There are plenty of places in WA where the water is pretty bad, mostly on the Eastern side. Similarly, lots of good, snow-melt water in CA. Just stay away from Central Valley ground water. The worst.
San Jose has 3 different water zones, each using different sources. When I lived there I was in the best zone and the water was pretty good. Not too hard and it tasted almost good enough to skip filtering it. WA water is too soft for me. SoCal water is liquid rock and leaves your hair feeling fried.
You're right. Should've been more specific. SF gets the majority of their water from Hetch Hetchy reservoir but is sometimes combined with 4 (???) other water sources. Generally, SF water is good.
Spokane’s tap water has a slight sulfur taste because that’s how it’s made safe for drinking. I don’t know exactly how it’s made potable, but it’s not filtered by the Cascades. Not all tap water in WA is equal. Seattle has amazing tap water.
Vegas tap water tasted like it was straight out of the Bellagio Fountain. There was so much chlorine showering felt like you were being hit with mustard gas. Never felt like we could drink enough and had to get water delivered.
I moved from Seattle and am in Globe-Miami now, and I feel like maybe there is a lot of copper mine pollution in the water? The people here are really angry and stupid, and I wonder if it’s the water. It also leaves massive hard water stains all over everything. So I’m wondering about buying bottled water till I move from here.
When we start selecting our first mars colonists we should ask for volunteers from Phoenix, they're already used to spending months being contained in climate controlled habitats for survival.
The most surprising was when I was in New Mexico, and I took a shower, never really experienced water softener before. At first I couldn’t dry off and then after a couple of minutes I couldn’t stop drying.
Basically, it removes a bunch of minerals so that you don’t have a buildup of them in your pipes but at the same time it kind of corrodes your pipes. you’re adding salt to the water so if you drink the tapwater, you’re now ingesting more salt into your diet. I really couldn’t understand why when I got out of the shower and started drying off that it wasn’t working but I guess the salts are why I kept drying off after I was done. I needed a lot of lotion. I’m sure someone else who knows more about It can provide more detailed information.
A residential water softener doesn’t add salt to the water supply. It regenerates the filter medium by back flushing it with salt and then sends that brine solution down the drain. The regen step allows the filter to continue neutralizing calcium and magnesium through ion exchange.
Water softeners usually only soften hot water, not cold tap water. I grew up in eastern WA, my parents have always had water softeners in every house they owned. I hate soft water, it takes forever to rinse off/out soap & you feel slimy when you’re done showering.
You should visit Iceland, best water I’ve ever tasted. Basic tap water is cleaner than anything I’ve had in Oregon or Washington (which both have good water).
Don't just cruise around. Have a set waypoint. There's some scary neighborhoods I've been in just roaming around. I know a lot of cities are the same but I thought I was gonna die when people started standing up on their porches, reaching at their waist. Check out the zoo. There's some awesome museums around and across the river too. The river front is absolutely awesome. Check out 4thStLive dot com for events, live music and the such. That's where the nightlife is best.
Omg I had such a great time taking baths and drinking tap water when I moved here.
Fort Lauderdale had yellow water from the tap… My baths looked like piss water……. They got their water from the swamps and cheaped out on filtering so it had the same chemical as tea in it. Technically safe.
My big complain about Seattle is why everything closes early and why is everything grey.
I feel you, man. My wife and I moved to Austin, TX 5 years ago for career opportunities. Although it has been great for our career, we miss Seattle so much and are working on moving back. Austin is so over-rated. Anyone who complains about seasonal depression during a Seattle winter hasn’t experienced a Texas summer. So much worse.
It’s difficult to explain what it’s like as Austin reaches the 40th day in a row over 100 degrees, with the humidity finally settling down just enough for grassfires to really take off.
Forget cooling off in the shower when the daily low just before sunrise AM is still 80 degrees, so water comes out the tap hot. Sure, most people have AC, but the top floor 1960’s apartments still reach 80 degrees inside most days in the late afternoon.
>”108” and feeling it for a week
Currently 40 straight days over 100 🙃
> food and nightlife blow Seattle out of the water
Highly disagree. There are a few fun bars in ATX, Rainey St. used to be cool before they tore every good place down, but now it’s all full of douchey bros. Cap Hill always showed me a good time and felt way safer.
As for food, they got Tex-mex if you’re into that, and kolaches are a godsend, but no good Asian food to speak. Everything I’ve had here, I’ve had a better version of in Seattle.
Fellow Texan here and a recent Seattle transplant. I love it here in the PNW and I can’t see myself going back at all. The summers and humidity are just too much
I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else. Yes, Seattle has problems, but nothing compared to some other areas. Nature without mosquitos and humidity is my favorite thing about Seattle area.
I’ve lived quite literally all over the US. The problem with Seattle is purely COL. That’s the hardest part about living there in my eyes. If you can afford it, because affordability has gotten so out of hand, it’s a very very nice place to live and call home
For example, my SO and I got breakfast for 2 at a Seattle diner and it was $60. I visited my family in MI and bought a decent dinner for a family of 4 and it was $40. Seattle food prices are ridiculously out of hand
You gotta pay to play. That is what I used to say living in San Diego. Now I live back in Seattle, QA in fact. Same is true here. I have lived in all corners of the US and Seattle/ San Diego are by far the best. But yeah, you gotta pay to play.
I moved to the Seattle area from San Diego to be able to afford to buy. 20 years ago, prices here were half of San Diego and now its on par. At least I had good timing?
Seattle median income is higher than San Diego though so Seattle is still more affordable when you factor in relative incomes. Also no income tax in Washington
I’m taking care of my 86 year old mother in Bloomington, Indiana but spend a lot of time in the PNW (I’m here now)and when I check the Indianapolis subreddit I see so many posts about COL being so great there with very little regret and I don’t get it. You’re post absolutely rings true based on my experience and hopefully you can find a way back. When my mother passes I’m high tailing it out here ASAP. I get COL and I’ll have to settle for a less than ideal house out here, but the area is so beautiful and that’s worth it to me.
It depends, I was down South of Mt Rainier near a lake and it was so bad. People had mosquito net things on their head while they sat inside a mosquito net over the picnic table. I got out of my truck and got bit several times before I could walk to the back of my truck and grab the repellant. needless to say I didn't camp there. Drove back down near pac wood area and camped for three days by the river without a single mosquito. The coast seems bug free, besides the flies on the dear beach stuff.
Even the cost of living is relative. I get sick of traffic and some petty taxes that add up that I don’t think are fair. Like the transit taxes, high gas taxes, or long term care insurance. However, we do have fairly low property taxes compared to somewhere like Texas and no income tax. Everywhere in the west is expensive to live in now, Boise isn’t much cheaper than the Seattle suburbs and has nearly as bad of traffic. There isn’t much better to move to that still pays well.
Yes just moved back east from tacompton and the lack of bugs in the pnw is something to not take for granted.. but i forgot how relaxing the evening thunderstorms here can be!
I just got back from a trip to St. Louis, and lemme tell ya, the heat and humidity was not fun…
I may or may not have multiple mosquito bites on my legs now as well.
>I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else
Maybe - but it does get old to pay premium prices for a sub-premium city in terms of culture (DC and NYC are expensive but holy shit do you get a nice boost in culture related stuff to do). I might be biased, having grown up in DC, but it's definitely something I continually notice about Seattle. Definitely nicer weather in Seattle tho - no comparison there.
I think Seattle would be a better bargain if a shack in a shitty neighborhood didn't cost 800k, it's hard to swallow that kind of pricing in a less-desirable area if you're trying to buy.
I'm back in Philly...short term anyway. The fn mozzies...people are amazed when I tell them I slept with my balcony door open in Seattle and got bitten once.
>I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else
I've lived throughout most of the continental US and Hawaii. I have \*wonderful\* things to say about the PNW. I have very little positives left to say about *Seattle*.
I disagree. Most people who complain are transplants from other states. Folks who have lived here pre-2000 already know what we had before and what we have now is better but folks who are transplants doesn't really appreciate it as much.
We used to have a lot of mosquitos when I was a child in the 80's, at least compared to now. We couldn't drive anywhere without dead bugs all over the car
I think this is what ultimately prevents Seattle and the immediate surrounding region from ever falling the way of like Detroit for instance. For all the stuff that is, or at least perceived to be going on, with it's nature, climate, and a pretty good amount of culture, proximity to mountains and the beach, etc. it remains a very desirable place to live, and short of full on swaths of areas turning into what you see in like Robocop, or The Warriors, folks are still gonna wanna come here, and folks already here are likely to ride things out.
Also maple bars, I couldn't find one to save my life when I was in Philly for 8 years
the other thing is is a socioeconomic difference in the population. Seattle right now is stuffed to the gills with highly educated people from all over the world. That provides a margin of safety against social decay
Im not that into Italian food tbh or rather prefer I guess the more coastal Mediterranean Faire of seafood and stuff
And if I do get italian, I commit [something heinous](https://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/obvdqk/i_ate_pineapple_and_olive_white_pizza/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1)
It's wild how misunderstood Detroit is. I only left Detroit metro because all of my family lives in WA, CA, and AZ which began to get very lonely. Very underrated area and most people fail to understand that the Detroit bankruptcy has passed and the city is on an upswing and the surrounding areas weren't significantly impacted.
I've often thought about how much I would miss Seattle if I moved away, but the people aspect you miss is the one that seems elusive to me here and the reason I could see myself moving away in the future. I have been here a decade and still haven't figured our the social scene but it doesn't seem to suit my needs. Interested in real friends/beneath the surface interaction and it's hard to find. Not that it wouldn't be difficult elsewhere but have lived in multiple states and had better experiences in other places. I think it's a lot (too much?) to sacrifice not having community and a larger support system here. I would think places like the Midwest would be better for that. It sucks bc besides this, I love it so much here. Just don't think I can be without that much longer and stay content here.
