Moving from UK to Tri-cities (Seattle, Spokane: disposal, living in, restaurants)

[ButterflyUK]

Just found this forum and we are moving from the UK to the Tri-city area fairly soon. Its interesting getting perspective of people living there. My DH is a tiler and we have a toddler. So hope that we can find work fairly quickly.

Just really wanted to say hello for the most part.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by ButterflyUK

Just found this forum and we are moving from the UK to the Tri-city area fairly soon. Its interesting getting perspective of people living there. My DH is a tiler and we have a toddler. So hope that we can find work fairly quickly.

Just really wanted to say hello for the most part.

Welcome to the TC. You are in for the culture shock of all time. The bad news is that it is vastly ignorant, and has a reputation for cuisine nearly as unfavorable as England (no offense meant). The good news is that it mainly means you no harm, and is quiet and peaceful. Here, they think anything that causes them to slow to 45 on a freeway is a traffic jam, and ten cars waiting at a red light is virtual gridlock.

The thing you will like most about it, though you may not immediately notice it, is the volunteerism and behavior in a crisis (such as a big fire). They're like you during the Blitz: the worse it gets, the more good comes out in them. And even in non-crisis times, so many Tri-Citians volunteer their time and energy to the common good that the two counties need a Volunteer Center just to find stuff for them all to do.

[ButterflyUK]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

Welcome to the TC. You are in for the culture shock of all time. The bad news is that it is vastly ignorant, and has a reputation for cuisine nearly as unfavorable as England (no offense meant). The good news is that it mainly means you no harm, and is quiet and peaceful. Here, they think anything that causes them to slow to 45 on a freeway is a traffic jam, and ten cars waiting at a red light is virtual gridlock.

The thing you will like most about it, though you may not immediately notice it, is the volunteerism and behavior in a crisis (such as a big fire). They're like you during the Blitz: the worse it gets, the more good comes out in them. And even in non-crisis times, so many Tri-Citians volunteer their time and energy to the common good that the two counties need a Volunteer Center just to find stuff for them all to do.

I am actually American, I grew up in CA but lived in Bellingham for 5 yrs. My husband is British. Believe me, you have enough places to eat in the Tri-cities that I wont be spoiled for choice. In our little town inthe UK we have one block of a high street with crappy Indian, kabob, and horrid chinese. I havent had good Mexican food since I moved here over 5 yrs ago. I am looking forward to simple things like dyers, garbage disposal, screens on window and taps in the bathroom that dont freeze and scald your hands at the same time.

[vette-dude]

Originally Posted by ButterflyUK

I am actually American, I grew up in CA but lived in Bellingham for 5 yrs. My husband is British. Believe me, you have enough places to eat in the Tri-cities that I wont be spoiled for choice. In our little town inthe UK we have one block of a high street with crappy Indian, kabob, and horrid chinese. I havent had good Mexican food since I moved here over 5 yrs ago. I am looking forward to simple things like dyers, garbage disposal, screens on window and taps in the bathroom that dont freeze and scald your hands at the same time.

Yes, we have a nice selection of restaurants in the TriCities, and if you want mexican foods....this part of the state is where you want to be...and it's good food without high prices...Almost daily you'll see a new bldg going up, from a new Target in South Richland to a new Kohls in Kennewick...this part of the state is booming compared to other parts of the state...Where do you plan on living in the tc area? Summer time here, you can attend free concerts in the park.....plenty of boat action in the Columbia River in the summer months....Spokane is only 2 hours North, and 4 hours West to Seattle....

[ButterflyUK]

The area ticks so many boxes for us. There looks to be so much to do. New stores sound great. I dont doubt that most everything will have moved in to the area in the next few years as it grows. We are very excited.

We are looking at living in West Pasco at this time. We are looking forward to Sun! I havent seen it much in the past few years. How is the humidity there? I am guessing not very high. We have such intense humidity that 70 degrees feels like a sauna.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by ButterflyUK

We are looking at living in West Pasco at this time. We are looking forward to Sun! I havent seen it much in the past few years. How is the humidity there? I am guessing not very high. We have such intense humidity that 70 degrees feels like a sauna.

This morning it's actually humid, at least to go by the Weather Channel, but most of the time it hovers down around 40%. Earlier this summer it was like 10-15%. In any case, I have been to Florida in summer (miserable dump at any time but worst in summer) and that constitutes true humidity. I think I felt less soaked taking a dip in the Columbia than I did just trying to walk around in Florida. The usual statistic is that we get 300 days of sunshine per year. Quite a bit in winter. We get very little ice, though, because to have ice you'd have to have ambient moisture. Your typical July day high is 95 F with an overnight low of 70; temperatures often exceed 100 and occasionally 110. Your typical January day is a high of 33 with an overnight low of 23; occasionally it will warm up to 40-45, and the coldest I have experienced thus far was -23.

[M3 Mitch]

From a UK perspective, it's very dry here. Very little rain in the summer months. The main website shows temps, humidity, etc.

But anyway it's dry enough for any practical purpose. For example we always run the clothes dryer at the lowest heat setting, the air is dry enough that it does not need much heat.

I know a few Brits around here and they all seem to like it.

I think you'll find the lack of any real culture and the very low by UK standards skill level of most drivers around here to be disadvantages. But you can work around them.

[ButterflyUK]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

From a UK perspective, it's very dry here. Very little rain in the summer months. The main website shows temps, humidity, etc.

But anyway it's dry enough for any practical purpose. For example we always run the clothes dryer at the lowest heat setting, the air is dry enough that it does not need much heat.

I know a few Brits around here and they all seem to like it.

I think you'll find the lack of any real culture and the very low by UK standards skill level of most drivers around here to be disadvantages. But you can work around them.

There is a real myth that the UK is full of culture. I have learned that culture is really like art, in the eye of the beholder. You would be surprised to learn that the US is actually full of culture, we just tend to not appreciate it. The drivers here are insane. You about take your life in your hands on the road here, so I wont worry to much about the drivers there. Looking forward to some warm, dry, American culture and to be able to plan to do something outside without worrying about piling on the layers even in the middle of Summer.

Would love to meet up with other Brits and get their perspective too.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by ButterflyUK

There is a real myth that the UK is full of culture. I have learned that culture is really like art, in the eye of the beholder. You would be surprised to learn that the US is actually full of culture, we just tend to not appreciate it. The drivers here are insane. You about take your life in your hands on the road here, so I wont worry to much about the drivers there. Looking forward to some warm, dry, American culture and to be able to plan to do something outside without worrying about piling on the layers even in the middle of Summer.

Would love to meet up with other Brits and get their perspective too.

I think one has to go looking for culture. There are fifty wineries within fifty miles of my house. Less than two hours away is an interesting museum of fine art. The local venues often host dance and music events. Yet a lot of people consider the TC a cultural wasteland, probably mostly because the population grew orgasmic over the arrival of the Olive Garden and IHOP in the same year. The degree to which one partakes of culture is a pretty individual choice.

[ButterflyUK]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

probably mostly because the population grew orgasmic over the arrival of the Olive Garden and IHOP in the same year. The degree to which one partakes of culture is a pretty individual choice.

Heck, I am orgasmic over eating at the Olive Garden. The food here is crap and it cost a fortune to be served it.