Why we are leaving Washington State (Seattle, Bellevue: new house, neighborhoods, top schools)

[Mark S.]

And Federal Way specifically. Because if you aren't rich, you can't really get away from stuff like this:

BCNG Portals Page (R)

BCNG Portals Page (R)

Neighborhood watch does no good because few people show up, and those that do...the most they can really do is call the cops, and the police do basically nothing.

Bye-bye, Washington. I will not miss you.

[Judy & Randy]

Guess what, Mark ? You can run into this kind of thing anywhere where parents don't do their proper upbringing. Good Luck

We had a similar kind pf problem here when a family with teenage boys came to our street looking for a "good Neighborhood". We stupidly told them ours was such...........'till they moved in. Should have known before they actually moved in when I smelled pot being smoked in the back yard of the empty new house. Things weren't so bad 'till they had a swimming pool put in the back yard. Then the parents would leave for many weekends(to get away) and their spoiled brat sons would have all their friends over and have a pool & pot party(loud music). Neither son had a job and far as I know neither of them finished high school. The sons even started selling pot in front of their house in broad daylight. This is in what used to be a nice neighborhood. Well, after a few years of this the couple finally split up and their house was repossessed. By this time I was no friend of those neighbors and their sons tried to sway me by damaging my PU truck in the dead of night(so they wouldn't be caught). But I was not about to let THEM force me to move. Since they left, our neighborhood was all back to decent.

[SaltyDawg]

This is Federal Way you're talking about, right? Not exactly a great town to determine a state's worth. It would be like judging California based on living in Fresno.

Sorry for your bad experience. Hope you find a better town elsewhere.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

This is Federal Way you're talking about, right?

Yep. And the thing is: The is the third time we've moved within Washington State, trying to get away from this kind of stuff. Maybe if I was a high-level Microsoft Employee or a Boeing engineer, we could afford to live the ritzier neighborhoods of Bellevue or Redmond, but for working class folks with kids...we haven't been able to get away from it in Washington.

We've tried fighting it, but when police are no help, other decent people in the neighborhood give up. I can't get my neighbors involved, and the police aren't helping.

[scrapylady]

Mark, sorry you feel you have to leave Washington state. I agree with leaving Federal Way. Since it has become a city it has gone downhill fast. Even in my neighborhood with a lot of "old timers", all it took was a couple of new neighbors for the problems to suddenly be there. I am planning to sell my home and move and I have lived here 37 years and never planned to leave my PAID FOR home. But there is no longer a male in the household and I don't think it is safe!

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by scrapylady

Mark, sorry you feel you have to leave Washington state. I agree with leaving Federal Way. Since it has become a city it has gone downhill fast. Even in my neighborhood with a lot of "old timers", all it took was a couple of new neighbors for the problems to suddenly be there. I am planning to sell my home and move and I have lived here 37 years and never planned to leave my PAID FOR home. But there is no longer a male in the household and I don't think it is safe!

Well, I certainly wish you all the best in your move. Decided where you're moving yet?

We live over in the Madrona Trails area, just off Twin Lakes. Man, I regret moving here. Even this evening, we've already had the cops in the neighborhood taking care of a group of teens and pre-teens out in the streets causing trouble.

There are things I will miss about Washington, but after researching various locales over the past few years, we've decided we can get a better quality of life for a much lower quantity of income elsewhere.

[Judy & Randy]

Sounds like you live in a Liberal(anything is ok) neighborhood to me.

[dcoolbro]

Wow I didn't realize Federal Way was that bad. I've only been there once. I must have been in a nice part of Federal Way. The area I visited had nice big homes, quiet and close to the water(puget sound?). But i have heard that some of the lower income folks of Seattle have moved to places like Federal Way to escape the high cost of living in the city.

[Redline]

Fed Way has it's nice areas but also not so nice areas. It's not the geographic area you should blame, it's the socioeconomic area. Fed Way is just one of many across the nation.

[jwb123]

Maybe if I was a high-level Microsoft Employee or a Boeing engineer, we could afford to live the ritzier neighborhoods of Bellevue or Redmond, but for working class folks with kids...we haven't been able to get away from it in Washington.

That's the heart of it, right there and why anyone who isn't making 6 figures will have problems in WA. Good for you for leaving! We left last October and it was the best move we ever made.

We moved to Round Rock, TX - just outside of Austin. One of the top 10 safest cities in America, top schools, and low cost of living. What a huge quality of life boost.