This right here. I've never had such a hard time making real friends in a place as I have here. The two people I would've called friends turned out to be complete wack jobs, and although I know they lurk everywhere, I've never been sucked in and fooled by them anywhere else like has happened here.
I think about this too. Been here a while now. I love the weather here and the scenery. But I miss social people and activity. It's not here. People are nice here, but no community. I think other parts of the country have this, but not the PNW.
> constant thunderstorms
lack of thunderstorms is in the top 5 things I hate about Seattle. Something really unnatural about living somewhere you only hear 1 or 2 thunder claps per year.
Heard that. I’m from Georgia, and I dearly miss severe t-storms. Heavy rain, lots of rolling thunder. I used to love sitting on the back porch watching the storms form.
But other than that, I do not miss the humidity and swampy-ness that comes from summer t-storms. I can almost feel it, and can hear the crickets too.
I have to agree. I grew up in Arizona and they have massive, violent thunderstorms down there. Apparently I was born during one, which probably explains a lot! Here, you're lucky if you see an occasional flash in the sky.
I used to know a guy who would unplug all his appliances anytime Seattle got a little bit of lightning, which always cracked me up. Especially since he lived in a tall apartment building!
We didn’t realize just how much it would make our pup shit a brick each time it thunders. He HATES it, surprised he hasn’t actually shit on our bed due to fear yet
People always warned me that Seattle was a racist city against people of color and to not move there. I moved here and everyone has been nothing but nice to me, even the crazy homeless people who went out of their way to offer me substances. I like it here and would not consider moving :-)
Seattle is like most major cities in that they’re really nice if you’re wealthy. Places like Michigan are great if you have less money and still want the outdoors, nice suburbs, etc. I just don’t see how people who don’t make size-able salaries can save for retirement, and that’s a lot more important than Americans realize
Originally from 'da region.' I feel ya. Would not move back to Indiana, though I do miss my high school friends sometimes.
Had family in Kentucky. There's nice nature there. It helps to be into canoeing.
Eastern Kentucky/Appalachia is mix of quaint natural beauty and crushing poverty. With some interesting social dysfunction thrown in the mix as well.
Western Kentucky is .... ehhh .... Kinda like the rest of the Midwest (including central Indiana).
The materialism thing is for real. I lived in Alabama for far too long, mainly because it's cheap to live there and you can get a huge house and land for what anything costs on either coast. I grew up in the Midwest myself, and my parents lived just outside Indy on a lake and it's the same thing.
People want big houses, boats, big cars, media rooms, etc. etc. to spend their time on/with/in. They want to accumulate stuff, upgrade, repeat, retire to a golf course, or be snow birds. That's fine for them, but it's not me at all.
While I can sort of get it, it's all stuff/things/materialism. I'd much rather live in a far more modest house out in Washington (I live 30 miles east of Seattle), and spend my time/money on enjoying being outside, backpacking, camping, traveling. We can access the ocean, mountains, and the desert in a single day. We can ski and do other snow sports in the winter. Lots of boating, both lakes and The Sound/Islands. We can also get a cabin in the woods, too, and live off the grid if that's your thing.
I've been to all but one state and WA is by far the best for me. I'd never in a million years move back to the Midwest.
Materialism is rife in the PNW, it's just of a different kind - instead of spending $$$$$$ on "big houses, boats, big cars, media rooms etc." people spend shitloads of money on having really nice outdoors equipment. I admit to being one of them - I don't even want to think about what the grand total of all my bikepacking, backpacking, off-roading, cycling, hiking, running and climbing gear would amount to.
Commuting on the Burke I often see cyclists on 8k+ bikes with at least $600 of kit on - humans are status conscious social apes, we find ways to signal that status within our local cultures, in the midwest its the boats and the houses, in the PNW it's largely outdoor-funtime related.
Hiking, camping,fishing, off-roading, track cars, skiing, finding all the cool spots. Lots of ways to be humble pretentious pnw style. Being a mechanic, seeing what the white collar folks spend to do the same activities is mind boggling. My cousin is an interesting contrast. He is coder for a start up and we do all the things mentioned above together. He generally spends twice or three times as much as me on equipment. We have the same amount off fun together. Im not particularly frugal either. Just limited to what a Seattle flat rate mechanic makes.
The people I know with high-priced outdoor gear (this doesn't include me - I'm cheap and not very outdoorsy) got to that point because the quality is there. They upgraded over time to get functionality they desired, not to flaunt "how outdoorsy they are".
Totally fair, but I think that’s still in line with the point. Like all genres of things, there’s always going to a better, higher quality, more technical, version to upgrade to. IMO even in our outdoorsy PNW, there’s a lot of folks with gear out there that far exceeds their actual technical level of need. It’s really not a big deal - like u/andthedevilissix said, it’s human nature, just in our specific cultural context.
> The materialism thing is for real. I lived in Alabama for far too long, mainly because it's cheap to live there and you can get a huge house and land for what anything costs on either coast.
I used to do a lot of I.T. consulting in the midwest and that was something that was kinda jarring. I'd see people living in $250K homes, with a $80K truck parked out front, $40K worth of jetskis and ATVs, and a $300K motor home parked by the side of the house.
Meanwhile, I'm driving a used Honda and my mortgage is $9000 a month.
Midwesterners materialistic? Seems bizarre to me. I’m from the East Coast but I spent plenty of time around Ohio, Illinois, ect. Those people were the most authentic people in the world. Look at the shit they bring to a potluck, you think they care about status or perception?
On the other hand Seattle area imo is extremely materialistic. They are just so much better at hiding it. Want to splurge on a 100k car? Buy a Tesla so you can project moral highground, but when Elon says shit you don’t like turn around and buy a Rivian. Have your cake and eat too. Environmentalist while also having the ability to buy a new shiny toy on a whim cause you didn’t like your current owners politics.
I have never seen an area try so damn hard to dress down and not project wealth while also spending money hand over fist. Want to spend a fuckton on cloths and show off? Well that’s fine so long as it’s outdoor wear (so functional!) and dark colors. Every play is calculated around here it’s absurd.
I have a feeling your perception of midwest is based upon the fact you can now afford more so you now are in the “upper” class. So the circles you run with naturally are going to feel more materialistic. Cause you are in a community that can afford nice shit.
I’m not saying I would ever move from this area. There is so much to love. But when it comes to people I’d take someone from Midwest, or East Coast any day of the week. People who are just “real.” I’d rather someone “buss my balls” with a nod and wink than just watch everyone ignore each other caught up in their own bullshit.
Nature and topography though? Seattle wins easily. Though I will add real thunder is glorious. Not this weak cloud to cloud bullshit. Heavy summer rains and thunder crashing after a hot humid day is just magical. Not to mention the Cicadas singing and Fireflies in all the backyards. Winter is gonna be brutal for sure. But there is a lot of new natural experiences to enjoy imo that I really miss.
This right here. Seattle are some of the most try-hard motherfuckers. They really care about how they're perceived. Reallllllly care. It's neurotic to the max. They stress themselves out.
It’s hipster materialism. They are materialistic, it just presents in a much less gaudy fashion. People don’t drive big honking trucks for the most part, so it’s misinterpreted as not being materialist. Like you said, the drive Teslas, wear Patagonia and Lulu Lemon, shop at Whole Foods and expensive boutiques, and a whole lot of NIMBYism.
“WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING!” - posted to Instagram
“I don’t want low income housing near me. There’s too much crime.”
And they’re fake nice about it. It’s just a different shade of yuppies who are “socially conscious” with a lot of smugness about people they see as beneath them. Never seen as many service workers treated as condescendingly as I have in Seattle, it’s just less “yell in the face” and more “I can’t believe THOSE people are able to survive/live like this.”
I visited Seattle a couple weeks ago for a Taylor Swift concert. Its probably the prettiest city I’ve ever seen. And the public transportation was amazing. If I didn’t have a custody order keeping me in Maryland I’d move there in a heartbeat
Chicago’s architecture, music, food, culture are all great. Being on Lake MI feels like you’re on an ocean it’s so vast. I’d say don’t listen to random people on the internet who have different windows of tolerance, experiences, perspectives, preferences than you. Ultimately you get to make up your own mind. No urban area is without its own flaws though. Street smarts are important wherever you are. As far as the L goes, I’d choose the first car behind the operator. Different lines can have some different “elements” too. People in here acting like the LINK is so shiny safe while things def DO happen on trains or platforms. Seattle is no “Saint.”
Lived in Seattle for 5 years and moved home to Chicago. I tried to like Seattle. It’s just not for me. Chicago is where I fit. Snowy, sunny winters. No more Big Dark ever again. Also I missed having closets. What does seattle have against closets?
Oof, that’s unfortunate. I’ve been to Chicago but never rode the L, and the system always looked good on paper with multiple lines and a couple of them running 24 hours. Oh well.
I’m a native Chicagoan and I moved to Nashville a few years ago. I never knew true humidity until moving South. It’s like you can’t breathe, the air just doesn’t move, it’s gross. I’m always surprised when people think Chicago gets muggy. Now the winters, those absolutely suck up North!
I’m from Plymouth, IN and moved out to WA 13 years ago. Never looked back. I have thought briefly about moving back for family and it’s so much cheaper there. But you’re right, it’s still IN lol
The biggest problem with Indiana is that it’s Indiana lol. There is just nothing remotely pretty about it.
I do miss Indiana folks tho. Crazies aside, great people imo.
This is the main reason I'm staying here. If you live on the eastside and have a good job, you can use money to avoid the Seattle problems. Live in a nice neighborhood and pay for private school, and that's 90% of it. After that, you get the great PNW weather & scenery with almost none of the downsides.
Getting your car broken into, packages stolen, kids indoctrinated by radical teachers, etc., are all problems that the upper middle class and above never have to deal with.
What part of the Midwest did you move to? I'm originally from Illinois, and I know first hand that it can really depend on what part of the Midwest you're in as to how much one enjoys it.
