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Much past P.A. might get too wet for me, however, I have checked the mls in that area too.
Ha, yes riding a bicycle in a bike lane/shoulder on busier streets is not ideal. Sometimes, though, for road cycling, the better pavement is a trade-off to more traffic. The suburb where I'd been living before Berkeley has a popular route where hundreds of cyclists ride daily alongside cars going 45-60mph. Fortunately very few mishaps. Long, uninterrupted bike paths, trails away from car traffic are not so common, which is why the ODT looks to be such a nice asset to the area. There's a nice long one between Snohomish and Arlington, WA, some in Portland, OR and Sacramento, CA.
By the way, etartmove, I did ride some miles on Old Olympic Highway yesterday. Even with cars going by at 50 mph, the smooth surface and paint-separated 5 foot shoulder made it okay. This was on the western edge of Sequim, so there were fewer intersecting roads than if I had been riding through the main part of town. But...I finally made my way over to the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) and rode some miles there. It was my first time to ride the ODT since we were here last summer, and it was a good reminder of what a nice trail that is. My favorite part of the trail is from the western edge of Sequim over to Port Angeles...very nice.
By the way, etartmove, I did ride some miles on Old Olympic Highway yesterday. Even with cars going by at 50 mph, the smooth surface and paint-separated 5 foot shoulder made it okay. This was on the western edge of Sequim, so there were fewer intersecting roads than if I had been riding through the main part of town. But...I finally made my way over to the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) and rode some miles there. It was my first time to ride the ODT since we were here last summer, and it was a good reminder of what a nice trail that is. My favorite part of the trail is from the western edge of Sequim over to Port Angeles...very nice.
Hey mrgoodwx! That sounds great, possibly a half safe route for a speedier ride of the ODT. Sounds like you had a great ride.
2013-2015, I moved to Sequim two years ago, this is my opinion!
We really enjoy this town.
We moved here for all the reasons I read about on this forum. Our jobs allow us to work from home so we decided on Sequim.
Most of what we researched before our move was true and positive.
After two years here we see the big picture of this place:
The overwhelming majority have moved here after the age of 65 from out of state. There is a constant influx of Senior Citizens spending their last years here. Defensive driving is a must.
Realtors love it here because they can sell the same house four times in their career!
All activities in this town are planned, controlled and run by a constant change of retirees who do not want ANY sort of alteration or growth. I get it, this town is beautiful, slow and filled with very nice like minded people.
BUT this is really a problem with getting medical care and the quality of the schools.
It took me 3 MONTHS to get a doctor's appointment and after getting set up, 6 months later he left town! We now each pay $70.00 a month to BELONG to a medical doctors group so we are guaranteed a spot. This has nothing to do with our excellent medical insurance.
I really think they can't keep professional families here because the schools are SO rundown and outdated. My daughter has a lovely teacher but her school building has extension cords running through the hallways because the breakers keep blowing. The plumbing is always being repaired, and the "schools" are more like large camps, of aging 1960's portable classroom trailers, with no water, bathrooms or heat.
It is really embarrassing to think that this type of upscale community has such rundown ghetto schools. We were so disappointed. All these $$beautiful homes, fancy, fancy retirement homes and then you drive pass the schools and they look like something from a poor farm town.
I know the schools are trying. They keep trying to pass little bonds to fix the schools, but retirees from out of state, won't pay even $100.00 a year more to repair the schools. But they blow $200.00 a night at the casino! lol They haven't been able to pass a bond in something like 30 years!
I mean I do understand it. Most people here have raised their kids, paid their taxes, have no children in this town and are here to enjoy their retirement. But so short sighted.
There is a real shortage of medical care and technology here for everyone. ( They even still sell dial up!)
It seems obvious that this town is aching for medical,tech and science programs, or even expanded STEM in the high school, to keeps the smart kids in town, and draw professional families.
Anyway, just want people to be prepared! We love it here, but supplement our daughter's education to keep her up to date with tech and science.
tldr; Beautiful place, but unless they fix the schools this place is going to implode with old people with no one to care for them.
Last edited by Lovingthesunshine; 05-13-2015 at 01:46 PM..
I really think they can't keep professional families here because the schools are SO rundown and outdated.
I appreciate your post and can't disagree with anything that you mentioned and thought I'd toss in another angle.
We are among those who moved to the peninsula from elsewhere (from the Seattle area) about a dozen years ago once my kids were done with university.
Given professional contacts made during my career, I have been friends with several physicians during the time that we've lived here. Although caliber of schools was a concern to some of those docs who left the area, the most consistent reason I heard given for leaving was lack of reimbursement. What they told me was that they could do better and perhaps even double the income that they made here by simply practicing elsewhere- typically due to a more favorable insurance mix present in larger population areas. Some moved out of state, again usually for financial reasons.
The other thing that seemed to be common with this group was they felt they would have better entertainment options elsewhere such as large symphony orchestra/opera, larger selection of higher end restaurants, museums, tech events and so forth.
