by "Nibbles" (nibbles)
Published 03/21/2017 at 13:35
by "Nibbles" (nibbles)
Published 03/21/2017 at 13:35
Tags: NIBTREK 2018
STARS: 0
Just got a Line-X bedliner installed in the Ram, it’s p sweet. There’s your obligatory auto-related shit
On to the question at hand: Seattle/Tacoma, what’s it like? We’re considering moving (read: Minds all but made up) in the next year or so and Seattle/Tacoma (or sburb, likely Buckley, Puyallup [how do you pronounce that?], or the like - somewhere a bit inland, maybe foothillsy). We’re planning a two-weeker out there in early August but I’d like to hear from y’alls about what it’s like out there. Some questions I have:
Is it really as dreary as the rumors state? I’ve heard everything from grey all the time to we get about as much sun as Denver which that last one is okay since that’s where we’re coming from
How’s car culture up there? Rust? Keep in mind we’re bringing not one but two Mopars
What areas around Tacoma/Fed Way are decent, and what should we avoid? I’d like to keep to that area as we have a datacenter in Tacoma and an office (likely where I’d be cubicled) in Fed Way
How’s winter? Snowy as hell? Icy?
Is it particularly windy?
Answers to these questions would be great. Any other neat facts or things you think could be relevant are appreciated too
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
03/21/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 3
Less sun than Denver but overall much more temperate climate, it really doesn’t freeze overnight and snow is rare. Way to many people, I5 is a zoo. Know habitat of Zoiberg, Hondabro etc.. so be wary.
"Svart Smart, traded in his Smart" (svartsmart)
03/21/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 1
Longer answer to follow, but I’m fairly sure we get much less sun than Denver.
"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
03/21/2017 at 13:53, STARS: 2
I live North of Seattle, been a resident for about 38 years. In all honesty. Yes it can be dreary, but you get used to it. BUT when the weather is nice it’s REALLY NICE. The comparison to Denver is valid, just less snow. We get maybe one or two snow events a year and they’re never too crazy. Although people panic and forget how to drive. The wind does pick up here and power outages are not uncommon. Again not huge events though. The areas you referenced to live are quite nice. Kent and Auburn are good areas too. Ask me anything you like and I’ll be happy answer more.
"Jack Does Cars" (jackdoescars)
03/21/2017 at 13:56, STARS: 1
Right, so my father lives on Bainbridge Island which is directly across from Seattle via ferry. Beautiful state. Puyallup is pronounced pew-al-up. Federal Way is nice and cheap, with a massive mall facing I-5. Tacoma is hit and miss, but getting better. Winter is cold, wet, and dreary. They’ve had like a week of sun since October. No rust, you’ll be fine. And by God avoid Parkland with every bone in your body.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 0
Thanks! Kent is on the radar too, some good properties there that look interesting.
So, uh, how exactly do you pronounce Puyallup? Is it like “Pull y’all up”?
Do you sailboat? Because I’m really itching to get into that and I hear the area is real good for it but I have literally not a single clue
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 0
No Parkland, got it.
Winter there sounds much like winter here. Probably not going to be an issue though I bought this big-ass snowblower and still haven’t gotten to use it :(
"RPM esq." (rpm3)
03/21/2017 at 14:02, STARS: 4
I grew up here, moved away for about 10 years, and then moved back about 8 years ago, so I’m well qualified to take a crack at these.
Puyallup is prounounced “pyoo-al-up.” There’s not much rust here because they don’t salt the roads, although things that rust just because they get rained on might have trouble.
The “dreariness” has a lot more to do with how far north we are than with the weather—winter daylight is fairly short. The trade-off, of course, is impossibly long, beautiful summer evenings.