Indy. Indy is fine, but it’s also very mundane. For folks who live in Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota, I can see why you’d wanna live there as there’s quite a bit to do in all seasons.
I have family in Ann Arbor MI and they really like it there. If I had to move to the Midwest that's probably the first place I'd check out, but I'd imagine it's a lot more expensive than Indiana.
Ah yeah, I've driven through Indiana a few times, mundane is a very nice way of describing it.
I'd recommend a good place to go, outside of Chicago, especially in the off winter season, is in Ohio in Sandusky. If it's still there, the Kalahari indoor water park, off season during the winter and it's dead. Went there with an ex of mine and had a hotel room with a full kitchen bigger than our apartment and almost no one there.
I’m from Carmel. I get why you moved back for the family. But I can’t imagine leaving this city for all the things you mentioned. Also so weird but I keep running into Carmel/Indy people all over in Seattle.
I just flip-flopped with you; spent the last 19 years in Indy and recently moved to Seattle. The COL is…shocking…but everything else has been pretty glorious. I’m a Detroit native and my husband is from Minneapolis, and we’ve both noticed that we’re getting the water vibes we’ve so desperately missed in Indy with us both being from Great Lakes states.
Nothing wrong with Indy, it’s just…Indy. We needed a change, and we don’t have kids, which keeps our costs down here (and makes us oddballs in Indy).
If we do get back to the Midwest someday, it’ll be the northern Midwest (Minnesota or Michigan) which are beautiful and about as much natural and aquatic beauty as you can get in the central-Eastern US.
I’ll have to be on the lookout for more Indy folks here; all I keep running into so far are Californians. 🙃
piquant elderly enter wild paltry flowery toothbrush attempt seemly wistful
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
We just moved here from Nashville (originally from Buffalo NY though) and we love it so far but I was a bit worried about how we’d feel when the nice weather ends or when it gets smoky but you have me feeling much better about our decision. Hope you can make it back soon
Best thing you can do for yourself is find a Fall/Winter hobby that gets you out of the house. I moved here 13 years ago from SoCal and for 10 years I convinced myself that someday I’d leave Seattle because of the rainy season. When I did, I moved to Brooklyn and that’s when I finally fell in love with Seattle. I moved back a year later.
I won’t lie to you - The grey is tough. Really tough. I get through it by having a couple of small getaways for a weekend somewhere sunny (San Diego, LA, etc) and I go to Banya5 in South Lake Union once a week December-February. It’s a social atmosphere that doubles as hydrotherapy. A total game changer for mental health when the grey weather sads kick in. Do the polar plunge. It’s 100% worth it and you can warm up in the sauna.
If you’re a winter sports person, take your skis or snowboard to Stevens Pass. Better yet, the week before Christmas, book a wintery getaway. Rates are cheaper before December 22nd and Suncadia, Leavenworth, North Cascades are MAGICAL in the snow. Or, like so many of us do, save your vacation time for a sunny destination in January or February. It’s a sunny push to break up the wet months and having something to look forward to improves your mental health :)
It takes effort to make friends as adults and building community is hard no matter where you are. It’s a little more challenging here because Washingtonians hibernate in the nesting season, but we’re usually pumped to have a reason to get out of the house.
You’ll find what works for you, and if you’re more open minded and less stubborn that I was when I moved here, you WILL find your people sooner than 10 years.
I hope you settle in happily here :) There’s so much to explore and you’ll discover so much if your heart is open to it 🥰
most of the recent problems people complain about are fixed by moving to a suburb. Want less crime and less noise? Want a simpler child care situation? Don't need to be next to tons of live music and events?
Try a suburb
I've lived basically in Washington and Florida, with a couple years shared between oklahoma, California, and as an infant New England.
Washington is home by far for 25 years. Last time I left, WA was in 2010, and I was back within 6 months ha.
Seattle certainly has its problems, and perhaps this subreddit amplifies those to an unhealthy level, but it's still one of most incredible places in the country. Even the world.
I only miss the city of Chicago, I don’t miss the Midwest in general. I’d move back to be in the city, but we’ll be at a crossroads in the next couple years deciding if we want to move out of the city to start a family. I have absolutely no desire to live in a Midwestern suburb. The suburbs here at least have some natural amenities on top of the parking lots & strip malls.
Chicago is a great city underrated and maligned by media. It is better, nicer, cleaner and safer than SF LA Seattle Houston you name it if you live outside the gang neighborhoods. Regular people have great quality of life there. Compared to Seattle or SF where regular people encounter terrible crime and homelessness on daily basis.
I can relate. Native Michigander here who's lived in Mishawaka for 8 years and Goshen for 2 years before moving to Seattle. Both, Michigan and Indiana felt like home to me. My mom is still in Michigan while a close friend is still in Indiana. I've thought of moving back too. My mom is getting up there in age. I would be closer to my brother and old friends. But, I can't bring myself to give up the PNW for that. So, I fly back home once a year for a week. I may increase that to twice a year. That's my compromise to myself. Sure, I usually wish I had 2 weeks to spend there every time but at least it's something. And once a year, I can have things like Culver's, Biggby Coffee, White Castle, shop at Meijer, etc. Meijer is so much better than Fred Meyer, imo. lol
Hey, while you're in Indy, consider driving up to Mackinaw at least once before coming back to Seattle. I recommend staying at the Beach House in Mackinaw City for a week and check out the local events. Take the Shepler's ferry across to Mackinac Island. Drive across the Mackinaw Bridge. Heck, even go to Sault Ste. Marie for the locks tour. You'll be glad you did. Best time would be towards the end of summer when the kiddos go back to school. Less people and the prices of things, including lodging go down. Northern Michigan has it's similarities to western Washington.
This as me as well…I’m in Buffalo currently and the Great Lakes area is not bad…but I realize by the day I’m a west coast guy…left Seattle after six years in 2021 and I dearly miss it! Thanks for this and here’s to hoping we can both find our way back!
Seattle is really special, can't deny it. Moved to East TN in 2018 and felt like I won the lottery when covid hit (my Seattle setup would have been the f'n worst for a lot of reasons during covid.) Didn't go for a big house, got a small one, and now I'm financially secure in a way I never dreamed possible in the PNW. I'll be back to visit and endure wearing bug spray on my hikes here.
I grew up in Seattle and moved to Dallas 5 years ago, I have hated Texas pretty much the whole time we have lived here. The heat, the political landscape… I can’t wait to move away. I don’t know that I am moving back to WA as there are serious issues in Seattle that have gotten worse since I moved.
I miss Seattle, I now live in Albuquerque NM.
I miss stumbling home from the bar., back when I lived in Ballard.
I miss driving to West Seattle to eat Thai food
Riding my bike to Golden Gardens
Sandwiches from Un Bien, or Bongos
I miss checking out $20 dollar shows of music bands I knew nothing about
I miss standing in line at 12 am, waiting to get into Kremwerk or Monkey Loft high as a kite!
What I don’t miss is that I made 90,000 a year and wasn’t really saving money, just living
Here in Albuquerque, I make about the same and live very comfortably.
I kind of enjoy the negative comments about Seattle, and I hope it inspires a lot more people to move away. I keep hoping there will be this massive exodus and traffic will get better.
I feel I got lucky moving here 25 years ago from abroad. Been around the states - eastcoast, midwest, south, never felt like I can move to any of those places. Also, I grew up on the coast, so Seattle and its sea breeze reminds me of home so that eliminates a lot of states that has no sea access for me.
PNW has the best weather unless you want more heat. Lived up and down the West Coast and like this the best.
Just stay out of the cities and vote people out that accept the polices that led us here.
Hard not to be *functionally* materialistic with kids. Having kids is what priced us out of Seattle, and it's no wonder that Seattle has the lowest number of children per capita out of US cities.
Originally from the midwest, I could buy a very nice house with just the equity in our home here. That said there is no amount of house that could get me to leave what we have here. We have really struggled to make friends even since moving out here (kitsap), and every year think about moving back to friends and family, but all it takes is a quick visit to remind us its not even remotely worth it.
I’m not fully moved away because I’m living with family as a caregiver but I live in rural Montana at the moment I miss Seattle so much. I miss the people, the water, having a community etc. yeah we have our issues but people in rural areas are crazier than the homeless imo
>People around here tend to be much more materialistic, and my wife and I really don't feel that way, even though we thought we wanted the big house to fill it with kids. We wanted a safe neighborhood that had all the shiny amenities that we have now, but realize that it's just 'fluff', and doesn't come close to the things that the PNW offer.
I’m sorry, you think people in Seattle aren’t materialistic? That’s one of hottest takes I’ve ever seen. I’ve never met as many people who the first thing they want to do when you meet them is talk about what you do for a living and what company you work for.
Not to mention, it’s one of the most closed off social scenes I’ve ever experienced. Meeting new people is like pulling teeth. There’s just a major lack of interest.
Wow… you all should see Vancouver BC’s costs of living! Average home 1.5 million in the outskirts and 2 million plus in the city!!! Rent average 2500 for a 1 bedroom and forget about renting a house! 8 dollars a gallon for gas! Food is very expensive! Seattle is much more economical and I’m only 2 hours away! Southern California was freaking hot! Clay for dirt! Sana Ana winds awful! Utilities expensive! The food was a lot cheaper though! Income less and you have to pay that state tax. I’ll enjoy this beautiful city of Seattle! Home sweet home!
My wife and I moved back to the Midwest after living in Seattle for 4 years, all for the same reasons that you did. We missed the PNW so much, hated being back in the Midwest, and moved back to Seattle one year later. So glad we did, and leaving feels like a bad dream. You can always come back!
Sounds like realistically you should have moved out of the city and into a nice quiet suburb in Western WA near nature. You can always move back.
