not a lot of driving. If you like to drive, and want to zip around places, it will be hard -- there are a lot of people on the roads!

I worked at Seattle Community College, and I didn't live far away, so I didn't have to drive the highways -- I only did that to get outside the city -- but I hated it, and finally just quit doing it -- it was too scary. But that's me, and I'm not the norm.

And Mt. Rainier is one of the most spectacular sights in Seattle.....but you usually only see it about one month of the year...when there's sun...and people will be walking around and saying "The mountain's out!"

As for going to Denver....I lived there, too, and I much prefer Seattle as a city....it's a toss-up. Just bring a good umbrella!!

[ARCarchitect]

I'm actually okay for the rain - being from the Midwest originally, I am bred to handle it! I hear Seattle can't be that much worse than places I am familiar with in the Midwest. I am familiar with constantly overcast skies, as well. People from Colorado, however, cannot. That's a fact! I know many...

So what about public transportation? Not worth it? Not used widely? The commute I could really (and I mean really) do without. But I understand you can't live on top of your office either. I can't believe that LA would actually have a better traffic situation!

[scirocco22]

As I said in a previous post, if you were in Belltown, Queen Anne (especially lower QA), Capitol Hill, First Hill, Beacon Hill, Central District, Madison pk, even Magnolia ...actually, anywhere within the city limits, the bus service is excellent. If in the Rainier Valley or Beacon Hill, you'd be able to efficiently utilize the new light rail service into the downtown tunnel which is scheduled to start service in two years.

Sounds like you'll love it in Seattle.

--'rocco