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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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People exaggerate the rent in Seattle. There are still many brand new high rise apartments available that you can afford on that, and rents may drop soon as more are completed and offered for rent. I have people making 60-70k that are doing just fine in nice parts of like West Seattle and Ballard. Buying a home is another matter, though still much less than SF.
Moving to Seattle will save you some cash, but the COL gap has definitely narrowed in recent years. In addition to that, I don't think it will solve the other problems you speak of. This city is infamous for it's icy social atmosphere (There's countless threads here on "The Freeze", and articles on Google about it), and a difficult dating scene for men. I've read some posts on CD of people complaining of a freeze in the Bay Area too, but my (albeit limited) experience down there says otherwise - people seemed friendlier/easier to chat up than here.
Unless the job you're interviewing for is offering a nice pay raise, you'd probably be better off moving elsewhere if saving money is the goal, as COL is only going to keep going up here, and there are other, cheaper cities with good jobs/amenities where you won't have to worry about that as much. Additionally, SF just seems like a far more interesting place for a single person - just my opinion (others here will disagree). Seattle is a nice city overall, but it's no SF when it comes to amenities and perks.
I wish I had better news regarding the dating scene. The male-female ratio is pretty skewed in "Silicon Valley North" among young adults. I did meet my wife here, so it's not completely hopeless.
Moving to Seattle will save you some cash, but the COL gap has definitely narrowed in recent years. In addition to that, I don't think it will solve the other problems you speak of. This city is infamous for it's icy social atmosphere (There's countless threads here on "The Freeze", and articles on Google about it), and a difficult dating scene for men. I've read some posts on CD of people complaining of a freeze in the Bay Area too, but my (albeit limited) experience down there says otherwise - people seemed friendlier/easier to chat up than here.
Unless the job you're interviewing for is offering a nice pay raise, you'd probably be better off moving elsewhere if saving money is the goal, as COL is only going to keep going up here, and there are other, cheaper cities with good jobs/amenities where you won't have to worry about that as much. Additionally, SF just seems like a far more interesting place for a single person - just my opinion (others here will disagree). Seattle is a nice city overall, but it's no SF when it comes to amenities and perks.
I work as an Industrial Designer which really limits the areas where I can find consistent work. SF, Chicago, Seattle, and New York are generally the big markets.
I looked around on CL at apartments and it definitely seems like I would be able to afford a much nicer apartment than what I have now in my price range which is ideally as far under $1200 as possible. And on top of that I would be much closer to nightlife in a neighborhood like Capital Hill, Queen Anne, or if I want to go even cheaper, Fremont or Ballard. This is all in comparison to living out in Ingleside/Daly City in SF where it takes a good 45 mins (on a good day with no delays) to get to a neighborhood where there's actually stuff to do.
Right now, if all things were equal between SF and Seattle, I would move for the sole reason of being close to my brother and his family. My brother and I are pretty close. Family has become a bigger priority for me since our father passed away a year ago so it's just me, my brother, and my mom now.
As long as the dating and social scene in Seattle isn't worse than SF, I think I could live with that knowing that I'll be closer to nightlife and have more opportunities to be social. I've done rec sports leagues and random meetups in the past so I know what I need to do to get myself out there to meet people.
I work as an Industrial Designer which really limits the areas where I can find consistent work. SF, Chicago, Seattle, and New York are generally the big markets.
I looked around on CL at apartments and it definitely seems like I would be able to afford a much nicer apartment than what I have now in my price range which is ideally as far under $1200 as possible. And on top of that I would be much closer to nightlife in a neighborhood like Capital Hill, Queen Anne, or if I want to go even cheaper, Fremont or Ballard. This is all in comparison to living out in Ingleside/Daly City in SF where it takes a good 45 mins (on a good day with no delays) to get to a neighborhood where there's actually stuff to do.