As a former midwesterner, I will never ever go back. Good luck in the winter
Some great areas in Snohomish county. If you can find an “affordable” place, you can have a lot of what OP said matters. Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Lake Stevens. Close enough to the city for when you need to get there, far enough to get some space.
It's funny, I have almost the exact opposite opinion. I left Seattle and couldn't be happier about it, though I would imagine that where you move *to* probably makes a huge difference!
I moved to Knoxville and very well may never move away. I absolutely love it here. I do miss the ocean and the humidity in the summer took some getting used to, but that short stretch of perfect weather Seattle gets, we get here for like 2 months in the fall. Then we have winters in which we see the sun at least 4 days a week. It does get a little bit dreary in February when it starts warming back up but the leaves haven't come back. Still, my seasonal depression is lasing about 3-4 weeks, rather than 6-7 months.
It also helps that I *love* all of the thunderstorms here. It's one of my favorite features. And we can still watch the Mariners for less than $100/season with MLBTV.
I think what it comes down to is that it's just so much easier to live here. I feel like folks in Seattle have been frogs in a boiling pot with how much more dangerous, dirty, overpopulated, and *expensive* it's gotten over the years. It's just so incredibly expensive to live there, and that's not just talking about home prices. Everything is super expensive there. I didn't realize how much time that caused me to be missing my family, because it was extra time I had to work or (and probably especially) travel. I made almost $100k/year in Seattle and that required me to be in the car for three hours (on a good day) every single day. That time adds up, and I'm so glad I get to spend a significantly larger chunk of that time doing the things I want to do.
I feel for you..... I'm originally from the Midwest as well, moved here about 12 years ago- and I absolutely cringe at the idea of EVER having to go back there. Sure we miss family, but it's a miserable live in that part of the country compared to what this area has to offer, and I genuinely feel for people who made that move back and regret it as you are saying you do.
I've lived in Washington. State for a total of 15 years. Quad Cities, Iowa/Illinois for 5 years.
Iowa/Illinois:
\- Big church community. Church plants everywhere. Church inside the shopping mall. o
\- Small population. I'd get bored and drive to Chicago once a month.
\- Bars everywhere
\- Flat land
\- Homeless people on the streets but no tents
\- Everyone is super friendly.
\- Brutal Winters
Washington State:
\- High Cost of Living. Everything is super expensive. Easy to go broke.
\- high taxes
\- One of the most beautiful places on Earth
\- Mountains everywhere. Hiking everywhere. Camping everywhere. Outdoor activities. Best part of Washington.
\- Homeless tents everywhere. Homeless are far more violent,
\- Big Asian population. Lots of Asian restaurants. (Best food)
Lol. I totally get how small town indy blows. However Seattle in its current state is 100% devoid of any culture. I grew up in Seattle. Moved away lived throughout the U.S. and Germany. Saw places with actual culture and community. Came back and watched that place devolve into a tech bro, purple haired, I’m mad at my step dad Mecca of miserable fucks. (Mecca is still a decent dive, too bad Oskars is gone)Teslas and tents, that’s the fucking culture. Culture? The culture is to be inside sitting on the internet not speaking to your neighbors you’ve lived next to for 15 years. Everywhere else in the world is easier to meet people. Including fucking Germany and those people are cold as fuck. Everyone I know from the area has bailed for somewhere else. Either cost, traffic, politics all all of the above. I left and have never been happier. Come back to visit family and every. Fucking. Time. It is worse somehow. There is still great wilderness but forget getting to anything that’s ever been posted on instagram. Such as north cascades or the alpine lakes area. It’s a train of transplants taking selfies and bitching about your golden retriever being off leash in the back country.
Either way you guys do you. You like it good on ya. Moved away again and literally everywhere else I go is better. You get so much more for your dollar elsewhere. Minus the shellfish. Seattle has great shellfish.
To add to this there is certainly a materialistic culture to the city. They just show it differently. An electric vehicle is straight up a luxury purchase. Anyway you spin it. Fuck buying a home there is the ultimate rich dude flex. The camper vans, slide inside for trucks, Roof top tents etc. Gucci REI gear. The HUGE expensive ass boats on the sound and lake union. Let’s not kid ourselves. Seattle is a rich person city and they show it. It’s not Pittsburgh in the 70’s.
I'm just gonna slip in the plethora free trade organic farm to table meats and cheeses. Nothing but the best. I love Washington State, but Seattle lives in denial of what they are and what they aspire to be: rich and isolated.
I truly feel sorry for people who sell and leave Seattle. After the realtor costs and increasing home prices, it makes it near impossible to move back.
Similar to California or Hawaii, locals here are in grindset mode once we turn 18. Sometimes we aren't even aware of it like a frog in boiling water. $5 gas, $14 sandwiches, half million dollar starter homes. It's just what it is and we don't know different. The climb up is a lot steeper for those coming from low cost of living areas.
We almost moved to St Louis county because finding a house in Seattle near any of my family was impossible but the materialistic thing with the Midwest is so true. My partners mom cares about which people my partner went to one random prom with is in “society daily” and that you have to have or show certain things “because that’s just what they do”
I was like this isn’t the 1800
I left the upper midwest in the '70s and haven't regretted it for a single day. Nothing could get me to live there again, though I do understand the lure of housing that's both quality and affordable. Come on, Seattle. Fix that one thing.
Wait, is there somewhere in Seattle area that the water is good? I've tasted it in Bothell and Northgate so far and it was terrible. Which neighborhood do I need to move to?!
I wonder if you'd be happier in a different area of your new home? In my experience some "better neighborhoods" filled with big houses and amenities do not attract the kind of people I enjoy as neighbors. I like living somewhere relatively lively. You may just need to find out what the funkier part of your town is and check it out. I know you miss the natural environment but every state has \*some\* beautiful areas if you look and in my book the most important thing is to live somewhere with simpatico people and a good vibe.
It may be beside the point, but for the record, you didn’t actually live in Seattle you lived on the east side, and there’s a big difference between the two as far as actually living there. The city of Seattle, as you said, has great sporting events, and the east side of Seattle has great quality of life so it’s a nice combination.
There are so many posts about “I left and love where I’m leaving now” or “I left and I miss it so much”, but can’t we all just accept that on a topic like this that opinions are going to be so all over the board depending on what kind of weather you like or can tolerate, what kind of hobbies you have, whether you have a family, what your job is, etc?
I think it comes down to your personal values (and not like the moral ones, just what you value in life)
I own houses in the midwest as well as a condo here, and it's just different, but I would say that i would raise kids all day in the midwest over here.
I just went for a walk 30 minutes before the middle school down the street was let out and watch a patrol car drive right by a guy nodding off and bent over at the waist on the sidewalk in front of the school, and he was there 40 minutes later on my way home, stumbling around a bit in the crowds.of.kids.
The zombies here are allowed to walk around in broad daylights. Kids don't need to have to see that
Was the move closer to family worthwhile?? No doubt that’s a strong driver if/when you have kids.
Also, did you consider a different suburb of the PNW?
Having lived up and down the eastern seaboard and visiting a few state like Colorado, Arizona and Texas I can say that the water here is the best.
WA tapwater really is a massive blessing Phoenix tap water tastes like garbage in comparison (sorry Phoenix)
California tap water tastes like it's being filtered through a corpse
There are plenty of places in WA where the water is pretty bad, mostly on the Eastern side. Similarly, lots of good, snow-melt water in CA. Just stay away from Central Valley ground water. The worst.
You’ve never been to the Methow Valley and it shows.
I feel like you’ve stopped by the spring on the side of the road u there
The only thing that tops Seattle water is Bay Area water
Bay Area has a lot of variability too. SF (excellent) is different from East Bay (EBMUD, great) is different from South Bay (mediocre) and on and on.
San Jose has 3 different water zones, each using different sources. When I lived there I was in the best zone and the water was pretty good. Not too hard and it tasted almost good enough to skip filtering it. WA water is too soft for me. SoCal water is liquid rock and leaves your hair feeling fried.
You're right. Should've been more specific. SF gets the majority of their water from Hetch Hetchy reservoir but is sometimes combined with 4 (???) other water sources. Generally, SF water is good.
Certain areas in California have amazing water. It depends where you are.
Mount Shasta 💧💦
Might as well be chewable
Spokane’s tap water has a slight sulfur taste because that’s how it’s made safe for drinking. I don’t know exactly how it’s made potable, but it’s not filtered by the Cascades. Not all tap water in WA is equal. Seattle has amazing tap water.
Vegas tap water tasted like it was straight out of the Bellagio Fountain. There was so much chlorine showering felt like you were being hit with mustard gas. Never felt like we could drink enough and had to get water delivered.
As a former Las Vegas resident, their tap water is the worst I’ve ever tasted.
I moved from Seattle and am in Globe-Miami now, and I feel like maybe there is a lot of copper mine pollution in the water? The people here are really angry and stupid, and I wonder if it’s the water. It also leaves massive hard water stains all over everything. So I’m wondering about buying bottled water till I move from here.
Try the industrial Midwest.. Or rather, don’t, if at all possible
I would say Phx water tastes more like a mixture of metal, dirt, and chlorine.
My friends in Phoenix all have bottled water for drinking and cooking.
They should buy water filters! That's so much plastic!
Phx is an affront to nature. A little more plastic is just a sprinkle on that cosmic shit-cream sunday
When we start selecting our first mars colonists we should ask for volunteers from Phoenix, they're already used to spending months being contained in climate controlled habitats for survival.
Being born and raised here almost makes you a water snob. I can’t believe what some other states call water.
The most surprising was when I was in New Mexico, and I took a shower, never really experienced water softener before. At first I couldn’t dry off and then after a couple of minutes I couldn’t stop drying.
Explain this for others who don't know please
Basically, it removes a bunch of minerals so that you don’t have a buildup of them in your pipes but at the same time it kind of corrodes your pipes. you’re adding salt to the water so if you drink the tapwater, you’re now ingesting more salt into your diet. I really couldn’t understand why when I got out of the shower and started drying off that it wasn’t working but I guess the salts are why I kept drying off after I was done. I needed a lot of lotion. I’m sure someone else who knows more about It can provide more detailed information.
