Update! First 2 weeks in Seattle (Tacoma, Pacific: sale, new home, neighborhoods)

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by thatguy950

Aww someone’s jimmies are rustled, it’s ok, keep living in denial.

I know plenty of people FROM SEATTLE who use umbrellas, this idiotic “we don’t need umbrellas” thing is just nonsense, plain and simple.

Oh wait, I forgot, Seattle is still like totally awesome maaannn, did you hear about this new band called Nirvana? Times change, umbrellas are a common site and have been for years, I was just downtown a few days ago and saw them everywhere. Times have changed, accept it or go up to Barrow Alaska or something

First, I don't know what "jimmies" are. But thanks for your concern.

So you saw some umbrellas downtown. Wow, that would prove your point. Try going to Ballard, Wallingford, Lake City, Wedgwood, or Rainier Valley. Then you will see the real Seattle, something you obviously have no knowledge or appreciation of.

Barrow, Alaska? Nirvana? WTF? I don't know what these references have anything to do with this thread.

[thatguy950]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

First, I don't know what "jimmies" are. But thanks for your concern.

So you saw some umbrellas downtown. Wow, that would prove your point. Try going to Ballard, Wallingford, Lake City, Wedgwood, or Rainier Valley. Then you will see the real Seattle, something you obviously have no knowledge or appreciation of.

Barrow, Alaska? Nirvana? WTF? I don't know what these references have anything to do with this thread.

It’s a good reference for the Seattle and seattleites who want to live in the past, where the “no umbrellas” garbage belongs

[pnwguy2]

Why are we even debating this umbrella thing? It is so unimportant. Living in the past? No but I do respect my past being born and raised in Seattle.

[Returning2USA]

Originally Posted by Montezia

Attention! This post will be a bit long but I just wanted to address some points before I begin.

Am I moving/will I consider moving to a cheaper COL area? No. Moving on.

Also, from browsing on the forums I am getting the sense that a few people are bitter or disillusioned about living here. I really do not want to have a dicussion in this post about Seattle's issues. Anyone posting that, anything overly negative or giving me a suggestion to go elsewhere will be ignored.

The main purpose of this post is to hopefully help anyone wanting to or considering moving to Seattle. But please, let's try to keep this conversation civil.


My post is coming from the perspective of a 25 year old black female LPN. I won't go into the details of why I moved here (or you can refer to my older posts if you are curious). But here's how things have been. Very postive!

Employment

I am already working and have a set schedule. I will be working 4 days a week, 10 hours each, NOC shift. I pretty much had a job the moment I moved here. It's in home care and the pay is 30/hr. compared to 25/hr. I was getting back in NYC. I work as an LPN and had no trouble finding places desperate for even an LPN. The staff on my job are a lot more ethical. There is no workaholic culture like there seemed to be back east. My job will also pay me the living expenses I need which brings me to

Housing

The first week I stayed here I stayed at a hostel for 300/wk. I ended up finding a month to month long term stay at the Vermont Inn. The deposit was $200. Then $1695 each month. Now that is 35% of my income, but I am not a crazy spender. It's also a 10 minute walk to my job.

Positives

-No Seattle freeze. I am also very introverted so it may have to do with that. The people so far have been a lot friendlier and more helpful than back in nyc. This also could be due to the fact that I am petite and look very young. Yesterday I actually had a bus driver ask if I was ok after a drunk guy stepped onto the back of my shoe (even HE asked If I was ok after he did that. He was being obnoxious during the bus ride so I was upset with him). No big deal though
-far less stress. Shorter commutes. I've been really calm since I've been here. Back in nyc I had increasing anxiety and I couldn't figure out for the longest time what was causing it. Now I did have some minor stress but the transition into Seattle was smoother compared to when I first came to nyc
-Weather isn't that bad. The weather reports you find on google are a bit misleading. It does not rain all day and the rain is honestly like a mist. You could even forgo a raincoat or umbrella and not get soaked (I am constantly on the move though). I grew up in TN and even though it isn't as sunny (that can get boring as well) it's not gloomy to me.
- Awesome Barnes and noble. They had a cool selection of niche stuff especially given that it's smaller than in nyc. There were so many books I wanted to buy.
-pretty walkable
-spaces aren't cramped like in nyc.
-cleaner metro buses
-good bus system. No car needed (for me anyway)
-Safeway, the one close to me in Queen Anne at least, is clean and has a lot of non dairy icecreams and good range of food. So long Whole Foods!
-no income tax

The ugly

Homeless

Having lived in nyc for a time I'm pretty used to it already. You'll find more drug addicted homeless

-Everything opens later and closes earlier. A lot of places seem to open at 9 or 10 which has been a bit frustrating from time to time
-people are too laid back at times
-not as many food options. NO corner stores or bodegas *cry*
-I'll have to go back to cooking at home again
-higher sales tax than nyc
-harder to find 'normal' foods. I see all these organic brands I never heard of. It wraps my mind.

No regrets in moving. I pretty much am enjoying a higher standard of living now and better pay with a 10 minute commute to work. I also went broke after getting that place. I had $212 for 4 days then I woke up to 2k from my last nyc paycheck. I pretty much got the $2,400 I lost coming to Seattle. I also get my first paycheck from my new job next week. I won't pay rent again until May but I am financially solid again. I'll post again in another two weeks.

Feel free to ask questions that I didn't think of.

Welcome!

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Why are we even debating this umbrella thing? It is so unimportant. Living in the past? No but I do respect my past being born and raised in Seattle.

Every time it comes up on this forum, it gets debated. The debate itself seems to be part of Seattle's persona.

Here, I have a compromise: many people don't bother with umbrellas when the rain is misty, but a harder, more penetrating rain does bring the umbrellas out, generally.

[Unicorn hunter]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Every time it comes up on this forum, it gets debated. The debate itself seems to be part of Seattle's persona.

Here, I have a compromise: many people don't bother with umbrellas when the rain is misty, but a harder, more penetrating rain does bring the umbrellas out, generally.

Exactly! Now, let's move on!

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by thatguy950

I thought using soap daily already made me an outsider in Seattle

Soap daily? Don't you get all lathery in our constant rain? I'd think an umbrella would keep from ya getting a good rinse.

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by Sockeye66

Soap daily? Don't you get all lathery in our constant rain? I'd think an umbrella would keep from ya getting a good rinse.

Funny, Sockeye.

[Montezia]

Ok there's like 2 pages of umbrellas debates. Can we please move onto something else?

Also thanks for all the good responses. It's weird when I moved from nyc it was also gray and overcast but with stronger winds which made it a lot colder. Was still wearing my North face goose jacket. I was able to ditch that once I got here.

Yea I've observed January-April seem to be good times to move because there were an abundance of rent specials, places to rent and far fewer crowds. I'm also guessing the perceived weather may have something to do with it. I am curious to see what this place will be like June-July. I am excited for it. It's nice not to have life constantly going at 90 mph. And I found a qfc that is closer than the safeway in Queen Anne. Prices are good and they have cards that allow you to save more.

[mhays25]

We get a substantial tourism bump in the summer...the hotels are fuller, family and friends visit, and the cruise ships pick up or drop off I believe around 15,000 people a day on peak days.

At the same time, locals are more likely to be outside than we are in the winter or today.

Personally I don't bring a jacket on my walk to work from sometime in June until sometime in September. Just a baseball cap in case of a surprise.