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5 Reasons To Move To Seattle

Written by Posted On Friday, 31 January 2020 15:31
Welcome to Seattle! Welcome to Seattle!

Looking for a vibrant city that is a combination of a great location, a booming hi-tech economy and has a great quality life? Well, have you ever considered moving to Seattle? Located in stunning Pacific Northwest on the shores of the Puget Sound and wedged between sea, lakes and mountain ranges.

Seattle’s location on the Puget Sound and Lake Washington makes it one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. For the outdoorsy, there’s no shortage of outdoor activities to do after a long week in the office. There's the open-air farmers’ market to explore and get your mitts on fresh farm produce and seafood. Then there's the beach, the mountains, and rural landscape and alpine meadows to explore. There are festivals too when you can let your adventurous flag fly. 

And yes, although Seattle is known as the Emerald City and can be a little “damp”, Seattle actually has one of the best summers of anywhere in the US! So, here are the top 5 good reasons why you should consider relocating to Seattle.

 

1. The beautiful Puget Sound setting.

Situated along the shores of the Puget Sound, with the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east, Seattle is truly spoiled for great views in all directions including the mighty Mt. Rainier which makes an appearance when the clouds clear.
You can watch spectacular sunsets to the west behind the Olympic Mountains over the water, you can boat on Lake Washington or walk on a beach and admire the surroundings.
As you’d expect, Seattle has lots of big evergreen trees being part of the Evergreen State. The rain days disappear in summer and all the grass goes brown. Plus, in winter you can jump in your car and goes skiing within an hour of downtown.

 

2. Great neighborhoods.

Seattle is made of lots of different neighborhoods, each one with its own personality and vibe. You can definitely find a neighborhood to match your personal lifestyle.

Magnolia, for example, situated on a peninsula, with a breath-taking view of the Puget Sound, has a slower pace of life neighborhood that will treat you to the Discovery Park where you can explore the hiking trails, the lush evergreen forests, the beaches, and the tide pools.

If you are the type who loves big party crowds and evening outings, then the Pioneer Square is the place for you. Pioneer Square is the oldest neighborhood in Seattle. It is adorned with galleries where you can spend your evening marveling at art and talent, then join your buddies for coffee at the impressive restaurants. Similarly, Capitol Hill is an active and vibrant neighborhood.
The Ballard neighborhood, located northwest of downtown is another great neighborhood that is proud of and celebrates its Scandinavian heritage. It used to be a sleepy neighborhood but now is one of the most sought after areas in the city for home buyers and is packed with great cafés, bars, restaurants and one of the best open-air farmers market on Sundays. Not to be missed. There’s also Fremont on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It’s the self-proclaimed Center of The Universe and hosts the annual Solstice Parade featuring, amount other things, the infamous naked cyclists.

 

3. The booming hi-tech economy.

The Seattle economy is booming and is fast becoming one of the top hi-tech cities in the country. Seattle is home to mammoth Amazon which has transformed the city over the past 10 years, particularly along South Lake Union. This had attracted all the other major players including Google, Facebook, Apple and many more. Seattle is also home to Expedia, Tableau and across Lake Washington, there’s another mammoth company headquartered; Microsoft!

The city is also home to the famous Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and research centers such as Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Centre, and Allen Institute for Brain Research. Biotech companies are also growing in numbers including local darling, Seattle Genetics.

 

4. The bars, restaurants and cafe scene.

Seattle is blessed with a great restaurant, cafe and bar scene. Seattle is home to Starbucks, and there are 35 other coffee shop locations per 100k residents. These include Caffe Vista, Zeitgeist, and Espresso Vivace. You definitely won’t go un-caffeinated in this city!

The food scene is also fantastic, get coffee, waffles, bacon, and eggs on those frigid days. The local's favorite burger place is Dick's Drive-in, their Deluxe burger with two patties, and delicious tartar sauce is to die for. Seafood is good too; you can visit the Bar Melusine, Dahlia Lounge, Elliot's Oyster House, Mashiko, and more seafood joints for a taste of classically prepared manila clams, salmon, marinated catfish, etc.

There are lots of festivals like the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Northwest Folklore Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Hemp Fest in summer. And yes, pot is legal in Washington State. Should just change the name to Pot Fest!

 

5. Proximity to magnificent outdoor spaces.

The mountain ranges and deep blue lakes offer a lot of options to fans of the outdoors. Dodge the city by going for a hike or biking in the pine-dotted hills. Of course, Mount Rainier Park is the most majestic park near Seattle. At 14,410ft above sea level, this is the most glaciated peak in the entire United States. You can hike to the top but you’re going to have to train hard and learn some mountaineering skills. Or you can have just as much fun by hiking around the base of the mountain.

For coastal activities, there’s a fishing trip starting at Westport, WA. You can watch the wales, rollerblade along the beach, kayak or ride a ferry. You can catch music festivals during the summer, there’s the Tulip Festival in spring and then snowboarding and skiing during winter months.

For sports, there's the Seattle Seahawks football team, the Seattle Mariners baseball team (the only team never to make the World Series), the Seattle Sounders (MLS) and of course, WNBA's Seattle Storm. Sporting in Seattle is done big and loud. The fans are enthusiastic, especially when it comes to football and soccer.
In retrospect, Seattle is both a big and small city. The high-tech industry is booming and driving the local economy, bringing lots of new people to the area and stealing some from the Bay Area. And though it’s high-tech, it’s not as expensive as living in San Francisco. However, Seattle still maintains the laid-back feel of a small city with all the benefits (and yes, some headaches) of living in a booming and evolving city.


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Conor MacEvilly

Seattle Realtor working with both home buyers and sellers and an occasional blogger. 

https://www.myseattlehomesearch.com/

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