Moving to Seattle from Texas: Is it that different? (Vancouver: houses, neighborhoods)

[movingwiththewind]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

One thing about Seattle is its relative isolation from alot of other places inside the USA.

I don't think there is a lot INSIDE the USA, PL. You mean, like Kansas City in the middle of nowhere? Personally, I think there is East Coast, West Coast and... Inside. Inside would not be my first place in the list if I considered moving. Please don't understand me wrong: Inside offers a lot: Natural beauty, a range of climates and landscapes, refreshing emptiness, change of seasons and other fine things. However, I don't think Seattle can be regarded as being an isolated place because of being far away from Inside.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by movingwiththewind

I don't think there is a lot INSIDE the USA, PL. You mean, like Kansas City in the middle of nowhere? Personally, I think there is East Coast, West Coast and... Inside. Inside would not be my first place in the list if I considered moving. Please don't understand me wrong: Inside offers a lot: Natural beauty, a range of climates and landscapes, refreshing emptiness, change of seasons and other fine things. However, I don't think Seattle can be regarded as being an isolated place because of being far away from Inside.

What I meant is that Seattle is far away from most metropolitan areas.

[M3 Mitch]

I'm surprised no one has commented on it yet, but the *political* climate is about opposite in Houston and in Seattle. Seattle liberalism is not quite the same as 40 weight East Coast liberalism, but, Seattle is a seriously Democrat and liberal city. The difference is hard to put a finger on, maybe Seattle is a bit more libertarian-liberal than the East Coast variety.

This leads to a softer-on-crime approach IMHO, I do know Seattle has a lot of property crime, case in point, my daughter's car (well, actually, MY damn car...) was stolen there, police did find it pretty much un-hurt a few blocks away, and to the best of my knowledge did absolutely *nothing* towards trying to figure out who stole it, or to apprehend them.

The same attitude means there are a lot of what us Southerners think of as "riff-raff" circulating on the streets.

I'd say it's at least in part responsible for the high cost of everything - everything is taxed to pay for the "sacred" (Democrat-voting) drone class. Having said that, Washington State has it's share of Republican loons as well. Very diverse, we have all the various types and flavors of nut.

All that said, I like *visiting* Seattle, but I wouldn't want to live there.

As Pirate Lafitte notes, the air in Seattle is *way* better than Houston. And Seattle humidity is to Houston humidity as a spider monkey is to a gorilla.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

I'm surprised no one has commented on it yet, but the *political* climate is about opposite in Houston and in Seattle. Seattle liberalism is not quite the same as 40 weight East Coast liberalism, but, Seattle is a seriously Democrat and liberal city. The difference is hard to put a finger on, maybe Seattle is a bit more libertarian-liberal than the East Coast variety.
This leads to a softer-on-crime approach IMHO, I do know Seattle has a lot of property crime, case in point, my daughter's car (well, actually, MY damn car...) was stolen there, police did find it pretty much un-hurt a few blocks away, and to the best of my knowledge did absolutely *nothing* towards trying to figure out who stole it, or to apprehend them.

The same attitude means there are a lot of what us Southerners think of as "riff-raff" circulating on the streets.

I'd say it's at least in part responsible for the high cost of everything - everything is taxed to pay for the "sacred" (Democrat-voting) drone class. Having said that, Washington State has it's share of Republican loons as well. Very diverse, we have all the various types and flavors of nut.

All that said, I like *visiting* Seattle, but I wouldn't want to live there.

As Pirate Lafitte notes, the air in Seattle is *way* better than Houston. And Seattle humidity is to Houston humidity as a spider monkey is to a gorilla.

Seattle is more liberal than Houston in general.

Seattle has issues with property crime, but Seattle recorded 28 murders last year. For a city of its size, it is quite low.

[silas777]

Originally Posted by an1119

Hi,
I'm moving from Houston, Texas to Seattle after I graduate this spring, and want to know, how bad is the weather, really? My dad doesn't think I'll be able to make it one winter, since I was born in Galveston and raised in Houston my whole life. I'm used to droughts, 98 degree weather, and 70 degree winters, and the farthest, in the U.S, I've traveled is to Colorado. However, I really think I'll love Seattle and am dying to move up there!

Weather isn't my only concern though. I feel like I don't know a lot about Seattle, or Washington, except that it's a beautiful place and the vibe comes off as really laid back. Any advice/information from people who have either made this move or Seattle natives is more than appreciated!

Thanks!

I am assuming you are a young person, so I reckon even though you are from Texas you might tolerate or relate to Seattle better than some one older. Seattle is just about as flaky as you can get, the closest place you would have in Texas would be Austin, but that still does not even compare. Seattle is basically full of liberal elitist green snobs. The cost of living here is one of the highest in the nation, high taxes, high housing cost high regulation. Traffic is one of the worst in the nation. Washington in general is one of the most beautiful places on earth in the summer, the problem is that is only about 3 weeks out of the year, the rest of the time it is grey cloudy damp drizzly raining and 40 degrees. There is a reason everyone here is addicted to caffeine!

[eskercurve]

Originally Posted by movingwiththewind

I don't think there is a lot INSIDE the USA, PL. You mean, like Kansas City in the middle of nowhere? Personally, I think there is East Coast, West Coast and... Inside. Inside would not be my first place in the list if I considered moving. Please don't understand me wrong: Inside offers a lot: Natural beauty, a range of climates and landscapes, refreshing emptiness, change of seasons and other fine things. However, I don't think Seattle can be regarded as being an isolated place because of being far away from Inside.

???

Ever heard of Chicago? That is on the "inside" ...

[movingwiththewind]

Originally Posted by eskercurve

???

Ever heard of Chicago? That is on the "inside" ...

Right! Will not change my point of view because of Chicago, though, because it's inside of the "inside". Now, give me some more examples of what is on the "inside", please.

[ijoe13]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

Someone touched on a point above about the air being cleaner here than in Houston and I can absolutely attest to that fact. When we moved here from Texas, we would take big huge gulps of clean air and comment on how wonderful it was. Even my kids noticed it.

My wife and I noticed it as well. In fact it was one of the first things we noticed when we were walking around downtown. Even in a downtown area, the air seemed better than the Cleveland suburb I live in!

Joe

[ijoe13]

Originally Posted by movingwiththewind

Right! Will not change my point of view because of Chicago, though, because it's inside of the "inside". Now, give me some more examples of what is on the "inside", please.

How about Denver? It seems to be pretty popular.

[movingwiththewind]

Originally Posted by ijoe13

How about Denver? It seems to be pretty popular.

Yes, Joe, I think both Denver and Chicago are probably very nice places to live.