Right now, if all things were equal between SF and Seattle, I would move for the sole reason of being close to my brother and his family. My brother and I are pretty close. Family has become a bigger priority for me since our father passed away a year ago so it's just me, my brother, and my mom now.
As long as the dating and social scene in Seattle isn't worse than SF, I think I could live with that knowing that I'll be closer to nightlife and have more opportunities to be social. I've done rec sports leagues and random meetups in the past so I know what I need to do to get myself out there to meet people.
OP, I don't know where you can find a "nice" apt. under $1200, unless you're talking about a studio. As to Daly City/Ingleside & nightlife, IDK why you haven't moved to Berkeley/Oakland, where the rents are lower, the nightlife is close by, and the commute to SF is easy.
But, whatever. I hope Seattle works out for you. And btw, a lot of newcomers to this sub-forum would be very interested in those secret stashes of "nice" apartments around Seattle that rent for well under $1200.
Oh, and that reminds me; BEWARE of entire buildings renting as "studios" that are significantly below the general market rate. There are buildings in or near Capital Hill and the University District that are full of units called "apodments", NOT apartments. These are more like dorm-style bedroom/bath arrangements clustered around a shared kitchen and common area. Some owners/LL's advertise them as studios. There are also similarly misrepresented units that are studios advertised as 1-br. apartments. These skirt the building codes and rental laws, by having a sliding door set up to divide the space in two, thereby allowing it to be advertised as a 1-br. I suspect that at least some of the units you're finding that are so "affordable" are this type of scam. If you're ok with a studio with a room divider for a sleeping alcove, fine, but don't think you're getting a conventional 1-br. apt. for the price.
OP, I don't know where you can find a "nice" apt. under $1200, unless you're talking about a studio. As to Daly City/Ingleside & nightlife, IDK why you haven't moved to Berkeley/Oakland, where the rents are lower, the nightlife is close by, and the commute to SF is easy.
But, whatever. I hope Seattle works out for you. And btw, a lot of newcomers to this sub-forum would be very interested in those secret stashes of "nice" apartments around Seattle that rent for well under $1200.
Oh, and that reminds me; BEWARE of entire buildings renting as "studios" that are significantly below the general market rate. There are buildings in or near Capital Hill and the University District that are full of units called "apodments", NOT apartments. These are more like dorm-style bedroom/bath arrangements clustered around a shared kitchen and common area. Some owners/LL's advertise them as studios. There are also similarly misrepresented units that are studios advertised as 1-br. apartments. These skirt the building codes and rental laws, by having a sliding door set up to divide the space in two, thereby allowing it to be advertised as a 1-br. I suspect that at least some of the units you're finding that are so "affordable" are this type of scam. If you're ok with a studio with a room divider for a sleeping alcove, fine, but don't think you're getting a conventional 1-br. apt. for the price.
I guess "nice" is all relative. I'm looking at apartments with 1 or 2 roommates. Right now I'm paying 1100 a month for a 10x12 room in a triplex apartment built in the early 80s with no updated appliances and I have two roommates. If for whatever reason I stay here, I'd be looking at Oakland/Berkeley when my lease runs out in July. I have to commute down to SJ occassionally for work so that was part of my reasoning for living where I am now in Ingleside.
I guess "nice" is all relative. I'm looking at apartments with 1 or 2 roommates. Right now I'm paying 1100 a month for a 10x12 room in a triplex apartment built in the early 80s with no updated appliances and I have two roommates. If for whatever reason I stay here, I'd be looking at Oakland/Berkeley when my lease runs out in July. I have to commute down to SJ occassionally for work so that was part of my reasoning for living where I am now in Ingleside.
OK, thanks, this helps fill in the picture. If you're looking for house or apartment "shares", that's a different ballgame. You're smart to start out modestly, like that.
