For me, moving to Seattle from Southern California (San Diego via Orange county) in the fall of 1994 was a wild idea since I did not know a soul...but I had my reasons!
#10 - The affordability of buying a house in Seattle...relative! Of course my first day of looking for a place to live (as a renter, not buyer) I spent driving around Seattle, I saw so many expensive looking homes and neighborhoods that I wondered how so many people could afford Seattle real estate!
#9 - Seattle reminds me of what I like best about San Diego but on a more extravagant scale. Both have lots of hills, many water views, miles of coastline, and are close to mountains. Of course Seattle is greener and has a lot more trees!
#8 - Mount Rainier! That fabulous, snow-capped volcano...just takes your breath away when you see it. So all the Mountains....Mt Baker, Mt St. Helens, the Cascades, the Olympics and Majestic Mount Rainier!
#7 - Art! There is a very vibrant art community in Seattle and someday...I will take up painting again.
#6 - Getting away on the Ferries! Jump on board for a refreshing ride...
#5 - Orcas swimming in the Sound, it's an amazing thought for a girl who grew up with San Diego's SeaWorld to be able to see Orcas swimming in the wild!
#4 - Spotting a Bald Eagle soaring in the Seattle sky above me while driving...WoW! It will always give me a jolt of excitement!
#3 - The mild marine weather...we can enjoy indoor activities without the guilt wasting a sunny day! A relaxing hour or two for me is curling up with a good book, and we are renowned for our great bookstores here in Seattle!
#2 - The weather, again, it bears repeating! I became so tired of what I call "relentless sunshine" when I lived in Southern California. Of course now in February I become a little tired of our famous Seattle "relentless drizzle" and begin craving some sun in So. Cal. or Tucson where I was born! The cooler marine weather we have in Seattle, is nearly perfect, my favorite temperature range is 68 to 70 degrees!
And...drum roll please...my #1 reason is.......Coffee, you just can't fully enjoy a cup of coffee when it's 80 plus degrees and bright sunshine!
haha - that's a pretty good #1 reason
perfect post for activerain - makes me wonder if AR is Seattle based ... hmm...
Steven - Yes...you're so very right about that! Of course, as you well know it's not as wet here as many people think! LOL!
Hi - I am glad that you liked Seattle when you visited. We certainly do have a lot of Douglas firs, especially is some areas, so I suppose that could be monotonous!
Abraham - Well since you are based in Central California....it could seem biased! LOL : ) Remember I did say "relative"!
I agree with everything about Seatle and I would add the place is also a very warm place in terms of the people there. My wife and I enjoy Seattle very much.
Is Seattle still going through that issue with the cost of living being more expensive than the standard wage? I remember reading about that a couple of years ago and never really stayed up with it.
Nonetheless, Seattle is really a great place (well... minus all the construction and traffic). Haven't been there in a while, but I do enjoy it every time I go back.
Hi Josh, Wages and cost of living are similar to many other large metropolatain areas, Seattle's is lower than many and higher than others. Lots of high paying jobs in technology, aerospace, medicine, etc. and lots of lower paying service industry positions, and many, many midrange jobs as well.
Yes the traffic is bad, but many relocating from California know what bad really is! : )
Haha... Those are some pretty good reasons. If you love coffee your in the right place. I live in Bellingham...But there is coffee everywhere!!
Hi Andy, mmmmmmmm....coffee! I am enjoying a lovely Sunday morning cup of coffee right now! Bellingham is a great place for coffee too!