Any info on the Aberdeen area

[ontheroad]

Sean, what a lovely post. You actually brought a huge smile to my face.

I grew up on the East Coast, New York City, near the Ocean, hearing it roll in and out and whisper at night. I loved it on the Atlantic. I never realized how much I'd miss the sound and smell of the East River or the sight of the Hudson.

In NM, we have the rolling Rio, but she is far from me and beyond a mountain range.

Thanks for sharing your most positive view of a new place to roam and feel at home.

Have a happy holiday and new horizon.

[scirocco22]

...missing the smell and sound of the East River, Hudson?! OMG!

--'rocco

[ontheroad]

all you may, 'rocco - up the Hudson, a trip I took often for work, was a site to behold and the smells off the East River at Roosevelt Island, 59th Street - 70th Street, at night, when I lived here, were super. -- even if sometimes they were diesel fuel.

Originally Posted by scirocco22

...missing the smell and sound of the East River, Hudson?! OMG!

--'rocco

[Kathleenh54]

Originally Posted by Sean_Harrington

After living in rotten horrible Northern Arizona for 2 1/2 miserable years. I just bought a house in Aberdeen. I have been to Washington state several times. The first time I was there, I just loved all the GREEN. I was just looking at photos of the house, it was a rainy day, but the grass and trees are GREEN! I am from NYC, so rain is nothing new to me.

There are some depressing areas of Aberdeen, but you have to get off the 101, and see the rest of the town. I've never seen a perfect town, and I would just curl up and die if I had to live in some planned community.There are lots of beautiful old houses, and great neighborhoods in Aberdeen. I actually had a few people smile and say hello in the street. After my time in suspicious-everybody-has-a-chip-on-their-shoulder Arizona, I was STUNNED.

People working in the stores, will actually look you in the eye and talk!

As for the beach; when I was a kid we spent Summers out on the East End of Long Island, some of the most beautiful beaches around, and I have to say, Ocean Shores made my trip. I sat in the car on the beach, and knew this is where I want to be. You can even rent horses to ride on the sand. It doesn't get any better than that.

We college-age kids used to rent a house in Hampton Bays on Weesuck Avenue. Every year someone stole the sign. Eventually the town stopped replacing it. We used to hang out at the Quogue East when the sun went down. Great times on great beaches. Bawdy Barn had some fun conga lines too!

[deang]

I'll admit there are some nice days in the Aberdeen area but what are you going to do the other 300 days of the year. If it was so wonderful would Grays Harbor county consistently be in the top 5 in suicide rates for the state? I actually found an article that claims Grays Harbor has one of the highest in the nation. You can't get over the fact that it rains and is overcast a lot of the time. Seattle is known for rain but when I went to UW I always wondered what people were talking about. It rains a lot more in Aberdeen and the economy is not all rosy. There's not a lot to do there if you don't hunt, fish or hike or drink. Most people combine one or more with drinking. I enjoyed some great times in Aberdeen but it's not some lost paridise. It's a small town losing the last remnants of the timber industry that powered it til the late 80's. Oh the prison has helped with the economy. Does this statement sound good? I want to live in a place that has extremely high rates of suicide, alcoholism, and the economy relies a lot on the prison since 200-300 family wage jobs were lost this past year due to Weyerhauser closing some plants. I assume Ryan lives on the "hill" in Aberdeen which is isolated from the rundown areas. If you are a professional willing to commute an hour to Olympia, like rain, and get a home on the hill areas in Cosi or Aberdeen or Central Park then the Abderdeen area just might be your thing.

"Grays Harbor County it is of special concern because, according to local counselor Dr. Tracy Ridout, Grays Harbor County boasts one of the highest suicide rates in the nation."(article from june '06)

Honestly, take it for what it is. A small town that can be nice when the weather clears, the economy is ok and you live in the right neighborhood. It can be bad when you have a hard time getting a job,it's been raining for a month straight, and you live in south Aberdeen or pretty much anywhere not on a hill area.

[Sean_Harrington]

Originally Posted by deang

I'll admit there are some nice days in the Aberdeen area but what are you going to do the other 300 days of the year. If it was so wonderful would Grays Harbor county consistently be in the top 5 in suicide rates for the state? I actually found an article that claims Grays Harbor has one of the highest in the nation. You can't get over the fact that it rains and is overcast a lot of the time. Seattle is known for rain but when I went to UW I always wondered what people were talking about. It rains a lot more in Aberdeen and the economy is not all rosy. There's not a lot to do there if you don't hunt, fish or hike or drink. Most people combine one or more with drinking. I enjoyed some great times in Aberdeen but it's not some lost paridise. It's a small town losing the last remnants of the timber industry that powered it til the late 80's. Oh the prison has helped with the economy. Does this statement sound good? I want to live in a place that has extremely high rates of suicide, alcoholism, and the economy relies a lot on the prison since 200-300 family wage jobs were lost this past year due to Weyerhauser closing some plants. I assume Ryan lives on the "hill" in Aberdeen which is isolated from the rundown areas. If you are a professional willing to commute an hour to Olympia, like rain, and get a home on the hill areas in Cosi or Aberdeen or Central Park then the Abderdeen area just might be your thing.

