Seattleites/Washingtonians

[blonndee]

Okay so I'm finishing grad school in about a year and can finally get out of this red state! I've decided I'm going to Seattle no matter what. I've got to get involved in some progressive, radical groups and just be around some like-minded people.

So can anyone give me any general info about Seattle? I visited once and fell in love with the city, but I have no idea where I should live, what groups are active, etc. etc. ANY experiences or suggestions would be more than welcome.

I also have THREE dogs so I'm looking for pet-friendly living, whether it be a house I have to buy, or preferably a really cool rental. I don't want to live in the ghetto for safety reasons (single female) but I'm not rich either...so info about neighborhoods would help. Like "downtown" versus "Capitol Hill" versus "Queen Anne" versus etc. I really don't want to live out in Renton or any other suburbs because I've had enough of suburbs. I want to live in the CITY, dammit, with people walking around and music, etc.

[mondo joe]

1. You'll have a hard time with 3 dogs living in the city - especially the

neighborhoods you mentioned. Capitol Hill and Queen Anne are 2 of the more expensive neighborhoods. Not that many people want to rent to dog owners, but especially in those areas.

The Greenwood neighborhood might be worth trying, or Crown Hill. Colombia City is a little more out there but likely with more reasonable rents.

I live in Fremont which is about the most liberal part of Seattle, but I like Ballard a lot too.

If you have any questions that I might be able to help with I'll do my best!

[Zomby Woof]

2. I lived there 15 years

Until 2003.

1. The job market sucks ass, which is why I left. So you better have a job lined up or a shitload of money. The place is fucking EXPENSIVE to live in, or near. Ranks #2 to San Francisco on the entire west coast in cost-of-living. Near last in jobs.

2. Hope that you don't have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) - the winters are dark, dark, and dark. Usually wet too, although friends told me it was a very dry winter this year.

3. Like-minded people can also be a pain-in-the-ass. Aging sanctimonious hippies are as bad as anal-retentive fascist Repukes. Capitol Hill is for the hipper-than-thou (try to out-pierce each other, or tattoo yourself to death), and did I mention expensive? Queen Anne has been yuppified to death since 1990 or so. Belltown (which is IN the city) is also hip, pricey, and gentrified beyond belief.

4. The area is prone to earthquakes as severe as any in CA, so if you have never experienced one, they are fun.

5. http://www.seattlesucks.com Reminds me of why I left, although I once loved the place. It isn't all it's cracked up to be. Traffic usually ranks the worst in the nation, even worse than sunshine-soaked LA. I-5 and I-405 are hell. All those yuppies, all those SUV's! All those Volvos and Saabs and Lexuses... :puke:

6. The city government is a sick joke, the county government will make you hurl, and the state government is even worse. True fact: Seattle tried passing a 10 cents-a-cup espresso tax nearly 2 years ago, and it deservedly failed. They say California is nuts, but the insanity there has more panache and style. Seattle's insanity is just dumb.

If you are really bent on moving there, try Olympia instead. You'll find "like-minded people", but the traffic is a bit better, and only 99% as expensive. The rest of the state is redder than Kansas, if one is to believe phony dichotomies such as "red" and "blue".

Good luck.

[Robb]

3. Oddly enough, I did too

Twenty years. :)

And I echo most of what ZW has to say. Although I still like to visit for the food opportunities.

I should also add I moved out into the hinterland of Colorado, where we elected Bush and a Democratic State House and Senate at the same time. :shrug:

[fortyfeetunder]

4. Come on over to the Washington board

There are Washingtonians from all over the state.

Zomby brought up some good points why Seattle sucks. I've been in and out of Seattle for 35 years, and think I am in for good.

Pluses: near water, near mountains, no income tax, the rain makes everything green west of the mountains. Coffee houses galore.

Minuses: traffic sucks big time. Don't even think of hopping on I-5 or I-405 on a Friday afternoon. Sales tax and property tax enormous. Idiot votes on initiatives that suck state coffers dry but the voters still want state services.

[lcdnumber6]

5. General info about the city I love

Hi, I'm a long time resident of the Seattle area, and now a Fremont denizen, in it for the long haul.

Boy, three dogs may be your limiting factor, unless they're OK inside. Are you OK with living with people? That might be a feasible way to have a house with a backyard for the pups. Within the past year I "paid" $150K for a 600 square foot condo, and I think I got quite a deal compared to the other stuff I'd seen.

North Seattle neighborhoods (i.e., Fremont, Greenwood, Ballard) have a lot more parks and open spaces than the heart of Seattle. North Capitol Hill is a lovely old part of town with Volunteer Park nearby, but it's mainly big old single-family houses intermixed with overpriced apartments. The Central District is, for now, relatively less expensive as well as quite diverse and vibrant, and although some would think it unsafe, one of my single female friends lived there for quite a while with no probs. Madrona and Seward Park are also nice areas.

Progressive groups abound in this city. I do a lot of volunteer work that involves environmental issues; I shy away from more politically active organizations but I know they're out there with lots of enthusiastic supporters.

Yes, the traffic is horrid, the local gubment can be frustrating at times, and we're not the most extroverted people you'll meet in the country. But if you appreciate being around water, in a just big enough city, with lots of green trees, decent cultural activities, etc., it's alright. I have to disagree with Zomby on the SAD (which I'm prone to): we have had crisp and clear winters the last two years - thanks global warming!!! Although April has been (thankfully) very wet.

A final note: I had an informal 10-year reunion with some of my old high school buddies last year, and all of them had lived in other parts of the country or in other countries altogether. They all came back to settle down in Seattle. Maybe it's a familiarity thing, but it sure said a lot to me that I'm in a great city.

Cheers, Lisa

[mondo joe]

6. Hey fellow Fremonter - did you happen to catch the Moisture Festival a

few weeks ago?

It was like the Solstice Parade on stage!

[blonndee]

7. Thanks....looks like Fremont may be the way to go

Yeah I know the 3 dogs thing is posing the biggest problem. Honestly, if it were not for them, I would be asking a whole different set of questions. However, they ARE all "okay" inside--I'm such a protective owner I don't let them out unsupervised and I NEVER let them bark. I'm working on training them to pass their CGC's (Canine Good Citizenship) tests so they can have some good stuff on their "resumes" for potential landlords and also just to help them be all-around better and happier dogs.

Thanks for the info on SAD. I've heard this from some of my friends, but honestly, I get really happy in cloudy, rainy, dark weather. I really seem to be energized by it. Maybe it's because I grew up in the desert plains of NM, but I really seem to be mentally focused when it's cloudy and rainy.

So it looks like Fremont may be the way to go...and I'm not bothered by hippies and extremists...the only extremists I encounter here are freepers and I've had enough of that. I think it's time to get a little extreme. When things change maybe I can become more moderate!!!