AmerLisa

Good luck if you can afford Redmond - we couldn't. We'd love to live there or Issaquah - but real estate prices are extremely exorbitant!

AdobePinon

For your sake I should clarify: I've never been to Portland, ME, and have no opinion on the place. I was just amused at Bob's post (and his curious omission of the word 'pants').

But between PDX and SEA, I go with PDX. You'll find both to be great places, but PDX is somewhat cheaper (especially for housing), with slightly better weather, easier to get in and out of (except crossing the Columbia at rush hour), and not quite as full of itself.

Giantaxe

No numbers for Portland, unfortunately, although presumably slightly lower. It would be interesting to see figures for major UK cities as well; I think some degree of rain falls on around 250 days a year in London, for example.

Giantaxe

Plus it's the home of Lewis & Clark College, alma mater of Monica Lewinsky. Funnily enough, they weren't bragging about that fact when one of my daughters went on a tour of the campus there.

Irn-bru

So true!! We can afford to rent in Redmond but not buy Redmond has the only panera bread in WA so will miss it when I move. It is a nice looking town with good facilities around it so is Issaquah (though downtown slighly rundown) though hope to afford outside Issaquah or surrounding area (fingers & toes crossed )

Irn-bru

The traffic is a nightmare in rushhour. the monorail is down and don't know when that will start working again (2 cars hit each other going in opposite direction in Nov). But traffic is quite good at weekends (long as no football games on) so if only travelling at weekends to do outdoor activities you should be OK. Also I take it you do have a good income to be able to afford rent in a decent place and area and have enough left over for fun! And the eastside (redmond etc) apparently the cost of living is 50% over the national average - so it's not cheaper than Seattle.

Desdemona

It's an old mining town dating back to the 1800's. Population of less than 20,000. The ol' country folk like living surrounded by their history perhaps? Not all of the US is all chrome and glass except recent constructions. But I'm sure the new housing developments will have what you are looking for (if you can afford it).

Irn-bru

I don't necessary want to live in a new home or like modern shining chrome developments, and actually seek out older places and homes to live in, the US, as I miss the history of UK. I like Issaquah for it's history but the garage at the bottom of the mainstreet with it's modern rusty overhang and a couple of other 'modern' circa 1970's spoil the rest of the history of the place and am fascinated why any local council would allow modern out of place signs and ones that aren't cared for in an otherwise idyllic place. I have been to plenty of old country historic places which are very well cared for and have lived in a older place in Virginia, so just because it's country does not mean that it has to have parts that are run down. And just because I observe that it is slightly rundown you can not read into that, everything that you did

Desdemona

I believe you But I don't think the city has that much control over privately owned property. Not in this state anyway. As long as it's not a total eye sore. Let's say the average joe in small town WA is a little rough around the edges, probably like the garage owner in question and leave it that? He's certainly not going to appreciate some official telling him what kind of sign he should put up outside his shop. His vote keeps those people in office
Now Santa Barbara, CA for instance has certain architectural codes in place which allow only certain types of buildings in their downtown area ie. Spanish hacienda types of buildings and even the local Micky Ds and banks etc. have that certain hispanic look.
I hope I haven't upset you with any of my comments. And I'm sorry if I did

Irn-bru

Thank you, but I obviously need another cup of java as I am getting over sensitive and ratty so sorry from me
I didn't know that council wouldn't have some control over the appearance of a modern building (at least their sign)in a listed historical town (take it it's listed). Some historic places in UK if you open a modern shop all outward signs has to "be in keeping' with the local history/feeling of the place. Maybe US could take lessons (once again ) from the british in how to do things! I just have a thing everywhere from those ugly garage/repair places - why do they have to have the fat, ugly overhang thing that you drivethrough? I am sure you can get a nice thin lighting contraption from somewhere. I do take your point about a struggling garage owner just trying to make ends meet, but if he could do it in a backroad without any overhang thing (what are they called!) jsut for me I'd appreciate it

Desdemona

Every thing is different state to state. Each state makes it's own laws basically. And everything is far removed from the UK or any other country in the world. This country is so damn huge people think the world begins and ends within our shores. But we don't do too badly or why else would you choose to live here eh? Just the bloody canucks to the north and those f ecking Mexicans to the south of us

boardy

Been to Santa Barbara a good few times and it is truly a lovely place but real estate prices are ludicrous. I was there this time last year and took a whale-watching tour and I think that most people were on the wrong side of the boat looking at the mansions on the coast rather than the whales.

And even though Redmond sounds 'nice', I don't know if it is worth paying 50% more for it.

Desdemona

Playground of the rich and the famous

julius smith

hi, boardy! here's my tuppence worth....
dont you go believeing all these scaremongers here who say seattle has the biggest suicide rate etc etc!
i have been and stayed in seattle more times than my mums cooked me hot dinners, and every time i am there, it's always a fantastic place to be.
as someone here says, its great for nightlife (sometimes the wrong type , but you can always have a whale of a time there.
and what about the rain? well, i ahve never seen it to be as bad as everyone goes around crying! ok, there IS rain in seattle, but look at the positive side--thats why it has the only rainforest in the whole of the northern hemisphere (olympia national forest).
and although the rain can be slow to clear, when it does, where else can you get magnificent sunrises and sunsets, with beautiful purple, red and pink clouds with turquoise skies? never seen better ones than i seattle!
portland i have also been to--yes--it's staid, proper and nice--much to nice and quiet for me!!

Irn-bru

Hadn't heard of the word canuck before And do love living in US, my friends in UK were fed up me going on about the US and told me to go and live there again if I loved it so much so I did
My written humour just sucks so ignore my previous post re US listening to british