I'm considering a move to Seattle, and I was wondering if there are any folks here with opinions on living there, and possibly suggestions for where to look as far as places to live (I'm currently a homeowner, so I will be trying to buy another if I make the move).
Thanks!
I've lived in western Washington (Lynnwood and Edmonds 30 minutes north of Seattle, and Olympia 50 minutes south of Seattle) for 33 years. I find the winter months (late October through mid-March) to be very frustrating for photography: nearly constant rain, uniformly gray sky, often windy (esp. Nov. and Dec.). On the other hand, the variety of landscape photography is tremendous: Pacific coastline, temperate rainforest, easily accessible volcanoes, old-growth forests, unique agricultural scenes, all within a few hours drive. I've thought for many years that I'd leave when I retire (in 313 days), but now I'm not so sure. Oregon might be a good alternative -- similar natural features, less dense human population. The traffic situation in Seattle is terrible, and the home prices are absurd. If I have to be in western Washington, I find Olympia to be a great alternative to Seattle. My 2 cents.
Winters are cold, long, wet and dark. Oh I forgot to mention you might not see the sun for weeks on end. Can you handle it? I tried and left. It's physiologically and psychologically depressing.
Mmmmm... I love the rain. Cameras and bellows dry out. You can shoot if it's damp, we mostly just get drizzle.
Plus, things are green. Dark green in the winter, bright green in the spring, yellow green in the summer.
Come to Portland, I don't mind if you drive up the property values.
Housing is going to be a real sticker shock. I've lived here since 1969 and wouldn't move anywhere else. Oceans to desert and all in between to shoot. Overcast days are for shooting tone scales that can't be done on a sunny day. To rainy for shooting? Looks like a darkroom day to me. Sheldon is right, we have green all year around.
Well, I'm coming from DC, so I might actually be moving DOWN in real estate pricing, since DC housing is so overpriced (I'm in a single-family house inside the Beltway).
As far as traffic goes, we probably have Seattle beaten in that regard, too
And our mountains here are pretty puny. They're pretty, but not very impressive. People from the west coast sometimes overlook them
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