West Coasters, pimp your area

Ciaram22

Western Washington is a great area to live in. I agree with most of what CS said. Though most of the time they predict rain for the 4th of July and it turns out to be 85. We don't get all hat hot or humid out here. The hottest it has been in the past few years was the summer of 2009 when it was over 100 for 4 or 5 days.

There are lots of suburbs to live in just outside of Seattle. King county is one of the more expensive counties to live in. There is also the Kitsap peninsula which is just a little cheaper and only a ferry ride away from Seattle.

There are mountains to both the east and to the west. There are lots of day trips that can be done in the cascade mountains or in the olympic mountains. We do get the occasional earthquake but normally they aren't too bad.

arwo

Well, I love love love Seattle. More than any other city that I've ever been too. I have family in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia and D.C.; I've spent a fair amount of time in all of those places as well as California, the Southwest and New England, and really Seattle is my favorite place. We moved here when I was 8, and I can't imagine living somewhere not in the Pacific Northwest.

CS mentioned the weather here. It does rain, and I complain about it, but it's not really that bad. According to THIS random list I just found, Seattle has more sunny days per year than Albany, NY, and Akron OH, and is about on par with places like Chicago. It really is not humid, at all, especially in the summer. My parents are both runners, and their race times improved a huge amount when they moved here--my mother always credits the low humidity as a major factor in that. We get a few snow days in a year, generally, but it doesn't stay cold enough for the snow to stick around for more than a few days. CS mentioned the fabulous summers. She's right that you tend to have to wait for them for a while (I always say July 4th, too) but once it's here it's beautiful. It's not too hot and the grass never turns brown. You can run outside year round, if you're willing to run in the rain.

The city itself is really nice! Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City for good reason--the rain makes it ridiculously green here. There are places right in the middle of the city where you seriously cannot tell that you are in the middle of the city. It's also just beautiful--the two mountain ranges (the Cascades to the east, and the Olympics to the west) and Mt. Rainier are visible on clear days, there is water (Puget Sound and Lake Washington)

Cost of living is higher than in the midwest, generally, but it's lower than in CA. It's socially liberal here, but that suits me fine. We have been able to live car-free for more than 6 years with no real problem. We live in a fairly central neighborhood, so my H and I are able to bus to work/school easily. In terms of industry, I think we do okay: we have Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Costco, Boeing. A lot of the tech companies in CA have offices up here, notably Google. Unemployment rates here in 2010 were kinda high (9.6%) but there were a lot of places in the country that were worse!

There's a lot of coffee here.

I don't know, I really like it here. Obviously.

J&K10910

Washington just sounds better every time someone posts about it.

No sales tax at all?  We don't have sales tax on clothes or shoes here, which is awesome, but no sales tax on anything would be even better, of course.  Does that mean that other taxes (income tax, property tax) are even higher though?

Arwo, that's really interesting about the sunny days/rain being on par with places like Chicago.  The Pacific Northwest is really made out to be quite rainy, but I think if you compared to precip in general, it's probably about the same here, especially if a lot of the rain comes in the winter/fall/spring.  Change some of that to snow, and it's similar to us. 

Guys, I really appreciate EVERYONE's input and I can't wait for our trip in a month and to share all this info with H

cupcakesfrosting

Come to Sonoma County. Seriously. We have bars, amazing restaurants, a ton of wineries, farmer's markets and a ton of local farms. The houses here are gorgeous and I *think* the prices are pretty good (I'm not exactly in a position to purchase at the moment). Rental prices are pretty good here, though I'm not sure what you pay where you are..

I'm about an hour north of San Francisco, so it's definitely day-trip close. We also have gorgeous beaches and the Russian River. We have the Hot Springs (which feel amazing, although they smell like sulfur, haha).

This area is fantastic. There are so many things within a few hours if you got sick of the county.. If you want any more specifics, let me know..

Ciaram22

We have a sales tax on everything but food . Some candy and all sodas and juices that are less than 50% juice are also taxed. It depends on what county you live in how high the sales tax is. In kitsap it's 8.6% and king county is 9.5%

arwo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:33e362fa-7a42-4c78-9d09-ed6548f75543">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]Washington just sounds better every time someone posts about it. No sales tax at all?  We don't have sales tax on clothes or shoes here, which is awesome, but no sales tax on anything would be even better, of course.  Does that mean that other taxes (income tax, property tax) are even higher though? Arwo, that's really interesting about the sunny days/rain being on par with places like Chicago.  The Pacific Northwest is really made out to be quite rainy, but I think if you compared to precip in general, it's probably about the same here, especially if a lot of the rain comes in the winter/fall/spring.  Change some of that to snow, and it's similar to us.  Guys, I really appreciate EVERYONE's input and I can't wait for our trip in a month and to share all this info with H :)
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

We totally have sales tax. It's high, like 10%. We have no state income tax though. And there's no sales tax on food. (Grocery store food, that is. There is a tax on prepared food, and on soft drinks and booze.)

arwo

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but in what area of Seattle will you be staying when you visit? I'm not planning on stalking you, I promise, I'm just curious as to what part of the city you'll be in.

