Moving to Seattle

[shon7]

I'll be moving to Seattle within the next month. Need help/advice with the following:

- Which is a good phone service (wireless) for the area
- Any good airports to fly out of (Cessna/Pipers) near Seattle
- Any suggestions on living accomodations (preferably near KSEA)
- Any other tips/suggestions

 

[bestpilot]

Seattle's Best....Good Kharma, Duuude

 

[Okaythen]

1) Verizon is probably best
2) There are several but BFI is the largest and most central with RNT being a close second I would say. BFI rental rates are probably higher, but I don't know for sure.
3) South of Seattle (closer to the airports) is not considered the nicest area, but there are exceptions. I would check out West Seattle and maybe Renton.
4) Cost of living is high, unless you're moving from CA and then maybe it will seem reasonable.

 

[Hansoma]

Umm... you're not going to be commuting to LAS or PHX are you?

 

[HAL]

Umm... you're not going to be commuting to LAS or PHX are you?

NO! NO! Not my precious jumpseat!!

1) All the major wireless companies work well in the Seattle metro area. I guess it all depends on what other bennies you're looking for.

2) BFI is good, but expensive. RNT is quieter and lower cost. If you're south of town Auburn or Pierce County (in Puyallup) are good options. North is Paine Field, if you don't mind occupying the pattern with a 747 or 777 now and then.

3) No matter where you are, bring lots of $$$. It's getting expensive around here. Hansoma jumped over the Cascades because of that! Apartments are probably cheaper very close to Sea-Tac, but you'll have to put up with all that noise.

4) Be relaxed. There's no easier way to identify a newbie in the Puget Sound area than someone with an attitude. MBA, Stoner, Preppie, Yuppie, or Hippie, it doesn't matter. Just don't get too stressed about anything. Enjoy our little slice of heaven!

HAL

 

[E-handle]

Bring a picture of the SUN, so you can remember what it looks like!

 

[321 busdriver]

Having grown up in SEA and having been on the east coast for the better part of 20 years, all I can say is you're going to love it. Laid back city, tons to do, great place to raise a family if you're into that. Like the AWA guy said, don't come with attitude, don't drop so much as a butt on the sidewalk downtown ( so clean you can eat off them and as likely as not someone will bust on you), cross the sidewalk on a red light and you're likely to get a ticket (no one is in a big rush here). Grab a Pantagonia jacket and head out. Good luck.

 

[Fox2]

shone 7:

321 busdriver hasn't experienced the changes to Seattle in the last ten or so years. 15-20 years ago, I would agrree with 321 busdriver. I now call this place "West New york." The streets are in fact some of the dirtiest of any major city in the U.S. The people are generally quite rude, and as HAL said it is very expensive, especially for what you get here. ($300k for a 2br/ 1.5ba postage stamp). If you want more house or yard, you have to put up with some of the worse traffic in the U.S., mostly because the greenies here won't build roads or mass transit.

Much of the neuvo riche have moved from the Bay Area to Seattle and have driven the prices of homes through the overhead. They have far left leaning attitudes that are reflected in the insane politics of the area. It is also the most anti-male state in the Union when it comes to divorce, child custody, etc.
Ask some of your divorced pilot bretheren.

Finally, the school system here is mediocre at best. Plan on spending some serious cash for a private school if you want your kids to learn more than it's o.k. to have two mommies.

Just my two cents, but I've lived here long enough to see the continued Californication of Seattle.

 

[321 busdriver]

I'm there once a week. I couldn't disagree more. If you really feel that way, why stay? I've lived in a number of large metropoliton areas, and overnighted in most of the rest and without question, Seattle is one of, if not the nicest big city in the country.

 

[Spooky 1]

Seattle

shone 7:

321 busdriver hasn't experienced the changes to Seattle in the last ten or so years. 15-20 years ago, I would agrree with 321 busdriver. I now call this place "West New york." The streets are in fact some of the dirtiest of any major city in the U.S. The people are generally quite rude, and as HAL said it is very expensive, especially for what you get here. ($300k for a 2br/ 1.5ba postage stamp). If you want more house or yard, you have to put up with some of the worse traffic in the U.S., mostly because the greenies here won't build roads or mass transit.

