Do any of the Washington cities have a true "suburb"?

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by revelated

I realize that most of you just don't know how to manage your bills. Or perhaps you see no value in buying energy efficient appliances. That's fine. If one can live in Cleveland OH and have an energy bill under $50 in the winter, it's certainly doable in Seattle, WA.

Just because YOU can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done.

Sure I did it. Electric and gas each between $12 and $15, regularly, for years. It was easy. I did it in Southern California. I haven't yet tried it in Seattle, so I am relying on the experience of those who have.

Maybe you can do it in Seattle. (Maybe I could, too, if I were single, but hopefully I'll never find out.) From your posts, though, you just don't seem like the kind of person who puts up with uncomfortable temperatures - or anything not being just-so. It might help that with a long commute you'll rarely be home.

Living close to work is kind of like buying efficient appliances, isn't it?

[revelated]

Originally Posted by bisjoe

Sure, you can have a $50 gas/electric bill living in a studio apartment on one of the middle floors in a 20 story building. Not many homes, even tiny and incredibly efficient can do that in this area. The OP is talking about a big house where he's looking at $200/month or more in winter.

No. The size of the house does not matter. In fact I'd prefer a much smaller house, 2-3 bedrooms at the most. I just want to make sure it's not a house built during a time when barbed wire was busy destroying the Old West as we knew it, or one that was not yet constructed when Kennedy was shot.

Originally Posted by bisjoe

Sudden Valley is in Bellingham, a small liberal area well north of Seattle, and colder/wetter. It's very white and lower middle class, with median family income about 60k, homes in the low 200s. And looks nothing like your ideal neighborhood picture.

It doesn't, but that's what I've been trying to tell folks. I'm open to considering other styles as long as it's attractive. Having a preference does not mean I'm dead set, I simply prefer that style. But Sudden Valley's general look appeals to me. I am not white, but lower middle class and income-wise/home price-wise, it seems right up my alley. Kind of far from Seattle proper though. If I ever had a telecommuting job I think it'd be a perfect place to live, though I assume one must deal with satellite internet that far in the sticks.


My plan: I am going to do this trip, I'll arrive Thursday evening. I've already been to Seattle so I have a general sense of things. I'll likely rent a car for a day and just drive around a bit. Nighttime isn't a fair assessment, but what it will do is give me an idea of zoning. That will likely help.

[Hemlock140]

You'll get an idea of the weather too, the forecast is for 63 and rain Thursday. We're getting screwed out of our usual 2 months of summer this year for some reason.

Have a good trip.

[revelated]

Originally Posted by bisjoe

You'll get an idea of the weather too, the forecast is for 63 and rain Thursday. We're getting screwed out of our usual 2 months of summer this year for some reason.

Have a good trip.

Perfect. give me a chance to try my samurai umbrella.

[revelated]

OP update.

So in January I made the jump after getting a job offer due to a sudden departure and a great need that I was able to readily fill. I like the job, but I see a lot of issues with how they manage their project flow and deadlines. Nothing that any other large company doesn't do - set unrealistic dates, have non-savvy people telling the techs how to do their jobs, etc.

Anyway I found my suburb. And it's the bonafide definition of a suburb. Bothell. Lots of newer developments going up all over the place, even some that are stucco in places (despite what others claimed).

Traffic is a nightmare out here, and the story I'm told from people who have lived here for decades is that we have an anti-car mayor and a bunch of environmentalist hippies who threaten lawsuits over every change that results in a tree being cut. We have a punitive toll system and an inefficient public transportation system (due to aforementioned hippies). We had Chick-Fil-A get bullied out by said hippies. There are lingerie or even nude barista stands all over the place. It's like the whole Western Washington is stuck in the 70's. Yet they'll spend millions doing work on the toll bridge which doesn't need it. Fortunately the company allows for flexible schedules where I can opt to work from home certain days if I see it make sense.

In any event, it was a hard move but after seeing California make the official transformation to a sanctuary state and seeing all the nag mail about vehicle registration, I'm happy with the move.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by revelated

Anyway I found my suburb. And it's the bonafide definition of a suburb. Bothell. Lots of newer developments going up all over the place, even some that are stucco in places (despite what others claimed).

No one said you couldn't find stucco... simply that it wasn't the norm here.


