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Moving to WA - should I go to Vancouver-area or Seattle-area?

#21
bongomania said:
I say Vancouver, because rent is reasonable and it is an easy drive into PDX. Here's the bonus: Vancouverites don't pay property tax, and Portlanders don't pay sales tax---so the best deal is to buy a place in Vancouver and shop across the river.

I didn't know about that when I bought my place in Portland. :hmm:
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Brilliant! Might have to talk the wife into moving!
 
#22
Marial said:
Italics mine. Access from the east side IS quick, except when it's not, which is often. I commute from Wallingford to Bellevue via I90 and it is almost always faster than using 520, which now features a toll to cross Lake Washington. Kirkland ain't cheap, but Bothell, Woodinville, and Renton could be good places to look for your budget, and they don't require crossing the lake, though I5 can be a nightmare.
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Yeah, getting to Seattle is quick on a weekend. For a weekday trip that's not midday, you'd better have a full tank of gas and loads of provisions. If you have a smart phone you can check a USGS glacier monitoring site while trying to decide if that glacier is moving faster than you.
 
#23
NWB said:
Yeah, getting to Seattle is quick on a weekend. For a weekday trip that's not midday, you'd better have a full tank of gas and loads of provisions. If you have a smart phone you can check a USGS glacier monitoring site while trying to decide if that glacier is moving faster than you.
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Even weekends seem to be hit or miss the past year or so. There's times I'm sitting still on 405 North or South on Saturday and Sunday when running around. Very quite annoying.
 
#24
I lived in Seattle since '61, and in Des Moines - just a bit south since '91 - love it here, couldn't even imagine living anywhere else!
 
#25
I've given up trying to figure it out, there is no rhyme or reason to when and where the traffic will bad. Just have to use the DOT site and hope conditions don't change. It's also gotten me in the habit leaving pretty early...
 
#26
The weather is a bit less damp and grey in Vancouver, the rents are lower, and the traffic is definitely better than the Seattle area. And Portland is a great city to have next door - a very cool situation.

I grew up in Eastern Washington - if I had the option I'd probably go to Spokane, where you have moderate winters without the grey and clouds of the west side - but on the west side, given the situation of the OP, I'd pick Vancouver.
 
#27
It's weird, the folks at my office (Portlanders, all) are super gung-ho about Portland (which is to be expected, to an extent) "Don't bother with Vancouver, that's where meth-heads and squares begrudgingly co-exist", etc. I would move to Portland in a heartbeat if it weren't for that 10% income tax. The only reason, culturally, I'd choose Vancouver is if I could get a house right on a road to the Portland/Vancouver border so I could spend all my time in Portlandia. However, a quick cruise through Craigslist is showing me that most single-family homes on the WA side of the river are a good 20-30 minutes away.

I've spent a fair amount of time in Seattle in the past, and *LOVE* the place. Were I single, I'd get a hole-in-the-wall apartment dead-center to the city and just do it that way, but I've got a long-term girlfriend (plus a dog, plus a cat), and long-term girlfriends have "expectations" and stuff like that :-p
 
#31
I'd make Seattle work if it were me. Portland has always been Seattle's 'little brother'.

If professional sports matter to you at all, Seattle has more of those. Seattle also has a major NCAA athletic program, if that matters at all.

-Mike
 
#34
Gaolee said:
Then the kings of suck, the Mariners, won't bother you a bit.
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Sports Ball! Sports Ball! Do the Thing! Score The Points! Sports Ball woooooooo!

7SpGZl5.jpg
 
#35
A few folks have mentioned West Seattle or the 'south Seattle area' like Renton, etc. What's the scoop on North Seattle, say by the University area? There seem to be a few more houses closer to my budget out that-a-ways, but I don't know if that's out in the 'hood' or what.

Also, funny that the Royal Room got mentioned. I'm staying in an AirBnB in Columbia City this whole week, walking distance to the Royal Room. My host and I got to talking, and we might be heading down there tomorrow night!

Ninja edit: the neighborhoods I was looking into were:
South Bennett St (Columbia City-ish)
Southwest 106th St (Arbor Heights/White Center area)
34th Ave Southwest (just north of White Center)
19th Ave Northeast (south of North City)
35th Ave Northeast (south of Sheridan Beach)
Lake City Way Northeast (between Victory Heights and Northeast Seattle)
66th Ave South (Ranier Beach area)

Anything there I should try to stay away from?
 
#36
sleeplessknight said:
A few folks have mentioned West Seattle or the 'south Seattle area' like Renton, etc. What's the scoop on North Seattle, say by the University area? There seem to be a few more houses closer to my budget out that-a-ways, but I don't know if that's out in the 'hood' or what.

Also, funny that the Royal Room got mentioned. I'm staying in an AirBnB in Columbia City this whole week, walking distance to the Royal Room. My host and I got to talking, and we might be heading down there tomorrow night!
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North Seattle seems pretty nice to me. My cousin lives up that way and really likes it. Definitely not the "hood".
 
#37
The hood here is much different then say LA or OC. BUT to answer your question no. The hood here is in Tacoma and maybe an area in the MLK District. There nothing too bad in the areas you mentioned
 
#39
West Seattle! The Spud, Alkai beach, hop on a bus and hit Bass Northwest, great transit system up there. Sequim is nice up on the peninsula too. My dad grew up on west 35th when it was two lanes.

I-5 has turned into a parking lot the last few times we were there. Like I-80 from the bay to the foothills on Fridays around here.

Seattle is beautiful when the sun is out though.
 
#40
White Center has a reputation, but I worked there and comparatively speaking its not to bad. I grew up on the boarder of E. La and unincorperated LA County. I havent experienced anything like that in Wa
 

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