J&K10910

Sherrbearr said no sales tax.  Maybe in Portland?  Maybe she meant income tax?  I'm confused!  Sherrbearr!  Come esplain yourself!

reddy123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:ec19ac88-f406-4a8f-93c3-fc13eba3e081">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm in love with Portland and will likely live here for the rest of my life.  I love the briges, the friendliness, the fact that you've got the mountain, beach and desert within 2 hours any direction... I also love that it's not cookie cutter, there is always something new to do and a new restaurant to try.  Oh and no sales tax is friggin awesome too! Also, if you wanted to go to a "big city" Seattle is only about 2.5 hour drive (at least the way I drive)
Posted by sherrbearr22[/QUOTE]

<div><3</div><div>
</div><div>I could probably talk about the benefits Portland and Oregon for hours, but Sherr summed it up quite nicely, and due to your weather restrictions I vote for middle California for you, I think Seattle or Portland could be too rainy. San Diego is hot as a mofo and that's no joke.</div><div>
</div><div>I agree with CS, in the NW, 3 out of 4 seasons is rain, but the pay off is the beautiful greenery that can't be beat. Not to mention like Sherr said, drivable distance to any atmosphere, desert, mountain, beach, old growth forest, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers. Pretty much a nature lover, hiker, outdoorsy person's wet dream. Not to mention the arts (theatre, music, film, art, strange happenings) can keep the indoor person busy for a lifetime. I agree with Sherrbear, although I do plan to travel and maybe live around  a bit for H's job, I love Portland and could live here and settle forever.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

reddy123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:44359acd-8dd1-4d97-abd4-32a5164a6f48">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]Sherrbearr said no sales tax.  Maybe in Portland?  Maybe she meant income tax?  I'm confused!  Sherrbearr!  Come esplain yourself!
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

<div>She meant no sales tax in all of Oregon, and if you show your DL in Washington or Cali, you don't have to pay theirs!</div>

sarabear23

San Diego IS amazing, and our weather down here rocks. I'm about an hour or so north of San Diego. It's cooler down there since you have the offshore breeze, but even in the winter it isnt very cold. It *may* get into the 30s overnight, but it isnt too bad. No humidity in the summer! There is TONS to do down there. Lots of great places to eat and shop, and of course, the beach is right there all the time.

You can get to LA in 2-3 hours, and Vegas in probably 5. Or Mexico in 20 minutes! If you want snow, you can get to the mountains in a few hours as well, and the mountain towns in Wrightwood and Big Bear are so cute. I love Wrightwood for snowboarding and tubing. You can drive up the coast to Newport Beach or even Long Beach, and take the boat to Catalina Island. I love going there. They have great tours of the island and tell you about it's history. Cute little shops and places to eat. Snorkeling, fishing, glass bottom boats.

 There is the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park (love), and Sea World (also love). The Gaslamp district is really popular with a lot of my friends, but I haven't gone yet. There is a ton of stuff to do there as well (link: http://www.gaslamp.org/).

If you like taking cruises, there is a port down there as well.

There are tons of other places close to San Diego that I love as well. Temecula is less than an hour north, and has tons of Winerys.

HTH!

arwo

Yeah, Oregon doesn't have a general sales tax, they have state income tax. Reverse that for Washington.

J&K10910

Haha, you can stalk me, Arwo!  We're downtown, near Pike Place market/Space Needle/etc. 

arwo

I really like Portland too, honestly. If I could live somewhere between Portland and Vancouver B.C. for the rest of my life, I'd be pretty happy.

Plus, Portalnd has a lot of strip clubs. Seriously, can someone from Portland tell me what's up with all the strip clubs?

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:8565673c-42fd-4e13-835e-0aff7c1fe98c">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: West Coasters, pimp your area : There's no sales tax in Oregon. It's one of the main reasons why I love going to Portland. I can buy a ton of crap and don't get hit with this massive sales tax (freaking WA has a big one). It's a shopaholic's wonderland. =)
Posted by Champagne Supernova[/QUOTE]


Durrrr, I'm getting my states mixed up.

I had Washington on the brain, so when she said Portland I just connected it to Washington even though I KNOW it's in Oregon.

I'm dumb :-p

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:f277de4f-921f-4a96-8748-49884f3fe848">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: West Coasters, pimp your area : She meant no sales tax in all of Oregon, <strong>and if you show your DL in Washington or Cali, you don't have to pay theirs!</strong>
Posted by reddy123[/QUOTE]

Ok, that is pretty kickass.