Much of the neuvo riche have moved from the Bay Area to Seattle and have driven the prices of homes through the overhead. They have far left leaning attitudes that are reflected in the insane politics of the area. It is also the most anti-male state in the Union when it comes to divorce, child custody, etc.
Ask some of your divorced pilot bretheren.

Finally, the school system here is mediocre at best. Plan on spending some serious cash for a private school if you want your kids to learn more than it's o.k. to have two mommies.

Just my two cents, but I've lived here long enough to see the continued Californication of Seattle.

The Bus Driver must be staying somewhere else besides the Seattle that I live in. The place is a pig pen with homeless, druggies, every sort of tattooed freak and low life on the streets at any any one time. This problem is not about alternative life styles, but rather poor goverment and a social order that is really out of control. I live within ten blocks of downtown on the northside, which is a lot better than the ten blocks on the south side of town where getting knifed, or robbed is a nightly event. Don't go there if you can avaoid it.

I am not sure what happened to this city, but I feel sorry for the folks like Bus Driver who obviously have fond memories of the past. There are movements to clean up the city and build new afordable housing and develope areas for light industry/research, but these are frequently stimied by various special interests while the rest of the decay slowly creeps further out.

Yes I am working on leaving the area, but my kob requires a certain response time and this is where I have settled in for the moment at least. There was a time early in my career that Seattle was on the very tip top of my list of places to live. Somehow when I got here, things had changed dramtically, or I just got a little less understanding in my old age. The geographical features are truly breathtaking, but even things like Lake Union look pretty much like a boating slum when you look hard at the details. Probably a candidate for an EPA Superfund, if there ever was one.

 

[psysicx]

Stay away from Tacoma.

 

[FlyWithSean]

Congratulations on your 909th useless post psysicx!

I am suprised you didn't ask about pay and quality of life.

 

[Flywithmike]

Psysicx, I was wondering what the pay and quality of life in Tacoma is.

 

[LAZYB]

It is also the most anti-male state in the Union when it comes to divorce, child custody, etc.
Ask some of your divorced pilot bretheren.

Californication of Seattle.

I lived in the Seattle "area" for 28 years, and I miss it. Haven't been back as much lately. Keep hearing about the traffic, but since I "live" in SoCal it goes in one ear and...

My brother still "lives" in the area and is going through this 4-5 year child custody, support sh1t. Goes to court at least 2-3 times a year, it seems. Seems like that WA has never heard of, or doesn't care about, vexatious litigation.

 

[psysicx]

At least people talk to me on this board.I have no friends besides flightinfo. Now I'm waiting for Diesel or English to post. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Otterjock]

Stay away from Tacoma.

Hey I live in Tacoma, which is a lot better than Seattle. This week the Tall Ships Festival comes to Tacoma, bypassing that liberal bastion known as Seattle. Remember who's statue is located in Seattle's Fremont district.

For flying rentals, Pierce County Airport (Thun Field) and Tacoma Narrows Airport (Gig Harbor) are cheaper than BFI.

OJ

 

[English]

At least people talk to me on this board.I have no friends besides flightinfo. Now I'm waiting for Diesel or English to post. Thanks for the kind words.

Hi psysicx...you rang?

 

[LAXSaabdude]

Hey I live in Tacoma, which is a lot better than Seattle. This week the Tall Ships Festival comes to Tacoma

Tacoma is great, actually. What you see from I-5 is not the greatest, but once you get into downtown, it is actually pretty nice. Get a little north and west of downtown (Ruston Way, Old Town, Point Defiance Park), and it's absolutely gorgeous.

LAXSaabdude.

 

[shon7]

Thanks for all your replies. Am looking forward to the move and experiences that will come with it. Will post some of these (experiences) once I'm settled in.

 

[SneakyJake]

Don't knock T-town.