Opinions from road trip/shopping (Seattle, Mount Vernon: houses, buy, living)

[yakker]

My wife and I just got back from a road trip through the Puget Sound area, returning south to Seatac. We stayed in Port Townsend and Anacortes and I must say that most things I've read on these forums have proven reliable. It's funny how you get pre-conceived impressions about places when you've never seen them, but I've got to say that the beauty of Washington State is impossible to adequately describe. This thread is only about the available shopping in department stores, and although we did no shopping while we were there, it's one more consideration when considering where to live. I personally could live in a cabin on a mountain somewhere, but marriage is a partnership, and any man can tell you that you want to keep your wife happy.

We checked out many towns that were tops on our list for relocation after retirement and loved Port Townsend and Sequim on the western side of the Sound, but found there was very little shopping available, which is kind of a must for my wife. We really enjoyed the friendliness of the people and the atmosphere though and were still considering them as possibilities even when it was time to leave. The only stores that would be considered main-steam were in Sequim or Port Angelas, such as J.C. Pennys and Walmart, with grocery shopping always available at Safeway or other large markets in most of the towns. The beauty of the area is unsurpassed but at some point a woman needs a Macys or Sears or Nordstoms or something other than a small boutique at boutique prices.

We also checked out Poulsbo, which had a lot more options and a really quaint marina area with good restaurants. Every area we visited had great restaurants by the way. We were surprised that there was not much at Port Ludlow other than a marina and a resort, although some of the houses with ocean views were very affordably priced, however actually living there year around would be challenging for the seasoned shopper.

Fidalgo and Whibley islands were beautiful as well and the shopping was adequate in Oak Harbor and Anacortes, but major chains of department stores were located about 20 to 30 minutes from Anacortes in Mount Vernon.
The thing I liked about Mount Vernon is that you could be five minutes from downtown and it seemed that you were in the country, very nice!

My wife kept asking "Where does everybody buy their clothes?" which as a man is something that has never really concerned me. I guess the answer is that you either buy on the internet or make trips to the larger cities periodically to shop. I imagine it's just another adjustment to make if we decide to move to the area of the Puget Sound (west), which would be no big deal for me, although I could envision my wife exhibiting withdrawal symptoms.

Being the pragmatist, my biggest concern was getting the most bang for the buck in housing. Needless to say, a compromise is probably in the offing.

[chris]

you'll basically just need to make adjustments. After all, it's Washington, not California. I don't consider Silverdale to be that far from the areas you've described. Mount Vernon may end up being your best choice if shopping is important.

My wife (lifetime resident of Washington, city girl) was scared about moving to the peninsula (me being more of a country boy), but once we moved here she found out it wasn't that bad. 45 minutes to most shopping areas. In many parts of Seattle it can take you 30-45 minutes to get to where you want to shop if you aren't centrally located.

Maybe someone from Alaska can chime in about what shopping convenience is like.

[yakker]

Chris,

It seems strange that shopping would even be a consideration when making such a momentous decision about what area to move to, but then I guess everyone has their priorities. I'm just trying to find a good compromise of convenience versus the desire to gain some isolation from neighbors.

In the town where I live obtaining that isolation comes at a cost that's prohibitive, something that seems to be less of the case in Washington. I'm pretty sure that we will be able to adjust at any rate, I'm just trying to be thoughtful of my wife's needs up front.

Thanks for the reply, and I guess it's all relative anyway. Maybe I should overshoot in the isolation department, like suggesting Alaska for a retirement spot for example. From that perspective, any place in Washington would seem positively urban.

Dave