I guess "nice" is all relative. I'm looking at apartments with 1 or 2 roommates. Right now I'm paying 1100 a month for a 10x12 room in a triplex apartment built in the early 80s with no updated appliances and I have two roommates. If for whatever reason I stay here, I'd be looking at Oakland/Berkeley when my lease runs out in July. I have to commute down to SJ occassionally for work so that was part of my reasoning for living where I am now in Ingleside.
Unless you made a very lucky find, $1100 puts you pretty strictly into vintage studio/microstudio/roomshare territory here - especially if you want to live around Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, etc. If by "nice", you mean modern appliances and hardwood floors, roomshares will be the way to go.
I work as an Industrial Designer which really limits the areas where I can find consistent work. SF, Chicago, Seattle, and New York are generally the big markets.
I looked around on CL at apartments and it definitely seems like I would be able to afford a much nicer apartment than what I have now in my price range which is ideally as far under $1200 as possible. And on top of that I would be much closer to nightlife in a neighborhood like Capital Hill, Queen Anne, or if I want to go even cheaper, Fremont or Ballard. This is all in comparison to living out in Ingleside/Daly City in SF where it takes a good 45 mins (on a good day with no delays) to get to a neighborhood where there's actually stuff to do.
Right now, if all things were equal between SF and Seattle, I would move for the sole reason of being close to my brother and his family. My brother and I are pretty close. Family has become a bigger priority for me since our father passed away a year ago so it's just me, my brother, and my mom now.
As long as the dating and social scene in Seattle isn't worse than SF, I think I could live with that knowing that I'll be closer to nightlife and have more opportunities to be social. I've done rec sports leagues and random meetups in the past so I know what I need to do to get myself out there to meet people.
I've already shared ad nauseum about my travails as a single man seeking romance in Seattle, but I'd highlight your priority for being close to kin as decisive. If you do manage to have a family of your own, being close to an uncle, aunt & possible cousins is priceless. Even if you had to sacrifice on other material considerations such as housing costs or career ambitions, being close to family has advantages that many forget in our modern transient lifestyles of independence & self-actualization.
You note:
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It's been difficult making close friends here, I feel like I have a ton of acquaintances here that come and go but few really close friends.
This has regrettably also been my experience during my few years in Seattle. It's a booming transient city filled with ambitious people on their way to something (or someplace) else (hopefully more towards their dreams than the mirage that it seems). Many here blame what would otherwise seem to be ordinary urban atomization on the legendary "Seattle Freeze." I'm not so sure how much of the mentality that leaves relationships as a lower priority is particularly unique to Seattle or rather merely a common feature of our competitive mobile turbo-capitalist culture typical to almost all our big modern post-industrial cities.
In your case I hope that the change in scenery gives you the impulse to relaunch your life in a way that you can find fulfillment & satisfaction you seek. It might be just what you need.
Regarding housing...
Think about this carefully...
I won't advise one way or the other, but from where I stand it looks like homes that now cost $800K will soon cost $1.2M, much more likely than they will ever again cost $600K much less $400K. It would be heartbreaking to make a successful exodus to Seattle and then be locked out of the housing escalator and remaining forever slave of your landlord. Of course first settle in, but do keep your eyes open to opportunities.
On the other hand, being in a neighborhood frequented by aspiring Princesses seeking their Prince Charming may yield worthwhile dividends. I bought a house right away. While I'm happy I got on the property escalator while I could still (gulp) afford it, I'm hardly in a neighborhood with the right demographics / ethnicity / class where I might expect to encounter my kind of match for a potential princess. To find a princess or prince, we have to be at Prince Charming's Ball, no matter how much or little we actually like Balls. I might found life more satisfying & happy had I planted myself in a neighborhood where I might have flourished among more among like-minded individuals... even if I had to make compromises regarding home-ownership. This question might be particularly relevant to the original inquiry of this thread; perhaps others might want to share about how important the spirit and character of a neighborhood is for social integration & life satisfaction. Have you found most of your friends in the immediate vicinity of where you've lived? If not, what compromises & challenges did that entail?
