Family looking to relocate....Texas to Seattle (Sammamish, Issaquah: neighborhood, camping)

[jenlion]

Roverchris, in my experience (Dallas->Seattle) the allergies are much improved in Seattle. That doesn't mean they've gone away -- we're having a very early warm spring here, and believe me, things are blooming and I know it.

But it's nothing compared to the misery seasons in Dallas. Pollen to grass to tree -- two major allergy seasons, spring and fall, the only times of year you can stand to be outside. My husband used to get a major sinus infection every fall when the allergies got bad. That hasn't happened since moving here.

So, allergies exist here, just not as ferociously as in Dallas, most people say.

And I agree about Lubbock. Every time I drive through West Texas, I wind up by a tornado. Kind of sad when you're in the middle of BFE and you realize what's going on in the fields near you... ooooh, that IS a tornado spinning up AGAIN... and yikes that's some nasty hail... and there is NO WHERE to go. Used to pass through driving to Colorado in April or May sometimes... I don't think I'll ever do it again, thankfully.

So, weather and allergies are much improved here. Sadly, though, BBQ and good Mexican (OK, OK, Tex-mex) is not to be found. Hope you like fish.

[moosh]

I was just searching in the threads and i was so lucky to find this one...my husband has got 2 job offers ,one from Seattle with less pay and benefits and one from north Tx ( either Midland,Abilene or lubbock) with much more pay and benefits...we were going to make the final decision and accept the TX 's offer, but affter reading your posts from people who has experienced living in both places...we are going to have a second thought now...i have a 6 yeas old doughter so our first priority is move to a good and safe place where she can get better education and oppotunities ...i will be keep tracking this thread to get more advice and information from you guys.
and thank you in advance for sharing your experiences .

[roverchris]

Originally Posted by Agntcooper

The weather in Lubbock is just about the worst IMO. Very hot summers that start in late April/May and don't let up until late Sept. Very large thunderstorms with dangerous lightning and damaging hail. I've had 4 cars that were beat to hell over the years here. High winds and huge dirt storms that come in and make the landscape look like Iraq. Winters are usually crazy....temps bouncing from low teens up to the 70's, rain, wind, sleet, snow, and ice storms all within the same week sometimes.

Springs can be nice but that's about it. I hate the weather here.....very inconsistent.

I had two cousins & their wives graduate from Tech. When the last one's wife graduated, the truck was loaded & leaving Lubbock right after the ceremony.

Originally Posted by jenlion

Roverchris, in my experience (Dallas->Seattle) the allergies are much improved in Seattle. That doesn't mean they've gone away -- we're having a very early warm spring here, and believe me, things are blooming and I know it.

But it's nothing compared to the misery seasons in Dallas. Pollen to grass to tree -- two major allergy seasons, spring and fall, the only times of year you can stand to be outside. My husband used to get a major sinus infection every fall when the allergies got bad. That hasn't happened since moving here.

So, allergies exist here, just not as ferociously as in Dallas, most people say.

And I agree about Lubbock. Every time I drive through West Texas, I wind up by a tornado. Kind of sad when you're in the middle of BFE and you realize what's going on in the fields near you... ooooh, that IS a tornado spinning up AGAIN... and yikes that's some nasty hail... and there is NO WHERE to go. Used to pass through driving to Colorado in April or May sometimes... I don't think I'll ever do it again, thankfully.

So, weather and allergies are much improved here. Sadly, though, BBQ and good Mexican (OK, OK, Tex-mex) is not to be found. Hope you like fish.

Actually I do like fish & the wife is proficient in Mexican cooking. BBQ is only decent in Central Texas (Lockhart, Taylor), so as long as I can procure some Salt Lick sauce, I should be able to handle the brisket on the smoker myself.

Good to hear the pollen isn't as bad. I do worry about mold, but just like here, I'm sure I can get accustomed to things.

[texastrigirl]

I pretty much agree with whatever jenlion usually writes on a Texas/Seattle comparision and regarding allergies...this is my experience.

My mold allergy was much worse when I lived in Austin than it is in Seattle. Go figure. I was worried about that and it has almost been a non issue. I just got back from Austin and was hit by cedar fever while there and trees when I got home. Cedar was worse than trees!! I believe for allergies, Austin generally ranks in the Top 10 in various seasons. Seattle is usually down around 90-100. So not as bad for sure!! The air in Seattle is much cleaner than what you will experience in Texas in general so that is a big plus.

I loved Texas and lived there for 12 years (Austin for 10, Dallas for 2) but now after being in Seattle for almost 3 years, I don't think I could go back. I would miss the natural beauty here. I don't mind the rain anymore either and have found the weather quite wonderful for almost the past two years. You will find a lot of Texans out here and there is some good Mexican and TexMex to be found. BBQ - none at all that compares to TX but at least you can mail order Salt Lick!!

Good luck!

[roverchris]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

I pretty much agree with whatever jenlion usually writes on a Texas/Seattle comparision and regarding allergies...this is my experience.

