For those leaving Seattle or who have left recently? Why did you leave and do you have regrets? (Everett: new home, safe neighborhood)

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Is White Center a decent neighborhood? My info may be out-of-date, but I was told it was ghetto, and to be avoided. It's definitely well-priced, though, with some well-maintained properties.

As Seattle proper got more and more expensive, pricing a lot of regular middle class people from buying there, some flocked to White Center, making it a lot nicer than it used to be. It's still not Laurelhurst, but now it's a combination of artsy, multi ethnic, and ghetto. I like it. It's got some of the best Mexican food and some of the best pizza in Seattle. Plus I get the impression that it's going to be annexed by the city of Seattle at some point in the next few years, which should further improve it.

[amaiunmei]

I agree about White Center being funky, but disagree about Seattle annexing it. Don't think that will happen: this is largely due to the tax structure of the area.

As things currently stand, Seattle makes more money NOT annexing White Center than annexing it. Seattle was effectively offered a tax break a year ago to annex White Center and it still has not annexed the area because White Center would cost more money to operate than they want to spend.

Burien desperately wants to annex White Center, but the offer gets voted down.

Hence the current status of White Center being unincorporated.

[cmswazey]

I really don't know which streets out there are nicer or safer since I go to the commercial parts. Those are funky. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the streets in Top Hat which adjoins White Ctr. It hasn't had the best rep and is probably cheaper but it actually seemed pretty nice.

You can check crime stats by address and that's probably a good thing to do. We did that when we moved to Arbor Hts. Friends were pulling long faces and muttering darkly about housing projects and Delridge. (This was at least two or three booms ago)

[XoXSciFiGuy]

Well, maybe some of the other commenters were right when they said the problems I mentioned were common to most major cities. Just seems like Seattle has the usual problems to a greater degree these days than in previous years.


I won't be sorry to leave. But I will miss it. Yes.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by XoXSciFiGuy

Well, maybe some of the other commenters were right when they said the problems I mentioned were common to most major cities. Just seems like Seattle has the usual problems to a greater degree these days than in previous years.

I won't be sorry to leave. But I will miss it. Yes.

Good luck in your new town!

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by amaiunmei

I agree about White Center being funky, but disagree about Seattle annexing it. Don't think that will happen: this is largely due to the tax structure of the area.

As things currently stand, Seattle makes more money NOT annexing White Center than annexing it. Seattle was effectively offered a tax break a year ago to annex White Center and it still has not annexed the area because White Center would cost more money to operate than they want to spend.

Burien desperately wants to annex White Center, but the offer gets voted down.

Hence the current status of White Center being unincorporated.

The annexation process takes forever. However, I'm willing to wager a beer that White Center will be annexed by Seattle. I might be an old man before I'm able to collect on it.

[cmswazey]

Didn't Burien also intro a possible merger there?

[lisa4travel55]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSEALover

Or were you forced by the absurd change in affordability? (My question)

I haven't moved yet, but I'm happy to read the opinions in this thread. I lived in Olympia most of my life. I knew I would want to leave the state eventually, mostly because of the weather. I moved to Kirkland 6 1/2 years ago as a baby step to see how I would do living somewhere where I knew nobody.

Now I'm ready to move on.

The weather is a growing factor for me. I am not built for this. I need sunshine.

Additionally, the traffic has become unbearable. It used to take me an hour and 15 minutes to drive to Olympia to visit friends. Now it takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. So I just don't bother anymore.

While I have made some friends here, it's been difficult and I've made very few new friends in the past few years. I was really fortunate when I first moved here in that I fell in with a great group of people due to my living in a huge apartment complex (which is not my style at all, but I'm glad that I did, or I wouldn't have made those friends).

And now I'm getting to the point that I just can't justify the cost any longer. The job market has not been good to me since I moved up here. I've been a little unlucky in my jobs to say the least. While I've managed to pay off all of my debt and even get some money saved (because I sacrifice things like cable and manicures and eating out), I feel that I would thrive better elsewhere. It is just too expensive to live here, particularly in a single income scenario.

So for me, I am looking forward to a change. I don't know where or when it will be, but it will happen. I will miss my friends and our beautiful summers, but nothing else.

[Flightoficarus87]

After a lot of thought on the matter, I have decided I that I'm planning to leave Seattle next year (More likely than not at least, depends on my job search/evaluation of cities I plan to visit first). I'm choosing to leave for the same reasons as many others are, but I'll elaborate below..

Weather - I used to find the grey and rain to be relaxing. Finally burned out on that, and the dark winters.

The "Freeze" - Up for debate of course, but I feel it's real, and it makes for a very challenging time trying to make new friends and date. People I've come across in other cities just seem friendlier, more outgoing, and easy-going overall. Even in places not really known for being friendly or polite.

Skyrocketing COL - I don't see any sign of relief in sight either (I expect it to get worse). Seattle is well on it's way to becoming a member of the "elite COL" club, and it's become an incentive for me to consider living in places that I think I'd rather live, that I previously wrote off as being too expensive.

Traffic - Awful, and only going to get worse. ST3 will take far too long to implement to really help things here.

Don't get me wrong, there's many things I love (and will miss) about Seattle, but I definitely see change on the horizon for me, with how it's changed/I've changed as a person.

[WANative]

I left 3 years ago for the same reasons as everyone else... Weather (I fricking love the sun and heat), traffic and col. I'm in South Florida and absolutely LOVE IT down here. I'll never move back.