Anyone move to Seattle from the midwest? (Everett, Issaquah: 2014, condo)

[metoque]

Originally Posted by Cherry Heart

The thing I am wondering about the Seattle area is just how "wet" it is. I truly understand that it mists and drizzles a lot, but I am wondering about what it's like for outside activities. I am a California girl, who has been living in Missouri for the last 10 years. I truly hate this state. Summers are Hot and Muggy, winters are Dry and freezing. When it rains it's a down pour, and leaves the ground as a sucking muddy mess and it's no good going out to play with my dogs. I could list 1,000 other reasons I hate Missouri, but what I am trying to figure out about Seattle, is if it's outside activity friendly. I would love the cloud cover (as I burn easily, and hate anything over 70 degrees) but I would hate to run my dogs if the back yard was always a lake or mud pit. I have some family and friends in the Seattle area, and my husband and I are talking about going out for a visit in April to visit, but I am wondering what it's really like.

Seattle is extremely wet for most of the year...don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'm a California boy and moved up here 5.5 years ago. I absolutely love so many things about Seattle, but the weather is driving me nuts. If you don't love the rain and the clouds, then I would NOT move here. You may like it ok the first 1, 2 or even 3 years, but it will likely wear on you UNLESS you love this kind of weather.

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by Cherry Heart

The thing I am wondering about the Seattle area is just how "wet" it is. I truly understand that it mists and drizzles a lot, but I am wondering about what it's like for outside activities. I am a California girl, who has been living in Missouri for the last 10 years. I truly hate this state. Summers are Hot and Muggy, winters are Dry and freezing. When it rains it's a down pour, and leaves the ground as a sucking muddy mess and it's no good going out to play with my dogs. I could list 1,000 other reasons I hate Missouri, but what I am trying to figure out about Seattle, is if it's outside activity friendly. I would love the cloud cover (as I burn easily, and hate anything over 70 degrees) but I would hate to run my dogs if the back yard was always a lake or mud pit. I have some family and friends in the Seattle area, and my husband and I are talking about going out for a visit in April to visit, but I am wondering what it's really like.

More like it's soggy for nine months, as opposed to having big puddles of water all over the place. If it's drizzling out, and it has been for the past two weeks, your feet might squish into the ground a little, and you'll want to make sure to wipe your feet or take off your shoes before you go back in the house. At least that's what it's been like for me. I remember splashing around in gigantic puddles in the Midwest after a heavy rainstorm. I don't see that a lot around here.

[lindsey2032]

I've been a Kansas girl my whole life until just a little over a month ago. My boyfriend was transferred here for work. I grew up in Johnson County, just south of the Kansas City area. So here's my take so far...


Pros:

It's a beautiful state - breathtaking mountains, valleys, rivers and the ocean. There are a lot different stores, restaurants, cafes, etc. The foliage is beautiful, for sure, and it's definitely green. The temperatures are very mild (it's been consistently in the 40's since we've been here, usually on the upper end) and there is almost always something to do. My absolute favorite part of this state so far is the beach! There's an amazing dog beach in Edmonds that I adore. Sand, waves, lots of small rocks and shells to beachcomb through, etc. The attitudes of most of the people here seem pretty relaxed and laid back, but I've actually met several pretty friendly, outgoing people. There's the opportunity to go boating, check out Sea World and the Seattle Aquarium, hike a mountain, and all sorts of things not possible in the midwest.


Cons:

It's VERY grey here. And drizzly. That has *definitely* taken it's toll on my mood and has given me a horrible case of the "blahs." It's a really big difference from my wonderful Kansas sunshine! Seattle itself (and nearly all of the surrounding areas) isn't a very attractive city. Yeah, the few trees and moss and whatnot is pretty, but there's just so many junky looking buildings all over. It's certainly low on the "aesthetically pleasing" scale. That being said, I could be considered a snobby "JoCoHo," as we're sometimes called, because I'm used to really nice city landscaping, lots of space/land around nice, updated buildings, higher-income housing and all that comes with those things. I'm not used to seeing multiple beggars and homeless people on every block, no landscaping, and just grey, dated buildings everywhere. If you're familiar with the Kansas City area at all, being here is literally like being in Independence (Mo), I feel. But again, that's probably me just being stuck up from living around Leawood, Kansas too long!

There are a couple nice areas like Kirkland and Bellevue, but since they're on the east side, across the water, and separated from Seattle by a VERY expensive toll bridge, they're not an option for us based on my boyfriend's work location. Speaking of expensive, the housing here is absolutely crazy, price wise. It's literally almost twice the cost of the (much nicer!) places in Kansas. Groceries are more, basic necessities are more, almost everything is more. Little Caesar's pizzas are still $5, thank God, because we've been having to live on them, macaroni & cheese, ramen and pb&j's since we got here. Not even kidding.




Basically, I'd say this is a lovely place to visit. Maybe it'll grow on me more with time, and once I plant some roots or something (not having family or friends is a huge downfall), but for now, I'm really missing the Heartland!

[DisRunR]

Interesting thread, leaving the Chicago area soon to head to Seattle area, husband received job offer in Woodinville. Have grown up here and enjoyed last 7 summers in WI. My kids and I are use to summer days by the lake.....
I haven't had much time to stress over the weather yet as the move and everything is enough to deal with.
I am hoping the grey days aren't as bad as they are being painted to be on these forums

[metoque]

Originally Posted by DisRunR

I am hoping the grey days aren't as bad as they are being painted to be on these forums

Unfortunately, they are. Seattle has tons of great characteristics, but the climate is depressing.

