Relocating to Washington but WHERE to go??? (Seattle, Vancouver: home, good schools) - (WA) - City-Data Forum

Tie Dye · 02-18-2015, 05:47 AM

We are a small family who owns our own business. I am also a medical transcriptionist, working in office right now. We make and sell Tie Dyes, which we mostly do at festivals, craft shows, art shows, and music festivals in the summer, where we live now, which is Idaho.

We have always loved Washington and we are ready for a change. We would love to be in a touristy town where we can open up a shop to sell our goods and also allow people to come in and make their own tie dyes with our instruction to take home with them.

I have been doing quite a lot of research and Leavenworth is seeming to fit the bill for "tourist" town, however I am not completely sold on living in the mountains, it seems like it will be pretty much the same weather we are used to here in Idaho. I have also looked at Port Townsend some and it seems to be more of the scenery that I would want to move to. We also have a 6 year old son and a baby on the way, so I would love to have a decent small community where we can be involved and where the schooling is not completely terrible. Any advice on these two communities, or any others that we may be interested in. We are planning a short trip to Leavenworth next month to scout it out. We are also not looking at moving RIGHT away, hopefully in about a year we will be able to make the move, I just like to be prepared and would love any insight you may have.

Thanks in advance for any help.

PS90 · 02-19-2015, 02:28 PM

Well, I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for as to advice, but I will say that Leavenworth weather is very similar to any of the more forested/mountainous regions of Idaho - pretty much anywhere in the northern (panhandle) part of Idaho. Leavenworth may be a little but drier.

I do think that a small business that tourists would like would probably do great in Leavenworth, but the trick will be finding a place in the very small downtown area that is affordable to set-up shop.

Leavenworth is also known for having a good school system.

I can't help with any advice on Port Townsend, other than to say that I grew up in Eastern Washington and moved to Western Washington right out of grad school, and, by the second winter of rain and dreariness, I had to get out of there. It's certainly all in the eye of the beholder, but the point is that the change in climate affected me much more than I ever thought it would.

Ruth4Truth · 02-19-2015, 02:47 PM

In theory, Port Townsend, and especially neighboring Sequim, have more sunshine than Seattle, less dreariness. Sequim is popular for retirees for that reason. There are definitely a lot of festivals in Pt. T, and there would be medical transcriptionist jobs in the general area. You might end up commuting, but at least there are those healthcare-related jobs. But with a baby to take care of, you're probably not going to be doing office work for a couple of years.

I've heard schools in Pt T and Sequim are decent, but I'll let someone else address that.

Tie-dyes would be popular with the students at Evergreen State College in Olympia, too, probably. It might be worth driving down there a couple of times/year and setting up a display on campus, wherever you can get permission to do that. I know someone who travels to campuses around the US twice/year selling fine art reproduction posters, and has made a decent living at it. You can approach the administration of the student union building to see if they'd allow you to set up shop outside the building and maybe have a window display inside, to advertise.

StealthRabbit · 02-20-2015, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

In theory,

Port Townsend, and especially neighboring Sequim, have more sunshine than Seattle, less dreariness. Sequim is popular for retirees for that reason. ...

Don't confuse "less rain" with "more sunshine". Excess sunshine doesn't happen in WA Rain shadow.

Tie Dye will work best in Eugene, OR... Olympia would probably be best choice in WA. Portland similar (there is a lot of it already there... competition)

CrazyDonkey · 02-23-2015, 05:51 PM

Bellingham area?

Ruth4Truth · 02-24-2015, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Don't confuse "less rain" with "more sunshine". Excess sunshine doesn't happen in WA Rain shadow.

Tie Dye will work best in Eugene, OR... Olympia would probably be best choice in WA. Portland similar (there is a lot of it already there... competition)

"Excess sunshine"? lol I don't think anyone was hoping for "excess sunshine" (whatever that is). But something closer to a "normal" amount of sunshine, normal for anyplace but the rainy, cloudy, gloomy NW, that is.

Good to know, though, that "less rain" doesn't mean "more sun". Welcome to the NW, OP.

Actually, I do think that it's been documented that "less rain" means a few weeks' more sun, but y'know, around the Puget Sound, that's all very relative.

I used to spend summers in the San Juan Islands and Victoria as a kid, and in both those places it was well known and advertised that they got about 1 month more sun than Seattle and Vancouver, and they're in the same "rain shadow" as Sequim.

Ruth4Truth · 02-24-2015, 06:20 PM

Here ya go, OP:

Days of Sunshine

DarkSideOfBlack · 02-24-2015, 08:20 PM

Honestly, I'd probably suggest La Conner or Bellingham. Port Townsend is nice, but everyone flocks there and it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. La Conner is smaller, but with the same general feel. Bellingham would be great, as it's a college town and very, veeery arts-friendly and liberal. A few other places to check out if you're planning on visiting again before moving would be Long Beach and Anacortes. Both have popular annual festivals that bring in tons of tourists, and Long Beach in particular is an adorable little town.

Ruth4Truth · 02-24-2015, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkSideOfBlack

Honestly, I'd probably suggest La Conner or Bellingham. Port Townsend is nice, but everyone flocks there and it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. La Conner is smaller, but with the same general feel. Bellingham would be great, as it's a college town and very, veeery arts-friendly and liberal. A few other places to check out if you're planning on visiting again before moving would be Long Beach and Anacortes. Both have popular annual festivals that bring in tons of tourists, and Long Beach in particular is an adorable little town.

I don't know what this means, "it's easy to get lost in the shuffle" in Port Townsend. It's a very small town. Pretty hard to get lost in the shuffle. Sequim is even smaller. The advantage to that area would be all the festivals that take place in Pt T. La Conner is out in the middle of nowhere, and wouldn't have any med transcriptionist jobs. Bellingham is a good option, as is Olympia, for the market the OP is looking for, and the kind of job possibilities the OP is looking for. But if you're worried about her getting "lost in the shuffle", Bellingham and Olympia would be the more likely cities for that to happen. I think it's not a relevant concern. The main thing is access to jobs, and a market for her products, as well as good schools, kid-friendly areas.

Tie Dye · 03-02-2015, 09:10 AM

Thank you all for the great suggestions. We at least have a few more options to look into, if when we come to visit Leavenworth in a couple of weeks we HATE it!!! It is a big decision to move so far from where we have lived our entire lives but we are very ready for change and a big move seems like it will be just that.