Tell me about Seattle

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about Seattle

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

So, I'm looking at places to move to and Seattle has caught my eye. It seems to have a booming economy and just being a fun place in general. That said, there are something about the city that concern me (like any place). Which has me thinking of a few questions.

1) The first is expense. Now from what I understand, Seattle is on the more expensive side when it comes to places in the country. It isn't quite San Francisco or New York, but I've heard it is pretty pricey. A common thing that I often hear about is how these cities are only for highly educated professionals who make $70k+, while the working class who generally lack degrees and get paid in the $20ks find themselves unable to live in them, at least comfortably. This is a bit confusing for me, as I personally feel that I fall in-between these two extremes. I currently make around $40k, have a degree, and have a diverse set of work experience under my belt. Hardly a professional, but I don't exactly ride or die on the whims of the job market. I understand that rent is pretty expensive, which is concerning. I am more than willing to live with roommates during my initial stay, but I would like to live alone after a year or two. Looking on Craigslist, I do see some apartments that are sub $1000. A lot of them are small, but I don't really care as I barely use up any space. However, I also understand rent is still rising, then again the minimum wage is getting an increase but we'll see how much that combats the rising cost.

FWIW, my idea of fun is rarely going out to expensive restaurants or seeing expensive shows, but more like going to museums, different organizations, festivals, etc.

2) What's the job market like? From what I understand things are booming, but is that only for tech related jobs and Amazon? Or are those just the main drivers and there are a huge variety of new jobs constantly pouring in?

3) Diversity. Probably one of my bigger concerns, is that Seattle just seems so white to me. I was wondering if the city and the metro area have significant or noteworthy Hispanic, black, or international population? I obviously look this up and saw that the city itself has a fair share of blacks and hispanics, but I'm assuming their share of the population takes a nosedive once you leave the city proper?

4) What the surrounding area of Seattle like? Every large city tends to be surrounding with other large cities, suburbs, etc. Are they worth attention as well? I'm asking because I recall talking to someone from Seattle who stated that they strongly disliked all of the surrounding cities, but didn't go too much into detail about it.

I'd appreciate any info. Again, I'm curious.

# ? Oct 28, 2016 05:27

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 21:09

Aryu Kiddimeh: Nov 9, 2012

punk rebel ecks posted:

I'm asking because I recall talking to someone from Seattle who stated that they strongly disliked all of the surrounding cities, but didn't go too much into detail about it.

lmao, looks like you are acquainted with that Seattle 'tude

# ? Oct 28, 2016 09:41

Noun Verber: Oct 12, 2006; Cool party, guys.

It's like a less pretentious Portland. Same gentrification, same people with their heads up their asses, but overall pretty darn nice. No idea what the job market is like, but we're growing jobs nationwide so unless you're looking for a specific position there should be some sort of decent work out there.

# ? Oct 28, 2016 20:37

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

punk rebel ecks posted:

So, I'm looking at places to move to and Seattle has caught my eye. It seems to have a booming economy and just being a fun place in general. That said, there are something about the city that concern me (like any place). Which has me thinking of a few questions.

1) The first is expense.

Seattle is expensive, you seem to have a handle on what to expect. The sales tax is higher than most regions ~10%, but Washington doesn't have an income tax. In popular areas expect to pay at least $6 for a drink and at least $15 to park all day (street parking is cheap, but typically limited to 2 hours).

quote:

2) What's the job market like? From what I understand things are booming, but is that only for tech related jobs and Amazon? Or are those just the main drivers and there are a huge variety of new jobs constantly pouring in?

Turn over seems to be pretty high, I see a lot of new businesses opening, and we've got more than just tech, Starbucks headquarters, Boeing, other things.

quote:

3) Diversity. Probably one of my bigger concerns, is that Seattle just seems so white to me. I was wondering if the city and the metro area have significant or noteworthy Hispanic, black, or international population? I obviously look this up and saw that the city itself has a fair share of blacks and hispanics, but I'm assuming their share of the population takes a nosedive once you leave the city proper?

I grew up in Atlanta, and Seattle is disturbingly white and segregated. We have more dogs than kids.

quote:

4) What the surrounding area of Seattle like? Every large city tends to be surrounding with other large cities, suburbs, etc. Are they worth attention as well? I'm asking because I recall talking to someone from Seattle who stated that they strongly disliked all of the surrounding cities, but didn't go too much into detail about it.