Traffic is a nightmare out here, and the story I'm told from people who have lived here for decades is that we have an anti-car mayor and a bunch of environmentalist hippies who threaten lawsuits over every change that results in a tree being cut. We have a punitive toll system and an inefficient public transportation system (due to aforementioned hippies). We had Chick-Fil-A get bullied out by said hippies. There are lingerie or even nude barista stands all over the place. It's like the whole Western Washington is stuck in the 70's. Yet they'll spend millions doing work on the toll bridge which doesn't need it. Fortunately the company allows for flexible schedules where I can opt to work from home certain days if I see it make sense.

We had Chik-Fil-A here? This is a first... I never experienced Chik-Fil-A until I got out to Southern Cali/LV,NV.

In any event, it was a hard move but after seeing California make the official transformation to a sanctuary state and seeing all the nag mail about vehicle registration, I'm happy with the move.

We have a toll system due to a need for bridge replacement-- it's been done for that bridge before and now it needs to be done again. I don't think the public transit is inefficient-- but perhaps you'll agree or disagree once you try it.

Washington is also a Sanctuary state as well.

[revelated]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

We have a toll system due to a need for bridge replacement-- it's been done for that bridge before and now it needs to be done again. I don't think the public transit is inefficient-- but perhaps you'll agree or disagree once you try it.

Washington is also a Sanctuary state as well.

Need to replace the bridge? Fine.

- Stop building a stadium that is not needed in a place that is already poorly designed.
- Start sanctioning these lewd barista stands.
- Sin tax. Make it happen.

That makes enough money to get the job done. Then:

- Change the toll so that it's not punitive.
- Build a straight bridge in the north to get from 405 to 5 instead of forcing people to waste 10-20 minutes driving north.
- Build DEDICATED on/off ramps for the express lanes so that buses and carpoolers are not jamming traffic trying to cram over.
- Block off the entire express lane except at certain entry/exit points instead of letting people go in and out whenever they please, HOV violators will get nailed with tickets which raises revenue.

[Inkpoe]

• We are not building a stadium. The basketball arena hasn't been approved just yet. I believe the decision is suppose to come in Sept./Oct. Supposedly would not require new taxes-- at least that is the proposal that's been given to the Seattle City Council. Already the bigwigs in the area (Port of Seattle, other stadiums, et. c) are against it which lessens the odds for the Basketball arena.
• Sanctioning lewd barista? If you want it out, get the community together. Its been done (Bellevue, Crossroads area).
• We do have sin taxes, plenty of it. We had more ("Soda and candy" tax) but the residents of this lovely state thought it was extreme.

As for the rest of the list of your proposals... well, unfortunately that's the one thing you're going to dislike about Seattle. Everything takes *forever* to get decided and done; everything must require studies, even studies upon studies. It won't happen unfortunately. It took 10 years before the State stepped in and took the decision away from Seattle as to what to do with the Alaskan Viaduct-- and that thing was a death trap waiting to happen, and still didn't prompt a swift response.

As for the HOV violaters... we already have a snitch line set up and people here do use it.

[revelated]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

• We are not building a stadium. The basketball arena hasn't been approved just yet. I believe the decision is suppose to come in Sept./Oct. Supposedly would not require new taxes-- at least that is the proposal that's been given to the Seattle City Council. Already the bigwigs in the area (Port of Seattle, other stadiums, et. c) are against it which lessens the odds for the Basketball arena.
• Sanctioning lewd barista? If you want it out, get the community together. Its been done (Bellevue, Crossroads area).
• We do have sin taxes, plenty of it. We had more ("Soda and candy" tax) but the residents of this lovely state thought it was extreme.

As for the rest of the list of your proposals... well, unfortunately that's the one thing you're going to dislike about Seattle. Everything takes *forever* to get decided and done; everything must require studies, even studies upon studies. It won't happen unfortunately. It took 10 years before the State stepped in and took the decision away from Seattle as to what to do with the Alaskan Viaduct-- and that thing was a death trap waiting to happen, and still didn't prompt a swift response.

As for the HOV violaters... we already have a snitch line set up and people here do use it.

Snitch line isn't enough. It needs to be blocked off the majority of the way so people can't just enter and exit as they please. That's what jams traffic because people don't know how to anticipate other drivers' actions. It happens consistently. That, and buses that just cram themselves through because they're fighting to get to the express.

As for the baristas it's not about getting rid of them, it's about making money off them like the hookers they're acting as.

[gerwitz]

I have to believe this thread is someone's art project, presenting the conflict between American suburban stereotypes and cascadian life.

Well done, whoever you are.