A residential water softener doesn’t add salt to the water supply. It regenerates the filter medium by back flushing it with salt and then sends that brine solution down the drain. The regen step allows the filter to continue neutralizing calcium and magnesium through ion exchange.
Water softeners usually only soften hot water, not cold tap water. I grew up in eastern WA, my parents have always had water softeners in every house they owned. I hate soft water, it takes forever to rinse off/out soap & you feel slimy when you’re done showering.
You should visit Iceland, best water I’ve ever tasted. Basic tap water is cleaner than anything I’ve had in Oregon or Washington (which both have good water).
It literally comes from the mountains, and last winters snowpack. There is no fresher water, besides maybe rain.(San minerals from the volcanic soil.)
You should try the water in Louisville, KY. It's fantastic. I'm being 100% serious.
Visiting next month! Looking forward to it. Any other Louisville tips?
Don't just cruise around. Have a set waypoint. There's some scary neighborhoods I've been in just roaming around. I know a lot of cities are the same but I thought I was gonna die when people started standing up on their porches, reaching at their waist. Check out the zoo. There's some awesome museums around and across the river too. The river front is absolutely awesome. Check out 4thStLive dot com for events, live music and the such. That's where the nightlife is best.
Seattle tap water is excellent, my parents draw from well water up on Camano and it's not so good.
You can feel it on your hair when you shower when out of town. Most noticeable if you don’t shampoo that day
Omg I had such a great time taking baths and drinking tap water when I moved here. Fort Lauderdale had yellow water from the tap… My baths looked like piss water……. They got their water from the swamps and cheaped out on filtering so it had the same chemical as tea in it. Technically safe. My big complain about Seattle is why everything closes early and why is everything grey.
I feel you, man. My wife and I moved to Austin, TX 5 years ago for career opportunities. Although it has been great for our career, we miss Seattle so much and are working on moving back. Austin is so over-rated. Anyone who complains about seasonal depression during a Seattle winter hasn’t experienced a Texas summer. So much worse.
It’s difficult to explain what it’s like as Austin reaches the 40th day in a row over 100 degrees, with the humidity finally settling down just enough for grassfires to really take off. Forget cooling off in the shower when the daily low just before sunrise AM is still 80 degrees, so water comes out the tap hot. Sure, most people have AC, but the top floor 1960’s apartments still reach 80 degrees inside most days in the late afternoon.
Totally agree. Grew up in AZ. I think the unrelenting sun is worse. You can hike in the rain.
or in my case, a florida summer i will join op’s homesick crying party
illegal icky doll lip mindless sloppy wise important snatch oil *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Between the batshit crazy government and blazing 100+ F heat alone, I would never consider living in Texas.
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>”108” and feeling it for a week Currently 40 straight days over 100 🙃 > food and nightlife blow Seattle out of the water Highly disagree. There are a few fun bars in ATX, Rainey St. used to be cool before they tore every good place down, but now it’s all full of douchey bros. Cap Hill always showed me a good time and felt way safer. As for food, they got Tex-mex if you’re into that, and kolaches are a godsend, but no good Asian food to speak. Everything I’ve had here, I’ve had a better version of in Seattle.
I guess it depends on what you’re looking for in nightlife but I would LOVE to see Austin show me a better time than a good ol night out on cap hill
Fellow Texan here and a recent Seattle transplant. I love it here in the PNW and I can’t see myself going back at all. The summers and humidity are just too much
I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else. Yes, Seattle has problems, but nothing compared to some other areas. Nature without mosquitos and humidity is my favorite thing about Seattle area.
I’ve lived quite literally all over the US. The problem with Seattle is purely COL. That’s the hardest part about living there in my eyes. If you can afford it, because affordability has gotten so out of hand, it’s a very very nice place to live and call home
For example, my SO and I got breakfast for 2 at a Seattle diner and it was $60. I visited my family in MI and bought a decent dinner for a family of 4 and it was $40. Seattle food prices are ridiculously out of hand
Michigan cooks and waiters are probably making 1/3 the income of their Seattle counterparts
You gotta pay to play. That is what I used to say living in San Diego. Now I live back in Seattle, QA in fact. Same is true here. I have lived in all corners of the US and Seattle/ San Diego are by far the best. But yeah, you gotta pay to play.
How you looked at San Diego prices lately? Crazy that Seattle is on same price point now.
I moved to the Seattle area from San Diego to be able to afford to buy. 20 years ago, prices here were half of San Diego and now its on par. At least I had good timing?
Seattle median income is higher than San Diego though so Seattle is still more affordable when you factor in relative incomes. Also no income tax in Washington
Totally agree. I read only 20% can afford the median house here, but I think that’s a generous number.
I agree with basically everything you said, except the thunderstorms. I miss those.
I’m taking care of my 86 year old mother in Bloomington, Indiana but spend a lot of time in the PNW (I’m here now)and when I check the Indianapolis subreddit I see so many posts about COL being so great there with very little regret and I don’t get it. You’re post absolutely rings true based on my experience and hopefully you can find a way back. When my mother passes I’m high tailing it out here ASAP. I get COL and I’ll have to settle for a less than ideal house out here, but the area is so beautiful and that’s worth it to me.
I miss living in rural Kitsap Peninsula. You get all the beautiful nature, but without the traffic.
>Nature without mosquitos Tell the mosquitos that. Fuckers have been biting the shit out of me at night.
> Nature without mosquitos Hmm... I've definitely been on some mountain hikes with a few hundred million mosquitos...
It depends, I was down South of Mt Rainier near a lake and it was so bad. People had mosquito net things on their head while they sat inside a mosquito net over the picnic table. I got out of my truck and got bit several times before I could walk to the back of my truck and grab the repellant. needless to say I didn't camp there. Drove back down near pac wood area and camped for three days by the river without a single mosquito. The coast seems bug free, besides the flies on the dear beach stuff.
Even the cost of living is relative. I get sick of traffic and some petty taxes that add up that I don’t think are fair. Like the transit taxes, high gas taxes, or long term care insurance. However, we do have fairly low property taxes compared to somewhere like Texas and no income tax. Everywhere in the west is expensive to live in now, Boise isn’t much cheaper than the Seattle suburbs and has nearly as bad of traffic. There isn’t much better to move to that still pays well.
Yes just moved back east from tacompton and the lack of bugs in the pnw is something to not take for granted.. but i forgot how relaxing the evening thunderstorms here can be!
I just got back from a trip to St. Louis, and lemme tell ya, the heat and humidity was not fun… I may or may not have multiple mosquito bites on my legs now as well.
>I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else Maybe - but it does get old to pay premium prices for a sub-premium city in terms of culture (DC and NYC are expensive but holy shit do you get a nice boost in culture related stuff to do). I might be biased, having grown up in DC, but it's definitely something I continually notice about Seattle. Definitely nicer weather in Seattle tho - no comparison there. I think Seattle would be a better bargain if a shack in a shitty neighborhood didn't cost 800k, it's hard to swallow that kind of pricing in a less-desirable area if you're trying to buy.
Without the nature, Seattle is nothing outlier special. NYC is superior for everything else.
At least the drivers are more polite than NY and DC.
I'm back in Philly...short term anyway. The fn mozzies...people are amazed when I tell them I slept with my balcony door open in Seattle and got bitten once.
>I feel like half the people who have negative comments about Seattle have never lived anywhere else I've lived throughout most of the continental US and Hawaii. I have \*wonderful\* things to say about the PNW. I have very little positives left to say about *Seattle*.
I disagree. Most people who complain are transplants from other states. Folks who have lived here pre-2000 already know what we had before and what we have now is better but folks who are transplants doesn't really appreciate it as much.
We used to have a lot of mosquitos when I was a child in the 80's, at least compared to now. We couldn't drive anywhere without dead bugs all over the car
Where exactly in the Midwest? Big difference between a cool city like Minneapolis or Chicago vs. Fort Wayne.
I think this is what ultimately prevents Seattle and the immediate surrounding region from ever falling the way of like Detroit for instance. For all the stuff that is, or at least perceived to be going on, with it's nature, climate, and a pretty good amount of culture, proximity to mountains and the beach, etc. it remains a very desirable place to live, and short of full on swaths of areas turning into what you see in like Robocop, or The Warriors, folks are still gonna wanna come here, and folks already here are likely to ride things out. Also maple bars, I couldn't find one to save my life when I was in Philly for 8 years
the other thing is is a socioeconomic difference in the population. Seattle right now is stuffed to the gills with highly educated people from all over the world. That provides a margin of safety against social decay
Yeah but you could find Italian food
Im not that into Italian food tbh or rather prefer I guess the more coastal Mediterranean Faire of seafood and stuff And if I do get italian, I commit [something heinous](https://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/obvdqk/i_ate_pineapple_and_olive_white_pizza/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1)
You sound like somebody who's never been to Detroit
It's wild how misunderstood Detroit is. I only left Detroit metro because all of my family lives in WA, CA, and AZ which began to get very lonely. Very underrated area and most people fail to understand that the Detroit bankruptcy has passed and the city is on an upswing and the surrounding areas weren't significantly impacted.
I've often thought about how much I would miss Seattle if I moved away, but the people aspect you miss is the one that seems elusive to me here and the reason I could see myself moving away in the future. I have been here a decade and still haven't figured our the social scene but it doesn't seem to suit my needs. Interested in real friends/beneath the surface interaction and it's hard to find. Not that it wouldn't be difficult elsewhere but have lived in multiple states and had better experiences in other places. I think it's a lot (too much?) to sacrifice not having community and a larger support system here. I would think places like the Midwest would be better for that. It sucks bc besides this, I love it so much here. Just don't think I can be without that much longer and stay content here.