If expense is a concern, there are a lot of cheaper areas around Seattle that have reasonable access to Seattle. They are cheaper because they are less desirable, but I have several friends that have been pushed out of the city by the cost of living, and they seem fine with their areas. The ability to live without a car drops sharply as you move away from Seattle. A lot of people complain Tacoma smells, see "The Tacoma Aroma", I haven't been there personally. Most places east of Lake Washington are even more full of rich white people.
edit:
There's a lot of great restaurants/bars (bars are required to serve food), but very little good Mexican or Southern food. Teriyaki is apparently a style of restaurant. Last call is 2am. There's no smoking in restaurants. There's no plastic bags, stores will charge you 5 cents for a bag. There's no Styrofoam, I went back to Atlanta a couple years back and was surprised people still use it. Wind storms are a thing. It gets dark very early in the winter, we're likely much further north than you realize, though winters are mild. It rains frequently but lightly, I don't own an umbrella. Sometimes naked people ride bikes. Our service animals laws are structured such that anyone can claim any animal is a service animal, and there's no way to check that, so people bring their dogs everywhere. Sometimes the police ride horses and you can pet them. The Seattle Freeze isn't real, but you do need to actually put in effort to make friends. Maybe this is just my social circle, but it seems like there are a lot of queer, trans, and polyamorous people here. You can buy weed in stores, but it's expensive. Alcohol also has huge taxes at retail. Failure to compost food waste is penalized by fines. Seattle is pretty aggressive about making spaces unfriendly to homeless people, benches with unnecessary bumps and the like. The city council is considering legalizing sleeping in parks (I think the courts may force them to do this, since people have to sleep somewhere). Our legislature is being fined by our courts for failing to fund education as our constitution requires (fines paid by the state for this reason are required to be spent on education). Tourists feed the seagulls and they are assholes. Seattle is full of fair weather fans, the Seahawks are only popular when they are winning, also roller derby used to be a thing, but they had to move their arena. There's a bunch of nerd conventions here.

twodot fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Oct 28, 2016

# ? Oct 28, 2016 20:58

artichoke: Sep 29, 2003; delirium tremens and caffeine; Gravy Boat 2k

twodot posted:

edit:
There's a lot of great restaurants/bars (bars are required to serve food), but very little good Mexican or Southern food. Teriyaki is apparently a style of restaurant. Last call is 2am. There's no smoking in restaurants. There's no plastic bags, stores will charge you 5 cents for a bag. There's no Styrofoam, I went back to Atlanta a couple years back and was surprised people still use it. Wind storms are a thing. It gets dark very early in the winter, we're likely much further north than you realize, though winters are mild. It rains frequently but lightly, I don't own an umbrella. Sometimes naked people ride bikes. Our service animals laws are structured such that anyone can claim any animal is a service animal, and there's no way to check that, so people bring their dogs everywhere. Sometimes the police ride horses and you can pet them. The Seattle Freeze isn't real, but you do need to actually put in effort to make friends. Maybe this is just my social circle, but it seems like there are a lot of queer, trans, and polyamorous people here. You can buy weed in stores, but it's expensive. Alcohol also has huge taxes at retail. Failure to compost food waste is penalized by fines. Seattle is pretty aggressive about making spaces unfriendly to homeless people, benches with unnecessary bumps and the like. The city council is considering legalizing sleeping in parks (I think the courts may force them to do this, since people have to sleep somewhere). Our legislature is being fined by our courts for failing to fund education as our constitution requires (fines paid by the state for this reason are required to be spent on education). Tourists feed the seagulls and they are assholes. Seattle is full of fair weather fans, the Seahawks are only popular when they are winning, also roller derby used to be a thing, but they had to move their arena. There's a bunch of nerd conventions here.

Accurate.

We moved from a small town of 55k over two years ago to Seattle. Instantly made a bunch of cool friends, went to tons of shows and events, found a few decently priced restaurants but mostly just cook at home. I've learned how to make all of our favorite Mexican dishes because there is fuckall here. I think the biggest positive differences for us were easy access to live music and the plethora of interesting, upbeat people. (Before living in the small town we lived in Silicon Valley and while the food is amazing there and being white in Sunnyvale/Cupertino/San Jose makes you a minority, that's loving about all it has going for it).

Seattle is unfortunately pretty racially segregated. Just anecdotally - our neighborhood is mostly single-family homes and while a handful are Asian and black families, mostly they're white. It's such a change from when we were the only white people on our block in the valley.

The housing market sucks and we'll never be able to buy in the neighborhood we rent, but we're enjoying our time now as it's close to so much. A house up the block sold for over a million and it's not even that big. I think three bedrooms and 2300 sq ft. and no yard. Sooo yeah we'll be looking into other neighborhoods to buy in down the line.

As for the suburbs, they're way more affordable but they're like pretty much anywhere else in suburban America. Friends of ours live in Kirkland where they were able to afford a house, but there's not much going on in Bellevue/Kirkland. If you want to have access to things that are happening, find housing as close to Seattle as you can. If you don't like to get out much, you're good for wherever then.

# ? Oct 29, 2016 00:16

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

twodot posted:

Seattle is expensive, you seem to have a handle on what to expect. The sales tax is higher than most regions ~10%, but Washington doesn't have an income tax. In popular areas expect to pay at least $6 for a drink and at least $15 to park all day (street parking is cheap, but typically limited to 2 hours).

Turn over seems to be pretty high, I see a lot of new businesses opening, and we've got more than just tech, Starbucks headquarters, Boeing, other things.

