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Thinking about relocating to the PNW...

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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
I'm graduating college in December and am thinking about moving west. I've lived in the southeast most of my life and don't know the west coast very well. Would Seattle be a good city to move to? I have a degree in biochemistry and apparently Seattle has a thriving biotech industry from what I've read. What part of Seattle should I move to if I go? I'm a 21 year old male that likes to party hard so I was thinking I should stay near a university perhaps.

Anyways, let me know what you think about living in Seattle, and any tips you might have on good (and inexpensive) neighborhoods.
Oct 6 2009 12:14AM
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Scott22~
Posts: 649 - Karma: 10
Seattle is a great place to live no doubt... but what is your idea of inexpensive?~
Oct 6 2009 12:24AM
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laughdamon
Posts: 1133 - Karma: 10
Have you ever been here?
Oct 6 2009 12:44AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
I've been to Seattle twice on Alaskan cruises but its hard to get a feel for a city when you've only been there for a total of about 5 days while on vacation. I could move anywhere in the country, but Seattle seems appealing to me, possibly because of the lack of other western cities that I've visited. I've also been to SLC and Jackson for skiing. I'd like to live in a bigger city than Jackson, and I'm not sure how Mormons would respond to my drunkenness.

Inexpensive is relative, but what I'm asking for I guess is an inexpensive area that is not a ghetto...lol

I dunno, Seattle seems like a good mix of career opportunities, social environment, and skiing. But I wouldn't really know because I don't live there, so I'm asking you all. =D

How is the social scene (specifically, attractive, available women) in Seattle compared to other cities? As a 21 year old singe male this is an important factor...
Oct 6 2009 1:05AM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
I can think of a few biochemists I know personally of the top of my head and they are all doing well oh except one got laid off....

Seattle is cool though, I don't really know what you're in to but there is mountain biking/hiking/camping/beautiful scenery/ dope beaches all over the city and surrounding ares. Great shows, alright transit system, not as good as Portland or frisco though.  There's plently of high quality marijuana and fine local microbrews. What are you in to dude??

Move to Cali?
Oct 6 2009 3:28AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
Well to sum it up I'm looking for a place I can have fun outdoors (skiing/kayaking/climbing), eventually find a descent job, have a social life. I guess you can do this about anywhere, I just need to narrow my options down so that I actually have a specific plan.

I've never been to California, but I know its huge and I have no idea what part of it I'd want to go to. I guess I just need to find a place to start and I'll learn where I'd want to move next.
Oct 6 2009 4:11AM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Seattle is a wonderful place to live as far as outdoors goes but the actual city is kind of lame. We have an alright night life scene that is getting consistently worse. The city is pretty ugly as far as down town and surrounding areas go.  We just got a train but it is no where near as good as Portland or San Francisco's trains. Also the people in Seattle tend to be kind of douchey, I guess cliquey is a better way to put it. Lot's of hipster snobs of all different varieties. 
Oct 6 2009 12:30PM
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aaron.ebner
Posts: 2868 - Karma: 61
i would say portland is a better option man, or up near b ham. i think you would find it way more chill in portland, and all the suburbs of seattle suck. there's a lot of high strung cock bags living near seattle. lots of stress on peoplel because of high costs of living and the dumping economy. if you need to live in a city, make it portland if you like the pnw, or if possible vancouver. the skiing would be better near either of those as well. if you want to live near seattle get as far from the city as possible, like north in b ham.
Oct 6 2009 3:27PM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Yeah that guy is right, whatever a cockbag is Seattle has far too many. Bellingham is dope, so is Portland both have similar characteristics as Seattle but are much smaller and and not as douchey.
Oct 6 2009 4:45PM
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enick
Posts: 2468 - Karma: 26

good luck meeting friends if u move to seattle and dont knoe ANYone... cuz people are dicks

Oct 6 2009 9:55PM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
Which has closer access to good terrain?

And are the people in Seattle in particular really that bad, or does it just stem from it being a bigger city? I think it may be a good idea to be close to the center of activity there until I get to know surrounding areas better and then branch out from there.

I'd probably have better luck landing a job in Seattle than Portland. San Francisco has tons of Biotech jobs but the cost of living there is even higher than Seattle and it looks like a drive to any good hills.

I may try to move to Vancouver BC eventually...


