Looking for info on Anacortes please (SeaTac, Burlington: apartments, low crime, hotel)

[operaphantom2003]

I came across this city and love the pictures of it. It seems to have everything I am looking for: good schools, public transportation, cub scouts, low crime, and small town feel.

I can't find any info about apartments or jobs there though. Does anyone know about this place first hand?

Or....

can anyone recommend some good smaller cities to look into in Washington? It is just my son and I with no car so I need something walkable or public transportation. I have a BS in Economics and an MBA that I hope will help me find work but will take anything as long as it will pay the rent.

[Bill Loney]

As is the case everywhere, the economy makes jobs a challenge, Anacortes is a great little town. Wonderful collection of new and old.

Those refineries are a decent resource for work. Shell and Tesaro both have them right next to each other. Also the dry dock work seems to be doing well.

Here's a cool article on Anacortes. Good luck.

Area Report: Anacortes

[Vinylly]

Originally Posted by operaphantom2003

I came across this city and love the pictures of it. It seems to have everything I am looking for: good schools, public transportation, cub scouts, low crime, and small town feel.

I can't find any info about apartments or jobs there though. Does anyone know about this place first hand?

Or....

can anyone recommend some good smaller cities to look into in Washington? It is just my son and I with no car so I need something walkable or public transportation. I have a BS in Economics and an MBA that I hope will help me find work but will take anything as long as it will pay the rent.

It's on Fidalgo Island. They have a big oil refinery near by. Unless you work for the refinery, there isn't much else of interest. There is a ferry terminal to the other Islands and Victory B.C. which makes it a great 'pass-through' town, so it's not much interest to the tourists either.
Near by La Conner is a much more vibrant and interesting small town.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

It's on Fidalgo Island. They have a big oil refinery near by. Unless you work for the refinery, there isn't much else of interest. There is a ferry terminal to the other Islands and Victory B.C. which makes it a great 'pass-through' town, so it's not much interest to the tourists either.
Near by La Conner is a much more vibrant and interesting small town.

Obviously you haven't been to downtown Anacortes. It is easy to miss as the route to the ferry turns left on Commercial and you'll miss it because to get there you need to continue north on Commercial. You're wrong about the town. It's a great little downtown area teeming with cute little shops and good places to eat and drink.

As I mentioned above, there are two refineries, not one. And Dakota Creek is also a decent sized employer on the waterfront, as is the Ferry System..

As to Laconner, it's a nice fun little town. But the schools are iffy and unless you want to work for a small hotel, restaurant or shop, the jobs suck.And don't get me started about owning property there. Much of it is on the Reservation. And that is a can of worms.

Anacortes has way more higher paying jobs. WAY more and Fidalgo is gorgeous.

[dubdpt]

I live in Anacortes and work at Island Hospital and this may be a place to consider for employment within the business side of healthcare. Many people live here and commute into Mt Vernon or Burlington for greater job opportunities as well. It is only a 20-25min drive. The school systme is good, but my kids are not there yet. We have friends that work in the schools and they always have positive comments.

I would not rely on public transportation alone if you plan on taking trips outside of Anacortes. I don't use public transportation, except for the BelAir transporter which is convenient to SeaTac airport.

Overall it is a nice town to live in and raise a family, but it is just not for me long-term. I am hoping to raise my kids with a mounain lifestyle in the Lake Tahoe region, while being closer to our families within a few years.

Good luck.

[lotr1967]

I know this is a late post but hoping you will see this. My degree is in history and I have several years of marketing under my belt. I was able to get into the self storage business managing on site.In other words, we live on site for free and work five days a week managing a facility. Now, my son is grown and he co-manages with me. So, I'm not certain the age of your son but some self storage places allow you to manage them alone. It may be something to look into. There are a lot of small towns here in the area. I live close to Anacortes, it's nice but there is still walking involved. Anacortes is a bit spread out but I think they have public transportation. I always suggest visiting places before up and moving there. Although I've moved to places without visiting before and it works out "ok". You also have to understand that if you've never lived in the PNW and you are starved for socialization, it's not a huge socialization area. I'm a transplant from the Midwest, we are outgoing, obnoxious, etc. Polar opposites of Pacific Northwesterners. So, it makes for some lonely days. Keep that in mind as well. But, I love it here so much I left everything behind to move back here a second time. It's more laid back, people are very kind and polite here. You don't always get that in the Midwest anymore. It's changed a lot there. Sadly. Good luck!

[friskibriski]

Consider Portland, Oregon.

Anacortes is nice but I would not want to live there without a car.