I grew up in Atlanta, and Seattle is disturbingly white and segregated. We have more dogs than kids.

If expense is a concern, there are a lot of cheaper areas around Seattle that have reasonable access to Seattle. They are cheaper because they are less desirable, but I have several friends that have been pushed out of the city by the cost of living, and they seem fine with their areas. The ability to live without a car drops sharply as you move away from Seattle. A lot of people complain Tacoma smells, see "The Tacoma Aroma", I haven't been there personally. Most places east of Lake Washington are even more full of rich white people.
edit:
There's a lot of great restaurants/bars (bars are required to serve food), but very little good Mexican or Southern food. Teriyaki is apparently a style of restaurant. Last call is 2am. There's no smoking in restaurants. There's no plastic bags, stores will charge you 5 cents for a bag. There's no Styrofoam, I went back to Atlanta a couple years back and was surprised people still use it. Wind storms are a thing. It gets dark very early in the winter, we're likely much further north than you realize, though winters are mild. It rains frequently but lightly, I don't own an umbrella. Sometimes naked people ride bikes. Our service animals laws are structured such that anyone can claim any animal is a service animal, and there's no way to check that, so people bring their dogs everywhere. Sometimes the police ride horses and you can pet them. The Seattle Freeze isn't real, but you do need to actually put in effort to make friends. Maybe this is just my social circle, but it seems like there are a lot of queer, trans, and polyamorous people here. You can buy weed in stores, but it's expensive. Alcohol also has huge taxes at retail. Failure to compost food waste is penalized by fines. Seattle is pretty aggressive about making spaces unfriendly to homeless people, benches with unnecessary bumps and the like. The city council is considering legalizing sleeping in parks (I think the courts may force them to do this, since people have to sleep somewhere). Our legislature is being fined by our courts for failing to fund education as our constitution requires (fines paid by the state for this reason are required to be spent on education). Tourists feed the seagulls and they are assholes. Seattle is full of fair weather fans, the Seahawks are only popular when they are winning, also roller derby used to be a thing, but they had to move their arena. There's a bunch of nerd conventions here.

This all sounds about what I expected. Thanks for the summary. Well except parking, that's actually much cheaper than what I'm used to for a big city. How much is two hour parking? Very unfortunate about the segregation. I recall once the Seattle tried to pass a law about forcibly integrating all schools, but the courts ruled against it. Its sad that these very liberal places are so segregated.

So back in terms of expense, if I made $45,000 or even $40,000 a year, would I be able to live alone? What would you say the bare minimum would be to live alone with only a $250 a month student loan debt (no car loans or anything else). Keep in mind I rarely spend much money, and when I do it usually isn't too pricey. My disposable income is like less than 10% of my take home pay, and that's by choice.

punk rebel ecks fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Oct 29, 2016

# ? Oct 29, 2016 00:46

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

punk rebel ecks posted:

This all sounds about what I expected. Well except parking, that's actually much cheaper than what I'm used to for a big city. How much is two hour parking? Very unfortunate about the segregation. I recall once the Seattle tried to pass a law about forcibly integrating all schools, but the courts ruled against it. Its sad that these very liberal places are so segregated.

So back in terms of expense, if I made $45,000 or even $40,000 a year, would I be able to live alone? What would you say the bare minimum would be to live alone with only a $250 a month student loan debt (no car loans or anything else).

Street parking varies a lot, but you're looking at 1 to 4 dollars an hour depending on the time and location (assuming you can find a spot, private parking is more available and more expensive). The 15 dollar figure I mentioned is the early bird "I'll be here from 8 to 4" deal.

I think 40k is tight but certainly doable. A thing to keep in mind is we recently passed a minimum wage to bring it up to $15/hour inflation adjusted over several years, which is ~30k 40 hours a week. Minimums really come down to what you want to get out of Seattle. Rent is high, but if you don't use a lot of drugs, and cook for yourself, it's not too bad otherwise.

# ? Oct 29, 2016 01:02

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

twodot posted:

Street parking varies a lot, but you're looking at 1 to 4 dollars an hour depending on the time and location (assuming you can find a spot, private parking is more available and more expensive). The 15 dollar figure I mentioned is the early bird "I'll be here from 8 to 4" deal.

I think 40k is tight but certainly doable. A thing to keep in mind is we recently passed a minimum wage to bring it up to $15/hour inflation adjusted over several years, which is ~30k 40 hours a week. Minimums really come down to what you want to get out of Seattle. Rent is high, but if you don't use a lot of drugs, and cook for yourself, it's not too bad otherwise.

This is all actually better than what I was expecting. Especially since you seem to be talking about living in the city itself. I'm going to open up a little bit more. My plan is essentially to save up $4,000 and move out there next year during the summer/fall. I will likely at first stay at a rented room for cheap rent while I go to a staffing agency to find employment. Since I have a college degree and work experience, these places often hire me on the spot, if not just in a week or two. I can't say for what job I will end up getting, nor pay. But things look at around $17-18 an hour range (keep in mind once you actually get hired the pay increases). And then I'll just go from there.