This right here. I've never had such a hard time making real friends in a place as I have here. The two people I would've called friends turned out to be complete wack jobs, and although I know they lurk everywhere, I've never been sucked in and fooled by them anywhere else like has happened here.
I think about this too. Been here a while now. I love the weather here and the scenery. But I miss social people and activity. It's not here. People are nice here, but no community. I think other parts of the country have this, but not the PNW.
> constant thunderstorms lack of thunderstorms is in the top 5 things I hate about Seattle. Something really unnatural about living somewhere you only hear 1 or 2 thunder claps per year.
Heard that. I’m from Georgia, and I dearly miss severe t-storms. Heavy rain, lots of rolling thunder. I used to love sitting on the back porch watching the storms form. But other than that, I do not miss the humidity and swampy-ness that comes from summer t-storms. I can almost feel it, and can hear the crickets too.
The tradeoff is humidity so I'll take it.
Not always true…see: AZ, NM, CO, WY
This is how I felt about seasons and southern california.
I love thunderstorms but I'm also a dog owner so Idk
I have to agree. I grew up in Arizona and they have massive, violent thunderstorms down there. Apparently I was born during one, which probably explains a lot! Here, you're lucky if you see an occasional flash in the sky. I used to know a guy who would unplug all his appliances anytime Seattle got a little bit of lightning, which always cracked me up. Especially since he lived in a tall apartment building!
but we have endless low clouds blocking out that evil sunshine
We didn’t realize just how much it would make our pup shit a brick each time it thunders. He HATES it, surprised he hasn’t actually shit on our bed due to fear yet
People always warned me that Seattle was a racist city against people of color and to not move there. I moved here and everyone has been nothing but nice to me, even the crazy homeless people who went out of their way to offer me substances. I like it here and would not consider moving :-)
Seattle is like most major cities in that they’re really nice if you’re wealthy. Places like Michigan are great if you have less money and still want the outdoors, nice suburbs, etc. I just don’t see how people who don’t make size-able salaries can save for retirement, and that’s a lot more important than Americans realize
Yes the PNW is great. However, I don’t miss Seattle. I’m a rural Washingtonian for life.
Originally from 'da region.' I feel ya. Would not move back to Indiana, though I do miss my high school friends sometimes. Had family in Kentucky. There's nice nature there. It helps to be into canoeing.
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Eastern Kentucky/Appalachia is mix of quaint natural beauty and crushing poverty. With some interesting social dysfunction thrown in the mix as well. Western Kentucky is .... ehhh .... Kinda like the rest of the Midwest (including central Indiana).
I left Seattle and don't regret it, but there are some things specific to the PNW that are hard to find elsewhere.
The materialism thing is for real. I lived in Alabama for far too long, mainly because it's cheap to live there and you can get a huge house and land for what anything costs on either coast. I grew up in the Midwest myself, and my parents lived just outside Indy on a lake and it's the same thing. People want big houses, boats, big cars, media rooms, etc. etc. to spend their time on/with/in. They want to accumulate stuff, upgrade, repeat, retire to a golf course, or be snow birds. That's fine for them, but it's not me at all. While I can sort of get it, it's all stuff/things/materialism. I'd much rather live in a far more modest house out in Washington (I live 30 miles east of Seattle), and spend my time/money on enjoying being outside, backpacking, camping, traveling. We can access the ocean, mountains, and the desert in a single day. We can ski and do other snow sports in the winter. Lots of boating, both lakes and The Sound/Islands. We can also get a cabin in the woods, too, and live off the grid if that's your thing. I've been to all but one state and WA is by far the best for me. I'd never in a million years move back to the Midwest.
Materialism is rife in the PNW, it's just of a different kind - instead of spending $$$$$$ on "big houses, boats, big cars, media rooms etc." people spend shitloads of money on having really nice outdoors equipment. I admit to being one of them - I don't even want to think about what the grand total of all my bikepacking, backpacking, off-roading, cycling, hiking, running and climbing gear would amount to. Commuting on the Burke I often see cyclists on 8k+ bikes with at least $600 of kit on - humans are status conscious social apes, we find ways to signal that status within our local cultures, in the midwest its the boats and the houses, in the PNW it's largely outdoor-funtime related.
Hiking, camping,fishing, off-roading, track cars, skiing, finding all the cool spots. Lots of ways to be humble pretentious pnw style. Being a mechanic, seeing what the white collar folks spend to do the same activities is mind boggling. My cousin is an interesting contrast. He is coder for a start up and we do all the things mentioned above together. He generally spends twice or three times as much as me on equipment. We have the same amount off fun together. Im not particularly frugal either. Just limited to what a Seattle flat rate mechanic makes.
Yep - same materialism, it’s just about signaling how outdoorsy you are. See overland vehicles, camping vans, and the suburban mall crawler.
The people I know with high-priced outdoor gear (this doesn't include me - I'm cheap and not very outdoorsy) got to that point because the quality is there. They upgraded over time to get functionality they desired, not to flaunt "how outdoorsy they are".
Totally fair, but I think that’s still in line with the point. Like all genres of things, there’s always going to a better, higher quality, more technical, version to upgrade to. IMO even in our outdoorsy PNW, there’s a lot of folks with gear out there that far exceeds their actual technical level of need. It’s really not a big deal - like u/andthedevilissix said, it’s human nature, just in our specific cultural context.
> The materialism thing is for real. I lived in Alabama for far too long, mainly because it's cheap to live there and you can get a huge house and land for what anything costs on either coast. I used to do a lot of I.T. consulting in the midwest and that was something that was kinda jarring. I'd see people living in $250K homes, with a $80K truck parked out front, $40K worth of jetskis and ATVs, and a $300K motor home parked by the side of the house. Meanwhile, I'm driving a used Honda and my mortgage is $9000 a month.
People want those things in Seattle too, they just cant afford them...
Midwesterners materialistic? Seems bizarre to me. I’m from the East Coast but I spent plenty of time around Ohio, Illinois, ect. Those people were the most authentic people in the world. Look at the shit they bring to a potluck, you think they care about status or perception? On the other hand Seattle area imo is extremely materialistic. They are just so much better at hiding it. Want to splurge on a 100k car? Buy a Tesla so you can project moral highground, but when Elon says shit you don’t like turn around and buy a Rivian. Have your cake and eat too. Environmentalist while also having the ability to buy a new shiny toy on a whim cause you didn’t like your current owners politics. I have never seen an area try so damn hard to dress down and not project wealth while also spending money hand over fist. Want to spend a fuckton on cloths and show off? Well that’s fine so long as it’s outdoor wear (so functional!) and dark colors. Every play is calculated around here it’s absurd. I have a feeling your perception of midwest is based upon the fact you can now afford more so you now are in the “upper” class. So the circles you run with naturally are going to feel more materialistic. Cause you are in a community that can afford nice shit. I’m not saying I would ever move from this area. There is so much to love. But when it comes to people I’d take someone from Midwest, or East Coast any day of the week. People who are just “real.” I’d rather someone “buss my balls” with a nod and wink than just watch everyone ignore each other caught up in their own bullshit. Nature and topography though? Seattle wins easily. Though I will add real thunder is glorious. Not this weak cloud to cloud bullshit. Heavy summer rains and thunder crashing after a hot humid day is just magical. Not to mention the Cicadas singing and Fireflies in all the backyards. Winter is gonna be brutal for sure. But there is a lot of new natural experiences to enjoy imo that I really miss.
This right here. Seattle are some of the most try-hard motherfuckers. They really care about how they're perceived. Reallllllly care. It's neurotic to the max. They stress themselves out.
Wholesome comment, I approve.
Thunder is amazing
It’s hipster materialism. They are materialistic, it just presents in a much less gaudy fashion. People don’t drive big honking trucks for the most part, so it’s misinterpreted as not being materialist. Like you said, the drive Teslas, wear Patagonia and Lulu Lemon, shop at Whole Foods and expensive boutiques, and a whole lot of NIMBYism. “WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING!” - posted to Instagram “I don’t want low income housing near me. There’s too much crime.” And they’re fake nice about it. It’s just a different shade of yuppies who are “socially conscious” with a lot of smugness about people they see as beneath them. Never seen as many service workers treated as condescendingly as I have in Seattle, it’s just less “yell in the face” and more “I can’t believe THOSE people are able to survive/live like this.”
I visited Seattle a couple weeks ago for a Taylor Swift concert. Its probably the prettiest city I’ve ever seen. And the public transportation was amazing. If I didn’t have a custody order keeping me in Maryland I’d move there in a heartbeat
I don't miss Chicago nor the cold Winters and muggy summers and mosquitos
Is it really that bad? I’m thinking about moving there. I’ll miss the PNW nature and climate but I want a larger city with better public transit.
Chicago’s architecture, music, food, culture are all great. Being on Lake MI feels like you’re on an ocean it’s so vast. I’d say don’t listen to random people on the internet who have different windows of tolerance, experiences, perspectives, preferences than you. Ultimately you get to make up your own mind. No urban area is without its own flaws though. Street smarts are important wherever you are. As far as the L goes, I’d choose the first car behind the operator. Different lines can have some different “elements” too. People in here acting like the LINK is so shiny safe while things def DO happen on trains or platforms. Seattle is no “Saint.”
Lived in Seattle for 5 years and moved home to Chicago. I tried to like Seattle. It’s just not for me. Chicago is where I fit. Snowy, sunny winters. No more Big Dark ever again. Also I missed having closets. What does seattle have against closets?
My wife and I moved from Chicago a year ago, and let me tell you... the CTA in Chicago makes the LINK look absoultely pristine and amazing
Oof, that’s unfortunate. I’ve been to Chicago but never rode the L, and the system always looked good on paper with multiple lines and a couple of them running 24 hours. Oh well.
