We're moving to the Seattle Area! Good riddance Dallas!

[BeTheChange]

Wooohoooo... after another day of over 100 degrees I couldnt be happier. We found out 3 days ago and we have to be there by Sept 20th so it's going to get rather crazy soon. But it's a good crazy. We are originally from NorCal, moved to Texas 2 years ago and are beyond excited about getting back to the Pacific northwest.

Please, tell me great things to do, see, experience from Whistler south to Portland and east to Walla Walla :) Im amassing a list and will partake of them all with much glee. My only recreational activities for the last 2 years have been shopping and eating so I cant wait to hike in beautiful places, see the ocean.. GO SNOWBOARDING!... etc.

I've only been to Seattle once and I was about 10 years old.. so anything you would like to share off the beaten track or impressionwise would be AWESOME.

Im so excited I cant sleep.

[enigmatic]

1. What part of Seattle?

West Seattle gets a bad rap, but I liked it alot; Fremont and Ballard are my favorite neighborhoods in the city. You'll love it; it's a great town..

[BeTheChange]

4. We are actually not living "in" the city

Seeing as neither of us knew the place, we found a place on the North Side of Lake Washington that we knew was safe and relatively centrally located. 6 month lease, which gives me plenty of time to explore downtown. I'd love to live in the city for a year and then look to buy a house out on the Olympic Penninsula.

Ive heard Ballard is a fun area, but nothing about Freemont, so thanks.

I cant believe we are going to be lucky enough to live there.. I know Im going to love it already. ;)

Your perspective of how important liberal populated areas with trees are definately changes when you spend a couple years doing hard time in the concrete jungle.

[yewberry]

14. Hey, I live in West Seattle.

My own little piece of heaven.
(Okay, my apartment sucks, but the Junction is nice!!)

[BeTheChange]

15. Hey you..

You arent allowed to be a Seattlite and post in this thread without telling me one really cool thing to do in the area ;)

[yewberry]

16. 'Kay.

Actually, there's almost too much to do here. It's nuts.

Downtown is fun, and, incredibly, easy to get around and park in. The bus system, while far from perfect, is very good. It is easy to cycle here, too.

We have lots of public art and parks aplenty. There are islands nearby--Vashon & Bainbridge are both easy commutes from town. The Cascades and the Olympics (along with Mt Rainier) are not only visible from town, they're fairly easy to get to.

Winter is moderate and very damp; summer is moderate and sunny. (Be sure to laugh at the Californians who move here in May and then run screaming back to San Diego in February--it's practically an annual tradition.) If you move here, you must be sure to tell everyone that it is awful here and rains every day. Sign the blood oath and repeat the mantra to all who ask.

The food is really fucking great. (Important caveat--I'm originally from Boston, so I'm eternally frustrated with the pizza and Italian food!)

However, you are moving here, so you don't want tourist tips...you want "living here" tips.

Have you ever lived here? It's kind of funny. You will probably be surprised at how nice everyone is. And then, in about nine months, you may notice that you have a lot of very nice acquaintances, but no real friends. That seems to be the consensus here.

Do you have a good map of the area? You NEED one, even if your partner only has to commute infrequently. PM me tonight or tomorrow--I'd be happy to talk to you about the area. I'm busy on Saturday, but will be around Fri and Sun if there's any first-hand local insight I can offer.


Oh, and one really cool thing to do in the area...Um. Walk the Loop Trail at Discovery Park and then stop for a GASP (garlic, artichoke, sun-dried tomato & pesto) pizza at Romios's in Magnolia.

[BeTheChange]

23. You rock.

I've been warned about the message Im supposed to give to people about the Seattle area, I was going to play up the suicide rates too, just for a little spice. Im totally onboard.

Im originally from NY and my family is italian, so I hope that there is atleast one good italian restaurant to be had.. if not, Im going to have to actually *gasp* cook, occasionally.

I have not lived there. I visited 1 time when I was 10. It's just amazing to me that Im moving somewhere Ive never really explored. My husband has never been there. However, we always wanted to get there some day. It just happened that someday ended up working out alot quicker that we ever anticipated.

Thanks for the offer of help, Ill probably take you up on it :) Be warned.

That pizza sounds so good. Im serious, Ive had to stop looking at food related things in Seattle because it makes me hopelessly hungry.

13 days till lift off!

[tmooses]

2. I live in Oregon but love to explore the entire PNW. My favorites in WA-

the Olympic National Park, Mt Rainier, the North Cascades area, the San Juan Islands. I moved here from the Bay Area and enjoy exploring this area-from the coast to the mountains and the eastern deserts and plains. Welcome and enjoy your new home!