How are groceries though? Are there any bargain bin stores out there? For example where, I live chicken breast is usually around $2.50/lb. But there is a store I go to that sells them on almost clearance for $1.47/lb.

EDIT - Wait, I just read that the $15/hour minimum wage law was going to be tied to inflation? Similar to Washington's minimum wage law? Did I read that right?

EDIT 2 - Seattle doesn't seem that bad with segregation. Well for American standards at least.

punk rebel ecks fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Oct 29, 2016

# ? Oct 29, 2016 01:16

Chard: Aug 24, 2010

Is the surrounding country as beautiful as it looks on maps? I like backpacking and dayhiking and it seems like Seattle has a lot of nearby areas for that, is that true? What about snow sports?

# ? Oct 29, 2016 01:35

Jack2142: Jul 17, 2014; Shitposting in Seattle

Chard posted:

Is the surrounding country as beautiful as it looks on maps? I like backpacking and dayhiking and it seems like Seattle has a lot of nearby areas for that, is that true? What about snow sports?

The snow sports are adequate if your from the Rockies according to my roommates from Colorado and Utah it is abysmal and the snow is more ice than powder. I never picked up skiing or snowboarding, but plenty of people in the area do.

Also in regards to OP, this is coming from a 22 year old who lived entire life up here.

1. Seattle is a pretty white city, right now I am on the bus and looking up there are about 30 on the bus and there are about 5 Asians (One is the Driver) and 1 black person everyone else is white. Seattle in general is pretty expensive which has gentrified alto of the even historically minority areas and pushed them into the suburbs (mostly to the South towards Tacoma). Such as (Kent, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn etc.) these cities are more diverse, but those are probably the same cities the person you mention saying were shifty are probably referring too. North of Seattle is pretty white and the Eastside is pretty much the same , but with more Asians working for various tech companies. I grew up in Federal Way and Seattle is way whiter than its southern suburbs. Probably a bit racist, but most black people I encounter everyday are panhandlers and homeless people in Westlake Station.

2.I make 40 K through a contract I just got out of college with a degree and some experience it shouldn't be too hard to make 40ish K which isn't great, but doable. I am lucky as I am living with family in Ballad so I pay no rent although my friend going to U is paying 1800 a month in rent, but as a grad student he has a 2000 housing stipend and has a huge 800 sq ft place. 1 bedrooms seem to start at about 1200 for stuff within Seattle. If your willing to live in suburbs rent lowers drastically the further south you go and Tacoma is a pretty cheap for its size.

3. Public transport isn't great, but its passable I can commute from doorstep to doorstep from my place to work by bus.

In tldr

Move to Portland instead

Jack2142 fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Oct 29, 2016

# ? Oct 29, 2016 02:03

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

I have some other stuff to write, but I wanted to briefly mention that the public transport is all about expectations. Seattle's transit is absurdly better then Atlanta's. I would say slightly better than Boston's. I've lived in both Seattle and Boston without a car.

# ? Oct 29, 2016 02:13

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

I don't know about bargain shopping, I kept an eye for chicken filets today, and the best I saw was $3.49 a pound for chicken breasts at the downtown Target. Whole chickens were $1.39 a pound. You could probably trivially find cheaper prices 20 blocks south.

Yeah as far as I'm aware the minimum wage is tied to some sort of inflation measure. We're still ramping up though.

# ? Oct 29, 2016 23:29

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

twodot posted:

I don't know about bargain shopping, I kept an eye for chicken filets today, and the best I saw was $3.49 a pound for chicken breasts at the downtown Target. Whole chickens were $1.39 a pound. You could probably trivially find cheaper prices 20 blocks south.

That isn't too bad.

twodot posted:

Yeah as far as I'm aware the minimum wage is tied to some sort of inflation measure. We're still ramping up though.

What do you mean by "we're still ramping up"?

# ? Oct 30, 2016 01:21

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

punk rebel ecks posted:

What do you mean by "we're still ramping up"?

The phase in to 15 is happening over several years, the particular number of years changes based on the employer. Here's a chart:

Essentially smaller businesses and businesses with better benefits have their minimum wage increase more slowly, but everyone gets to the same place by 2025. All of the numbers after 15 are estimates.

# ? Oct 30, 2016 01:43

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

twodot posted:

The phase in to 15 is happening over several years, the particular number of years changes based on the employer. Here's a chart:

Essentially smaller businesses and businesses with better benefits have their minimum wage increase more slowly, but everyone gets to the same place by 2025. All of the numbers after 15 are estimates.

God drat this is awesome.

What does minimum wage with healthcare mean?

# ? Oct 30, 2016 01:53

Drunk Tomato: Apr 23, 2010; If God wanted us sober,
He'd knock the glass over.

Seattle is fine but I wouldn't exactly say it's super special. The weather sucks 8 months out of the year. I hope you like living in perpetual darkness from September to April. Traffic is a dark cloud that hangs overhead if you want to go anywhere outside of your own neighborhood. Anti-transit ideologies may stop a much-needed light rail expansion next week. And of course, rent is expensive and home ownership is beyond a pipe dream for most.

