Seattle demographics young like Portland and Austin?

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by JBVirtuoso

The part of your post I'm not sure I agree with is the part about Texas and Arizona. Are those really good places for young people? Having lived only in large dense cities as an adult, I feel like the uber-suburban Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix would feel like desolate wastelands. You can't do a pub crawl if all the bars are stretched out along a four-lane arterial. There are undoubtedly plenty of young people in those cities, but I'm not sure that someone from Chicago would find them appealing.

My only experience with Phoenix was at the airport, but god, everyone there was so old.

In my opinion, the best cities for young people are New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and DC. Those cities aren't cheap, and you may find them unappealing for other reasons, but they all have thriving economies that enable young people to have disposable incomes. If the OP wants a young city with a warm climate, San Francisco stands out as the clear winner in my mind. Los Angeles might also work, but I'm completely unimpressed with the place and hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Maybe I'm relying too much on personal experience and not hard statistics, but it seemed like in college (I went to school in the Upper Midwest), the popular choice was to move to sunny areas like Arizona or Texas after you graduate. Yeah, all the kids WANTED to move to California but they couldn't afford it or get jobs there. So Arizona was like the next best thing. But maybe you would know more.

Places like San Fran and NYC do appeal to younger transplants yes, but they appeal across the board to all age demographics. It sounded like the OP is looking for one that more or less exclusively brings in younger people, so it's easier to find them. I guess that's the real underlying problem with Seattle. There's not really an easy central location to find large amounts of young people here. They are scattered amongst all the families and retirees here. Then again, I don't know if Arizona and Texas have that either. Maybe I'm thinking too much of college towns. But even in college towns, there will still be more grads that stick around after they graduate.

[JBVirtuoso]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

Maybe I'm relying too much on personal experience and not hard statistics, but it seemed like in college (I went to school in the Upper Midwest), the popular choice was to move to sunny areas like Arizona or Texas after you graduate. Yeah, all the kids WANTED to move to California but they couldn't afford it or get jobs there. So Arizona was like the next best thing. But maybe you would know more.

Places like San Fran and NYC do appeal to younger transplants yes, but they appeal across the board to all age demographics. It sounded like the OP is looking for one that more or less exclusively brings in younger people, so it's easier to find them. I guess that's the real underlying problem with Seattle. There's not really an easy central location to find large amounts of young people here. They are scattered amongst all the families and retirees here. Then again, I don't know if Arizona and Texas have that either. Maybe I'm thinking too much of college towns. But even in college towns, there will still be more grads that stick around after they graduate.

I'm also relying on personal experience and not hard statistics. I'm just assuming that every other young person cares about the same stuff I do.

[Yankeemama]

The OP is 32, I think. The age sticks in my head because, as a a woman in her mid 40's , I can tell you that the last ten years gas flown by and women, unlike men, have a ticking clock that gets louder each year after 32. Our choices get smaller and the next thing you know, you moved several times, are single and wishing maybe, you just stayed put. I can't believe that a city line Chicago does not have enough potential mates for a 30 something woman. Portland sure doesn't, IMO. The hipster transplants are in their 20's and looking around, men in their mid-late 30's are married or not relationship material. I would find a partner in Chicago then move as a couple. Once married, one has to negotiate where to live anyway. Portland was a compromise for my husband and I. If still single, I wouldn't choose Portland but as I mentioned before... you won't be 32 forever. Just my two cents. Good luck to the OP.

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by tom331

Austin could be the place meeting most of your requirements. I have lived at both Austin and Seattle. If you like hot more than the cold weather, Austin is your place. otherwise Seattle is a nice place. Texas does not have state income tax, but the property tax is very high. For someone in your age, no state income tax might be out weight the high property tax.

Washington state has no state income tax, either.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by ukiyo-e

Washington state has no state income tax, either.

That was his point.

I have several friends who keeps calling us to move over to Texas. DH and I do like Texas, and we're also at the point of buying a home. The one thing that puts us off of Texas is the property tax (triple what it is here), and the fact that they also have as high a sales tax.

OP hasn't clarify (?) if s/he intends to buy a home as well. That's definitely a consideration.

[gookgette]

yeah, i was gonna buy eventually. texas property seems like it would be a good time to buy b/c there are so many ppl moving there. i know the property taxes are high, but i think the cost of the housing will rise in the next few yrs.

in any case, wherever i move, i don't intend to buy for another year or two after i get a feel for the area and find out if it's my city.


thanks, yankeemama, you're right. thanks for empathizing. yes, at 32, i definitely feel pressured with my biological clock... but meeting the right person is important. chicago is big, and i'd rather move as a couple, but i don't even want to look into dating again here b/c i'm already to leave... sigh... it's like -20 degrees here. NO JOKE. it's inhumane! and my landlord does not give us enough heat. i'm coughing as we speak lol... i can't take this anymore. whoever says moving for the weather is stupid has not lived in the frigid, icy midwest. my car is buried with a foot of snow, and i'm afraid to move it b/c then i'd lose my street parking and have to re-dig it out again. i spent 70 dollars on cabs.

[eskercurve]

OP you should live in Streeterville. Gorgeous women all over the place there!

People here are MUCH MUCH cooler and harder to get to know. In Chicago, you can make friends with dozens of people. Here you will be relegated to 5-6 close friends. At most. The rest will become acquaintances. Trust me, I'm from Chicago, and am quite outgoing and not quite the same IRL as my online persona LOL.

And the "young" vibe comes from particular neighborhoods. But in general, yeah, Seattle does have a younger feel to it until you get to the bigger money neighborhoods.

You will definitely escape the -25 deg lows and 1.5 ft of snow you guys are experiencing now (man I do NOT miss that!).

But you will get spitting rain and cloudy for 8 months of the year. Literally. So be prepared.

Also, be under no false impressions, Seattle has horrific traffic. You won't spend as much time in traffic but the highway system is a mess during the day going into or out of the major population centers here.

But you won't have the same diversity as an Alpha world city but that's unfair since Chicago area has roughly 10 million people. Seattle, including Olympia, which is a stretch, barely breaks 4 million. Seattle itself is roughly 600,000. So you will never get the same types or shades, but you will have different shades. More asians per capita here. Fewer hispanics (unless you go south of I-90 or out to places like Puyallup).

All in all, if you tire of Chicago, come try Seattle out. Can't hurt to try. Just do come in the rainy season. If you can survive a few years of hte rainy season out here, you'll be set.

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by eskercurve

But in general, yeah, Seattle does have a younger feel to it until you get to the bigger money neighborhoods.

What is your definition of young and what neighborhoods are you specifically referencing? Seattle feels like a gigantic retirement community to me. OKay, maybe not that old but definitely not the 20s age range.

[JBVirtuoso]

The only areas that feel young to me as a 20-something are Capitol Hill, a piece of Fremont, and a few slices of South Lake Union and Belltown. The latter two are almost solely due to the fact that Amazon hires a lot of young people and pays them enough to live near HQ. I guess the U-District is young, but that's not going to appeal to someone who has nothing to do with UW. Queen Anne, Ballard, and the Junction have plenty of restaurants and bars, but if you go in them, you'll find that most people are at least 35 years old and many are empty nesters.

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

There's not really an easy central location to find large amounts of young people here. They are scattered amongst all the families and retirees here.

Have you ever walked around Capitol Hill? I mean I live there and I am a fairly young 36, and some days I feel like a relic! It's a very young part of town.