[DisRunR]

Originally Posted by lindsey2032

I've been a Kansas girl my whole life until just a little over a month ago. My boyfriend was transferred here for work. I grew up in Johnson County, just south of the Kansas City area. So here's my take




Basically, I'd say this is a lovely place to visit. Maybe it'll grow on me more with time, and once I plant some roots or something (not having family or friends is a huge downfall), but for now, I'm really missing the Heartland!

lindsey2032 thanks for the pro's , especially the beach, we have a choc lab that is a swimmer and will miss our campground lake in WI thanks for the cons, although once we get settled in Woodinville, hopefully,
I will invite you up to "wine country" "JoCoHo"
We are fortunate and have some friends, a relative in area, change is never easy, but home is where your heart is.

Watch, months from now I may be back complaining and moaning lol

[PonyProse]

Hey DisRunR! It's Lindsey2032 - I just got a better username.


You'll love the dog beach - it's awesome!!! I have an Aussie/Lab mix and he looooves the water, so that beach has been a lifesaver.

You'll have to fill me in on this "wine country" you speak of, haha! Anyway, if you ever want to meet up on the dog beach, shoot me a message!

[Bimmerfanboy]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

There are TONS of Midwesterners in Seattle. I'm one of them. And it seems like most of them are from Michigan.

If you are from the Upper Midwest, you will appreciate the milder winters & summers here. But there is still less sunshine year round on average compared to the Midwest. Keep that mind, if you a prone to seasonal depression.

Yup another metro Detroiter here.
A lot of the engineers from GM/Ford/Chrysler and suppliers found work here after the auto industry collapse.

[Bimmerfanboy]

I've been in Seattle roughly 7 years now. From a Midwesterner's perspective (Detroit suburbanite) here is my take:

Pros:
- Incredible job market and career opportunities
- Many people (especially on the East side) are wealthy. You'll easily see nice cars driving around everywhere. Detroit also has some pretty wealthy suburbs but companies in Seattle definitely pay more than the auto companies in Detroit.
- Seattle is a very diverse and young city. There are many Asians and a growing influx of Indians (Microsoft is hiring a lot from there). Many of these people are young and single or small families. Detroit area was mostly white but there were a good number of Indians, just older most established folks.
- Natural beauty. Seattle has mountains, lakes, etc.
- The University of Washington is a fantastic public university with top graduate programs. Many sources have named it as the 3rd or 4th best public university in the nation.
- Very liberal atmosphere if you are into that.
- Downtown Bellevue is THE place to be. Downtown Seattle is also a nice place to go on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
- The metro area is pretty small compared to Detroit and other older cities. You can literally drive from the south end of the suburbs to the north end in less than an hour (saves gas money and time). If you drive one hour East of Seattle you'll end up in the woods. Other cities are not like that. Because of this, Seattle feels like a giant metropolis instead of a city isolated from its suburbs).
- Excellent public transportation. Most other cities do not have such an extensive bus system. It's so convenient and saves money.

Cons:
- The weather is terrible. In Detroit we did get snow and bitter cold for 3-4 months but after that it was OK. I miss having all 4 seasons.
- Too liberal. I'm an Indian and our culture is generally conservative. There's not many people sharing similar beliefs as me so it feels a bit isolated.
- Not many people are religious. Now I'm not condemning anybody for not being religious; that's their lifestyle choice. It just feels so awkward being in a place where very few people are religious. I'm not even Christian.
- Terrible sports teams. Sure the Seahawks had a good season but other than that, the sports scene here is atrocious on both the professional and collegiate level. Detroit on the other hand has one of the richest sports cultures in the nation. The Red Wings have been making the playoffs for 20+ years and hold 10+ stanley cups to their name. That place is hockey crazy. The Pistons have a rich history and most recenty had a 8-9 stint of competing for championships. The Tigers compete for the world series regularly and won it back in '84. Sure the Lions are terrible but there's some hope plus the franchise does hold 4 championships to its name. Collegiate sports are amazing. University of Michigan football is one of the greatest programs in history. UM basketball is ranked #7. Michigan State has a rich basketball history.
- Too isolated. On a long weekend you can either go to Portland, Vancouver, or Whistler BC. Portland is incredibly boring. Vancouver is excellent but after going there 4 times a year I've exhausted everything there is to do there. Same goes for Whistler.
- Again, too isolated. This part of the nation sits a little under the radar due to its geographical location. We don't get much love from the national media or sports media.
- It never feels like Christmas
- Not as much spirit for holidays and traditions as I would like. Halloween, Christmas, etc. are not as widely celebrated here.
- It's hard to meet a Seattle native. Most people you'll meet are transplants from elsewhere in the nation due to the stellar job market. From what I hear, Seattle was a very different place before the tech boom of the '90s. This is probably why most of the population is young here.
- As an Indian, I remember Detroit, Chicago, and other nearby cities having big Indian populations with established communities. Many of the folks had been there since the 1980s. Seattle on the other hand is very young and is still establishing an Indian community. I've noticed that most folks have very small children.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Seatown1

From what I hear, Seattle was a very different place before the tech boom of the '90s.

Yeah, it was more normal.