I know it is made out to be some sort of paradise for young professionals, but there are a lot of problems with this city, and if i were in a similar situation to OP I would look into a city that's more on the rise as opposed to a city that is currently drunk on the money of the current tech boom/bubble. Leaving behind all your friends / safety nets is a big and risky move, and Seattle is certainly no New York. We have much less history, culture, and pride.

Seattle has historically been a boom/bust town. Right now it's booming, but it may be punching beyond its weight.

# ? Oct 31, 2016 22:27

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Drunk Tomato posted:

Seattle is certainly no New York. We have much less history, culture, and pride.

New York was actually my first choice. But when I made this thread on another message board for New York, they all laughed at me telling me that I was naive and dumb for how expensive the city was.

# ? Oct 31, 2016 23:39

Oxxidation: Jul 22, 2007

punk rebel ecks posted:

New York was actually my first choice. But when I made this thread on another message board for New York, they all laughed at me telling me that I was naive and dumb for how expensive the city was.

Depends on how much you're making. NYC can be survived in on most wages but it's an amusement park for the wealthy and a grind for most other people. The real estate market makes the Mafia look tame, as well.

e: 40k is doable if you get roommates and know how to budget but most of the city's amenities are for people with disposable income to spare. Lovely libraries, though.

Oxxidation fucked around with this message at 23:48 on Oct 31, 2016

# ? Oct 31, 2016 23:43

Drunk Tomato: Apr 23, 2010; If God wanted us sober,
He'd knock the glass over.

punk rebel ecks posted:

New York was actually my first choice. But when I made this thread on another message board for New York, they all laughed at me telling me that I was naive and dumb for how expensive the city was.

I don't think you're naive. Up until just a few years ago, Seattle might have been great for you. And really, you could survive in Seattle now. You might love it. I just believe that the city is very overrated (and thus overpriced) right now. It's kind of the very definition of gentrification. Seattle used to be great because it was a cheap place to live; a small town-feeling city surrounded by a beautiful landscape and a bunch of recluse weirdos. A lot of what people used to like about the city (grunge music, gritty "industrial" feeling, fishermen, zanyness) has either disappeared or been pushed out to the fringes. And the problem with the fringes is that they are typical suburbia that can be found literally anywhere in the country - just at a premium cost. I've lived in the suburbs, and they are just as soulless as they are anywhere else. The only culture is in Seattle, though what's there is getting priced out as well. There's a lot of "gourmet" and "artisan" now. Chainstores coming in, more old favorites being priced out of their buildings. If that's what you want, or if you don't care about having a city that actually feels different and unique, then Seattle is great.

I don't know the price difference between living in Seattle and living in a more "classic" city like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. I do know that Seattle can't really compare to the feeling of those cities. It is a mid-sized city priced like a world-class city.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 00:37

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Drunk Tomato posted:

I don't think you're naive. Up until just a few years ago, Seattle might have been great for you. And really, you could survive in Seattle now. You might love it. I just believe that the city is very overrated (and thus overpriced) right now. It's kind of the very definition of gentrification. Seattle used to be great because it was a cheap place to live; a small town-feeling city surrounded by a beautiful landscape and a bunch of recluse weirdos. A lot of what people used to like about the city (grunge music, gritty "industrial" feeling, fishermen, zanyness) has either disappeared or been pushed out to the fringes. And the problem with the fringes is that they are typical suburbia that can be found literally anywhere in the country - just at a premium cost. I've lived in the suburbs, and they are just as soulless as they are anywhere else. The only culture is in Seattle, though what's there is getting priced out as well. There's a lot of "gourmet" and "artisan" now. Chainstores coming in, more old favorites being priced out of their buildings. If that's what you want, or if you don't care about having a city that actually feels different and unique, then Seattle is great.

I don't know the price difference between living in Seattle and living in a more "classic" city like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. I do know that Seattle can't really compare to the feeling of those cities. It is a mid-sized city priced like a world-class city.

I see. Thanks for the input.

Just out of curiosity, what city would you recommend?

Oxxidation posted:

Depends on how much you're making. NYC can be survived in on most wages but it's an amusement park for the wealthy and a grind for most other people. The real estate market makes the Mafia look tame, as well.

e: 40k is doable if you get roommates and know how to budget but most of the city's amenities are for people with disposable income to spare. Lovely libraries, though.

My plan was to move to Queens and essentially do what I want to do in Seattle.

Live with roommates for the first couples months or so. Then move to my own studio apartment. Not sure how feasible it is for New York.

My brother in law gave me the advice "living somewhere isn't what is expensive, getting there and settling in is." For reference his parents live in the San Francisco area.

His conversation with me boiled down to "once you find a stable job you will be fine anywhere, you just have to worry about the initial process of finding it."