Oct 6 2009 10:37PM
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Scott22~
Posts: 649 - Karma: 10
Im surprised at everyone's thoughts at the attitude of the general seattlite. I havent had those kinds of bad experiences, but I dont get out much either haha. Anyways as far as skiing goes seattle is a great place to be. Its more of a drive (45-1:30) than in the rockies, but its damn good~
Oct 6 2009 10:44PM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Yeah I've always thought people in Seattle were kind of douchey but I've also talked to people from all over the world that say the same thing. Basically the general consensus is people stick to their circles and if they don't know you they are probably gonna be a pompous stuck up snob.  It has some to do with all the fucking hipsters but it's mostly just this snobby, arrogant, pretentious attitude, because we're sooooo forward thinking and soooo much more advanced than the rest of our country.  That alongside the fact that our city is still one of the most instituionally racist cities in the country and fucking starbucks just makes for a bunch of people gettin all hypocritical and shit with their heads up their own ass.

got some bomb weed though!!
Oct 7 2009 1:27AM
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IcePointa
Posts: 1879 - Karma: 19
This is interesting because as I've been researching Seattle, I'm hearing the same thing about people in Seattle being polite, but aloof, distant, and difficult to create friendships with. Someone has even coined a phrase, the "Seattle Freeze" that I've seen pop up over and over again.

Initially this sounds horrible because basically everyone I know will be 1500 miles away from me, and I'll be completely starting over socially.

But in a city as large as Seattle, it seems like if you can deal with being snubbed while trying to meet people, any outgoing people you actually get to know will be especially glad to have found another friendly, outgoing person. I've even read about women in Seattle complaining about rarely being approached by men while in Seattle, compared to when they were living elsewhere. So perhaps this isn't really a bad thing for me after all....
Oct 7 2009 2:13AM
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Scott22~
Posts: 649 - Karma: 10
Well you are welcome to stop by my house and say hi. 3/4 of us are NSers and 4/4 are skiers. You just have to promise not to tell the other people on NS who have threatened to kill me where I live. I really dont want them to bring dirt in the house dragging their tall tees around~

Point is as far as skiing buddies go, there are a lot of us~
Oct 7 2009 2:32AM
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rach
Posts: 917 - Karma: 507
its definitely beautiful out here, I love it more than anywhere.
ITSSSSS BITCHIN!!
but. seattle is pretty damn expensive usually.
and it gets more expensive by the day.
luckily, its a buyers market.
Oct 8 2009 6:11PM
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enick
Posts: 2468 - Karma: 26
seattle is actually an imaginary city
Oct 9 2009 11:39PM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Yeah you'll do fine

all you need to know......


Oct 10 2009 1:13AM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Haha I found this linked to on that mix a lot video but it's an interesting short doc about "the seattle freeze" which I've never heard stated like that until the OP mentioned it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roC_nsdyi1I
Oct 10 2009 1:17AM
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p-fo
Posts: 9372 - Karma: 6,155
ya definitely come out here man. its ill. oly is pretty chill but seattle is probably your best bet for that job. welcome nw brother!
Oct 10 2009 1:29AM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
Exactly. If you can't find a job, a girl, or good nightlife, you can come ski with the NSers, which is probably better than all of those other things combined anyway.
Oct 12 2009 2:42AM
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powderhound100
Posts: 2510 - Karma: 144
Just moved here to go to school (seattle u) and loving it so far. Havnt checked out the bar scene much because my fake probably is not good enough, but the city has been awesome. If you move somewhere around Seattle U I could bring you to the parties here and introduce you to some people. Not a big party school, U dub will have more but I have partied every friday and saturday night that I have been here (except for last night were I helped some family friends out.) I can walk downtown from here, buses will get me pretty much everywhere, and I am going to love not having to drive 3.5 + hours to go skiing (just came from San Francisco) And about Seattle people being stuck up, have not spent a lot of time downtown or anything, but everyone I have met has been cool. When I was visiting to look at the school I saw a cop that was a fucking jackass when I was getting a burger at dicks, but other then that fucker people have been cool.

Well yea hit me up if you have any questions.
Oct 12 2009 2:54AM
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Osek206
Posts: 492 - Karma: 6
Nightlife is trash, city is clean. The strict laws on nightlife make this city suck. The skiing is good and all but If you want to be social you have a few options and mainly Thursday-Saturday. I'm sure you could get a bio-tech gig here though. IMO it seems like people don't really care about being really social to new people around town. So its a toss up, which basically comes down to what do you want. Cali, New York, San Fran have crazy night life but no skiing, and higher cost of living. Seattle is below the middle of the three cities with less culture.
Oct 12 2009 5:13PM
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LivinOuttaBounZ
Posts: 949 - Karma: 382

I think the night life is top notch! The music scene here is unlike any where else. And the BioChem industry is great. Merk and Rosetta Ind. are two of the best medical research companies to work for and they are located here primarily. And they're huge!

But if you suck then please stay where you are because I don't want traffic getting worse because some asshole decided he wanted to track out my pow. 

Cheers!

Oct 14 2009 12:36AM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Shows here suck, we get good bands but the crowds are terrible. Tons of hipsters and dumb suburban hos  No one dances either every just does the awkward hipster bob/march and is wayyyy too self aware to have a GOOD TIME.

Some shows are dope but that is my experience at most, it depends what you are into obviously.
Oct 14 2009 12:49AM
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Leafman
Posts: 2178 - Karma: 251
move here, its legit, and theres hippies everywhere, and its snowing at stevens right now
Oct 14 2009 1:13AM
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