Aberdeen (Seattle, Bremerton, Silverdale: transplants, real estate, apartments)

[boatguy]

What can people tell me about Aberdeen? Average age of populace, work, rent and property values, weather, crime? What the place is like.Thanks

[WaterFrontStories]

I read in another post that you are a marine technician,you might want to look at the Puget Sound area,if cost of affordable housing is a concern look to the West Sound area...Bremerton/Silverdale/Gig Harbor....that all have very high per capita boat ownership and there should be plenty work with a decent older home undr 300k with a great view of something...water,mountain,etc...good luck....The city you mentioned in on the coast which does not have the thriving economy of the Puget Sound area...Vist there

[bmsea]

I live in Westport (telecommute to a Seattle job) and I love it out here in Grays Harbor county. The Aberdeen/Hoquiam area is what you might expect from a small town that is working its way out of economically bad times.

I work from time to time with people form the Aberdeen/Hoquiam area, and we do a lot of our week to week shopping at the Home Depot, Safeway, and Walmart there. We also go into town to watch movies at the South Shore Mall (which is a sorry mall, but has a very good theater).

I believe that area is pretty nice, if you're looking for small town spirit, decent schools, low housing prices, and being near the coast. I don't believe the crime is as bad as some of the naysayers on this forum (you can check the statistics and see for yourself). I know out here on the beach, crime is almost non existent.

There is a lot of negative energy on this board from people who don't like Aberdeen, or Hoquiam or Gray's Harbor much. But I can only speak from experience from living here for the past 2 years, its really quite nice.

I do know that housing prices are very low compared to anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest. I know that there have been some major infusions of capital into the area - like the largest Biodiesel plant in the US being construction in the Port of Grays Harbor. I know that there are good jobs if you're flexible and skilled or semi skilled. And we have met a lot of really good, down to earth people out here.

Anyway, its definitely worth a look. And no matter where you move to in the state, Westport is a fantastic place to visit for fishing or beachcombing in the summer; or clamming, crabbing, and stormwatching in the fall and winter.

If you want specific stats, I would go to city-data.com and look at the statistics there. And check out The Daily World (www.thedailyworld.com) to see an example of local news, rental listings, etc.

Good luck!

[Vipercat]

I don't know what part of Aberdeen you live in but I highly doubt the "crime nonexistent" part is true, especially now... There was lots of crime and drug usage including meth when I was there in the early 1990's most of the buildings and apartments are run down or abandoned, it's filled with unemployed people and slumlord apartments.. I still drive through there from time to time, and it only seems more overcrowded and run down... Like a mini New Jersey in WA state... Kurt Cobain was born there... nothing really too special... The beaches are also heavily polluted most of the time by slobby people and dumping industries...

[bmsea]

I wasn't here in the early 90's, so I can't speak to what kind of crime existed over 15 years ago. But I know that today, crime is very minimal. I read the police beat every week. Yes, there is the occasional shocking crime (last year there was a home invasion burglary in Hoquiam that resulted in a murder, which was horrifying), and like all rural areas, they struggle with meth problems and drug use is a community challenge, but it doesn't impact your day to day, moment to moment decisions. I used to live in Downtown Seattle, and I carried pepper spray on my walk home if I was alone. It's definitely not that kind of environment in Grays Harbor County.

Unemployment is only slightly higher than the metro areas (~7% compared to ~5% in the Puget Sound area). The beaches in Ocean Shores are crowded and somewhat dirty, particularly during the summer season. However, the beaches north of Ocean Shores, and from Westport to Tokeland are some of the most unspoiled areas on the West Coast. The surfing in Westport is great, and people travel from all over the West Coast to surf here. You will not find a more beautiful sight than all the families digging for clams in grayland once a month in the fall and winter.

It's too bad, Vipercat, that you have such negative memories of the area. It is truly a special place, and I always find it curious that people who used to live here are so negative on it. Before I moved here, so many people were skeptical and kept warning me about how bad it was going to be. I have found it to be the opposite. The people are friendly, the infrastructure is good, the landscapes are beautiful. I am only 2-1/2 hours from Seattle when I have client meetings or want to go shopping or see a show, yet I feel like I am in a different world the rest of the time. Crabbing, fishing, clamming provide a wonderful family activity, and wonderful fresh food for our table year round. This area is not perfect, but its definitely got more positives than negatives.

[allforcats]

You can find a lot of the statistical info you're seeking at the City-Data Aberdeen page: Aberdeen, Washington (WA) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

[Fat Freddy]

Originally Posted by Ryan

...crime is not minimal in Aberdeen...at least once every two weeks we're working a new sexual assault case, every day 4-5 calls for domestic disturbances...

Remember, Ryan, many new residents of Gray's Harbor come from the urban areas of California such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Compared to crime in those areas, crime in Aberdeen is so minimal as to be almost non-existent.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by Fat Freddy

Remember, Ryan, many new residents of Gray's Harbor come from the urban areas of California such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Compared to crime in those areas, crime in Aberdeen is so minimal as to be almost non-existent.

Nice try.

I came from Sac County almost 4 years ago. Our violent crime, domestic and substance related calls in Aberdeen were incomparably more frequent, especially so per capita.

[Fat Freddy]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Nice try.

I came from Sac County almost 4 years ago. Our violent crime, domestic and substance related calls in Aberdeen were incomparably more frequent, especially so per capita.

In Aberdeen you are dealing with rednecks getting drunk and beating up their wives or meth freaks robbing and stabbing each other.

There is no way you can compare that to the City of Sacramento which last year had 60 murders to Aberdeen's 1, or 200 rapes to Aberdeen's 12, or 2,000 robberies to Aberdeen's 13, or 6,000 burglaries to Aberdeen's 240, or 13,000 cases of larceny to Aberdeen's 1,300, or 7,000 auto thefts to Aberdeen's 90, or 460 cases of arson to Aberdeen's 4.

When gunfire wakes you every night and police helicopters constantly patrol overhead with searchlights, then you can say Aberdeen has a crime problem.

[madicarus2000]

I’ve found many cities are too dynamic to get the full picture from any person. I always imagine people seeing a small glimpse of a platypus and trying to describe it based on their perspective/experience. You’ll then get a different version from someone else with a different view. I try to put them all together to then get an “idea”.

For Aberdeen I can only break it down to two versions from the Harborites who live in, or around, Aberdeen. From the natives (born and raised there) and the long time residents, the place for the most part is a dump. From the transplants who just moved there, the place has a quaint little charm about it and it is experiencing the positive upswing on the turnaround. Both are right in my view.