# ? Nov 1, 2016 02:25

Drunk Tomato: Apr 23, 2010; If God wanted us sober,
He'd knock the glass over.

punk rebel ecks posted:

I see. Thanks for the input.

Just out of curiosity, what city would you recommend?

I know I sound like a huge grouch and complainer. I am a Seattle-area native and I will probably never leave. A lot of my disdain for Seattle comes from personal regret - when I was young and free, I didn't go off and live in New York or Paris for a time. Because I have deep roots here, it just doesn't make sense to leave now that I'm older. Unfortunately, my settling down here has coincided with a huge population boom and housing crisis, so I have found myself comparatively poorer and unable to afford to live in my hometown. A decade or two ago that would not have been an issue.

I love cities with a passion. My favorite cities are the typical ones - Paris, New York. To a lesser degree, Beijing. They have the history, which is important to me. Subways make them liveable. Chicago, DC, and Boston. San Francisco a decade ago. Philadelphia is poised for a big explosion, I think. If I were young and had the world open to me, I would consider trying out Philadelphia. Am I romanticizing these cities? Of course I am. But they have been around for hundreds of years or more - they are places of great importance. When you go there, you can feel the weight of the city all around you. Seattle is just not in the same league, though the cost of your rent would beg to differ.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 05:51

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

twodot posted:

Maybe this is just my social circle, but it seems like there are a lot of queer, trans, and polyamorous people here.

It's not just your social circle; there are a lot of trans people here.

Part of that is because of the culture, part of that is because of tech and their generally lax attitudes to things like 'dress codes' as long as you can do the job, and part of that is because health insurance plans sold in WA State cannot discriminate against transgender individuals. This includes Medicaid - and we have Medicaid expansion in this state.

"Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler made an announcement clarifying that health insurance policies sold in Washington cannot discriminate against transgender Washingtonians. Commissioner Kreidler is �asking all health insurers doing business in Washington state to end discrimination in health insurance based on gender identity and related medical conditions. In a letter sent to health insurers this morning, Kreidler reminded health insurers that exclusions and denials of coverage on the basis of gender identity are against the Washington Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60) and the federal Affordable Care Act (Section 1557).�

http://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/10537

# ? Nov 1, 2016 07:29

Ham Equity: Apr 16, 2013; i hosted a great goon meet and all i got was this lousy avatar; Grimey Drawer

punk rebel ecks posted:

So, I'm looking at places to move to and Seattle has caught my eye. It seems to have a booming economy and just being a fun place in general. That said, there are something about the city that concern me (like any place). Which has me thinking of a few questions.

1) The first is expense. Now from what I understand, Seattle is on the more expensive side when it comes to places in the country. It isn't quite San Francisco or New York, but I've heard it is pretty pricey. A common thing that I often hear about is how these cities are only for highly educated professionals who make $70k+, while the working class who generally lack degrees and get paid in the $20ks find themselves unable to live in them, at least comfortably. This is a bit confusing for me, as I personally feel that I fall in-between these two extremes. I currently make around $40k, have a degree, and have a diverse set of work experience under my belt. Hardly a professional, but I don't exactly ride or die on the whims of the job market. I understand that rent is pretty expensive, which is concerning. I am more than willing to live with roommates during my initial stay, but I would like to live alone after a year or two. Looking on Craigslist, I do see some apartments that are sub $1000. A lot of them are small, but I don't really care as I barely use up any space. However, I also understand rent is still rising, then again the minimum wage is getting an increase but we'll see how much that combats the rising cost.

FWIW, my idea of fun is rarely going out to expensive restaurants or seeing expensive shows, but more like going to museums, different organizations, festivals, etc.

Just so you're aware, most of those sub-$1000 places you're looking at are not actually in Seattle. Lakewood, Burien, Federal Way, and Tacoma are not Seattle. West Seattle is technically Seattle, but it's very off the beaten path, and that's less an apartment and more splitting a house with several dozen roommates for $900 a month (microhousing units don't have in-unit bathrooms or kitchens). I moved up here with more than $4000 nine years ago, back when Seattle was cheap, and it almost wasn't enough; I wouldn't want to be making a try at that now without a job. Especially given that many, many of the rentals available are going to require income verification. You might have better luck in November/December, when the pickings are slim when it comes to housing, but the landlords tend to be more desperate.

There are lots of museums and festivals and things in Seattle, as long as you live in/near the more interesting parts of it (i.e. not where you can find a one-bedroom for $800 a month).

quote:

2) What's the job market like? From what I understand things are booming, but is that only for tech related jobs and Amazon? Or are those just the main drivers and there are a huge variety of new jobs constantly pouring in?

The job market is generally doing well. It can take awhile to find a job, though, even with that, and a lot of places that claim to be in a rush will string you along for a few weeks. It's largely tech, but there are other jobs available.

quote:

3) Diversity. Probably one of my bigger concerns, is that Seattle just seems so white to me. I was wondering if the city and the metro area have significant or noteworthy Hispanic, black, or international population? I obviously look this up and saw that the city itself has a fair share of blacks and hispanics, but I'm assuming their share of the population takes a nosedive once you leave the city proper?