Your weather questions are interesting because the weather has changed measurably since I was a kid, but the weather is pretty mild all year--you can be active outdoors all year. We have four distinct seasons now, rather than one long stretch of intermittent drizzle from October to June...there are a lot more cold, sunny winter days (which I happen to like), and recently the springs have been wetter and autumns stormier. It can be windy in the spring and fall. The winters will still be mild compared to what you’re used to in Denver. It rarely drops below about 30 degrees; this winter felt colder than average to me and there were maybe two weeks’ worth of days that dipped into the 20s at night between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. It snows plenty in the mountains and foothills but rarely down in the cities, but when it does, it really snarls traffic and transportation: it’s heavy and wet “marine snow,” and because the temperature often hovers around freezing if it’s also wet enough to snow, snow on the ground tends to go through a melt-and-freeze cycle that ices everything over.
Finally, summers here are great. They don’t usually start till around the 4th of July, but they’re reliably dry after that, the days are long, and they’re warm but rarely too hot and last into September. It doesn’t really start to feel like fall until early October.
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
03/21/2017 at 14:05, STARS: 7
I’ve lived here (30 minutes north of Seattle) all my life. Never plan on leaving.
Dreary: this winter sucks, but the last few years overall have been far from dreary. Summers are frequently over 90 degrees in recent years.
Car culture: if you like old Ram250s, you’re gonna love it.
Rust: better than about 46 states.
Winter: mild, and wet.
Wind: If you don’t like wind, don’t live too close to the water. If you make good money, I’d almost recommend a generator, depending on where you live.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- Traffic is fucking bad, from Olympia to Marysville. There’s no getting around it.
- drugs are a problem here, probably just a result of population density and decaying culture, but doesn’t sound worse than anywhere else from what I’ve read/seen
- camping is amazing and limitless. As is hiking and climbing
- The sunsets... THE SUNSETS!
S
U
N
S
E
T
S
"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
03/21/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 2
It is pronounced “pew al up”. I know. It’s weird.
The housing market here is nutso. Most people live outside of Seattle and Tacoma proper. As another stated, traffic here is a pain in the ass and only getting worse.
I don’t sail but there are TONS of places to go sailing. There are lakes everywhere here.
Not a lot of rusty vehicles here as we don’t salt roads and the car culture is nice. As long as the weather is decent there are gatherings most weekends. A few of us Oppo have gotten together for some C&C. Also Dr. Zoidberg is the living embodiment of a space crab.
"Jack Does Cars" (jackdoescars)
03/21/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 0
It barely snows. Well, it does snow, but the snow is light and it’s typically gone in a couple days because there’s always rain moving in. The summers are beautiful; 75-85 degrees, no humidity, and typically sunny. The people are nice if a bit reserved, but always there to help. Car culture is something else. There are three different, mint condition, Dodge Shadows on Bainbridge Island. People take meticulous care of their vehicles. Pierce County (Tacoma area) is much cheaper than King County (Seattle), but Kitsap County (Bremerton) is stupid cheap on SEA/TAC standards.
If I wasn’t 17, had money, and didn’t love where I currently live so much, I would move to the Seattle area in a heartbeat.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 14:09, STARS: 0
Sounding better and better!
I really want to be in or near the foothills and your description of their weather patterns are exactly what I was expecting :)
"RPM esq." (rpm3)
03/21/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 3
As for culture: lots of good food, music, art, local beer/wine/spirits, and things to do, but just like everywhere else the suburbs can be pretty soulless. The “Seattle chill” is real: people are comparitively reserved and not super outgoing, so it can take time to make friends, but overall the culture is pretty open-minded and intellectually curious. People aren’t actually unfriendly, just reserved, so you just kind of have to jump-start the social process by inviting people to things yourself or joining clubs or adult sports or whatever you like to do. Although this is all changing somewhat since there are so many transplants now—not a bad thing.
Car culture: a big mix. Most people drive practical crossovers or economical commuters, but there’s a lot of old-school Boeing types with American classics, new tech money with exotics, and younger enthusiasts into tuner cars and old German stuff. And a lot of the people who drive Priuses to save money on gas still show up at car shows. There are plenty of good shows over the summer, depending on what you’re into, but it gets pretty dead over the winter. For example, the main high-end “cars & coffee” type event in the Seattle area kicks off April 1 this year and will undoubtedly cancel a few weekends between then and July due to rain.