My mold allergy was much worse when I lived in Austin than it is in Seattle. Go figure. I was worried about that and it has almost been a non issue. I just got back from Austin and was hit by cedar fever while there and trees when I got home. Cedar was worse than trees!! I believe for allergies, Austin generally ranks in the Top 10 in various seasons. Seattle is usually down around 90-100. So not as bad for sure!! The air in Seattle is much cleaner than what you will experience in Texas in general so that is a big plus.

I loved Texas and lived there for 12 years (Austin for 10, Dallas for 2) but now after being in Seattle for almost 3 years, I don't think I could go back. I would miss the natural beauty here. I don't mind the rain anymore either and have found the weather quite wonderful for almost the past two years. You will find a lot of Texans out here and there is some good Mexican and TexMex to be found. BBQ - none at all that compares to TX but at least you can mail order Salt Lick!!

Good luck!

My wife never had allergy issues until we moved to Austin. She was actually born in Seattle, so a potential move back there is exciting to her.It's now down to finding a job & a place to live. I'll probably fly up there for interviews in a couple of months.

As for the Salt Lick, it sickened me last night watching Rick Perry's victory speech at the Driftwood store. Us Libertarians tried to defeat him, with Medina getting 18% of the vote. That's what I miss about Austin:wacky liberals & a bunch of Libertarian, Ron Paul wackos in the same spot. At least people make their own decisions & put thought into the process. Not like the robot droids in DFW.

[Username22]

Agntcooper- If you move here to Seattle I hope you drink the Cool-Aid. There are a few things you will need to spend money on if you move here not yet mentioned on this thread:

1) Bumper stickers for you car:

A) "All war is terrorism"
B) "Impeach Bush"
C) "Jesus is a Democrat"
D) "Free Tibet" (I'm for this, but hey, I'm for imposing American democracy in far-away countries.)

1) Monthly bus pass and two bicycles-

A) The bus pass is a status symbol to show you are "green" but you don't actually use it. Everyone drives their own car and few people carpool anymore. Useful bus routes are being eliminated every day and billions (with a "b") are being spent and borrowed for pavement projects to move vehicles.

B) Because of rain, hills, and poorly planned, and often dangerous bicycle lanes through traffic filled with drivers chatting and texting on their phones while sipping lattes, you will probably ride your bicycles on weekends only. Those I see on bicycles in rush hour look as though they cannot afford a car.

C) Because all City Councilmembers and the mayor belong to the same political party, either nothing big and important ever gets done because of their inability to make a decision, or it gets done at midnight when voters aren't watching. As a result, we get little "pocket parks" in busy neighborhoods to tout our green-mindedness, yet the same City Council will not release PCB test results for soil surrounding our Duwamish River, the second dirtiest in the whole country, for fear they would have to actually commit to cleaning and greening an area of significance.

[moosh]

It is so nice to know all these positive points about Seattle's residents like being so open minded ,educated, democrt and smart...etc, my question is are they nice and friendly as well?

[Inkpoe]

Seattleites are very courteous, so that comes off as being nice/friendly. But not outgoing/inclusive type. So as an adult, it might take awhile to crack into friendships but its not an impossible task. Just require patience as you look for the right friends.

[AlohaHuey]

Originally Posted by Username22

Agntcooper- If you move here to Seattle I hope you drink the Cool-Aid. There are a few things you will need to spend money on if you move here not yet mentioned on this thread:

1) Bumper stickers for you car:

A) "All war is terrorism"
B) "Impeach Bush"
C) "Jesus is a Democrat"
D) "Free Tibet" (I'm for this, but hey, I'm for imposing American democracy in far-away countries.)

1) Monthly bus pass and two bicycles-

A) The bus pass is a status symbol to show you are "green" but you don't actually use it. Everyone drives their own car and few people carpool anymore. Useful bus routes are being eliminated every day and billions (with a "b") are being spent and borrowed for pavement projects to move vehicles.

B) Because of rain, hills, and poorly planned, and often dangerous bicycle lanes through traffic filled with drivers chatting and texting on their phones while sipping lattes, you will probably ride your bicycles on weekends only. Those I see on bicycles in rush hour look as though they cannot afford a car.

C) Because all City Councilmembers and the mayor belong to the same political party, either nothing big and important ever gets done because of their inability to make a decision, or it gets done at midnight when voters aren't watching. As a result, we get little "pocket parks" in busy neighborhoods to tout our green-mindedness, yet the same City Council will not release PCB test results for soil surrounding our Duwamish River, the second dirtiest in the whole country, for fear they would have to actually commit to cleaning and greening an area of significance.

What utter nonsense. People use bus passes BECAUSE THE BUS SYSTEM WORKS WELL an parking downtown is expensive.

"Those I see on bicycles in rush hour look as though they cannot afford a car." Well, fool, I made nearly 100K and commuted by bike to work every day, and lots of people who could buy ands sell you and your gene pool own and ride bikes.

One point of illogic...if everyone is in the same party, well, it would stand to reason more gets done. Right? No opposition?

Ignore this troll. He knows nothing about Seattle.

[burlshoe114]

Username22 actually made me laugh because they got it SPOT ON!!!!
:-)