What's Seattle really like these days?

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ssobol

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Currently I'm living on the east coast in the DC Metro area. I may have an opportunity for a job located in proximity to SeaTac airport.

I have lived in the area twice before, first in Tacoma and next in Renton. These two residencies were separated by a number of years. I lived in Renton for about 3 years. However, the last time I lived in the area was about 25 years ago. Last time I was even in the Seattle area was 12-13 years ago.

I understand that the cost of living is high, but compared to where I live now, it is pretty much a wash. The price of housing is a bit higher, but some other things are lower. Overall, the COL is about the same as where I live now.

I'm more interested in what it is like to live there now. Things like the traffic, crime rate, population density, and the other stuff that makes someplace a good place to live or not.

FWIW, I really liked living there before. Life and my career had me move away. Now that the opportunity presents itself, I'm wondering if it is still someplace I want to live again.

Thanks.
 
OK, for some of us (small town folks) Seattle is everything from Olympia north to Mount Vernon. I would say it is pretty much all the same, it would depend on how far you want to "commute". The cost of living over there is high, the housing availability is near nonexistent and there are people who commute from places like Sequim and Ellensburg. But, you may like the City "insanity" and want to live where you can walk to the bodega and get your crusty bread and fancy brewed joe. The Seattle City Council voted to defund their police department by something like 40 Million bucks. And It rains a lot. OK, so it is also in the Pacific North West, it has international appeal and good access to a big airport. You can get from the ski area to the beach in about an hour (except for when everybody else wants to do the same thing) and It has the Seahawks and the Mariners and the Kracken, and the Sounders, and a Pro Rugby team, SeaWolves. I don't know about the crime rate but there is a fatal shooting someplace over there every day. But it has the mountains, Rainier mostly.

There are quite a few Seattleites who participate here occasionally of more. Maybe I stirred the pot and you will get some good responses now.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Sequim seems a bit far for an every day commute. I was thinking that the west side of the sound or the south end might be ok. The North end is nice too, but coming down I-5 was something I avoided when I lived there 20+ years ago. I'm sure its not got any better since.

I know about the skiing to the beach thing (or vice versa) and I'm not interested in the sports teams.
 
For the Seattle area itself, I'll leave suggestions to those who have more local knowledge on the crazy side of the water. Were it me - I'd not want to live anywhere over there. It's nothing like it used to be, IMHO. What once was an incredible gem of the PNW has suffered tremendously from growing pains in nearly every aspect.

Were I considering employment in the Seattle area - I'd look to places like Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo, both of which are a relatively short and pleasant ferry ride away. Both of these places escape the worst of the Seattle city madness while having the possibility of a reasonable commute. And, when not working - both of them have quick and easy access to the incredible beauty and solitude of the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas.
 
Well, I have lived on the Eastside(Sammamish) for 20 years and I think it is as close to heaven as I will ever get. I don't commute, but there are plenty of Park and Rides. When I took the bus into Seattle for jury duty it took about 20 minutes during morning rush hour. In the the surrounding towns, Redmond and Bellevue light rail can wisk you into town and on to Seatac. Issaquah has a beautiful town center and a large transit hub bordering I-90. Oh, there are easily accessible boat ramps for Lake Washington in Renton, in Bellevue and, I believe, in Kirkand. About an hour north there is a wonderful multi ramp facility in Everett. As a New Jersey transplant some other things I notice is how friendly people are, how the grass is green year round, and that there are no bugs. As for crazy, I don't know. But I do know the people are good, caring, and welcoming.
 
I lived in Seattle for 32 years, moving there from rural Tennessee for a job...I liked Ivar's, the UW, paddling Lake Washington and the Ship Canal, viewing salmon at the "Locks", lots of other animals at the Zoo, the Blue Angels, boat opening day, fireworks on the 4th, Bumpershoot, and biking the Burke Gilman trail. I'm not much of a city person, but I tried my best to enjoy living there, and Seattle delivers a lot. I never adjusted, and eventually escaped every day I could. My wife, a city person, loved the whole thing, Opera, movies, Pike Place, the Aquarium, restaurants, etc. A lot changed in 32 years, the Seattle "courtesy" we found early-on changed a bit, traffic got really, really bad, the Seattle City Council and Mayor got insane, crime got much worse, particularly car break-ins, our neighborhood got much noisier and trashy (litter), and now we don't get back on purpose except to visit friends. Most seem to want to leave, but Seattle has lots of high-paying jobs, and commuting into Seattle from the outskirts is pure hell.

If you will be working at the Airport, you might look at Des Moines. Waterfront town, a couple of miles from the Airport, trails nearby, near the light rail. The light rail is really great for access to Seattle, and Des Moines is a lot cheaper than Seattle. Our son lives there, and works near the Airport too. His several mile commute is usually a few minutes. We enjoy the beach and walking the Des Moines Creek trail. There is a large marina if you are into boating. I would say housing there is about 1/2 Seattle proper.
 
