Seattle

Question

Anyone from Seattle or been there enough to know how vegan-friendly it is?

I’ve been in LA for years and now looking for jobs in Portland which is a vegan haven, but I’m now expanding my search to Seattle and was wondering if anyone has some insight here. Thanks

Alienkat · Answer

Hi! Recently moved to Seattle from Austin. I’d say it has a lot of options. Maybe slightly less than LA or Portland, but you will definitely not have any trouble. The international district has lots of great restaurants as does Capitol Hill. Let me know if I can help!

Crito · Answer

Great to hear, thanks!

Mountainmystic · Answer

Seattle is vegan friendly. I lived there for a short time awhile back. And of course, I like Nirvana's music & Kurt Cobain passed on too soon. Like Jimi Hendrix,  Janice Joplin, & Jim Morrison.   I liked the good vibes and progressiveness of Seattle, but I could not deal with the grey skies and weather of fall & winter. If you are thinking about moving from Southern California, you are in for a big change in climate. Seattle is nice in the summer. But fall & winter are mostly wet, dank, grey, and cool to cold. I've been in enough cold rain days to know how it feels. You will be praying to the Sun god for sun to no avail. 

If you end moving there, go camping & hiking in the Cascades but not when it's going to rain (like I did). Go to Mt. Rainier. Beautiful and almost surreal. 

Real estate prices are going way up in Portland & Seattle, as I'm sure you are aware. The real estate was affordable several years ago.

Crito · Answer

Thanks!  Yeah I’ve been in SoCal for 13+ years. Grew up in NY (which technically gets more rain and as many cloudy days though doesn’t get the stigma). 

I’m ready to return to season changes and real winters. Especially now that we have kids. Want a real fall and some snow. 

We’ve wanted to be in the PAC NW for a while and are looking to move before the kiddos get into school. 

Real estate in Portland is still dirt cheap, but since the Nike and Addidas job search is slowing down, the options aren’t plentiful there. 

Seattle is more expensive than I anticipated, but after NY and LA everything is cheaper. Especially when there’s no state income tax. 

Trying to figure out what the commute situation is up there. Again, anything will be better than LA. But most jobs I’m looking at are in the Redmond area (a few downtown though) and not sure how far out I can reasonably live. 

My LA commute is an hour and I’d like to cut that without having to spend 7 figures on a house.

Mountainmystic · Answer

Seattle like most attractive cities are getting more expensive. Microsoft and high tech & support services companies draw people there. Then salaries go up, & real estate does too. I definitely agree with you on wanting the change of seasons. That's why I live in Tennessee in the mountains, surrounded by acres of forest. It's a lot of work but it's heaven. Washington is evergreen state. So you won't see much fall leaf color unless you get in area with planted hardwood trees. You  get some snow in Seattle, but it's not a big deal. Go to Cascade Mts. to get all you want. Raising your children in Seattle suburbs is a better choice.

I have to guess that commute from Redmond, east of Lake Washington during rush hour is still 30 to 50 minutes, depending on flow & wrecks. Living more than 30 miles outside Seattle & going there for a job is going to be over an hr. commute. That's basic in most suburb to city morning commutes these days. But whether you come from south or north to Seattle, it's about the same. I lived in Lynwood, north of Seattle. I worked nights at the time, so I would get on I-5 south & make great time.
Spending 7 figures on land & a house should not be the accepted norm in U.S. But, 30 to 50 miles from where I live are high priced suburbs & lakefront properties where 1 million and up is what people will pay. I would rather live further out & have a lot more for less money. For me,  I think as a vegan, I have to be more aware of the environment, sustainability, being socially conscious, & thoughtful. I looked up name, Crito. Crito was an Athenian &  devoted friend of Socrates, & a firm believer in ethical teachings. Good choice for screen name. Vegan ethics.

Crito · Answer

Ha yes.  And he tried to talk Socrates out of the hemlock and to escape instead.

Thanks for all the info!  Flying up there for an interview next week, so we'll see....

Crito · Answer

@Mountainmystic - Any chance you know about the commute times, options from Seattle into Redmond?  I had just assumed if I was working in redmond and looking for houses for kids, my options were basically Sammamish up to Woodinville to keep my commute as close to 20-40 min.

But my wife is looking around Northeast Seattle and Woodland Park area.  Google maps gives me an unhelpful time range of 20-70 min.  Searching other forums is not much help.  I had ruled it out, assuming that going over a bridge would just be a nightmare, but....I grew up in NY so maybe its a bad assumption.

Thanks

Mountainmystic · Answer

Crito--Was wondering how your job search in Seattle was going. Been awhile since I lived there, & traffic got heavier since then. If you can go to work early & avoid the rush hour of 7 to 830 am, & leave work before 430 pm for home, you can be in that 25 to 40 minute window Seattle to Redmond. Accidents & rubbernecking  are always the knucklehead factor. Funny about NY.  BTW, I grew up on Long Island.  Left when I was 17--graduated early. Came back & left for good at 25. Never looked back. Was a round peg in square hole.  I remember the L.I.E., BQE, GW Bridge, Tappan Zee, Throgs Neck, Brooklyn Bridge, Van Wyck, Lincoln & Holland Tunnels. I hated driving through the boroughs to get off the island. Often took LIRR into Penn Station & used mass transit or walked fast. Never worked in City. Just to see relatives or do fun stuff. Loved the Long Island life & fire island beaches in summer & winter. New York's insane traffic & on par with LA. Even on Seattle's worse traffic day, you still get home at a decent hour. If you are stuck on bridge on Lake Washington, it's still beautiful, & there's plenty of  trees in the suburbs. Breathe deep. Fresh air.

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