Port Angeles Info (Seattle, SeaTac, Silverdale: receptions, crime, mortgage)

[clogan88]

Hi. We are considering relocating to the Port Angeles area next year. It will be my mother, my daughter and myself. I have heard a lot about Sequim being mostly retirement, and me being 29, I'd like to avoid that area, so I was thinking sticking to Port Angeles. I'm not into the nightlife really, a quiet bar counter on a friday night is fine for me, so being away from the city is not a problem.
I was wondering about what people think of the area. What are the stores like? Any big box retail within a 30 drive? Who has the best cell coverage? Are the people friendly? (We're from CT...not so friendly here.) How is the town? Clean? Rundown?
All those wonderful sorts of tidbits would be so fantastic. Thanks again.

[Dendrite]

OK, I'll get things rolling!

Originally Posted by clogan88

Hi. We are considering relocating to the Port Angeles area next year. It will be my mother, my daughter and myself. I have heard a lot about Sequim being mostly retirement, and me being 29, I'd like to avoid that area, so I was thinking sticking to Port Angeles.

Well actually Sequim was mostly farming until some years ago when it began to be marketed as a sun-drenched retirement paradise... (). Sure, there are many retired people in town who have taken that bait but there are also a fair number of folks your age as well.

The main thing to keep in mind when comparing towns on the peninsula is their population and distance from "civilization". City-Data says there are about 6,000 people in Sequim and about 19,000 people in PA (Port Angeles). This being the case, PA offers more in terms of housing, jobs, services and so forth. Their topography is different as well. Sequim is flatter (hence all that nice farm land in times past) whereas PA is a town built on a hill side so to speak. PA also has a "waterfront" or harbor district.

Questions such as how often would you need to drive to a major airport such as SeaTac, how often do you feel the need to shop at Nordstroms, will Mom require specialty medical care or where will you be able to get service done on your exotic car etc. should be borne in mind as you consider this region-

Originally Posted by clogan88

I'm not into the nightlife really, a quiet bar counter on a friday night is fine for me, so being away from the city is not a problem.

Great because "nightlife" is not a word that comes to mind when I think of either town!

Originally Posted by clogan88

I was wondering about what people think of the area. What are the stores like? Any big box retail within a 30 drive? Who has the best cell coverage? Are the people friendly? (We're from CT...not so friendly here.) How is the town? Clean? Rundown?

I like it but I suppose that's why I live here! Small town feel, close to the ocean and park (Olympic), less crime than Seattle where I grew up, slower pace of life etc. Sequim has added a host of "big box" stores over the past several years (Home Depot, Costco, Petco, etc. etc.) People are as friendly as in any small town in western WA IMO. The attitude seems to be simply live and let live. Most of Sequim seems "new" to me because of it's rapid growth over the past decade. PA has older sections (downtown area) that are being rennovated a little at a time. In our experience, Verizon gives the best overall cell coverage on the peninsula but even at that, signal can be spotty in some places.

Come out, stay for a few weeks and see what you think. If you will need to work to support the family, make sure you have a firm job lined up before you pull the trigger. Job opportunities on the peninsula are limited to nearly non-existent at this time given the national economic situation.

Good Luck!

[clogan88]

Thanks so much for the info. Luckily, I don't need to fly often, I'm more of a mail order from Woolrich kind of gal than Nordstrom's, mom's still young and healthy herself, and as long as their is a VW dealer somewhere in WA, I'd be thrilled, lol.
We just booked our plane tickets for the second week of Nov. today, so I'm hoping we'll be able to get out and explore the area. Maybe talk to a realtor or two. Luckily, my mother's house is paid in full, so by selling that, we should have no trouble picking up a 3 bedroom out there and not having a mortgage afterwards. So, just a small time job somewhere to pay electric/phone and such should be good. I've been keeping tabs on the PDN classifieds and have seen quite a few opportunities, so I'm not too concerned there.
We are in a small town here in CT (1,400 people) so I like the small town feel. I just wanted to make sure that..should you need something, there is somewhere nearby to get it!
We plan on making a swing, from Forks to Port Ludlow to check out the areas. See what feels best. I'm thankful for the info.