I don't disagree with Will at all. But I would not want to be tied to a ferry to get to work, and when you get off the ferry you would still have to get to the airport. I am a Snoqualmie Valley boy born and bred. I lived in Fall City, about 20 miles east of Seattle and worked in Snoqualmie. Snoqualmie comes up on every list of "the safest cities in Washington" every year. This year it is ranked #4 safest. Safest cities in Washington. It is just off I-90 25 miles east of Seattle. Snoqualmie's downside is that housing prices there are near astronomical. On the other hand, Fall City, where I lived, is closer to Seattle, only four miles off I-90, and is the epitome of a rural community. For safety and somewhat more moderate housing, take a look at Fall City.
 
If you would have asked me 10 years ago where I'd see myself, it would have been right where I was then... north of Seattle, working in Everett. It was amazing. My commute was a around 25 minutes, most of the heroin zombies hadn't shown up yet. My home state was beautiful.

I don't know what specifically happened, but the quality of life depreciated quickly. My commute became 1.5 hours each way. Property taxes went up like crazy. Utilities, boat tags, fishing licenses, everything doubled in price. My office location became a place for homeless people to shoot up and hide their stolen property. My car was broken into and ransacked while parked at work. The homeless man I called the police on for scaring my female employees spread his feces all over the exterior door of my office for "revenge". Police hands are tied, and have no authority over anyone on drugs for fear of repercussions if they end up dead from detoxing. They've built homeless camps in every public space available. Literally used needles litter the parks now.

We left in early 2016. StarCraft Tom did a great job as our realtor despite a difficult house to sell, he worked hard and sold it. We have absolutely no regrets. When we come back to visit, its worse every time. It pisses me off what happened to the Puget Sound area... it is still incredible in a lot of ways. Would I recommend moving there... I would not. Good luck on your decision.
 
Everyone responding here, please read the first post. SoBelle currently lives in the DC area and is considering a job near SeaTac airport. My assumption is that they will have to physically show up at a job on a daily basis.

Yes, Seattle is not what it used to be, and trash, broken-down motorhomes, needles, urine smells and sometimes feces in my neighborhood became a daily part of life there. People flocking to jobs and restrictions on development have made housing incredibly expensive. I have owned several properties in the region and used to be a landlord in Seattle. I sold out in Seattle when a new rental law took effect that stripped my ability to protect my property and even collect rent. The law actually pushed "mom and pop" rentals to professional management and made renting MORE expensive. The main people that have benefitted are companies that provide security. Unless they love city life, and are wealthy, I would not recommend living in Seattle if working at SeaTac.

Seattle to SeaTac could be an easy commute if they lived near the light rail or had nontraditional work hours.

Yes, there are still lots of nice communities in the region, but a daily commute from Fall City, Bainbridge, or many of the outlying communities to SeaTac sounds like a recipe for a terrible commute to me...and that commute won't get better over time.

When I got my job in Seattle more than 30 years ago, I wanted to live in Issaquah. I did the commute two or three times, and decided on living in Seattle. It was a good choice at that time...short commute, great neighbors (a "real" community feeling that dissipated over time), more time with wife and eventually kids, Burke-Gilman trail 100 yards away, very green, backyard for garden, etc.

I now live in an idyllic (waterfront on island served by ferry) setting, but I am semi-retired and only need a good internet connection. I can time leaving and coming to the island to minimize traffic. I listen to KUOW every day, and wouldn't want to be part of the daily commuter's hell.

My opinion is that there are some good communities near the airport, Des Moines, Normandy Park, even Burien. Police still try to enforce some laws, and haven't given up as they have in Seattle. There are still problems, but the DC area, where my sisters live (College Park), has many as well.

That is my opinion, based on a son that does work near SeaTac airport, lives in Des Moines, WA, commutes by car, likes his neighbors, and seems to be doing very well. He works with people with terrible commutes that show up at work angry, and probably arrive home the same way. He isn't anxious to leave Des Moines.

Also, Des Moines has a nice, "relatively" inexpensive marina, and the lowest fuel prices in Puget Sound. SoBelle could keep the CD22 in that marina. There are currently 30 ft slips available. If keeping the CD22 on a trailer, there are options for launching with parking nearby, including Redondo Beach and Des Moines. Residents can get an annual parking pass at the marina for $30.
 
Yup !
Exactly what PaulandBrianna said, and well said.
City administrations have really made decisions that have sent Seattle down the toilet.
We live 1.5 hours north, in a place that is actually very nice.
Born in Seattle 61 years ago, Seattle is gone.
 
This may be a bit off what ssobol is asking exactly, but it will give a ton of perspective.

For a very in-depth look at current Seattle, this might be what you are looking for. This is not my opinion, but was aired beginning in 2019 and has something near 10 million views since then. It is a 3 part series, and I listed them in chronological order. (I don’t think it was sponsored by the Seattle tourism chapter.)

KOMO 4 Anchor, Eric Johnson, takes an in-depth look at the impact the drug and homelessness problem is having on our city and possible solutions in "Seattle is Dying," a news documentary that aired on KOMO-TV in March, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpAi70WWBlw


And for a comparison, KOMO News traveled up and down the West Coast documenting the problem and searching for answers and so that we can see Seattle is not the “Lone Ranger” on the West Coast.

