Ike-110722
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2007
- Messages
- 408
Re: Retire in Seattle Washington?
I'm with Scaaty: I was born and raised here. Joined the Coast Guard and was moved away. Been to all 50 states and five or six countries. Lived in Maine, NY, MD, VA, spent a lot of time in FL, UTAH (ugh), CA, MI, and a few other places. Alaska was cold but not as cold as Montana (spent a winter there) Hawaii was beautfiul, but way too many tourists. Lived in VA for 20 years working in DC. When I retired in 2004 they asked me what I was going to do, I said retire to Washington State. My wife (from NYC) concurs. She loves this place. Yes it rains, but that's what keeps it green, the lakes full, and Sound clean There are some pollution problems but not anywhere nears as bad as other places in this country. People here are hugely aware of the environment because they are constantly out enjoying it. When it's raining it is not cold. Generally around 50 in the winter. Cold by FL standards but warm by almost everybody else's. Snow? Lots of it in the mountains, almost none at low levels. Springs and falls are cool but beautiful. As said the summers are beautiful and generally 70's to 80's with a day or three reaching 90. Ask the weather channel. They said a couple of weeks ago that Washington was having the best summer weather in the country.
Like to go boating, you can't lose here, Salt? Fresh? got both. Rivers, lakes, and even Ocean if that's your flavor. Fish? every kind of fish. I do most of my boating on American Lake just South of Tacoma, There are rainbow, salmon, bass, perch, bluegill, crappie and a few others. Some lakes have catfish (although they don't call them catfish here but that's what they are). Like big fish, the saltwater has them.
Yes waterfront property is expensive, very expensive. Number one seller for homes? A view of either the water or the mountains. Find a place with no view and it will be a lot less.
Taxes? No income tax. Sales tax. The state has a basic sales tax but cities and towns can add a additional sales tax to that. Seattle's is the highest. Real estate is taxed. Boats and RV's too. Like cultural stuff, entertainment, diversity, good food, universities, theaters, libraries, Seattle has it all. A lot of music is made here and films too. But it also has one of the worst traffic problems in the country bar none, and some serious problems with the Police department.
Like other climates? 30 miles east are mountains, the Cascades, that range from 7000 feet to 14000. They can get up to 30 feet of snow in the winter. Go a little farther and Eastern Washington is desert climate. Over there everything has to be irrigated otherwise the only thing that grows is the sagebrush. Think it rains a lot in Seattle? On the Olympic Peninsula (mostly a National Park) they get 150 inches in the rain forest. Makes Seattle's 32 inches seem dry. A little town named Sequim (pronounced squim) is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and gets less than 18 inches and has it's own species of cactus.
However, I would caution you, don't stay here too long if you plan to visit, because you will find a lot of excuses to never leave.
I'm with Scaaty: I was born and raised here. Joined the Coast Guard and was moved away. Been to all 50 states and five or six countries. Lived in Maine, NY, MD, VA, spent a lot of time in FL, UTAH (ugh), CA, MI, and a few other places. Alaska was cold but not as cold as Montana (spent a winter there) Hawaii was beautfiul, but way too many tourists. Lived in VA for 20 years working in DC. When I retired in 2004 they asked me what I was going to do, I said retire to Washington State. My wife (from NYC) concurs. She loves this place. Yes it rains, but that's what keeps it green, the lakes full, and Sound clean There are some pollution problems but not anywhere nears as bad as other places in this country. People here are hugely aware of the environment because they are constantly out enjoying it. When it's raining it is not cold. Generally around 50 in the winter. Cold by FL standards but warm by almost everybody else's. Snow? Lots of it in the mountains, almost none at low levels. Springs and falls are cool but beautiful. As said the summers are beautiful and generally 70's to 80's with a day or three reaching 90. Ask the weather channel. They said a couple of weeks ago that Washington was having the best summer weather in the country.
Like to go boating, you can't lose here, Salt? Fresh? got both. Rivers, lakes, and even Ocean if that's your flavor. Fish? every kind of fish. I do most of my boating on American Lake just South of Tacoma, There are rainbow, salmon, bass, perch, bluegill, crappie and a few others. Some lakes have catfish (although they don't call them catfish here but that's what they are). Like big fish, the saltwater has them.
Yes waterfront property is expensive, very expensive. Number one seller for homes? A view of either the water or the mountains. Find a place with no view and it will be a lot less.
Taxes? No income tax. Sales tax. The state has a basic sales tax but cities and towns can add a additional sales tax to that. Seattle's is the highest. Real estate is taxed. Boats and RV's too. Like cultural stuff, entertainment, diversity, good food, universities, theaters, libraries, Seattle has it all. A lot of music is made here and films too. But it also has one of the worst traffic problems in the country bar none, and some serious problems with the Police department.
Like other climates? 30 miles east are mountains, the Cascades, that range from 7000 feet to 14000. They can get up to 30 feet of snow in the winter. Go a little farther and Eastern Washington is desert climate. Over there everything has to be irrigated otherwise the only thing that grows is the sagebrush. Think it rains a lot in Seattle? On the Olympic Peninsula (mostly a National Park) they get 150 inches in the rain forest. Makes Seattle's 32 inches seem dry. A little town named Sequim (pronounced squim) is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and gets less than 18 inches and has it's own species of cactus.
However, I would caution you, don't stay here too long if you plan to visit, because you will find a lot of excuses to never leave.