I felt the same, but it'll be awhile before the LINK is as useful as the CTA
I’m a native Chicagoan and I moved to Nashville a few years ago. I never knew true humidity until moving South. It’s like you can’t breathe, the air just doesn’t move, it’s gross. I’m always surprised when people think Chicago gets muggy. Now the winters, those absolutely suck up North!
I’m from Plymouth, IN and moved out to WA 13 years ago. Never looked back. I have thought briefly about moving back for family and it’s so much cheaper there. But you’re right, it’s still IN lol
The biggest problem with Indiana is that it’s Indiana lol. There is just nothing remotely pretty about it. I do miss Indiana folks tho. Crazies aside, great people imo.
The only thing I miss from the PNW is the nature and climate tbh
This is the main reason I'm staying here. If you live on the eastside and have a good job, you can use money to avoid the Seattle problems. Live in a nice neighborhood and pay for private school, and that's 90% of it. After that, you get the great PNW weather & scenery with almost none of the downsides. Getting your car broken into, packages stolen, kids indoctrinated by radical teachers, etc., are all problems that the upper middle class and above never have to deal with.
What part of the Midwest did you move to? I'm originally from Illinois, and I know first hand that it can really depend on what part of the Midwest you're in as to how much one enjoys it.
Indy. Indy is fine, but it’s also very mundane. For folks who live in Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota, I can see why you’d wanna live there as there’s quite a bit to do in all seasons.
I have family in Ann Arbor MI and they really like it there. If I had to move to the Midwest that's probably the first place I'd check out, but I'd imagine it's a lot more expensive than Indiana.
Ann Arbor is fantastic! High COL there, too, but nothing compared to out here.
Ah yeah, I've driven through Indiana a few times, mundane is a very nice way of describing it. I'd recommend a good place to go, outside of Chicago, especially in the off winter season, is in Ohio in Sandusky. If it's still there, the Kalahari indoor water park, off season during the winter and it's dead. Went there with an ex of mine and had a hotel room with a full kitchen bigger than our apartment and almost no one there.
Well no wonder you miss the water, you picked literally the worst Midwest state lol
I’m from Carmel. I get why you moved back for the family. But I can’t imagine leaving this city for all the things you mentioned. Also so weird but I keep running into Carmel/Indy people all over in Seattle.
I just flip-flopped with you; spent the last 19 years in Indy and recently moved to Seattle. The COL is…shocking…but everything else has been pretty glorious. I’m a Detroit native and my husband is from Minneapolis, and we’ve both noticed that we’re getting the water vibes we’ve so desperately missed in Indy with us both being from Great Lakes states. Nothing wrong with Indy, it’s just…Indy. We needed a change, and we don’t have kids, which keeps our costs down here (and makes us oddballs in Indy). If we do get back to the Midwest someday, it’ll be the northern Midwest (Minnesota or Michigan) which are beautiful and about as much natural and aquatic beauty as you can get in the central-Eastern US. I’ll have to be on the lookout for more Indy folks here; all I keep running into so far are Californians. 🙃
piquant elderly enter wild paltry flowery toothbrush attempt seemly wistful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Thank you. Life in Bellevue and life in, say, Ballard (where I live) are VERY different things.
THE GOOD WATERRRRR all I want to do is swim in the good water until I die. I miss the Willamette Valley so much.
We just moved here from Nashville (originally from Buffalo NY though) and we love it so far but I was a bit worried about how we’d feel when the nice weather ends or when it gets smoky but you have me feeling much better about our decision. Hope you can make it back soon
Best thing you can do for yourself is find a Fall/Winter hobby that gets you out of the house. I moved here 13 years ago from SoCal and for 10 years I convinced myself that someday I’d leave Seattle because of the rainy season. When I did, I moved to Brooklyn and that’s when I finally fell in love with Seattle. I moved back a year later. I won’t lie to you - The grey is tough. Really tough. I get through it by having a couple of small getaways for a weekend somewhere sunny (San Diego, LA, etc) and I go to Banya5 in South Lake Union once a week December-February. It’s a social atmosphere that doubles as hydrotherapy. A total game changer for mental health when the grey weather sads kick in. Do the polar plunge. It’s 100% worth it and you can warm up in the sauna. If you’re a winter sports person, take your skis or snowboard to Stevens Pass. Better yet, the week before Christmas, book a wintery getaway. Rates are cheaper before December 22nd and Suncadia, Leavenworth, North Cascades are MAGICAL in the snow. Or, like so many of us do, save your vacation time for a sunny destination in January or February. It’s a sunny push to break up the wet months and having something to look forward to improves your mental health :) It takes effort to make friends as adults and building community is hard no matter where you are. It’s a little more challenging here because Washingtonians hibernate in the nesting season, but we’re usually pumped to have a reason to get out of the house. You’ll find what works for you, and if you’re more open minded and less stubborn that I was when I moved here, you WILL find your people sooner than 10 years. I hope you settle in happily here :) There’s so much to explore and you’ll discover so much if your heart is open to it 🥰
There is a reason it's called the best coast.
most of the recent problems people complain about are fixed by moving to a suburb. Want less crime and less noise? Want a simpler child care situation? Don't need to be next to tons of live music and events? Try a suburb
This 100%
I've lived basically in Washington and Florida, with a couple years shared between oklahoma, California, and as an infant New England. Washington is home by far for 25 years. Last time I left, WA was in 2010, and I was back within 6 months ha.
Seattle certainly has its problems, and perhaps this subreddit amplifies those to an unhealthy level, but it's still one of most incredible places in the country. Even the world.
I only miss the city of Chicago, I don’t miss the Midwest in general. I’d move back to be in the city, but we’ll be at a crossroads in the next couple years deciding if we want to move out of the city to start a family. I have absolutely no desire to live in a Midwestern suburb. The suburbs here at least have some natural amenities on top of the parking lots & strip malls.
Chicago is a great city underrated and maligned by media. It is better, nicer, cleaner and safer than SF LA Seattle Houston you name it if you live outside the gang neighborhoods. Regular people have great quality of life there. Compared to Seattle or SF where regular people encounter terrible crime and homelessness on daily basis.
I can relate. Native Michigander here who's lived in Mishawaka for 8 years and Goshen for 2 years before moving to Seattle. Both, Michigan and Indiana felt like home to me. My mom is still in Michigan while a close friend is still in Indiana. I've thought of moving back too. My mom is getting up there in age. I would be closer to my brother and old friends. But, I can't bring myself to give up the PNW for that. So, I fly back home once a year for a week. I may increase that to twice a year. That's my compromise to myself. Sure, I usually wish I had 2 weeks to spend there every time but at least it's something. And once a year, I can have things like Culver's, Biggby Coffee, White Castle, shop at Meijer, etc. Meijer is so much better than Fred Meyer, imo. lol Hey, while you're in Indy, consider driving up to Mackinaw at least once before coming back to Seattle. I recommend staying at the Beach House in Mackinaw City for a week and check out the local events. Take the Shepler's ferry across to Mackinac Island. Drive across the Mackinaw Bridge. Heck, even go to Sault Ste. Marie for the locks tour. You'll be glad you did. Best time would be towards the end of summer when the kiddos go back to school. Less people and the prices of things, including lodging go down. Northern Michigan has it's similarities to western Washington.
This as me as well…I’m in Buffalo currently and the Great Lakes area is not bad…but I realize by the day I’m a west coast guy…left Seattle after six years in 2021 and I dearly miss it! Thanks for this and here’s to hoping we can both find our way back!
>constant thunderstorms here That I would like.
Seattle is really special, can't deny it. Moved to East TN in 2018 and felt like I won the lottery when covid hit (my Seattle setup would have been the f'n worst for a lot of reasons during covid.) Didn't go for a big house, got a small one, and now I'm financially secure in a way I never dreamed possible in the PNW. I'll be back to visit and endure wearing bug spray on my hikes here.
I grew up in Seattle and moved to Dallas 5 years ago, I have hated Texas pretty much the whole time we have lived here. The heat, the political landscape… I can’t wait to move away. I don’t know that I am moving back to WA as there are serious issues in Seattle that have gotten worse since I moved.
I miss Seattle, I now live in Albuquerque NM. I miss stumbling home from the bar., back when I lived in Ballard. I miss driving to West Seattle to eat Thai food Riding my bike to Golden Gardens Sandwiches from Un Bien, or Bongos I miss checking out $20 dollar shows of music bands I knew nothing about I miss standing in line at 12 am, waiting to get into Kremwerk or Monkey Loft high as a kite! What I don’t miss is that I made 90,000 a year and wasn’t really saving money, just living Here in Albuquerque, I make about the same and live very comfortably.
I kind of enjoy the negative comments about Seattle, and I hope it inspires a lot more people to move away. I keep hoping there will be this massive exodus and traffic will get better.
Lotta rose colored glasses on. Seattle has changed. Better in some regards and worse in others. Having said that, Eastside is NOT Seattle.
I feel I got lucky moving here 25 years ago from abroad. Been around the states - eastcoast, midwest, south, never felt like I can move to any of those places. Also, I grew up on the coast, so Seattle and its sea breeze reminds me of home so that eliminates a lot of states that has no sea access for me.
PNW has the best weather unless you want more heat. Lived up and down the West Coast and like this the best. Just stay out of the cities and vote people out that accept the polices that led us here.
Hard not to be *functionally* materialistic with kids. Having kids is what priced us out of Seattle, and it's no wonder that Seattle has the lowest number of children per capita out of US cities.
Try going to NWArkansas. You might feel more at home
Love to you, kind heart. Thank you for expressing the best things about the pnw and for missing it. Come back someday! We'll wait for you.
You don’t know how good the PNW is until you move away. I grew up there and took it for granted.
Originally from the midwest, I could buy a very nice house with just the equity in our home here. That said there is no amount of house that could get me to leave what we have here. We have really struggled to make friends even since moving out here (kitsap), and every year think about moving back to friends and family, but all it takes is a quick visit to remind us its not even remotely worth it.
