How's Seattle?

[Kirby]

I know there are a few forum-mongers that live in Seattle... How do you like it? How's the cost of living?

Does the weather make you depressed?

[tchan001]

http://www.areavibes.com/seattle-wa/cost-of-living/

[oren]

I know there are a few forum-mongers that live in Seattle... How do you like it? How's the cost of living?

Does the weather make you depressed?

I love it. I've lived in the northeast, Orange County (California), Bay Area, and Seattle. I would choose to live here or Portland.

Cost of living is significantly less than Bay Area and much more than Michigan.

The weather can suck when you've gone through what seems like months of drizzle but it's made up for the best summers of anywhere and a relative lack of really cold temps in the winter.

We've chatted before about it, and if you have any specific questions, you can always ask. Visiting is always best. Maybe specific for you there are also some very active Korean areas just north and south of the city. We once had a go tournament at a Korean church in North Seattle that was pretty cool.

[Solomon]

Haters gonna hate, I love the Seattle weather.

[cdybeijing]

How the heck does coffee cost $5.73 / cup? Is my head in the sand?

[tchan001]

How the heck does coffee cost $5.73 / cup? Is my head in the sand?

Try ordering a coffee called "kopi luwak" and see how much it would cost you for a cup.

[EricBackus]

I know there are a few forum-mongers that live in Seattle... How do you like it? How's the cost of living?

Does the weather make you depressed?

As a native Seattlite, it is my solemn duty to discourage you from moving here.

Some will try to tell you of our wonderful summer weather. But it really does rain all the time here. We're particularly proud of our tradition of rain on the 4th of July. After you've lived here awhile, you start to grow webbing between your toes and moss in your hair. We don't tan, we rust.

Some will try to tell you of the beauty of the water and boats and bridges. But the water and bridges lead to bottlenecks and horrible traffic. And now we've decide to copy Boston's Big Dig in an effort to improve things.

Some will try to tell you of the serenity of the forests and mountains nearby. But really the forests are home to Bigfoot. And lions and tigers and bears. And killer rabbits.

Some will tell you that we have no state income tax. But instead we have a sales tax of nearly 10%, and the highest gas prices in the contiguous 48 states.

Sure, we invented coffee. But really, we just invented overpriced coffee. Sure, we're home to Microsoft. But the days when you could get a job there and be a millionaire in a few years are long gone. Sure, Grunge Rock came from Seattle. But Nirvana and Alice in Chains and the rest are all gone now.

Mount Rainier is less than 100 miles away. At 14400+ feet, it is a beautiful and impressive sight on the few non-overcast days we have. It's a volcano, and when it blows the mudflows are expected to bury a bunch of Seattle suburbs and kill many thousands of people.

Did you know that Seattle is in an earthquake zone? Every few hundred years we get a REALLY BIG quake (9+). Fortunately, it has been a few hundred years since the last one.

Hope this helps. Most of it is true.

[jts]

And now we've decide to copy Boston's Big Dig in an effort to improve things.

If you lived in Boston before and after the Big Dig, you know that this is highest praise.

[judicata]

And now we've decide to copy Boston's Big Dig in an effort to improve things.

If you lived in Boston before and after the Big Dig, you know that this is highest praise.

Yeah, but during? Perhaps the second time around, it can be done without going more than 200% overbudget (inflation adjusted original estimate: $6.0B; actual cost $14.6 billion) and nearly a decade over schedule (scheduled completion: 1998, actual completion: December 2007). Oh, and without killing people.

That said, with all of that out of the way, it is a HUGE improvement.

[jts]

And now we've decide to copy Boston's Big Dig in an effort to improve things.

If you lived in Boston before and after the Big Dig, you know that this is highest praise.

Yeah, but during? Perhaps the second time around, it can be done without going more than 200% overbudget (inflation adjusted original estimate: $6.0B; actual cost $14.6 billion) and nearly a decade over schedule (scheduled completion: 1998, actual completion: December 2007). Oh, and without killing people.

That said, with all of that out of the way, it is a HUGE improvement.

I left out 'during' for a reason

In fairness, it was a fairly impressive project. The combined volume of the excavation was comparable to the volume of the Chunnel, except it was all underneath a city. It's rather shocking that the costs ended up being comparable. The Big Dig also pioneered the idea that people who are hurt by infrastructure projects should be compensated to the fullest extent possible - it turns out that's really expensive, because living near a huge construction project is wicked miserable. Anyway, McGinn is a hero, and these sorts of urban tunnel projects are getting easier and cheaper since (as with elevated highways) a few trailblazing cities have made all the mistakes that can be made.

[judicata]

In fairness, it was a fairly impressive project. The combined volume of the excavation was comparable to the volume of the Chunnel, except it was all underneath a city. It's rather shocking that the costs ended up being comparable. The Big Dig also pioneered the idea that people who are hurt by infrastructure projects should be compensated to the fullest extent possible - it turns out that's really expensive, because living near a huge construction project is wicked miserable. Anyway, McGinn is a hero, and these sorts of urban tunnel projects are getting easier and cheaper since (as with elevated highways) a few trailblazing cities have made all the mistakes that can be made.

I'm not intending to derail the topic. But I agree--it was an impressive project, and I love watching documentaries on it.

I originally came to the topic because Seattle has always interested me too. Every city has its pros and cons.

[xed_over]

my wife wants to move back to Texas (mainly due to family and friends), but I'd rather stay here if we could -- I don't like the heat and the bugs there. I lived in the Bay area for a few years after college, and I'd pick it over Texas too, but the Northwest still beats SF in my book.

[Euphony]

Note : So many people drink coffee in Seattle that the water supply is actually very slightly caffeinated.

In case you were wondering, the tap water in Seattle is actually very good.

Major League Soccer (MLS) is big in Seattle. Seattle Sounders routinely draw the biggest crowds in all of MLS. There's also an active ultimate frisbee scene.

There are several video-game companies in Seattle.

There are many good Asian restaurants.

There are notable writers, musicians, and artists from Seattle. Consequentially, those scenes are really vibrant and content-rich.

What else to do during the rain than drink coffee and read/paint/make music? Or you can play video games and play go. Your choice, you'll fit in pretty well.