Thinking about relocating.... (Seattle, Pacific: transplants, unemployed, construction)

[happysam]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to this site so please bare with me. I currently reside in MI. My husband is originally from WA but is in NY completing culinary school at the FCI. He graduates in September and we have some options as to where we want to move to. This is where I am reaching out to all of you for your assistance.

I am ready for a break from MI. Between the depressing economy, orange barrels from all the construction, and I am also done with the winters. Nothing against MI - loved growing up here - just ready for a change for a bit.

We have two small children - 5 yrs old & 18 mths old - so we are trying to find somewhere to relocate to that would be great for them and have a great school system as well. With my husband graduating from culinary school, we are also looking for a place that has a great potential or many current opportunities for his new career. I am recently unemployed - I know, shocking becoming unemployed in MI right now - and would like to go back to school as well.

The choices we have thought about were Seattle, WA - Portland, OR - and Las Vegas, NV. And these are just the general areas, not really in the middle of that big city. I am not a fan of gloomy/cold days. I have no problem with HOT weather at all. BUT it's not just a move for me, but for us as a whole family.
Can you give me some feedback and let me know where would be the best move for me and my family?

THANKS!

[mthomson]

Seattle and Portland will give you a lot more cold and wet than hot. I don't consider them gloomy, but you'll see a lot of rain and some cool temps (high 30's and 40's). Rarely gets into the 90's.
Vegas will give you a lot more heat and not much wet and cold.

[allforcats]

I couldn't have said it more succinctly than mthomson did!

Western Washington and western Oregon are part of the Pacific Northwest, famed for lush, green forests and fields. It takes rain to make green! You'll find a great many threads on City-Data in which some transplants to the Seattle and Portland areas have a great deal to say about how unhappy they feel about the cold and drizzle for which the Seattle and Portland areas are famous.

Suffice it to say that if you can feel comfortable with clouds, drizzle and cool temps for 9 months of the year, then the somewhat foodie Portland and the very foodie Seattle are places you should try. Otherwise, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and southern California would be choices with a great deal more sun and much higher temperatures.

[5chevin5]

Well, without knowing anything about your husbands experience in the field of foodservice, I will tell you this, If he doesn't have a bunch of experience already, that degree wont make him very much money for awhile. When he comes out of school, the going rate for "line cooks" in any of those cities is well under 13.00 an hour. The competition in our (Im an executive chef) industry is fierce and there are allot of people with no school degree, but are naturally talented, I usually hired the latter.

So, my advise, live somewhere you can afford first, then worry about a job. Because he will be working long hours to get ahead and grab better paying jobs, it can be done, I did it.

I was also a chef in both Seattle and Portland, so here is my advise on those two cities.
Portland is over saturated now with lots of restaurants and lots of cooks, and the pay is not so good. There are a hand full of great chefs in that city, but its a very tough city to crack into , because everyone knows everyone. You can, however make a name quickly in Portland if you have the "chops"

Seattle has more opportunity and more "corporate" gigs to choose from. Also a great food town with a bunch of up and coming chefs doing great farm to table cuisine. Truly both cities are wonderful cities to be a chef in and to live in...I would lean towards Seattle, but cost of living on a line cooks wage would be very, very tight even with no kids. If hubby has more experience, that might help some.

Vegas is cheap, food ranges between garbage buffets to some of the best world class chefs, kinda a crap shoot (no pun intended) but the big clincher....union. And the wages are low because of the influx of every tom dick and harry coming there chasing the Vegas dream....I know some chefs in the city and they are either homicidal or suicidal ..but something just aint right there. But (again) its cheap to live.

So, Im not trying to rain on your parade. If you would like some more detailed advise, you can DM me.

I think Portland would be the best choice, affordable, beautiful and a great restaurant scene that a young guy can move up quick in....

Good Luck
5