thinking about moving to Seattle from San Diego,CA (Bellevue: section 8, apartments)

[radio101]

Hello everyone,
I'm a 23 yr old male thinking about moving to Seattle from San Diego. I have a few questions though, if you dont mind answering.

How easy is it to get a job there now? I'm currently working in the Healthcare Industry here and would like to see about continuing it there in Seattle, but what are the top hospitals/health clinics in the Seattle area to look into as a possible employer?

Is $700 reasonable for a 1 bd. apartment in the Seattle area? It has 715 sq. ft and accepts pets which is a must for me as I have a dog. 18lb Jack Russel.

What is the weather like there, when does it snow? how often is the sun out? How cold does it get? In San Diego it's sunny 300 days out of the yr. with the coldest getting to be in the 40's at night and 60s in the day.

Are there any websites you would recommend for job searching and apply for a job in Seattle?


Thanks everyone, I look forward to hearing from you all and hopefully finding a job in Seattle soon as I think about moving. As I get more responses, I will have more questions possibly.

-Radio101

[dzook]

I can't help you about the apartment stuff (I own.) but, as for the weather... it rains... no joke... it is gloomy or rainy A LOT. my wife and I plan one trip to somewhere sunny each winter. Otherwise we would go stark raving mad. Doesn't snow much (usually) although the last couple years have been brutal! Job search.... hmmm... I think there's a site seattlejobs.com but I haven't looked for a gig in a long long time.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by dzook

it rains... no joke... it is gloomy or rainy A LOT

February 1-22
rain 0.48", snow 0.4". Days with rain 7, sunny and partly cloudy days 12, cloudy and mostly cloudy days 10, Average high 48.6, Average low 34.3, Highest 63, lowest 30

January 8-31
rain 0.45", snow 0.2". Days with rain 8

The weather after December has been wonderful! Even San Diego has received more rain than Seattle - 2.63" in February!

[eskercurve]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

February 1-22
rain 0.48", snow 0.4". Days with rain 7, sunny and partly cloudy days 12, cloudy and mostly cloudy days 10, Average high 48.6, Average low 34.3, Highest 63, lowest 30

January 8-31
rain 0.45", snow 0.2". Days with rain 8

The weather after December has been wonderful! Even San Diego has received more rain than Seattle - 2.63" in February!

Seattle rain is like a mist - it won't accumulate much, but is definitely is there. And Seattle really is an overcast city. However I agree, the weather has been quite pleasant for winter. It snowed just last night though it melted right away.

I would say if you want to come to Seattle, the weather is unbeatable in summer (70s and sunny, with one week into the 90s). The hot weather is a little more unbearable here though because very few places have air conditioning. But if it's really hot, just going outside usually does the trick.

Winter usually has one or two major snowstorms (at least in the 3 years I've been here), where the city is absolutely flummoxed. This frustrates me as a Midwesterner, but I simply don't leave home if I see snow on the ground - Seattleites have no idea how to handle it. The rest of the time it is raining or overcast. If you go to the foothills of the mountains or the eastern suburbs they get more snow and is colder. Going north to Everett you get more snow too because of the "bubble" the Olympic mountains provide the Seattle area.

Spring and Autumn are mild, with a mix of overcast and sunshine.

Jobs - Swedish medical center on Capitol Hill is one option, the UW medical centers are another in the University District. I personally do not know the job situation in healthcare here, though I would check those first.

Apartments - Sorry, $700 for rent will get you nothing here. Literally. For 715 sq. ft it depends on where you want to live and how much you can put up with. For that much space you're looking between $950/mo to upwards of $1300 a month. Plus utilities. It's an expensive city to buy or rent in.

However! I have seen Craigslist give good offers on rental homes. You'll just have to commute. PICK WISELY! Do not commute North of Downtown -> South in the morning in general.

[seattlenextyear]

There's a bajillion health care jobs. I have to wade through them when I do my job searches. Just use nwjobs.com. If you're into research, there's Fred Hutchinson. If you want to work at a hospital, there's a bunch of those (Evergreen, Overlake, Swedish, University, etc.).

[angeeellis]

I agree with all said. Especiallay about the weather and the apartments. I am actually moving down South soon. I've been in Seattle most of my life and, although it's a VERY BEAUTIFUL city, the cost of living is ridiculous! I actually live in West Seattle and commute to Bellevue to work each day... I heard they are trying to start charging a toll within the next year or 2 (something like $7 each way!!). I don't know but... like I said, beautiful city... I think out of everything that Seattle has to offer, the only thing I will miss is it's beauty. Make SURE you have a job before you come here... unless you have friends or relatives you could stay with.

Good Luck!

[dacx]

$700 for a 1 bd apartment that accepts a dog in Seattle is quite unreasonable. If you are willing to look for something in the northern or southern suburbs you may have better luck.

Also post on Craigslist or something like that. You may find someone who is willing to split rent for a 2 bedroom or has a house share or something like that

[70Ford]

In Seattle you get about 300 days of cloudy a year, so it's like your city, just in reverse. If it snows, you're screwed. Save the salmon, to heck with ambulances, fire trucks or police cars...or average Joes for that matter.$700..wooha....thanks for the chuckle. I mean that. Best thing about Seattle, though is if it snows more than 1/8 of an inch, you won't have to go to work. Because you can't get to work.

[Woof]

I've lived in both places. The main difference is the climate, of course Seattle is much inferior to San Diego, which has the best climate in the USA bar none.

However Seattle can be more beautiful in many places, it has more character ..... no matter where you go in San Diego, it is drab and bland. There's a wider variety of interesting outdoor recreation on land in Seattle, while of course the beaches and ocean in San Diego are warmer and more pleasant.

[mitsuturbo]

Originally Posted by dacx

$700 for a 1 bd apartment that accepts a dog in Seattle is quite unreasonable. If you are willing to look for something in the northern or southern suburbs you may have better luck.

Also post on Craigslist or something like that. You may find someone who is willing to split rent for a 2 bedroom or has a house share or something like that

I disagree. We're paying 955 for a 1br 640ft² apt. in a quiet 5plex that accepts NO pets. (i actually hate it, because i have never lived in an apartment, cant wait to rent a house when this lease is up) I think 700 a month is quite reasonable for a place that will take a dog! We're not in the greatest part of town, but we're 6 miles from downtown. Granted, we're paying a bit more than we "have" to.. but we wanted to pay enough to think our neighbors aren't paying rent with welfare checks. Finding a place that will only do 11 month leases is always a good idea too. They do that to avoid being subject to having to rent to Section 8 recipients.