[tcej]

Dendrite hit most of the high points for you, I'll see if I can add another perspective.
I am 35 years old, live in Sequim and have a son in High School here. I actually was born & raised here. I moved away several times, but came back to raise my children here.

While you are here, take time to talk to someone at the Sheriff's office too. Being a fairly rural county most of them get around the whole area at one point or another. I think that the population count for Sequim is misleading - that only counts inside of city limits. If you talk to a Sequim Police officer, they will tell you that they serve at 10k+ people a day. It does still have that feeling though.

We do have the 7 Cedars Casino if you're looking for nightlife and a few other small town bars. In my experience, there seems to be alot more obvious drug activity in Port Angeles than Sequim. Sequim feels alot cleaner, but you will see when you are here.

I personally like the Sequim School District better than Port Angeles. They have managed to keep the small town attitude. Teachers give you a call if it seems your child is struggling before it becomes a problem or sometimes just to let you know how great they are doing. The schools here really love family involvement and volunteers.

The Sequim boys & girls club has lots of great programs (not to mention the pool tables, air hockey tables & gym). You will find tons of places to take your daughter for lessons depending on her interests: Sequim Karate Club, Aspire Acadamy (singing & dancing), Paul Creech (music) etc. We have the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center for swimming & the like. The North Olympic Library system is pretty expansive for such a small area.

You don't mention how old your mom is, but there is lots for her too. There is an active Senior Center and LOTS of clubs to join or volunteer with. There are many types of churches here too. And of course, the casino for a cheap lunch!

I also have Verizon, and don't have too many problems. We don't have a home phone, so we really depend on it. The few stores we don't have, you can drive the 20 minutes to Port Angeles for, or drive 1 hour to Silverdale to the mall there. Just outside of Sequim is the Sunny Farms Country store, a staple of the area (they carry mostly local produce, and have the most expansive organics sections) they are cheaper that anywhere else. Between Costco, Sunny Farms and Wal Mart you don't really have to travel out of town much.

It is just a short drive to the beach or mountains from Sequim or Port Angeles. During the summer I like to go to Lake Crescent with the kids, it has a great shallow swimming area and decent picnic tables. It is 10-15 miles west of Port Angeles.Port Townsend is 45 minutes away and can be a fun day trip. It is a Victorian looking town with a bohemian feel to it, lots of fun little stores that sell just about everything & anything.

Keep in mind when you talk to the realtors, they just want you to buy a house in their district. Stop by the police departments, libraries, schools and chamber of commerce to get a really accurate look at the area.

[Dendrite]

Originally Posted by clogan88

as long as their is a VW dealer somewhere in WA, I'd be thrilled, lol.

You're in luck! The VW dealer in PA is Wilder VW (right on the corner of Deer Park Rd and Hwy. 101). You can't miss it as it's next to the Deer Park Cinemas as you drop down the "S curves" in towards town.

Insider tip for you: the speed limit drops to 45 mph on Hwy. 101 right before the VW dealership and our State Patrol doesn't allow much, if any, wiggle room over that. You also have to watch the speed limit drops on 101 heading out from PA to Forks along Lake Crescent. I have noted a fair number of out of state plated cars discovering this the hard way over the years... Just FWIW-

Enjoy your trip!

[Linson]

one thing (a negative, unfortunately) that hasnt been mentioned: the traffic is horrible. Port Angeles and Sequim, and pretty much all of HWY 101 in between them is just ridiculous most of the day/seven days a week. there isnt even a rush hour. it's just an endless line of traffic from about 11 AM till around 7 PM every day. i attribute this to the number of retirees in the area (nobody's at work -- they're all just out driving around evidently). it makes absolutely no sense, given the population numbers.

make that two things: the food has been pretty disappointing. most of it is pretty bland. i havent found one place that can make a tasty steak. so i cook most of my own food. most anything you would order at a restaurant, i can make better. (i should open a restaurant).

also, while i consider fast food to be food of last resort, i ocaisionally would enjoy a Wendy's burger or a Whopper. however, the franchizes in Port Angeles and Sequim are so horrible, the food isnt even recognizable as it's corperate brand.

