Sammamish- Very conservative? (Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond: homes, neighborhood, to buy)

[mjdboulder]

Hi All,
Our family is considering a move to the Seattle suburbs, and a friend of our suggested Sammamish. I haven't been in person, but the homes look beautiful and the schools look like they are great too. I have one question maybe someone can help me with- is it very conservative in Sammamish? We are coming from Boulder Colorado, which is the ultimate in very liberal, artsy, free thinkers. Would it be a culture shock to move to Sammamish? I read somewhere it's very conservative, considering how liberal Seattle is. Is that true? I would love some input from those who live there or know it well on what it's like. I do lean liberal and wonder if I would feel like I fish out of water.

Thanks for your advice!

[American Expat]

Originally Posted by mjdboulder

Hi All,
Our family is considering a move to the Seattle suburbs, and a friend of our suggested Sammamish. I haven't been in person, but the homes look beautiful and the schools look like they are great too. I have one question maybe someone can help me with- is it very conservative in Sammamish? We are coming from Boulder Colorado, which is the ultimate in very liberal, artsy, free thinkers. Would it be a culture shock to move to Sammamish? I read somewhere it's very conservative, considering how liberal Seattle is. Is that true? I would love some input from those who live there or know it well on what it's like. I do lean liberal and wonder if I would feel like I fish out of water.

Thanks for your advice!

It's a beautiful and very well to do area that has a lot of Microsoft workers living there. Definitely more conservative than Seattle but on the whole, a liberal leaning area like all of King County. You will find liberals, conservatives, and probably mostly moderate people in Sammamish. I consider it a highly desirable location especially on the lake.

[mjdboulder]

Thank you for your quick response I am hoping to visit soon, but you can't tell what a culture or heart of an area is like until you live there and immerse yourself. I have kids, and I would love for them to grow up with others who are open minded and accepting of all people. It really looks gorgeous! Thanks again for your opinion...

[American Expat]

Originally Posted by mjdboulder

Thank you for your quick response I am hoping to visit soon, but you can't tell what a culture or heart of an area is like until you live there and immerse yourself. I have kids, and I would love for them to grow up with others who are open minded and accepting of all people. It really looks gorgeous! Thanks again for your opinion...

Sammamish is almost 30% Asian and has excellent schools. But I agree you need to visit to see Sammamish, Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond to understand the pros and cons of each for your taste. Politically, Trump only 21% of the votes in King County so as a Republican, I know my opinions and beliefs are not shared by the overwhelming majority in the area.

[homesinseattle]

Hi Boulder,

Sammamish would be a touch more conservative than Seattle but would still lean heavily Democratoc. You mentioned "artsy" and "free thinking". Seattle proper might be more in line with that vibe, are you sure you can't live there?

[Hemlock140]

We have been in Sammamish 25 years and have never regretted our decision to buy here. As mentioned before, we are now 30% Asian, mostly Immigrants from India, and despite the median household income of $160,000, there is more diversity of income now since Klahanie was annexed. I agree that our city is not Seattle, but is still definitely not what could be considered conservative.

[StealthRabbit]

Having come from NoCo to WA, You will find the whole of WA much more liberal leaning (even conservatives)

I would certainly not call either "open minded and accepting of all people". especially the liberal leaning. "accepting and OPEN mind" does not describe anyone radically polarized, Libs very much are 'group think', as long as you agree and confirm to them that they are the right and ONLY view you will be safe and not be ostracized. (They LOVE to shut out opinions and certainly discussion of opinions.

WA is quite a lot more 'accepting' than OR or No CA, but it is a very passive (sometimes aggressive) that they are congenial but really can't stand to be 'bothered' by you. That is the significant difference culturally, In CO you may have been able to 'talk-over-the-fence' / or at grocery stores and meeting on the street. WA people like their space and independence. While congenial, they can't wait for the conversation to end so they can 'cocoon'. Pre-cell phone we arrived in PNW to find 10 of our 12 neighbors had unlisted numbers, and they were intent on keeping it that way. While you may see your neighbors every few days. In most cases you will not have a meaningful conversation with them only once every few yrs. (maybe). If you die, they will not notice until you smell really bad. If I were infirmed, / bedridden with disease or illness, I would not want it to be in WA!!! In CO, people would be mowing your lawn, shoveling your walks, feeding your kids (without you asking). That would be rare in WA.