Finally regarding dating...
Don't know how desperate the situation in San Francisco is but don't expect it to be easier here.
Yet contrary to the impressions many have drawn from my remarks here, I've never said it's impossible. However men will need to make efforts and compromises here that they wouldn't have to make in almost any major city its size.
Compare the numbers of unmarried women to men between the ages of 25 - 34.
Seattle has 79 women for 100 men while San Francisco has 84 women for 100 men. World singles map. Set age, height and weight wishes. Travel.
This doesn't even include calculations for all those men in Western Washington's aerospace manufacturing towns or military & naval bases that surround Seattle. Even INCLUDING its significant military presence, San "Man" Diego scores 78. Of major US cities, Seattle offers single men the 2nd most challenging demographics, after San Jose.
Many have objected to my previous observations, claiming that I'm asserting that there are no worthy women in Seattle. This is not the case. There certainly are some... You'll have to put yourself out there and put in the effort to find them as you yourself suggest. Maybe they will be just to your taste...
But THERE ARE FEWER and the competition is indeed fierce. The crux of the frequent argument here has been that while some claim that men in Seattle are too meek or otherwise socially stunted to approach and charm the ladies, others assert that women are so spoilt for choice that they not only hardly have to put in any effort at all to get plenty of attention but they also make efforts in ways small and large to minimize or otherwise avoid the wrong kinds of attention from the wrong kinds of men that they claim "don't count." Finally, being spoiled by so many options hardly engenders good manners & behavior in either men... or in women as is the case here.
Dating for men in Seattle is a lot like house-hunting in the city's current overheated and imbalanced market. It's not that there are no homes available for sale and you'll have to go homeless like the countless forced into tents, campers or sleeping rough. You'll just need to settle for the best opportunity you can afford from the very limited inventory and then then be prepared to spend a lot more for that house that would be much less expensive elsewhere in the country. Also you'll need to be prepared to participate in frantic bidding wars with dozens of other suitors... I mean home-buyers...
But don't let any of this discourage you.
There are plenty of happily ever afters in those cozy little Seattle homes where they may indeed be paying $3500++ monthly for their mortgage, just as there are sometimes also happy endings for men who marry the sweethearts they've met in this wet crowded Emerald City.
OP, I don't know where you can find a "nice" apt. under $1200, unless you're talking about a studio. As to Daly City/Ingleside & nightlife, IDK why you haven't moved to Berkeley/Oakland, where the rents are lower, the nightlife is close by, and the commute to SF is easy.
But, whatever. I hope Seattle works out for you. And btw, a lot of newcomers to this sub-forum would be very interested in those secret stashes of "nice" apartments around Seattle that rent for well under $1200.
Oh, and that reminds me; BEWARE of entire buildings renting as "studios" that are significantly below the general market rate. There are buildings in or near Capital Hill and the University District that are full of units called "apodments", NOT apartments. These are more like dorm-style bedroom/bath arrangements clustered around a shared kitchen and common area. Some owners/LL's advertise them as studios. There are also similarly misrepresented units that are studios advertised as 1-br. apartments. These skirt the building codes and rental laws, by having a sliding door set up to divide the space in two, thereby allowing it to be advertised as a 1-br. I suspect that at least some of the units you're finding that are so "affordable" are this type of scam. If you're ok with a studio with a room divider for a sleeping alcove, fine, but don't think you're getting a conventional 1-br. apt. for the price.
Why are you so negative on SROs / Dorms / Apodments?
These seem to be a legitimate product reflecting an alternative lifestyle that appeals to some.
If there were no market for them, they'd stop building them.
Shared facilities like that might be a glimpse of a future when people don't need / want / wish to pay for their own kitchens and bathrooms.
Also, if it attracts the right kind of crowd / neighbors, perhaps it could offer a communal urban existence that is an antidote to the epidemic anomie & atomization?
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