[eponabri]

I'll add my two cents. I also live in Sequim, well, actually in Diamond Point, which is 14 miles east of Sequim, between town and Port Townsend, and we've been here since 2001, coming from Seattle. But my family history is here, so I feel like I've come home.

One thing you will find here are lots of festivals..., which can be a lot of fun, but unfortunately add to the traffic problems. The worst in Sequim is the Lavender Festival, that most locals either avoid or work at. But the Lavender Festival is also a lot of fun to attend.

Sequim doesn't have any movie theaters, so you have to go to Port Angeles or Port Townsend.
Both cities have public swimming pools. There is great hiking up on Hurricane Ridge, Deer Park, Blue Mountain, the Hoh Rainforest, Quinault, the Dungeness Spit....

I have to respectfully disagree with Linson about restaurants. We found that The Alder Wood Bistro makes a great steak and even better frites and homemade apple pie. We love Three Crabs for seafood and the 101 Diner for cheeseburgers and milkshakes. For Chinese, it's the Dynasty, for Mexican, we love El Cazador and Bella Italia in Port Angeles for Italian.

Sequim has a community theater for drama productions and there are often some great shows performed at the Port Angeles high school.... drama, music concerts, etc, plus the Port Angeles Symphony.

There are museums and art galleries in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend. Port Angeles has the wonderful Fine Arts Center with the art in the park exhibition.

Both Sequim and Port Angeles have farmers markets on the weekends. Sequim has First Friday every month where many of the shops are open later and there is music and receptions, etc...
In the summertime, Sequim has concerts in the park which are free and once a month they add a movie that you can watch under the stars.

There are several wineries that have events.

While there might not be a lot of "nightlife" there really are a lot of things to do here.

[Linson]

[quote=eponabri;10747039]

I have to respectfully disagree with Linson about restaurants. We found that The Alder Wood Bistro makes a great steak and even better frites and homemade apple pie.

i ate there once. i found that the appetizers were better than the entres. the steak was okay, but, if i remember correctly, the best cut of steak that can be ordered there is a New York strip. no Ribeye. no T-bone.

We love Three Crabs for seafood

ate there once. i dont remember what i ordered, but i remember paying a lot of money for tiny portions of mediocre food.

and the 101 Diner for cheeseburgers and milkshakes.

i used to like them, but they have been disappointing the last couple times i've eaten there (dry burgers; cold, dry french fries). for good burgers i do recomend the Corner House Cafe in Port Angeles.

For Chinese, it's the Dynasty

again, not terrible, but nothing to write home about either.

for Mexican, we love El Cazador

then you obviously have no concept of Mexican food. and i say this in the nicest way possible, not to be mean to you.

first of all, it's not even Mexican Food that they're serving there. it's more like Guatemalan or something. secondly, they use only frozen ingredients which translates to a rather poor finished product. the menus have a little picture of every dish, which in and of itself shouldnt affect the taste of the food, but it does, to some extent, reflect the type establishment it is -- which by the style of food they serve, reminded me of a Taco Cabana, which is like a step above Taco Bell.

the one time i ate there, i thought it was going to be a nice place, looking at it from the outside, but the jpeg laden menu they handed me sent up red flags. i decided to roll the dice anyway, and i ordered beef flautas. what i was served was pork chimichangas. i dont remember what my wife ordered but we both agreed that it was some of the worst, most bland Mexican we'd ever had. and by bland, i dont mean lacking in mouth burning spiciness; i mean generally lacking in flavor.

and Bella Italia in Port Angeles for Italian.

havnt eaten there yet, but i've been meaning to.

[Linson]

correction: i've never eaten at Three Crabs. i ate at the Crab House.

[sean98125]

People are definitely friendlier than in CT.

There is plenty of shopping between PA and Sequim, and you can always head to Silverdale or Seattle if you need more. Or, you can hop the ferry to Victoria and shop at the original big box retailer from way back, the Bay. (Part of the Hudson's Bay Company, founded in 1670.) Keep in mind that long stretches of the drive to Silverdale is along two lane roads, and folks around here don't seem to like driving much more than 5 or 10 miles an hour below the speed limit.