"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
03/21/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 1
My wife ran over a needle in her parking lot a work. It’s getting bad man. She works for a big bank in big corporate building. Needles and shit all over the place.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 0
Awesome
I’ve heard something about traffic being bad, is that true?
I keed, I keed . The nice part is I’m going to do my damnedest to work from home 100% of the time so, barring unforseen circumstances, I shouldn’t have to deal with that part on the regular at least
"fintail" (fintail)
03/21/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 2
I’ve lived in the PNW all my life. It is a great place.
Dreary damp winters, not much snow. Rust takes a long time to set in, but is not unknown . Damp and moss can do damage too.
Best summers in the world.
There can be windstorms in the winter, sometimes windy parts of the day in the summer when the marine air moves in, some areas with gaps are generally windy. Generally hilly landscape.
Insane traffic, Roads built for 2MM people, population = 4MM. Don’t be fooled by a 15 mile commute, it can easily average an hour or more, or might take 20 minutes.
Marginally-skilled passive aggressive drivers. I am to the point where I don’t want to ride a motorcycle on the street anymore.
Many pockets of money laundering-inflated housing prices. Cost of living is high in terms of housing and regressive taxes, utilities are cheap, no income tax.
Tacoma and Federal Way both have pockets of lovely housing, and semi-demilitarized zones.
Lots of transplants, some who love it, some who won’t shut up about how much better they had it “in Cali” (etc).
Diverse population, fairly strong economy.
Not the most social car culture compared to points south or east, but it exists.
"RPM esq." (rpm3)
03/21/2017 at 14:16, STARS: 1
I sail. There is no better place in the country to sail. Do you like calm lakes? There are tons, many of which have sailboat rental places. Do you like multi-day cruises through beautiful islands in the ocean? Yeah, we have that too, and again, you can rent (or buy, obviously) any size boat you like. Do you want a lake big enough to have whitecaps and tides? Yup, that too. Want to sail from one to the other? There’s a canal and locks.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 0
That’s what I’m on about
I’ve been powerboating all my life on lakes. I want to sail. Lakes, ocean (FUCK YEAH OCEAN I have dreams of crawling along the coast), whatever.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
03/21/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 0
Heh, i used to work at an auto repair shop on Bianbridge when I was a kid. You’d randomly see the weirdest/nicest stuff. One time I drove a customer to their house in their 1st gen neon, only to see a pristine Mazda 323 GTX sitting in their driveway. There were only like a thousand of those produced, lord knows how many survived to the mid 2000s. Another time a guy brought his 300SL gullwing coupe into the body shop because he’d backed into it with his split window corvette. Yikes!
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
03/21/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 2
It sounds like people here more or less have you covered. I’d echo their responses. Best summers in the world, rainy, dark winters (be prepared for it to get dark at 4:30)
There’s quite a bit of money around here so car culture skews a little towards the exotic, but I also went to a more “youth” oriented meet up a couple of weeks ago and there were probably like a thousand cars there, most of them slammed imports.
"Bryan doesn't drive a 1M" (bryantakespictures)
03/21/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 3
You can’t avoid the traffic. On weekends, if you try to go on a short trip and return home any time after noon on Sunday, you’ll hit it pretty badly.
I live in Kent, so if you have any questions about that area, let me know. It’s close to the airport, I-5, and options for the train or lightrail to get into Seattle if driving is no bueno.
Also, I can echo others’ statements about how great this area is. I moved here 8 years ago from New Mexico/Arizona and I love it. It would be very hard to move anywhere else.
"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
03/21/2017 at 16:07, STARS: 1
Well, I know I’m gonna get yelled at by some folks, but here we go... I’m gonna generalize and say pretty much all of the towns south of Seattle are sketch and I5 southbound is always a parking lot. That leaves you east and north as nice areas to settle down (some towns better than others). As always check out the school ratings to give you an idea where you may want to live.