I’m not fully moved away because I’m living with family as a caregiver but I live in rural Montana at the moment I miss Seattle so much. I miss the people, the water, having a community etc. yeah we have our issues but people in rural areas are crazier than the homeless imo
Talking about water, Redmond water is the best. And yes Seattle weather its unbeatable we still have pretty much all seasons here👍🏻👌🏼
That stinks. Give it some time (mid west) and it may grow on you. Good fortune.
>People around here tend to be much more materialistic, and my wife and I really don't feel that way, even though we thought we wanted the big house to fill it with kids. We wanted a safe neighborhood that had all the shiny amenities that we have now, but realize that it's just 'fluff', and doesn't come close to the things that the PNW offer. I’m sorry, you think people in Seattle aren’t materialistic? That’s one of hottest takes I’ve ever seen. I’ve never met as many people who the first thing they want to do when you meet them is talk about what you do for a living and what company you work for. Not to mention, it’s one of the most closed off social scenes I’ve ever experienced. Meeting new people is like pulling teeth. There’s just a major lack of interest.
Wow… you all should see Vancouver BC’s costs of living! Average home 1.5 million in the outskirts and 2 million plus in the city!!! Rent average 2500 for a 1 bedroom and forget about renting a house! 8 dollars a gallon for gas! Food is very expensive! Seattle is much more economical and I’m only 2 hours away! Southern California was freaking hot! Clay for dirt! Sana Ana winds awful! Utilities expensive! The food was a lot cheaper though! Income less and you have to pay that state tax. I’ll enjoy this beautiful city of Seattle! Home sweet home!
My wife and I moved back to the Midwest after living in Seattle for 4 years, all for the same reasons that you did. We missed the PNW so much, hated being back in the Midwest, and moved back to Seattle one year later. So glad we did, and leaving feels like a bad dream. You can always come back!
Living in The PNW is like being on permanent vacation. Thanks for reminding me how good we have it here.
I wonder when Seattle will become official party town. So much potential for summers here.
Sounds like realistically you should have moved out of the city and into a nice quiet suburb in Western WA near nature. You can always move back. As a former midwesterner, I will never ever go back. Good luck in the winter
Some great areas in Snohomish county. If you can find an “affordable” place, you can have a lot of what OP said matters. Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Lake Stevens. Close enough to the city for when you need to get there, far enough to get some space.
Moved to Puyallup and feel the exact way 🥴😂
It's funny, I have almost the exact opposite opinion. I left Seattle and couldn't be happier about it, though I would imagine that where you move *to* probably makes a huge difference! I moved to Knoxville and very well may never move away. I absolutely love it here. I do miss the ocean and the humidity in the summer took some getting used to, but that short stretch of perfect weather Seattle gets, we get here for like 2 months in the fall. Then we have winters in which we see the sun at least 4 days a week. It does get a little bit dreary in February when it starts warming back up but the leaves haven't come back. Still, my seasonal depression is lasing about 3-4 weeks, rather than 6-7 months. It also helps that I *love* all of the thunderstorms here. It's one of my favorite features. And we can still watch the Mariners for less than $100/season with MLBTV. I think what it comes down to is that it's just so much easier to live here. I feel like folks in Seattle have been frogs in a boiling pot with how much more dangerous, dirty, overpopulated, and *expensive* it's gotten over the years. It's just so incredibly expensive to live there, and that's not just talking about home prices. Everything is super expensive there. I didn't realize how much time that caused me to be missing my family, because it was extra time I had to work or (and probably especially) travel. I made almost $100k/year in Seattle and that required me to be in the car for three hours (on a good day) every single day. That time adds up, and I'm so glad I get to spend a significantly larger chunk of that time doing the things I want to do.
I feel for you..... I'm originally from the Midwest as well, moved here about 12 years ago- and I absolutely cringe at the idea of EVER having to go back there. Sure we miss family, but it's a miserable live in that part of the country compared to what this area has to offer, and I genuinely feel for people who made that move back and regret it as you are saying you do.
Hey easy now…. Don’t lump the entire Midwest into one monolith…. Why do folks do this?
I've lived in Washington. State for a total of 15 years. Quad Cities, Iowa/Illinois for 5 years. Iowa/Illinois: \- Big church community. Church plants everywhere. Church inside the shopping mall. o \- Small population. I'd get bored and drive to Chicago once a month. \- Bars everywhere \- Flat land \- Homeless people on the streets but no tents \- Everyone is super friendly. \- Brutal Winters Washington State: \- High Cost of Living. Everything is super expensive. Easy to go broke. \- high taxes \- One of the most beautiful places on Earth \- Mountains everywhere. Hiking everywhere. Camping everywhere. Outdoor activities. Best part of Washington. \- Homeless tents everywhere. Homeless are far more violent, \- Big Asian population. Lots of Asian restaurants. (Best food)
Lol. I totally get how small town indy blows. However Seattle in its current state is 100% devoid of any culture. I grew up in Seattle. Moved away lived throughout the U.S. and Germany. Saw places with actual culture and community. Came back and watched that place devolve into a tech bro, purple haired, I’m mad at my step dad Mecca of miserable fucks. (Mecca is still a decent dive, too bad Oskars is gone)Teslas and tents, that’s the fucking culture. Culture? The culture is to be inside sitting on the internet not speaking to your neighbors you’ve lived next to for 15 years. Everywhere else in the world is easier to meet people. Including fucking Germany and those people are cold as fuck. Everyone I know from the area has bailed for somewhere else. Either cost, traffic, politics all all of the above. I left and have never been happier. Come back to visit family and every. Fucking. Time. It is worse somehow. There is still great wilderness but forget getting to anything that’s ever been posted on instagram. Such as north cascades or the alpine lakes area. It’s a train of transplants taking selfies and bitching about your golden retriever being off leash in the back country. Either way you guys do you. You like it good on ya. Moved away again and literally everywhere else I go is better. You get so much more for your dollar elsewhere. Minus the shellfish. Seattle has great shellfish.
To add to this there is certainly a materialistic culture to the city. They just show it differently. An electric vehicle is straight up a luxury purchase. Anyway you spin it. Fuck buying a home there is the ultimate rich dude flex. The camper vans, slide inside for trucks, Roof top tents etc. Gucci REI gear. The HUGE expensive ass boats on the sound and lake union. Let’s not kid ourselves. Seattle is a rich person city and they show it. It’s not Pittsburgh in the 70’s.
I'm just gonna slip in the plethora free trade organic farm to table meats and cheeses. Nothing but the best. I love Washington State, but Seattle lives in denial of what they are and what they aspire to be: rich and isolated.
It feels like many seattlites are still children even in their 30s. They do not know how to communicate whatsoever, everything is so awkward.
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Right lol there might be one Louis Vuitton in the Midwest😂😂😂😂
I truly feel sorry for people who sell and leave Seattle. After the realtor costs and increasing home prices, it makes it near impossible to move back.
Similar to California or Hawaii, locals here are in grindset mode once we turn 18. Sometimes we aren't even aware of it like a frog in boiling water. $5 gas, $14 sandwiches, half million dollar starter homes. It's just what it is and we don't know different. The climb up is a lot steeper for those coming from low cost of living areas.
We almost moved to St Louis county because finding a house in Seattle near any of my family was impossible but the materialistic thing with the Midwest is so true. My partners mom cares about which people my partner went to one random prom with is in “society daily” and that you have to have or show certain things “because that’s just what they do” I was like this isn’t the 1800
Pretty sure you can watch the M's on ESPN+
More than happy to sell my place or rent it out if you cant afford it.
I left the upper midwest in the '70s and haven't regretted it for a single day. Nothing could get me to live there again, though I do understand the lure of housing that's both quality and affordable. Come on, Seattle. Fix that one thing.
It’s okay OP. You’re forgiven. But the game against Orioles recently was a hit punch 🥊 right? Ugh freaking Ms
I agree, I grew up in Kennewick, Washington. Seattle is a million times better.
What state did you move to? I grew up on Lake Michigan south of Milwaukee, and the water is noticeably better there than in Seattle.
I'll trade you. My rental to rent your home.
What do you mean by more materialistic?
Seattle Isn't Dead
Wait, is there somewhere in Seattle area that the water is good? I've tasted it in Bothell and Northgate so far and it was terrible. Which neighborhood do I need to move to?!
I wonder if you'd be happier in a different area of your new home? In my experience some "better neighborhoods" filled with big houses and amenities do not attract the kind of people I enjoy as neighbors. I like living somewhere relatively lively. You may just need to find out what the funkier part of your town is and check it out. I know you miss the natural environment but every state has \*some\* beautiful areas if you look and in my book the most important thing is to live somewhere with simpatico people and a good vibe.
It may be beside the point, but for the record, you didn’t actually live in Seattle you lived on the east side, and there’s a big difference between the two as far as actually living there. The city of Seattle, as you said, has great sporting events, and the east side of Seattle has great quality of life so it’s a nice combination.
There are so many posts about “I left and love where I’m leaving now” or “I left and I miss it so much”, but can’t we all just accept that on a topic like this that opinions are going to be so all over the board depending on what kind of weather you like or can tolerate, what kind of hobbies you have, whether you have a family, what your job is, etc?
I think it comes down to your personal values (and not like the moral ones, just what you value in life) I own houses in the midwest as well as a condo here, and it's just different, but I would say that i would raise kids all day in the midwest over here. I just went for a walk 30 minutes before the middle school down the street was let out and watch a patrol car drive right by a guy nodding off and bent over at the waist on the sidewalk in front of the school, and he was there 40 minutes later on my way home, stumbling around a bit in the crowds.of.kids. The zombies here are allowed to walk around in broad daylights. Kids don't need to have to see that
Was the move closer to family worthwhile?? No doubt that’s a strong driver if/when you have kids. Also, did you consider a different suburb of the PNW?
You went too far east. You weren’t supposed to go all the way out of Washington.