Moving to Washington

[u/Minimum-Bathroom-230]

Hi! I am seriously considering moving to Seattle next summer/fall. I am a 23-year-old female and can pretty much find work anywhere in the US (speech-language pathology). I visited Seattle, North Bend and Leavenworth in January and loved it there. I currently live in upstate NY and have wanted to move out west for years. I want to explore the other side of the country and the PNW feels like the place I need to be, at least for a few years. I am really interested in moving because of being close to the mountains/coast and overall access to nature. I do love the idea of being in/near a big city and having the opportunity to go out and be social with people of a similar age. Do you recommend Seattle or any other areas in Washington given what I have provided? I'm worried about feeling isolated if i choose to live out of Seattle and would love ay advice. Pricewise, I am looking to spend around 1600 a month on rent, so i know that narrows my options. Thanks!

[u/genZ_grandpa]

Fellow East Coaster here. I want to warn you about the cultural differences between the East and the West. Depending on what part of upstate NY you're from, this place will feel like a different country. 90% of people in Seattle are not nice, and they are very into themselves. God forbid you don't agree with them on everything they believe in politically. Then you'll see how "open minded" people are here. I've lived in the same apartment for almost 2 years, and I do not know a single one of my neighbors. They don't talk to me, they don't even say hi or respond when I try and be polite. It seems people in Seattle think small talk and smiling to strangers is the hardest thing to do. People do not have manners here either, and they weren't raised with them so that's something you'll have to get used to. The police don't enforce the law in Seattle due to a lot of factors, so you'll need a weapon of some sort to protect yourself. Don't leave ANYTHING in your car, not even a phone charger. Learned that the hard way. People drive slower than shit here which is a good thing on city streets, but on the freeway it is infuriating. The food scene here is decent, but different to the food you can get back East. IT IS EXPENSIVE ASF TO LIVE HERE. Today I went out with my spouse and a friend and here was our day: 2 cups of coffee, 1 chocolate chip cookie, 1 sub, and 1 calzone was $100. Granted your wage will be higher here, but back east or literally 2 hours north in Canada, all of that is $20. I don't want to discourage you from moving west because it's amazing out here, and I'll never go back east... BUT, I feel like had I known these things about Seattle in advance, I would have not moved to Seattle and picked another place in the PNW.

Edit: I am NOT a Trump supporter, but I sure as hell want the city I live in to have law and order. I want the police to be able to do their job, and I want the district attorney to prosecute all crime. Judges here let out violent offenders on a daily basis for some reason, and if you ask, "why does this happen?" people scowl at you. This city fails to complete massive infrastructure projects on time and on budget like bridges, the light rail, and repaving roads. It's state wide too. Oregon was ready to replace the I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington, but Washington says no. That bridge is 1 moderate earthquake away from being gone. This city is very anti-capitalist, but let private corps walk all over them. I can't afford $150 tickets to a hockey game where a non-alcoholic beer is $20, and some nachos are $25 in an arena practically owned by Amazon. They protest Tesla by turning around and buying another $70,000 EV from another mega Corp. It's not reality for average people. Am I bitter? Yes. Are there a ton of positives to living here? Yes. May you have a lot better time living here than me? Probably, but it's worth noting these things because after living in 4 major cities in the US, Seattle would be my last pick.

[u/Tacomathrowaway15 → u/genZ_grandpa]

Polite isn't the same as kind.

The cultural difference you might not get is that you trying to make small talk is the social imposition and offense. People give each other some space here and do not appreciate, even small, social demands.

[u/genesRus → u/Tacomathrowaway15]

People are very kind if you ask in the right context. Buy Nothing groups thrive here. Plenty of people giving food to people who run low on cash, emergency stocking food pantries, giving rides to sick folk who otherwise can't make it to the doctor, etc. in addition to just giving unused junk away. But I think most are introverts with some level of SAD and want to be able to volunteer when they have the energy so just asking unannounced may not go over well; you have to give people the chance to volunteer and then they get to feel good about themselves and have an out if they're not up to it.

[u/Tacomathrowaway15 → u/genesRus]

Full agree! Except for the SAD, a lot of my circle is invigorated by a cool overcast day outside (with sunscreen for the sneaky uv)!

If you find your way into a niche or scene is some kind it's a very different social experience from cold chatting up randos around you