where's a good place in Washington for a young professional to relocate? (Seattle: relocating)

[trevormead]

I'm just a fun, friendly Coloradoan looking for a change of scenery, and I've been thinking about relocating to the Washington/Oregon area to settle down and start a career. I'm a little familiar with Seattle and Spokane, but not enough to make a real decision.

What's Vancouver like? Or Tacoma? Or anywhere? I'm looking for a place with one bedroom or studio apartments for $7-800/mo, jobs starting around $30k with a bachelor's, and a good twenty-something scene.

Any advice? I know it's a great part of the country--and some of the least appreciated wine on the market

Thank you!

[gallo]

You can find all of that in Seattle. Career-wise it also seems better than the other places you mention.

Good luck.

[Fat Freddy]

"where's a good place in Washington for a young professional to relocate?"

That would depend on just how "young" you are and what your "profession" is.

[trevormead]

I'm 23, looking for a new (read: real) career. Fort Collins is great, but after being a club dj, working at a wine shop, and now running a couple of hookah bars, the stability of a 9 to 5 sounds pretty enticing

What's the cost of living like in Seattle? What are some cities in the surrounding area? Does Seattle have a large metro area that includes other cities, or is it more spread out?

[Wanderlust07]

Capitol Hill has a creative, active vibe, and diverse businesses, so it might be an area that would interest you. It's also within walking distance of downtown Seattle. You might be able to find housing within your price range, but anything near downtown Seattle is going to be pricey. The cost of living in Seattle is quite high -- I've seen estimates that it's as much as 20% higher than the "average" cost of living in the U.S.

[CafeDelSol]

Originally Posted by gallo

You can find all of that in Seattle. Career-wise it also seems better than the other places you mention.

Good luck.

Uh, exactly WHERE in the Seattle area can one live on $30k a year? A livable, very small one bedroom apartment in a relatively low crime area will run you well over $200,000. And taxes are another killer. A $100,000 salary would get you into some nice middle class housing. Seattle is not a cheap place to live, which is unfortunate because I love that area and would also consider relocating if I could afford it.

TREVORMEAD: Why would you limit your salary choices to $30k jobs which a 4 year degree? Don't shortchange yourself. There are a LOT of folks in Seattle with less education making millions. You should at least be able to double up and demand $60k or so to start. Remember it's Seattle. Everyone is grossly overpaid there.

[gallo]

CafeDelSol, please do not be condescending.

Originally Posted by CafeDelSol

Uh, exactly WHERE in the Seattle area can one live on $30k a year? A livable, very small one bedroom apartment in a relatively low crime area will run you well over $200,000. And taxes are another killer. A $100,000 salary would get you into some nice middle class housing. Seattle is not a cheap place to live, which is unfortunate because I love that area and would also consider relocating if I could afford it.

Look again at Trevor’s original post. He says, “I'm looking for a place with one bedroom or studio apartments for $7-800/mo.”

This is doable in a lot of nice parts in Seattle as well as in more expensive areas such as Bellevue, Redmond, etc. He is not looking to buy anything.

Originally Posted by CafeDelSol

TREVORMEAD: Why would you limit your salary choices to $30k jobs which a 4 year degree? Don't shortchange yourself. There are a LOT of folks in Seattle with less education making millions. You should at least be able to double up and demand $60k or so to start. Remember it's Seattle. Everyone is grossly overpaid there.

This is wildly inaccurate. In fact, as a Seattle resident, I was going to suggest just the opposite. Generally speaking, the people that tend to come here and prosper are professionals with degrees/advanced degrees who work in the tech sector (i.e., computer engineers and computer programs working for Microsoft).

People that don’t meet that criteria can often find themselves struggling to make ends meat in the area. Outside of the tech sector and Boeing, the Seattle area in general does not pay that well in comparison to metros of similar size or to metros with a similar cost of living.

In fact, based on salaries, employment opportunities, and room for employment advancement, Forbes magazine ranked Seattle as the most overpriced area in the country last year.

The days of people coming out here with little education, or with liberal arts degrees and becoming filthy rich through whatever means are over, and have been for a while. Again, these types of people often find themselves having a difficult time making ends meat, let alone living comfortably in the area.

With a degree outside of the tech field (or something that offers decent, immediate employment, such as an engineer or accountant) and with no real professional experience, the o.p. will be lucky to find something in area that pays over $35k/$40k a year.

TREVORMEAD: I would not be discouraged by what I just wrote. I hope I am not overstepping my boundaries, and I know this might sound like sound cheesy fatherly advice, but it sounds like you want a change of scenery, a change in your life, and want to have some fun while doing it. You are a young man with no children. I don’t see any harm in coming to Seattle, finding a full-time job that pills the bills, and taking some time to think about what you really want to do in life and how to get there. Seattle can be a very inspiring place. I wish you all the best of luck.

[scirocco22]

Let's be careful on how we address each other. We can disagree but we should be trying to word our posts so we don't personally attack each other's ideas. This can eventually lead to flame wars which we don't want. Thanks!

[trevormead]

Well, regardless of the Microsoft influence, I just bought a ticket to check out the Tacoma area. I'm pretty excited!

There are studio apartments in Capitol Hill going for $750 and up, cheaper in Kent and Tacoma. CafeDelSol, I do appreciate the encouragement, and you're right, there's no reason to limit my options. But I'd rather play it safe when relocating I don't think I'd get too far wandering into a corporate office and demanding a six-figure salary just because so many other people are making that! I just want something that will get me situated, then I'll start exploring more after that.


New question: are there any parts of the greater Seattle-Tacoma area I should avoid? I'm not interested in communities known for big money (don't have it), crazy college party towns (had that), or just kinda rundown areas lacking in charm and friendliness.

And Gallo, thanks as well for the encouragement! I think we're pretty much on the same page: the sky's the limit, and now's the time!

[jwb123]

question: are there any parts of the greater Seattle-Tacoma area I should avoid?

YES!! You should avoid TACOMA!!