You will be fine, and not see anything significantly different than Boulder, UNLESS you ride bikes. Seattle is a wannabe bike town. Boulder has go the lead there. (+/-)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Having come from NoCo to WA, You will find the whole of WA much more liberal leaning (even conservatives)

I would certainly not call either "open minded and accepting of all people". especially the liberal leaning. "accepting and OPEN mind" does not describe anyone radically polarized, Libs very much are 'group think', as long as you agree and confirm to them that they are the right and ONLY view you will be safe and not be ostracized. (They LOVE to shut out opinions and certainly discussion of opinions.

WA is quite a lot more 'accepting' than OR or No CA, but it is a very passive (sometimes aggressive) that they are congenial but really can't stand to be 'bothered' by you. That is the significant difference culturally, In CO you may have been able to 'talk-over-the-fence' / or at grocery stores and meeting on the street. WA people like their space and independence. While congenial, they can't wait for the conversation to end so they can 'cocoon'. Pre-cell phone we arrived in PNW to find 10 of our 12 neighbors had unlisted numbers, and they were intent on keeping it that way. While you may see your neighbors every few days. In most cases you will not have a meaningful conversation with them only once every few yrs. (maybe). If you die, they will not notice until you smell really bad. If I were infirmed, / bedridden with disease or illness, I would not want it to be in WA!!! In CO, people would be mowing your lawn, shoveling your walks, feeding your kids (without you asking). That would be rare in WA.

You will be fine, and not see anything significantly different than Boulder, UNLESS you ride bikes. Seattle is a wannabe bike town. Boulder has go the lead there. (+/-)

I have seen that in Seattle, where I work, but here in Sammamish it's not the same. We talk to our neighbors almost every day, help each other at times, such as watering the yard when on vacation. Last time we had snow a neighboring kid offered to shovel my driveway when he saw me doing it. Whenever we go to the grocery store I end up waiting while my wife talks to someone she knows and runs into there. On the morning bus that I take to work, the entire back end is full of conversation as we have all gotten to know each other despite being from several different cities such as Sammamish (me) Issaquah, North Bend and Snoqualmie.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by mjdboulder

Thank you for your quick response I am hoping to visit soon, but you can't tell what a culture or heart of an area is like until you live there and immerse yourself. I have kids, and I would love for them to grow up with others who are open minded and accepting of all people. It really looks gorgeous! Thanks again for your opinion...

Oh, that's just swell. Like the inverse isn't true, that Conservatives somehow will give kids a hard time. Welcome to the trouble this country is in, 2018.

This is greater Seattle, not some dust bowl Midwestern hell. I'll not mention names; some places I've been to this year for business in the Heartland are a helluva lot more small-minded than Puget Sound area, as evidenced by 1,001 cultural things I observed. And even they are not exactly small-minded; rather, just clearly not Liberal. The country is changing for the better in terms of tolerance. I'm not afraid of that. But a large swath of Americans are fed up to the gills with corrupt media and insane-o stories that are lies, spin, and other BS.

I am Right Wing, full-on Republican, in NorKirk which is a neighborhood of Kirkland, WA. Who cares. My neighbors keep clear of my property, I do same, there is zero malice, but good fences make good neighbors. I don't know, or care, what they think about politics or anything else. Truly, I don't. I belong to a Kirkland DL on another forum and realize the bulk of my neighbors (in a community of 87,701 (2016 data)) have what are to *me* wacko positions on social and other matters. While irritating, *I don't really care*. That's the beauty of this area: keep out of others' business, they'll probably keep out of yours too. See: "the Freeze."

