Seattle is beautiful; I was raised north of the city and went to college at the UW. However, it's much too expensive to live in Seattle and the traffic is absolutely horrendous to get to downtown, even from an hour away, where I grew up! If you don't live downtown, you'll have a long drive getting there due to traffic, then just try and find a place to park! It's not worth it. Beautiful to look at, but that's all. Air pollution, too. If you're rich, you could live in a nice area near downtown. Otherwise, look elsewhere is my advice. Unfortunately, no good transportation system (like Chicago or NY) has ever been set up in Seattle, and now it's too expensive to do. I moved away 8 years ago and have never once regretted it! Who wants to spend all their time in cars trying to get around in Seattle?
Cathy | Post Falls, ID | Report Abuse

Seattle is a wonderful city full of fun things to do and new things to experience. People who complain about it don't get out and do all the amazing things seattle has to offer. The rain is easy to get used to and summers in Seattle are absolutely gorgeous. My brother is moving to downtown Seattle from Kirkland and he has found some very nice, very affordable places. My brother is not "rich". If you take some time to look, you will find a great place that you can afford....I did, and I just graduated from college with no money! The traffic is no worse than any other city. I've lived in Las Vegas, Vancouver, L.A., and Atlanta and the traffic in Seattle is actually MUCH less than these other cities. It can be hard to find parking downtown but it can definitely be done if you know where you're going, and it's never hard to find a place within walking distance of where you want to be.
mirra | Las Vegas, NV | Report Abuse

You can find this post on my profile - I love Seattle and I live within walking distance to downtown: "Why Washington Will Woo You" Ileft paradise (read: Hawaii) and moved to Washington state with my immediate family when I was 12. To this day my parents wonder if they did the right thing because our entire extended family still lives in Hawaii and living island-style creates familial relationships with people we Seattlelites would regard as acquaintances simply because you can't escape people on the island. I find myself constantly reminding them that there is no better place to live in the States than Washington. Thanks to major companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and Nordstrom, the economy in Seattle and surrounding cities continues to bustle, even in tough times. Even today, while we are entering a recession and housing markets suffer throughout the nation - in Washington, days on the market may be longer, but residentials and condos are still selling on an average of 60-80 days and we are only seeing significant price reductions in new construction homes. I went on a road trip a few years ago to pick up a classic car that I had always dreamed of owning. I bought it off of ebay from a man in Arizona and planned a trip from Arizona to Las Vegas to California and back home to Washington in the month of August. After 10 days of unbearable heat driving through Arizona (where I visited my brother there who had foil covering his windows to keep the heat at bay!), Las Vegas (where my car almost overheated going from the Venetian to the Luxor), California (where you can't separate clouds from smog) - it was truly an awe-inspiring sight when we finally re-entered Washington State. The streets are wide, there is green as far as the eye can see, the air is crisp and fresh, the sky is pure blue... I fell in love all over again with my hometown. The weather in Washington is mild compared to other cities, but you get just enough of it to fully enjoy every season. I live in Seattle, which I like to view as a small-town city. It is small enough to walk the entire length of the city on a lazy weekend day, but busy enough to keep you entertained the entire time. It's not a ghost town like Portland, or a frenzied heart attack like Manhattan. It's that perfect in-between. If you frequent any one place enough, you will be known by your first name. I absolutely love Washington! If anyone is interested in moving to our beautiful green state and has any questions about it - I am also a licensed real estate consultant and can help you with questions on relocation or any questions you may have about a certain city in our area. Renee Fentress Realtor John L. Scott, Lakeside Office www.johnlscott.com/reneefentress
Renee | Seattle, WA | Report Abuse