We moved here for all the reasons I read about on this forum. Our jobs allow us to work from home so we decided on Sequim.
Most of what we researched before our move was true and positive.
After two years here we see the big picture of this place:
The overwhelming majority have moved here after the age of 65 from out of state. There is a constant influx of Senior Citizens spending their last years here. Defensive driving is a must.
Realtors love it here because they can sell the same house four times in their career!
All activities in this town are planned, controlled and run by a constant change of retirees who do not want ANY sort of alteration or growth. I get it, this town is beautiful, slow and filled with very nice like minded people.
BUT this is really a problem with getting medical care and the quality of the schools.
It took me 3 MONTHS to get a doctor's appointment and after getting set up, 6 months later he left town! We now each pay $70.00 a month to BELONG to a medical doctors group so we are guaranteed a spot. This has nothing to do with our excellent medical insurance.
I really think they can't keep professional families here because the schools are SO rundown and outdated. My daughter has a lovely teacher but her school building has extension cords running through the hallways because the breakers keep blowing. The plumbing is always being repaired, and the "schools" are more like large camps, of aging 1960's portable classroom trailers, with no water, bathrooms or heat.
It is really embarrassing to think that this type of upscale community has such rundown ghetto schools. We were so disappointed. All these $$beautiful homes, fancy, fancy retirement homes and then you drive pass the schools and they look like something from a poor farm town.
I know the schools are trying. They keep trying to pass little bonds to fix the schools, but retirees from out of state, won't pay even $100.00 a year more to repair the schools. But they blow $200.00 a night at the casino! lol They haven't been able to pass a bond in something like 30 years!
I mean I do understand it. Most people here have raised their kids, paid their taxes, have no children in this town and are here to enjoy their retirement. But so short sighted.
There is a real shortage of medical care and technology here for everyone. ( They even still sell dial up!)
It seems obvious that this town is aching for medical,tech and science programs, or even expanded STEM in the high school, to keeps the smart kids in town, and draw professional families.
Anyway, just want people to be prepared! We love it here, but supplement our daughter's education to keep her up to date with tech and science.
tldr; Beautiful place, but unless they fix the schools this place is going to implode with old people with no one to care for them.
Thanks for the great input, Lovingthesunshine. I agree with you. Education is vital not only for the students themselves but for the entire community. How can Sequim possibly attract enough medical (and other) professionals if they've no place to adequately school their kids?!
We are fiscal conservatives and have no kids but would definitely vote for an appropriate school bond. Alas, we cannot vote but merely pay our property taxes...at least not yet.
I appreciate your post and can't disagree with anything that you mentioned and thought I'd toss in another angle.
We are among those who moved to the peninsula from elsewhere (from the Seattle area) about a dozen years ago once my kids were done with university.
Given professional contacts made during my career, I have been friends with several physicians during the time that we've lived here. Although caliber of schools was a concern to some of those docs who left the area, the most consistent reason I heard given for leaving was lack of reimbursement. What they told me was that they could do better and perhaps even double the income that they made here by simply practicing elsewhere- typically due to a more favorable insurance mix present in larger population areas. Some moved out of state, again usually for financial reasons.
The other thing that seemed to be common with this group was they felt they would have better entertainment options elsewhere such as large symphony orchestra/opera, larger selection of higher end restaurants, museums, tech events and so forth.
Well, reimbursement makes perfect sense. And that will prolly never change since Sequim continues as an attractive retirement destination. But I wonder why they ever thought Sequim could offer much, comparatively speaking of course, on the cultural scale. It is a small town after all.
We moved here for all the reasons I read about on this forum. Our jobs allow us to work from home so we decided on Sequim.
Most of what we researched before our move was true and positive.
After two years here we see the big picture of this place:
The overwhelming majority have moved here after the age of 65 from out of state. There is a constant influx of Senior Citizens spending their last years here. Defensive driving is a must.
Realtors love it here because they can sell the same house four times in their career!
All activities in this town are planned, controlled and run by a constant change of retirees who do not want ANY sort of alteration or growth. I get it, this town is beautiful, slow and filled with very nice like minded people.
BUT this is really a problem with getting medical care and the quality of the schools.
It took me 3 MONTHS to get a doctor's appointment and after getting set up, 6 months later he left town! We now each pay $70.00 a month to BELONG to a medical doctors group so we are guaranteed a spot. This has nothing to do with our excellent medical insurance.
I really think they can't keep professional families here because the schools are SO rundown and outdated. My daughter has a lovely teacher but her school building has extension cords running through the hallways because the breakers keep blowing. The plumbing is always being repaired, and the "schools" are more like large camps, of aging 1960's portable classroom trailers, with no water, bathrooms or heat.
It is really embarrassing to think that this type of upscale community has such rundown ghetto schools. We were so disappointed. All these $$beautiful homes, fancy, fancy retirement homes and then you drive pass the schools and they look like something from a poor farm town.