J&K10910

Well if Portland has a lot of strip clubs, I guess we're sold on Portland!

sarabear23

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:0806bb9d-cee7-4323-8b0a-bd883ef98894">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: West Coasters, pimp your area : <3 I could probably talk about the benefits Portland and Oregon for hours, but Sherr summed it up quite nicely, and due to your weather restrictions I vote for middle California for you, I think Seattle or Portland could be too rainy. <strong>San Diego is hot as a mofo and that's no joke.
</strong>Posted by reddy123[/QUOTE]

I think this really depends on your definition of hot. The average year-round temp is about 70*. It occasionaly gets over 100* in the summer, but not even close to what it gets where I'm at sometimes.

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_San_Diego">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_San_Diego</a>

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:ea46c300-8765-4297-a71b-5dc458fa4c3c">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: West Coasters, pimp your area : I think this really depends on your definition of hot. The average year-round temp is about 70*. It occasionaly gets over 100* in the summer, but not even close to what it gets where I'm at sometimes. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_San_Diego" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_San_Diego</a>
Posted by sarabear23[/QUOTE]

Average year round temps of 70* sounds like my definition of paradise, seriously.  And occasional 100* temps don't bother us as long as it's not with 80% humidity.

But we'd also be happy somewhere where it didn't get above 75* as long as it didn't get super cold either. 

SD3194

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:f21e6972-79b7-4eb8-ba47-0011bcf75b9b">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]Do you count NC as the lower east coast?  Our mountain area probably wouldn't be too hot or humid for you. Check into Asheville.  Lots and lots of recreational activities, a little bit of snow, and nice long summers.  It's close enough to head to the beach or down to Atlanta or Charlotte for larger city action.  It has a ton of awesome restaurants and great local foods. 
Posted by pirategal03[/QUOTE]

Yep, everything Pirate said.

I live in the Asheville area and we couldn't ask for better weather. The summers here are comfortable with low humidity. I moved here from Richmond and I couldn't believe the difference in the weather. I think it only snowed once or twice this winter and it was plowed away or melted within a day or two. The winters also seem pretty short because it doesnt get too cold until December and we start having some warm days in early March.

There are a ton of recreational activities here too. We go hiking, tubing, kayaking, and fishing all the time because it's so easily accessible. The pace of life is really slow around here too, we call it "mountain time" rather than island time because everyone is so laid back and friendly. As pirate said, the local food scene here is unbelievable and that's the main reason I moved here (I'm a chef). I haven't been to a commercial grocery store or restaurant in forever because there are so many great farms and other dining options in the area. Organic/natural here is the norm instead of an expensive luxury like some cities.

Asheville is working towards being as sustainable as possible so we have more local money going back into the community. Our taxes are low but we have all sorts of neat city improvements going on. Oh, and the COTL is dirt cheap.

sarabear23

When I lived in IL, the humidity made me miserable. I much prefer 100* and no humidity.

arwo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:381f6ef7-ddc9-4f6a-9374-185e1f8c2810">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]Haha, you can stalk me, Arwo!  We're downtown, near Pike Place market/Space Needle/etc. 
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

Oops, I just saw that you said this. I think that's a nice area to stay, because it's so central. Hopefully the weather will be nice while you're here!

kimheartsscott

If I were to say that Phoenix only hits 100 occasionally would you believe me?

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:67164879-0956-4c04-b8d8-4c0b7823e9d0">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]If I were to say that Phoenix only hits 100 occasionally would you believe me?
Posted by kimheartsscott[/QUOTE]
if you told me we could be bffs if i moved to phoenix i would believe anything you said.

reddy123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_west-coasters-pimp-area?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:cf25e9f7-5e26-4a03-8a3f-9dcc59e0d59aPost:b09f6aff-1666-42e8-8d40-bc2a333d8bc8">Re: West Coasters, pimp your area</a>:
[QUOTE]I really like Portland too, honestly. If I could live somewhere between Portland and Vancouver B.C. for the rest of my life, I'd be pretty happy. Plus, Portalnd has a lot of strip clubs.<strong> Seriously, can someone from Portland tell me what's up with all the strip clubs?</strong>
Posted by arwo[/QUOTE]