Everybody drives a huge assed pick up truck or some sort of mall crawler, can’t see shit when you’re driving in a car (mind you, much of the time you’re rolling at 8 mph).
There’s a new $54 billion light rail program underway and depending where you live you’ll be paying hefty car tag fees, higher property taxes, and higher sales tax. Google ST3 for more info on this, and keep it in mind when house shopping (I got very lucky, I’m outside the zone by three blocks).
Housing is very difficult to find and prices are going up constantly, when you see a property that meets your needs don’t drag your feet, make the offer immediately. Houses around me are on the market for a day or less.
We have the Seahawks.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 1
The early dark I’m used to. Having the Rockies in the West means our winters get dark somewhere around 4:30-5:00
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 16:14, STARS: 2
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 16:18, STARS: 0
We’re looking east; I’d rather not get stuck in the city again. Out a ways is fine. Foothills? Yup. We may be leaving Denver but I still want snow.
We have one huge truck and a smaller truck being made huge. I think we’ll fit right in ;)
Light rail, good.
I’ve been looking on houses and in our area and price range, it seems they stick around a bit. But we’re not planning the move until 2018 so who knows what may change
And fuck the Seahawks, ORANGE and BLUE are coming with us in force
"garagemonkee" (monke)
03/21/2017 at 16:32, STARS: 0
If you’re leaving Colorado because it’s getting ridiculously expensive, then you’ll be very disappointed by Seattle. It’s worse here. Everything else is fine. Every gripe comes down to money, really. If you don’t have enough to afford close to work, you have to commute, which puts you in the traffic with everyone else who can’t afford to live close to work. When decided on a place to live, never drive THROUGH Seattle. Like, don’t live North of Seattle and work South of it, and vice-versa. Also, know that 25 miles away is going to mean an hour commute. That includes weekends. Traffic on weekends is as bad as it is during rush hour.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
03/21/2017 at 16:39, STARS: 1
For the record, i love it here. I liked Portland a little more (just a smaller city, slightly better weather) but Seattle is still a better place to live than easily 3/4 of the U.S. Probably more like 85 percent.
Honestly, the only places I’d consider living that i’ve been to are
1. Anywhere in the northwest
2. California (ugh. i guess. Lots to love lots to hate.)
3. Colorado (the only non-west coast place i’d consider. Cool culture, makes me feel healthy due to allergies or lack thereof.)
"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
03/21/2017 at 16:42, STARS: 2
Look at the Duvall and Carnation area if you want a little more land, Woodinville is very nice if you like to go wine tasting. You’ll change your tune on the Bronco’s and their horseface GM before too long
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 16:49, STARS: 0
Nope, leaving because we want to. I moved to Denver from NM to get away from the heat, that’s not happening any more. FWIW money is not a deciding factor here at all.
The office I’d be located at (if I’m cubicled) is in Federal Way. Likely, due to the nature of my position and whatnot I’ll likely be working from home.
"garagemonkee" (monke)
03/21/2017 at 17:03, STARS: 1
Then you should be just fine here, just know that on weekends, running around early is the best way to beat traffic.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
03/21/2017 at 18:31, STARS: 1
Other people have pretty much gotten the weather and people down accurately. So I’ll just throw in my two cents.
1) Avoid having to rely on the stretch of I-5 between JBLM and Tacoma. It’s absolute shit traffic and it can happen at anytime. You’ll be like “Hey, it’s three o’ clock. Traffic won’t be a problem!” Then BAM! it’s bumper to bumper and not moving. Also if you work normal hours I’d be weary about a commute from Puyallup too. That 512 & I-5 interchange gets INSANE in the afternoon. Haven’t seen it in the morning, but I’d imagine it’s the same.