[Robeson]

3. Lucky you. As a lifelong resident in the South, I'm jealous.

[BeTheChange]

6. Go west young man :)

Well, west and north. I've found that the south just isnt the place for me and its not cause it's racist or populated by hicks or because its too republican.. I just need nature. I need mountains and a rugged rocky coast. I dont even really enjoy Southern California :)

I will say that the people Ive met while we have been here are the nicest people you'd want to know. Good, kind folks.

But this heat, humidity and landscape can kiss my ass.

[Robeson]

8. I hear ya. After 41 years, it is the "hicks" and "republicans" that....

...have finally gotten to me. At this point, I feel like Kurt Russell in Escape from New York. I just want to escape from the South!

[BeTheChange]

9. I know that feeling,,,

even if there are different reasons behind it.

Have you been out to Crawford? That helped rejuvenate my repubullshit overflow meter.

You gotta take it where you can get it, eh?

[fortyfeetunder]

5. come over to the WA state board

you'll get more answers than you'll know what to do with....

[BeTheChange]

7. Ive already been drilling them about where to live..

I dunno, I felt like a burden to post yet another request for information :) But Ill put my foot in the water.

[WCGreen]

10. Take a Rain coat.....

[BeTheChange]

11. Blah blah blah... everyone says that..

But everyone I know who has moved there says its really not as bad as all that. It's the lack of light, not really the rain that gets to people.

You cannot rain on my parade ;)

[WCGreen]

12. I envy you.....

I am tehtered to Cleveland.....

I spent a wonderful summer in the PCN in 1979 and wish to return before I shed these mortal bounds......

[BeTheChange]

13. Life is too short for envy

That's what being here taught me. But in the same token, it's also what you make it...

That's my collection of cliches on the subject :hi:

[dr.strangelove]

20. You do not need a raincoat or an umbrella

any more than you need one in NY, DC or Boston. In fact, those three cities get much more rain than Seattle, NY almost double the amount. Seattle gets a bad rep, mostly from people who live there trying to keep the population down. The fact is that its rainy season lasts from October until March/April. That does not mean heavy rains. There is rarely a heavy rain. It is usually a light mist each day and cloudy whether. Every month has a few days of clear blue skies. There is little snow and only a few days where the temperature hits the freezing mark. Mostly the winters are very mild and wonderful for living. Then there is the summers. Clear skies, low humidity, fair temperatures and summer skiing and swimming not far away, plus the Salmon fishing and hiking is some of the best in the world. Seattle is a wonderful place to live, almost as great as Portland, OR, which is my favorite city in the US.

I hope you get a chance ot get back to the pacific northwest. It is such a great place.

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

17. Congratulations on your escape!!!

Welcome to (relative) sanity... :party: :toast:

[mondo joe]

18. Put the Fremont Solstice Parade on your calendar for next year

Naked bicyclists, no corporate logos allowed and plenty of anti-Busdh stuff. :-)

[GOPisEvil]

19. Hey! Hook a Texan up!

I wanna escape, too! :D

[BeTheChange]

25. Didnt you just get back from that area?

I remember seeing a picture of you lying near some water..

I'd be happy to pack you in the moving pod. Im thinking of running an underground rail road to liberalization.

[GOPisEvil]

30. I was just visiting.

Thanks. :)

[GalleryGod]

21. Sweet News, BTE !

That's the best kind of Cultural Whiplash I can think of !:bounce:

[flamingyouth]

22. That's great! Welcome!

Take a day trip up to Port Townsend. It's a great small town with lots of galleries, etc.

There are lots of places to hike around here - I couldn't even begin to list them all.

Hope your move goes very smoothly. :hi:

[Richardo]

24. Give it the Homer farewell: "So long, Stinktown!!"

:)

[miss_kitty]

26. I grew up on the north end of the Lake I'm in the city now

Traffic sucks here, but most stuff is ok. Make sure you pop into the washington forum and let us know how you are doing...

:hi:

[miss_kitty]

27. oops something fun to do

Walk around Greenlake, check out the Market, Hang out in Fremont.

check out the waterfront downtown.

[Bullwinkle925]

28. Good for you......

and Welcome Back to the West Coast!!
Only thing bad about your move is the loss of a blue vote in Texas.
Oh well.


:toast:

[woofless]

29. Good on ya!!!

I moved to the Pac NW after living most of my life in the midwest and south. Nothing beats this side of the Cascades. If you ever get up around Mt Baker you will see what God loves. Good luck. I know you will like it.

Woof