Article Overview:Living in Seattle, Moving to Seattle
Are you considering moving to Seattle?
Its hard to blame you.
But Ill be the first to tell you, living in Seattle is not for everyone.
Pros & Cons of Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/f11photo)
I know plenty of folks who have moved out in search for sunnier pastures.
There are important downsides that shouldnt be overlooked, and Im not just talking about the grey weather.
Keep in mind this is my personal list of the pros and cons of living in Seattle.
Not everyone will feel the same way.
With that said, lets jump right in!
Proximity to Nature
Seattles nickname, theEmerald City, is well deserved.
Hiking at Mount Rainier | Living in Seattle
Living in Seattle youll be able to commune with nature every day.
Seattle is a mere two-hour drive from all three ofWashingtons breathtaking national parks.
Not to mention the plethora of hiking trails just a stones throw from the citys limit.
Living in Seattle | (Shutterstock/Dene’ Miles)
#2.
Famously home to Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks, Nintendo, Microsoft, the list continues to grow.
As such, Seattleites are sometimes considered workaholics.
Moving to Seattle (Shutterstock/oksana.perkins)
#3.
Say if youre bringing in $50,000 per year, thats a savings of $5,000.
In fact, its not uncommon for life-long Oregonians to retire in Washington for this very reason.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/cdrin)
Which is one of thetop 5 highest sales taxesin the country.
Hence, some Washingtonians head south to Oregon for large purchases like electronics and jewelry.
#4.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/Nadia Yong)
Seattle Is a Safe City
Ive never felt unsafe living in Seattle.
Like most folks my age (mid-30s), I wake up around 6am and drive to work.
After parking my car, I walk 8 city blocks to my office.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/Always Wanderlust)
Sometime I grab drinks with friends after work and wander downtown until 9pm.
Other times Im home by 7pm.
As such, homelessness is rampant and very apparent.
Moving to Seattle (Shutterstock/tusharkoley)
Some people associate homelessness with crime, but that is not always the case.
#5. you could definitely taste the difference.
Seattle has the5th highest concentration ofrestaurants in America (per 10,000 households).
Anthony, youre making us blush.
#6.
But we all know how it goes for every true intellect theres always two know-it-alls.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/bon9)
You know how it goes, theres pros and cons to everything.
#7.
#8.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/Trong Nguyen)
Seattle is downright beautiful
Seattle isgenuinelya beautiful city.
Living in Seattle feels like a treat because the city is a joy to look at.
From the hilly city streets to the charming homes and quaint cafes.
Living in Seattle (Shutterstock/cdrin)
Seattle is a treat for the eyes.
Plus, the infamous rain keeps things green and fairly clean always a perk!
#9.
Seattle has phenomenal summers
Seattle has some of the best summers in the country.
Humidity is nonexistent, temperatures are mild (seldom exceeding 75-80 degrees) and sunshine is reliable.
I mean, just take a day trip toMt.
Rainier National Parkin July and youll be hooked in no time.
Further Reading:10 Jaw-Dropping Things to Do at Mt.
Rainier National Park
#10.
Its no surprise that the home of the beloved puppuccino caters to dog lovers in every way imaginable.
Youll see dogs at restaurants, cafes, parks and even a handful of workplaces.
#11.
Its no coincidence that Seattle is often ranked as thebest coffee city in America.
With one cafe for ever 2,300 residents, theres no excuse to drink bad coffee while living here.
Cons of Moving to Seattle
#1.
On average, a one-bedroom apartment in the downtown core area will set you back $2,200.
Its not uncommon for folks with well paying jobs to have roommates.
#2.
The Gloomy Weather
As you may know, Seattle is known as a rainy city.
And yes, it does rain in Seattle but not as often as some people think.
For instance, Seattle gets less rain than New York City and Washington D.C.
In fact, Seattle isnt even in the top 10rainiest cities in America.
The sky is gray and gray most months of the year, which makes winter feelsolong.
Hiking trails are packed during summer because everyone wants to take advantage of the sunshine.
The best way to combat Seattles dreary winter weather?This handy gadget.
I honestly couldnt live in Seattle without it during the winter months.
Also worth mention, Seattle locals take great pride in shunning umbrellas (similar to Portlanders).
Oftentimes the joke is that an umbrella is a clear sign of a tourist.
#3.
Seattles cold shoulder is so infamous, theres an actual term for it The Seattle Freeze.
Life-long Seattle residents take great pride in their city and sometime dislike newcomers.
Attend work events, compliment someone at a cafe, join a book club or find a workout group.
#4.
As Seattle grows, the aging infrastructure cant keep up with demand.
#5.
The housing market in Seattle is nowhere near affordable.
And yes, I understand that exorbitant housing costs are not unique to Seattle but its still very unfortunate.
#6.
Seattle Lacks Diversity
One thing I learned quickly after moving to Seattle is that the city is overwhelmingly white.
Aside from a healthy Asian community, its hard to find diversity in the Emerald City.
#7.
Tent cities are quite common and drug use is rampant.
It seems like homelessness gets worse by the day.
#8.
The wildfire smoke is so bad you cant leave your house some days because of the poor air quality.
This is one of the biggest factors in my decision to potentially move out of Seattle.
#9.
Living in Seattle is no different.
Seattle has public transportation, but based on my personal experience its not effective enough to rely on.
Service shortages, heavy traffic and delayed buses and trains are not uncommon.