2) Lot’s of old car’s up there. From what you’ll see everyday to scouring CL. People just hang on to older cars. Rust isn’t to bad since they don’t salt the roads either and it hardly snows around the coast.
3) Tacoma is a nice city to visit or live near. I don’t think I’d wanna live there necessarily, but it has a very nice downtown area with plenty of stuff to do. Down side BE CAREFUL IN CLUBS! Shit’s no joke. Dance with the wrong girl and 4 guys with guns will be waiting for you when you leave, seriously.
4) Also I’d look into living in Stelicoom (might be spelled wrong.) I’m not super familiar with housing costs, but I know Stelicoom isn’t crazy for the area and it’s a nice place to live. The only draw back is it isn’t the most convenient drive to Tacoma w/o taking I-5. And that stretch of I-5 is the same one I’m talking about between JBLM and Tacoma which is a cluster fuck.
5) Also excellent driving roads everywhere. Seriously as soon as you get out of town and off any highway they’re a blast! One of the things I miss most about the PNW.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/21/2017 at 19:52, STARS: 0
Doubtful. Broncos fo lyfe DAWG
"wafflesnfalafel" (wafflesnfalafel1)
03/21/2017 at 20:07, STARS: 0
I’m a native and ended up back here, (suburbs NE of Seattle.) I think it’s beautiful. Seattle/Tacoma traffic sucks. Realestate is damn expensive. The close in hiking is getting too crowded. But otherwise it’s God’s country.
"Jack Does Cars" (jackdoescars)
03/21/2017 at 21:20, STARS: 0
Oh that’s wild. I spend a lot of time in the area of Ferncliff and HS Road when in WA. I have seen a light blue split window Corvette on the island before. Where was the shop?
"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
03/21/2017 at 22:06, STARS: 0
The problem with Duvall and Carnation is that the morning commute is exceptionally brutal because there’s only two roads out that get you to Seattle or Bellevue. And then when it snows or flood, or God forbid a minor fender bender on NE 124th St, it’s CARMAGEDDON
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/22/2017 at 00:16, STARS: 0
I like how everyone says real estate is expensive. I’m finding 2800+ sq ft with garage and shop, on about an acre with Rainier views, for the low 400s. That’s 750k or higher here.
"Mid Engine" (jdlogan2006)
03/22/2017 at 02:28, STARS: 0
I lived in Lake Joy for a bit, it’s ~ 20 minutes to Redmond or Woodinville. You’re absolutely right about the flooding, but in normal winters it may happen a couple of times, for a day or so. The area has lots of reasonably priced acreage to build or expand on (assuming King County lets you).
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/22/2017 at 10:46, STARS: 1
Colorado is awesome. Sure we’re moving out but still the amount of things to do here is innumerable. The weather is great (though our summers are getting hotter - we had nearly a month of triple digits or thereabouts this year) and the people are great for the most part
Big reasons for the move center around my wife. Her health has been declining and the doctors suggest getting more air and being further away from the sun (she is actually allergic to that glowing orb).
"wafflesnfalafel" (wafflesnfalafel1)
03/22/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 0
Correct - farther south does get cheaper. Your ace in the hole could be being able to work in Tacoma. Spanaway, the “south hill” of Puyallup (“pew-allup”), and Bonney Lake are more traditional suburbia. Enumclaw, Buckley, Orting and Graham are more small town-ish. Going farther south but remaining on the I-5 corridor can be tough due to traffic, (we have the huge McChord/Ft. Lewis joint base down there.) Regarding the weather - January and February can be tough for some folks due to the dreary/grey weather. But the secret is that July 1 to October 1 can be spectacular. We really don’t get regular snow in the low lands - a bit every few years that shuts the whole area down for a day or two.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
03/22/2017 at 18:24, STARS: 1
Well, I hope the move goes smoothly and I definitely wish your wife well too, dealing with health stuff is really hard, I applaud you for taking such big steps for her wellbeing. I can pretty much guarantee she will get less sun here than pretty much anywhere else.