The neighborhoods in this town are largely segregated. Minority populations tend to live in South Seattle, white people tend to live near downtown and North Seattle.

[/quote]4) What the surrounding area of Seattle like? Every large city tends to be surrounding with other large cities, suburbs, etc. Are they worth attention as well? I'm asking because I recall talking to someone from Seattle who stated that they strongly disliked all of the surrounding cities, but didn't go too much into detail about it.

I'd appreciate any info. Again, I'm curious.
[/quote]

Lots of single-family housing, not anywhere near enough density. Traffic is bullshit, and while it's not the worst commuting I've ever seen, it's definitely not the best, either. I'm basically unwilling to put up with a commute that's regularly longer than a half-hour, though.

The worst part of living here tends to be the winter, when you'll go to work while it's dark, and then leave and it's dark. Not to mention the constant overcast/drizzliness from October through February. Good news, though: wettest October on record, which meant less drizzle, and more actual rain.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 08:51

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Thanatosian posted:

Just so you're aware, most of those sub-$1000 places you're looking at are not actually in Seattle. Lakewood, Burien, Federal Way, and Tacoma are not Seattle. West Seattle is technically Seattle, but it's very off the beaten path, and that's less an apartment and more splitting a house with several dozen roommates for $900 a month (microhousing units don't have in-unit bathrooms or kitchens). I moved up here with more than $4000 nine years ago, back when Seattle was cheap, and it almost wasn't enough; I wouldn't want to be making a try at that now without a job. Especially given that many, many of the rentals available are going to require income verification. You might have better luck in November/December, when the pickings are slim when it comes to housing, but the landlords tend to be more desperate.

There are lots of museums and festivals and things in Seattle, as long as you live in/near the more interesting parts of it (i.e. not where you can find a one-bedroom for $800 a month).

Looking on Craigstlist there actually are some places in the actual city for less then $1000, but they tend to be few and far inbetween. Regardless, looking for housing for myself will be after I rent a single room or live with roommates. But you are correct, it is something to consider and $4,000 may be a bit tight at first. Though, as before I am confident that I'll get a job quick with a staffing agency.

Thanks for the write up.

punk rebel ecks fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Nov 1, 2016

# ? Nov 1, 2016 14:31

dirby: Sep 21, 2004; Helping goons with math

I just want to say that I'm thankful for this thread. I visited Seattle and feel in love with it, and this is helping me consider pros and cons more seriously before trying to move out there.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 14:52

Ham Equity: Apr 16, 2013; i hosted a great goon meet and all i got was this lousy avatar; Grimey Drawer

punk rebel ecks posted:

Looking on Craigstlist there actually are some places in the actual city for less then $1000, but they tend to be few and far inbetween. Regardless, looking for housing for myself will be after I rent a single room or live with roommates. But you are correct, it is something to consider and $4,000 may be a bit tight at first. Though, as before I am confident that I'll get a job quick with a staffing agency.

Thanks for the write up.

You should also keep in mind that many of the cheapest listings on Craigslist are scams, and a lot of places will list as being in Seattle even though they're not (there's a place in Des Moines and a place in Shoreline listed in the section right now).

Also, when it comes to staffing agencies, be completely loving mercenary. The only reason the people who represent those agencies give live birth is that they would consume their young otherwise; they will gently caress you over in a heartbeat for a shiny nickel, no matter how nice they are to your face.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 16:21

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

I have a lot of experience with staffing agencies so I know how they operate.

I still am likely going to go with my original plan though. But I appreciate your sobering tone.

Would you guys think it would be a bad idea for me to make a NYC thread version of this?

# ? Nov 1, 2016 19:28

Qu Appelle: Nov 3, 2005; "If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

I live in microhousing.

The aPodment ones have in-unit bathrooms and kitchenettes (microwave, fridge). You also have counter space for things like rice cookers, crockpots, and the like.

You just don't have your own stove/oven; there's a communal kitchen down the hall that has a couple of them.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 20:54

Oxxidation: Jul 22, 2007

punk rebel ecks posted:

I have a lot of experience with staffing agencies so I know how they operate.

I still am likely going to go with my original plan though. But I appreciate your sobering tone.

Would you guys think it would be a bad idea for me to make a NYC thread version of this?

The LAN subforum has an NYC thread that would probably do the job just as well. Just make sure to have a detailed and orderly gameplan to post there if you want to ask how to cope with the place for a year, because if you go in with nothing but "I make 40k-ish a year, want to move, how's New York sound" you're likely to be met with a wall of "what, no, are you mad, we are as ghosts haunting a mausoleum of bedbugs and artisan baklava shops, run while you can"

# ? Nov 1, 2016 21:08

Ham Equity: Apr 16, 2013; i hosted a great goon meet and all i got was this lousy avatar; Grimey Drawer

punk rebel ecks posted:

I have a lot of experience with staffing agencies so I know how they operate.