<div>Hehe, well...</div><div>
</div><div>When I first heard Portland had more strip clubs than any other city, I couldn't believe it. I mean, New York or Vegas? But it's true, Portland has more strips clubs per capita than any other US city (supposedly).</div><div>
</div><div>After living here 5 years, I see what's up. First of all, Oregon is one of only 3-5 states (the only ones I know, are HI and AK) that are allow both full nudity and liquor in the same room. Strip club laws are very strict in most states. They govern how you can dance and what you can wear. Not so much in Oregon. Hence the variety.</div><div>
</div><div>Like most cities, we have the sleazy clubs, and the 'average' clubs. But unlike most cities, there are two other categories; classy and artistic/punky/cabaret. Both of those genres make the "stripping" world accessible and acceptable for normal couples, single straight women, lesbians looking to flirt, etc. The classy clubs are very expensive and only accept girls pretty enough to be in the movies or model, no joke. The punky clubs attract all kinds, dancers and customers.</div><div>
</div><div>Majority of clubs and strippers in Portland are fairly classy. And the girls are going through college and are smarter than the average bear. They pay to be on stage and dance, and they only work for tips here. Wages are another thing that varies greatly state-by-state. I like the clubs who have burlesque and feminist vibes. There are fire dancers, and women who dance in converse, not heels. Shaved heads, major curves, piercings, acrobatic pole work, fire, choreography, political and historical burlesque, tattoos- it's a tattoo gallery here, no clothes in the way... the list goes on and on. I'm bi, and took dance my whole life, and love tattoos, so I am biased...</div><div>
</div><div>I get my hackles up when people make generalized statements about clubs and dancers because we are lucky to have a creative, thriving business here off of real dance (that happens to feature nudity), and my experience with it has been very positive. I don't like when people write it off as this or that.  I have been to bad clubs though, so I do understand that side and am in no way saying it doesn't exist here. But I am saying there IS positive, empowering stripping going on in this country, and it's happening here in Portland! Whoop!</div><div>
</div><div>And that my friends, is the story of why Portland has so many strip clubs... I like to think.</div><div>It really is just the full nudity thing/liquor though. Really.</div>

arwo

Reddy, thank you! I hope you weren't insulted by my question (it doesn't seem like you were); I was honestly curious.

I consider myself a feminist, and of course I don't like to think of women being exploited, but clean, safe, classy clubs are not something that bother me. I think humans in general are sexual creatures, and it's a little silly to pretend otherwise. I also think one of the nice things about being a feminist is seeing that women are individual human beings and can have different preferences. I think there are some people who would feel degraded by stripping/dancing, and others that find it empowering and fun.

As long as the people doing it want to be doing it, and have clean, safe, fair work environments, I have no issue.

mica178

I live south of San Francisco, but I grew up in the city proper.  Outside of the city, the weather is pretty awesome year round.  It can be cold (in the 40s) in the weather, but that's it.  Otherwise, the weather is crisp and non-humid, usually doesn't go about the 80s in the summer, and it doesn't have the June gloom that SF has.  If you're into compuers, heathcare or biotech, this is your place.  Californians do spend a lot of time in their cars because outside of the major cities, people are spread out from work and restaurants, though.  We have the best food outside of New York in the US (in my humble opinion).  Wine country is just to the north.  There are two excellent universities in the area, so there are a lot of smart young people around.  The beaches are cold, but on the plus, there's world-class skiing only 3.5 hours away.

I used to live in LA, for about 9 years.  I"m sure Sara could tell you more, but I loved the weather, very dry and hot (LA is all desert).  There's smog and traffic, but it's not as bad if you can live close to the coast.  Again, there's a great mixture of cultures, awesome food, and there's the Santa Barbara coat and Temecula if you are interested in up and coming wine countries.  If you love Mexican and Japanese food (add to that Korean and Thai foods), LA is your place.  LA has a very diverse economy, which is great.  Beaches can still be cold, but if you drive down to Orange County, the beaches in Newport are awesome.  LA is less expensive than SF, but it's stll pretty darned expensive.

reddy123

Not offended at all! It comes up often with out-of-towners actually because it's a statistic that pops out in peoples brains when they read it. It's like; rainy, alternative Portland? Huh? 

I went off on that rant because on here, and IRL, I have heard some really off handed comments about dancers and clubs on a whole, I didn't mean it directed at you. It's just a common misconception because any feminist or humanist for that matter going into a bad club would be scarred for life and not want to try again. Or worse, they've never been and only heard about them from said scarred person. Like I said, I realize now Portland has a whole spectrum and not every city or state does.It's up to me to speak up and say, 'well, they're not ALL bad...".

Speaking of dancing feminists, you are from Seattle, home of the Lusty Lady (now closed, unless reborn?) beginning of all punk rock dancers controlling their own realities (it happened a lot in Vegas too, can't leave out Vegas, dancers fighting for unions, benefits, rights, wages, safety, etc.). . There is a documentary on Netflix on the Lusty, have you seen it?

arwo

Oh, I miss the Lusty Lady! I haven't seen the documentary, but I'll check it out. I'd actually be interested in finding out more about it.

Sidenote: When my husband and I were looking at wedding venues, we eventually had to choose between the Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. We ended up going for the Asian Art Museum (it was more us, at the end of the day) but it would have been nice to get married across from the Lusty Lady, which is literally across the street from Seattle Art Museum.

reddy123

Yes! And it had the sign that said 'Tart Museum', right across from the museum (which I love, btw, it and Portland get really great exhibits!).