I know the schools are trying. They keep trying to pass little bonds to fix the schools, but retirees from out of state, won't pay even $100.00 a year more to repair the schools. But they blow $200.00 a night at the casino! lol They haven't been able to pass a bond in something like 30 years!
I mean I do understand it. Most people here have raised their kids, paid their taxes, have no children in this town and are here to enjoy their retirement. But so short sighted.
There is a real shortage of medical care and technology here for everyone. ( They even still sell dial up!)
It seems obvious that this town is aching for medical,tech and science programs, or even expanded STEM in the high school, to keeps the smart kids in town, and draw professional families.
Anyway, just want people to be prepared! We love it here, but supplement our daughter's education to keep her up to date with tech and science.
tldr; Beautiful place, but unless they fix the schools this place is going to implode with old people with no one to care for them.
I have not read this about Sequim before. I know you're writing this about Sequim but do you know if this is true about Port Townsend? I know Port Townsend is (thankfully) more liberal than Sequim but do they have a better approach to the schools?
Thanks for the great input, Lovingthesunshine. I agree with you. Education is vital not only for the students themselves but for the entire community. How can Sequim possibly attract enough medical (and other) professionals if they've no place to adequately school their kids?!
We are fiscal conservatives and have no kids but would definitely vote for an appropriate school bond. Alas, we cannot vote but merely pay our property taxes...at least not yet.
Everyone likes to save money and no one wants to waste money but I would not categorize us as fiscal conservatives for reasons like this. As soon as you start taking a hatchet to school funding, you're destroying the economy from the inside.
We live in the Seattle metro and love visiting the OP. Of course with that it's fun to ponder living there someday. Politically, we are much better suited to Port Townsend where the entire vibe is different. I'm far more corporate than "hippie" but Port Townsend cracks me up. I have a little video on my phone of their town band playing on a Saturday afternoon by the water and it's just sort of charming.
Everyone likes to save money and no one wants to waste money but I would not categorize us as fiscal conservatives for reasons like this. As soon as you start taking a hatchet to school funding, you're destroying the economy from the inside.
My definition of fiscal conservative is spending money only on stuff that matters while ensuring an efficient process...balanced budget, debt reduction, limited government services. Education, done right, matters to me.
We all use labels but they can be somewhat misleading.
Well, I have lived in the area for twice as long as Lovingthesunshine has, and my feeling is, if you feel the public schools are ghetto here, you should examine the public schools in California, Nevada, Arizona, take your pick. i am also a parent of grown and successful children and I know that I did not rely solely on the public schools to educate my children...no one should, nowdays.
Spouse and I have met people of all ages and backgrounds here...locals and transplants. Many of them have children, some grown, some still going to school. Some are wildly successful, some are not. For myself, I have paid my dues as far as financing public schools, and I don't want to pay anymore than I have to. Many people feel that way, in many communities all around the country. For those who are concerned about quality of education here, there is always private school and home schooling, options that I chose for my children during certain periods of their lives.
If you want a lot of urban amenities, this is not the place to be. Try the Kitsap Peninsula, i.e. Silverdale, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Bremerton, it is beautiful and more suburban. The beauty of here is because it is the way it is. Sequim already has a ton of big box stores. Port Angeles...not so much. Regarding culture, you do realize that you can take a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, BC, Vancouver Island, for museums, opera, world class shopping? And from there you can go to the city of Vancouver, BC for more of the same? Not to mention, a ferry or a drive to Seattle, or even Portland, Oregon.
Regarding medical care...yes it is difficult. I have had to go to a specialist in Seattle, but it is doable. We really had to hunt & search for a decent family practice physician, a dentist, and another specialist. I do not know what we will do if they retire or leave. They seem pretty invested in this area because they are locals themselves, or transplants looking for a lifestyle change. However...we came from an urban area with a medical school & several universities, and we were having difficulties there...my husband's physician decided he was not making enough money and became a "boutique" Doctor, wanting to charge an annual fee, in addition to insurance reimbursements, to receive care from him. Our dentist and family practice doctors were getting ready to retire. I had to schedule appointments months in advance for one specialist, only to have them cancelled and rescheduled because he was so busy. Plus, drive in gridlocked traffic and wait in his office for 90 minutes past my scheduled appointment. So, this is not a "Sequim old people" problem, this is a problem with the healthcare system in this entire country. Perhaps I was a little more prepared for it than some people...I grew up in a small, isolated town with meager and mediocre medical care, and it was the norm to have to drive a long distance to get to a doctor and a decent hospital.
These are small communities in a beautiful area. It took awhile to adjust to the lifestyle here. I am still adjusting. But if you want to change everything about this place, you will be met with resistance. If you start changing it, then you will be ruining what you were looking for in the first place.
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2013-2015, I moved to Sequim two years ago, this is my opinion!
lol They haven't been able to pass a bond in something like 30 years! 