You'll be fine here, or you won't. I personally find the implication in the quoted, above, offensive, but you are entitled to your opinion and me, mine. I won't suppress yours. Few, if-any, here (Kirkland, Sammamish, Bellevue, anywhere else Eastside) will either.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Having come from NoCo to WA, You will find the whole of WA much more liberal leaning (even conservatives)

I would certainly not call either "open minded and accepting of all people". especially the liberal leaning. "accepting and OPEN mind" does not describe anyone radically polarized, Libs very much are 'group think', as long as you agree and confirm to them that they are the right and ONLY view you will be safe and not be ostracized. (They LOVE to shut out opinions and certainly discussion of opinions.

WA is quite a lot more 'accepting' than OR or No CA, but it is a very passive (sometimes aggressive) that they are congenial but really can't stand to be 'bothered' by you. That is the significant difference culturally, In CO you may have been able to 'talk-over-the-fence' / or at grocery stores and meeting on the street. WA people like their space and independence. While congenial, they can't wait for the conversation to end so they can 'cocoon'. Pre-cell phone we arrived in PNW to find 10 of our 12 neighbors had unlisted numbers, and they were intent on keeping it that way. While you may see your neighbors every few days. In most cases you will not have a meaningful conversation with them only once every few yrs. (maybe). If you die, they will not notice until you smell really bad. If I were infirmed, / bedridden with disease or illness, I would not want it to be in WA!!! In CO, people would be mowing your lawn, shoveling your walks, feeding your kids (without you asking). That would be rare in WA.

You will be fine, and not see anything significantly different than Boulder, UNLESS you ride bikes. Seattle is a wannabe bike town. Boulder has go the lead there. (+/-)

Clearly you don't live here (in Sammamish or nearby) as your response is bleeding with ignorance.

OP: I live in Issaquah (Issaquah Highlands specifically), but I work as a pet sitter and my service area includes Klahanie and a few other communities on the plateau. Hemlock140 and a few others have chimed in with good observations. I also "lean liberal" and so I moved to Seattle upon arriving in the region, but I found Seattle libs to be over the top so we settled on the Eastside shy of our first year. In my experience this has worked out better than expected and I think Eastside residents have more tolerance than Seattleites. We need to as we have more diversity of in terms of race, culture and political orientation. As long as everyone is following the "golden rule" of being respectful and considerate you will be accepted and as long as others follow the "golden rule" you will be accepting of them as well. I very frequently interact with clients and neighbors that are much more conservative than I am... one fellow pet nanny (and resident) I infrequently exchange clients with is a huge climate change denying Trump supporter whereas I've written articles in our community newsletter about "living green" and I organized a mini women's march for families unsure about attending the big one in Seattle (as an aside.. we ended up with like 75 marchers.. not bad for an impromptu effort!). Anyway.. the other pet sitter and I get along fine. I will say that most of my clients are left leaning, but not all. And from what I can observe many of her clients are right leaning, but not all. It's interesting the way it just sorts itself out even though neither of us make it a point to introduce our political orientations when we interact with the community or our clients. I think this subtlety happens a lot in many ways without any of us paying much attention to it.

As Eastsiders I believe we tend to all favor "family values". We want a clean environment. We want safety and good schools. Some of us might be far swinging liberals, but since we're also parents we counter intuitively prefer modesty and moderation as we worry about influences and impressions on our children. Eastsiders also tend to be tech literate and educated, despite having preferences and opinions we understand nuance and are less likely to be dogmatic or purely binary in thought.

And this guy is totally misleading you about neighbor-to-neighbor interactions. I honestly don't have what I would call "friends" (personal preference), but I know and interact with lots and lots of people on a regular basis. A great example: I ride my (electric) bike everywhere.. last Monday found either another parent, client or neighbor at each of the 4 places I needed to visit that day.. Target, grocery store, coffee shop and bank. Happens all the time when the weather is nice.

It's a good place to be. I think you'll like it a lot.