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Hi internet strangers - Please help me with our family dilemma, do we move away from Los Angeles to Seattle or do we stay put? We’ve lived in Los Angeles for ten years and love this city, but priorities are shifting as we now have two toddlers. Financially we are fortunate that we can live anywhere, so budget is not a factor (can spend 2 mil on a house).
For a number of reasons we’ve narrowed it down to these two cities. Looking at the different suburbs with good public schools LA: (Burbank, La Canada?) Seattle: (Sammamish, Bellevue area?) We’ve lived on the East coast and it has its perks but we’d rather stay West. Not considering the South right now. Also with LA we would want to be within 30 minutes to the city, so we are not considering places like OC or Irvine.
Los Angeles pros for us:
-weather sunshine year round
-creativity, film industry (we are involved but don’t depend on it for livelihood)
-entertainment
-friends
-food
-cultural diversity
Cons
-climate, it feels dry to us here. We love greenery and trees and are not beach people.
-It feels very crowded and dense here. It looks like we could get more house/space in Seattle suburbs.
-air pollution
-mentally ill homeless. I feel for these people who are less fortunate but I don’t necessarily want to expose my kids to it everyday. I know this is an issue in both cities but feel like if we can go further out from Seattle it’s less there.
Seattle pros for us:
-Nature, green trees, lakes and rivers. We like the idea of our children being exposed to this more
-More relaxed vibe, maybe a little more down to earth
-Not as densely packed, more breathing room
-my best friend lives there, but no one else we know
Cons:
-Grey skies and rain. We’ve gotten used to the constant sunshine and I’m nervous we’d get depressed?
-Less entertainment (specifically film)
-food, I’m sure it’s good too but LA has it beat
Bonus points if you’ve lived in both places and can give an opinion.
We are so torn! Thank you for reading all of this and sharing your opinion.
I've lived in both places, or will I currently live in OC and was living in Bellevue. I think it comes down to weather, as both areas are similar in COL. Reading your post, I see you're not considering the OC, that's ok.
Here's why I like Bellevue:
*incredibly clean. It's got a lot of family friendly stuff to do. Really safe.
*Less traffic than the LA burbs
*Walkable
*The Seattle area in general just feels more intellectual and Bellevue has a connection to Seattle and the public transportation is great.
*It's like an urban place, but not crazy crowded
*I actually prefer the dreary weather.
*Asian vibe, that's a me thing, not necessarily a you thing.
*Less intense. People aren't outwardly friendly, but it's very calm and cerebral
*Less flashy
*seasons
Cons
*While I like the weather, it can feel pretty moldy and sticky at times, if that makes sense.
Here's where I think LA area wins:
*better weather for most people
*more diverse
*more entertainment options
*Surrounding area. California has some great cities and we're right by Vegas and Phoenix.
Have not lived in either, but have traveled to both.
Wanted to say that a good portion of your LA cons will also apply to Seattle. I agree with another, this actually comes to: 1) weather, and 2) your willingness to uproot the family.
Generally speaking, I have a bent towards staying put if you are otherwise happy. I don't know that there is anything specific to Seattle that benefits a "family" that LA doesn't also provide? just some thoughts to ponder
If it were 20+ years ago I would say by all means, go to Seattle. Any more, maybe not. I have several siblings who moved from SoCal to the Seattle area a couple of decades ago and couldn't stop raving about it. The last few years they've been starting to complain..and their complaints are the same complaints people make about the LA area. Too crowded, terrible traffic, too expensive, crummy weather (okay, that one is different)...
If you really prefer sunny warm weather most of the yr Seattle is not the place to be long term. The wet moldy gloomy weather 7 -9 months a yr (not worth it for the 3 mos of glorious weather) will get in your bones. I'd stay put.
If you really prefer sunny warm weather most of the yr Seattle is not the place to be long term. The wet moldy gloomy weather 7 -9 months a yr (not worth it for the 3 mos of glorious weather) will get in your bones. I'd stay put.
Yea actually if she likes the sunshine she should stay. I personally prefer overcast. Agree with the poster above too. If it doesn’t make your life noticeably better why leave? Maybe they’re in a rut and want to try something different? Maybe rent a home in bellevue for three months?
The level and quality of entertainment will definitely be a downgrade (or two) in the greater Seattle area. But in the trade-off, you'll get lush greenery, and easy access to hiking and other outdoor activity all through summer, except for the odd heat wave. Winter: skiing or snowshoeing, or short hikes/walks in nature during the intermittently-drizzly weather.
The best way to beat the short daylight hours in winter is to be active outdoors to the extent possible. That really works. I'm from the SF Bay Area, and I had no trouble adjusting. I also appreciate greater variety in the weather. Constant sunshine gets boring.
Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah---all good. And you're right; it's not as crowded out there, especially in Sammamish and Issaquah. Great areas to raise kids. You can also look at areas north of Seattle, which tend to have larger lots (double the standard city lot, or more: half-acre lots or larger) and lots of trees: Lake Forest Park, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Shoreline. Edmonds and Mukilteo have ferries across going across the Sound to connect with more hiking, kayaking, bike trips. And there are the San Juan Islands to explore. You can take the kids on a 1-day bike tour of San Juan Island, stopping to picnic for lunch, and be home in time for dinner.
The last time I took a ferry out to the San Juans, the ferry was accompanied by dolphins much of the way. Magical!
Cheating a bit here as I've never lived in either city (but been to both many times). You said in your second sentence that you love LA. You already live in LA, so I'm just going to say it: you already live in a place that you love, and your budget allows you to live nearly anywhere (ok, maybe not anywhere) within that area, which includes many great places for young families (you named a few). Why risk moving and starting all over again, especially if you already have a built in network of friends there?
Not a knock on Seattle, btw, lovely city. But given the differentiating factor these days between those cities is mainly climate and topography (maybe space? but Seattle's nearly caught up to the other $$$ west cost cities imo).
Cheating a bit here as I've never lived in either city (but been to both many times). You said in your second sentence that you love LA. You already live in LA, so I'm just going to say it: you already live in a place that you love, and your budget allows you to live nearly anywhere (ok, maybe not anywhere) within that area, which includes many great places for young families (you named a few). Why risk moving and starting all over again, especially if you already have a built in network of friends there?
Not a knock on Seattle, btw, lovely city. But given the differentiating factor these days between those cities is mainly climate and topography (maybe space? but Seattle's nearly caught up to the other $$$ west cost cities imo).
That's what I'm saying. It's not like they're moving somewhere for work, in fact, quite the opposite. Not for weather or entertainment. So, why?
Now on the positive side, nothing beats a nice bourbon or pint when it's drizzling on top of the fallen leaves in the heart of downtown Bellevue. You'll get the high rise cityscape but it's so quiet it'll feel like you have it all to yourself.
These are all great replies, I appreciate the time you took to respond. I would like to emphasize our “kid factor” here. If it was just my husband and I we would stay put in LA. I guess we are just considering things now from their perspective and what would be best for them growing up (without us hating where we lived in the process). I grew up in the East coast and had access to more space to roam and nature. I’m just not seeing that here so much in Los Angeles, we are close enough to Griffith park but it’s just not the same as open land? so that’s why we are considering Seattle suburbs. It’s a different way of life growing up in a concrete grid city with more access to entertainment/restaurants vs space to roam - less entertainment and sun.
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