KOMO News documentary: A Tale of 3 Cities that has totally shocking/scary health news.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS4bofDMbkw


and the follow-up a year later:

The Fight for the Soul of Seattle | A KOMO News Documentary
Watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WijoL3Hy_Bw

For my personal take on the basic problem. We do not respect each other. We have lost that somewhere way back when, and until we find a way to respect one another instead of take advantage, we will have continue to deal this downward spiral.

Marty, I always enjoy your outlook, positive and upbeat, and you picked the right place those years ago, so I'm glad you are still enjoying your "Seattle". Stay safe my friend, and enjoy.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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I can tell you it's changed A LOT in the last decade. And not for the better. High cost of living. High crime rate (and only going to get worse, trust me). High taxes. High drug use (and only going to get even worse). High gas/fuel prices. Crazy traffic now that people have had enough of the Covid paranoia and are back to living/working.

The below videos (as Harvey also posted) are an accurate depiction, despite it being a couple of years old (the original at least). I work at the north end and unfortunately have to sometimes go into the city for court, prosecutor etc.

The environment shown & described below is not relegated to some "bad side of town". It's everywhere now. And seeping into even the suburbs. Seattle's problems don't stay in Seattle. I've worked the north end, the SW end (Seatac & Burien etc)...the SE end (Maple Valley at al) and even out NE. I've lived here for over 21 years. I live here for a year back in 1984. Some family has been here longer and my wife's family has been here decades. Even they want to leave. While the "eastside" is more affluent (and more expensive) even they are seeing the quality of life diminish. It's a REGIONAL ISSUE.

You'll have people blaming Covid. That's a smoke screen and a flat out lie. It's because of decades of bad policy, bad politicians and stupid voters. We call is "Seatroit" for a reason. It's also called "Soymalia".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpAi70WWBlw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5WM-7MB6F8

There. I'd stay as far away as possible. I'm here now only because I have not retired. The beauty is no longer worth it. It's been ruined.
 
Police still try to enforce some laws, and haven't given up as they have in Seattle.
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I'm afraid you will see this statewide as of July 25th. And to clarify, it's not "giving up". It's being forced into de-policing by politicians who would rather see cops in prison for "woke points" than see people safe & protected.

I would advise every WA resident (or those thinking of moving here) to read HB 1310 which goes into effect on July 25th. It is going to have devastating effects on law and order in this state.

If anyone wants a real world, factual evaluation of the consequences, PM me. I'm sure me posting it here would get me banned.
 
Just joking but we fled Kalifornia for Nevada and cannot imagine why we stayed almost 70 years. Habits die hard. It is never one thing, you could live on Hat Island, fly to work, and be happy but you still need to be comfortable in the general environment. Life is too short to live with discarded injection needles in your yard, homeless on many corners, very high cost of living, and a political situation that is strained to say the least. If you want to come check out our neck of the world and feel you might be able to find a job here, I will put you up for a night at the Boulder Dam Hotel with free breakfast and lunch on me. For real, I would hate to see a C-BRAT not even give Clark County, Nevada a thought or two. See ya,
Bob Jarrard Boulder City, Nevada (Not LV but only 30 minutes away by car but 50 years away in living quality). 714 686-27two eight
 
bobjarrard":23sh4wp2 said:
... If you want to come check out our neck of the world and feel you might be able to find a job here, I will put you up for a night at the Boulder Dam Hotel with free breakfast and lunch on me. For real, I would hate to see a C-BRAT not even give Clark County, Nevada a thought or two. See ya,
Bob Jarrard Boulder City, Nevada (Not LV but only 30 minutes away by car but 50 years away in living quality). 714 686-27two eight
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but I spent most of the last 15 years or so working in the Vegas area. I was a commuter and spent 3-3.5 weeks a month there. No offense, but Vegas is not really my kind of place. Yes, Boulder City is much nicer than Vegas or Henderson, but still not my cup of tea.

As for living in "Seattle", I was using a shorthand term for the whole region between Tacoma and Everett, not just meaning downtown.
 
Local Boy Mark certainly has one viewpoint, but due to his occupation, he really sees mainly the seedy side. Issaquah, Sammamish and east are not crime-ridden or unsafe. All the same, given the requirement to show up daily somewhere near SeaTac, Des Moines would be at the head of my list.
 
As a public health field person in NJ I have worked in "bad neighborhoods" in Newark, Camden, Paterson and Jersey City to name a few. I was walking up the urine stained stairway of a high rise housing project in Newark when the riots and fires broke out in the '60's. All those buildings were later demolished. I remember when the mayor of Newark, Ken Gibson, said "wherever this country is going, Newark will get there first." I remember also when president Reagan emptied and shut down mental hospitals lighting the fire of today's homeless problems. I remember the psychiatric social worker I shared an office with predicting exactly what has happened. Newark today, by the way, is a vibrant increasingly gentrified city. It may still have a way to go, but it is indeed on the way. As for all of us "here" who ran from "there" I am reminded of Joe Louis who famously said , "you can run, but you can't hide."
 
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