"Grays Harbor County it is of special concern because, according to local counselor Dr. Tracy Ridout, Grays Harbor County boasts one of the highest suicide rates in the nation."(article from june '06)

Honestly, take it for what it is. A small town that can be nice when the weather clears, the economy is ok and you live in the right neighborhood. It can be bad when you have a hard time getting a job,it's been raining for a month straight, and you live in south Aberdeen or pretty much anywhere not on a hill area.

Right now, I live in Northern Arizona, beautiful weather, cool Summers, sunny almost every day!! The chamber of commerce calls this "The Rim Country!" The only problem is, it's very depressing. Most people here are alcoholics, and meth addicts. There's nothing to do, unless you want to hang at the bar, have sex with sleeze bags, the husband will gladly join in, have low lifes call you names, or sit and give people dirty looks. Everyone here is either third generation trailer trash, or rude obnoxious wealthy suburban retirees. There's nothing in between.

More than 10% of the residents here have been arrested for domestic violence. Teenagers are going around in a car with "Jihad" painted on it, shooting into people's yards, killing their pets. They are also running through yards with baseball bats, clubbing kittens to death. Nothing can be done, because they all belong to the same church, and all have famous pioneer names. It's a great town. I have even had some nice local in a dirty old pick up, go off the pavement to try and run me into a ditch, while walking down the road.

Then there are the weekenders from the city, who descend on the town like maggots in their giant SUVS.

I appreciate your concern, and appreciate another point of view, but you have no idea where I am living now, and how all this sunshine has made me very very unhappy. People here don't commit suicide, they just get drunk and drive their beat up trucks off the mountain. I just sit in the house, sunny day after sunny day, because if I see any of the locals I want to throw up.

Aberdeen does have periods of rain and clouds in the Winter. I am from NY, so that doesn't scare me. I've looked around, and can't find another town in the PNW with such great old houses, beautiful neighborhoods, and so close to the ocean and forest. I will be able to walk to a store, walk to the bank, instead of driving 21 miles to Wal-Mart, to be surrounded by nothing but weekend snobs, and mean smelly toothless hillbillies.

I will be living up on the hill, and work from home, and know all about the shabby neighborhoods in South Aberdeen, and around the 101. I also know that even in the crappy areas, houses are being fixed up, and real estate is climbing, at a good rate. Any house I really wanted, was gone in a week. I already have friends in Aberdeen, and after living in this rotten little town, the only friend I made has developed a lovely drug problem, and doesn't seem to want to hang out much, and has tin foil over the windows of his trailer, but it's always sunny here!!!

[ontheroad]

Thanks, Sean_Harrington and deang for your diverging but informative posts to the thread.

When I posted, it was a rather general inquiry. One of my closest friends just bought a house, on or near a hill, I think in Aberdeen. She moved from one of our beautiful East Coast towns, Asheville, NC but is originally from the PNW.

I am going to visit her in Aberdeen, take a look-see around the area, up to Bellingham, I think, and even as far South and over the border in Portland. I'll take about 3 weeks to explore. I've been to the area before but as a vacationer, and the eyes we use on holiday are always rose-coloured.

I retired this year, so I'm not looking for a job, but I wouldn't mind working or volunteering, but I do want certain important and somewhat recognizable amenities.

Although I've lived in a small town, and loved it, I now live in a small town, in a different region with a different culture, and find it difficult to adjust--or perhaps I am reluctant to compromise at this stage of the life-game.

Anyway, I'll try to keep an open mind about Aberdeen--and rain doesn't scare me (I lived in the Netherlands, and if I recall, we had rain about 20 days a month of rain), but dreary doesn't appeal at all. And Amsterdam was never dreary!

Happy New Year's to all.

[coastalsteelheader]

Originally Posted by Ryan

As far as being depressed, I'll agree that it once was. I moved from the most expensive community in NorCal to here and I don't find it depressing. The town has a lot of charm; especially above the flats. Some of the most beautiful homes I've seen anywhere are in the hill areas. Most of downtown has been revitalized and the timber industry is gone now. Weyerhauser left last year. It does rain quite a bit, but mists even more. We do get A LOT of precipitation over winter, but that's followed by 7 months of the best summer you've ever seen. It's a 20 min. drive to any number of beaches. The area innodated with lots of wildlife, trees, rivers and streams. The town is quiet, but has it's moments, especially during the tourist season. Public schools are moderate to excellent depending on which part of town you live. Lots of shopping for the size of the town. We have a huge shopping center and a mall. ~5-6 really good restaurants in town and every major fast food chain represented. Very small town community orientated atmosphere depite the conveniences. The people here are very genuine and friendly. Areas above downtown see very little crime. Most all of the bad element stays in the flats south of 101 (which is just a 4 lane road around these parts). The breadth of work around here revolves around the retail, service, medical, real estate, finance, education and government fields. Some people commute to Olympia, which is only a 45 minute drive. I like it a lot here. For the money, I couldn't find a better place in this genre than Aberdeen. Other (smaller) towns to check out: Westport, Grayland, Satsop, Tokeland, South Bend. I have posted a ton of info about Aberdeen etc. in some of my older posts, but if there's anything specific you'd like to know let me know.

Revitalized my ass. Did Stevie Wonder write this post for you?