I still am likely going to go with my original plan though. But I appreciate your sobering tone.

Would you guys think it would be a bad idea for me to make a NYC thread version of this?

I don't want you to think I'm trying to talk you out of it; moving here was probably the best decision I've ever made, and I love it. I highly recommend other people do it, just be aware of what you're getting into. Moving here, then having to move back because you blew through all of your savings before you could lock in a job would suck.

Edit: Finding housing out here is very difficult, even when you're experienced at it, so don't plan on looking at one or two places and that being it. I found my first place after looking at eighteen others, and my second place after looking at four, but that was in the dead of winter when landlords are desperate, and I still contacted about twenty places.

Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Nov 1, 2016

# ? Nov 1, 2016 21:54

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Thanatosian posted:

I don't want you to think I'm trying to talk you out of it; moving here was probably the best decision I've ever made, and I love it. I highly recommend other people do it, just be aware of what you're getting into. Moving here, then having to move back because you blew through all of your savings before you could lock in a job would suck.

Edit: Finding housing out here is very difficult, even when you're experienced at it, so don't plan on looking at one or two places and that being it. I found my first place after looking at eighteen others, and my second place after looking at four, but that was in the dead of winter when landlords are desperate, and I still contacted about twenty places.

How much money would you say I would need to last me two months without a job? Imagining that I get a room with someone for $500 a month and only have monthly debt obligations of like $250 from student loans.

# ? Nov 1, 2016 23:37

OxMan: May 13, 2006; COME SEE
GRAVE DIGGER
LIVE AT MONSTER TRUCK JAM 2KXX

As a minimum wage uneducated ne'er do well Seattle is heaven compared to San Jose CA where I came from like artichoke up there. Jobs are plentiful, rent is lower, your chances of being stabbed are minimal in comparison, it's a pretty rad place. 40k can have you living comfortably if you don't mind renting a small place, and a lot of places like Lakewood and Shoreline are close enough to commute from relatively painlessly.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 01:35

Animal-Mother: Feb 14, 2012; RABBIT RABBIT
RABBIT RABBIT

If you're up on Capitol Hill, watch out for rear end in a top hat UW students and the Somalian gangs beating up gay people.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 03:18

Shiroc: May 16, 2009; Sorry I'm late

Anyone who says any part of Seattle has tons of things to do, they actually mean tons of places to drink. If you also considering drinking to be a thing to do, then that's fine.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 05:01

twodot: Aug 7, 2005; You are objectively correct that this person is dumb and has said dumb things

Shiroc posted:

Anyone who says any part of Seattle has tons of things to do, they actually mean tons of places to drink. If you also considering drinking to be a thing to do, then that's fine.

When people in other cities say there's tons of things to do, what do they mean?

# ? Nov 2, 2016 05:36

Magic Hate Ball: May 6, 2007; ha ha ha!
you've already paid for this

You'll be renting a shoebox for 700/month while you either frantically scour Craigslist ads and get rejected from en masse house showings, unless you're a disgusting rich person (gently caress you) and you'll be renting one of those absurd condos downtown. There's a lot of bar stuff to do here. Hope you like punk! There's lots of pinball. That's good. And lots of white yuppies. Seattle is actually pretty small and not terribly walkable, it's basically a tiny core surrounded by endless suburbs that have their own little cores. What's old is pleasantly grungy, what's new is a Downtown Disney-esque corrugated steel gulag designed to herd Amazon workers. Did I mention there's a lot of bars? There's a lot of bars.

The surrounding suburbs are ok. U-District is the most affordable within a few miles. West Seattle doesn't exist, as far as I know. Renton has a pleasantly rust-belt feel, if you're intimidated by pretty people with money. The transit system is fine. Everyone bitches about it, but it's fine. The traffic loving sucks, though, and any issues the transit system has are a direct result of everyone loving DRIVING. There's a great theater scene, and our symphony and opera are both terrific.

Also, we systematically segregated our neighborhoods.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 07:59

Rah!: Feb 21, 2006

OxMan posted:

Seattle is heaven compared to San Jose CA

your chances of being stabbed are minimal in comparison

Seattle's violent crime rate is twice as high as SJ's.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 11:36

OxMan: May 13, 2006; COME SEE
GRAVE DIGGER
LIVE AT MONSTER TRUCK JAM 2KXX

Rah! posted:

Seattle's violent crime rate is twice as high as SJ's.

Oh drat, that's really insane considering SJ barely has a PD left. Scratch that i guess.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 13:38

Drunk Tomato: Apr 23, 2010; If God wanted us sober,
He'd knock the glass over.

Rah! posted:

Seattle's violent crime rate is twice as high as SJ's.

And I believe Washington State has the worst property crime in the country. You can expect your car to be broken into, and possibly your home.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 16:21

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 21:09

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Crime measurements are very difficult as what each place considers "property crime" and what not differ. Kind of like how Sweden is the rape capital of the world on paper.

# ? Nov 2, 2016 17:36

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tell me about Seattle

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