Last month, I was featured in an NPR article exploring America’s growing phenomenon of “ideological sorting.” “In a country that’s growing ever-more polarized, the shifting demographics cut in both directions—and it is happening across the country,” they wrote. “In one study from 2022, researchers concluded that ‘at no point since the Civil War have partisans […]
Important context on US interstate trans migration: it’s not ‘ideological sorting’, it’s survival.
Yeah… for what it’s worth, the Eastside is slightly less unaffordable. Seattle affordability is generally comparable to the SF Bay Area, so it’s hard for a normal person to find a living situation where they can have any disposable income. Most of my old Seattle friends from the late 70s are living elsewhere now: Everett, Renton, Port Townsend, or even further afield.
in winter I don’t see any homeless anywhere
There are encampments. Homelessness is still a major problem in Seattle, as it is in many parts of the US.
I never found the winters that brutal, but I had previous experience of places like Chicago, where it can really get lethal. I now live in England, and where I am, in winter it’s like a brighter, less dismal version of Seattle. That should tell you something. People accustomed to California or southwestern US weather will often experience seasonal affective disorder after moving to the PNW. Winter days are short, and there can be extended periods where you don’t see the sun. It definitely got to me the first winter. Going out running year-round helped, but you’ll need to get used to being wet.
Some of my friends who are still there are gay, lesbian or trans. They seem to be doing fine, except for the same financial constraints everyone else faces. Outside of Seattle and the Eastside, the locals can be more phobic, especially in eastern or southwestern WA, but still not bad by US standards.
I agree that going there without a plan is risky. Look before you leap. But also keep in mind that desirable places to live all seem to end up with high cost of living. There are few (and short-lived) exceptions within the US. The same is true globally, though sometimes with a slower market reaction rate. If you can move there and it’s affordable and nice, someone else has already thought of doing that and has driven the price up for the next person.
Yeah… for what it’s worth, the Eastside is slightly less unaffordable. Seattle affordability is generally comparable to the SF Bay Area, so it’s hard for a normal person to find a living situation where they can have any disposable income. Most of my old Seattle friends from the late 70s are living elsewhere now: Everett, Renton, Port Townsend, or even further afield.
There are encampments. Homelessness is still a major problem in Seattle, as it is in many parts of the US.
I never found the winters that brutal, but I had previous experience of places like Chicago, where it can really get lethal. I now live in England, and where I am, in winter it’s like a brighter, less dismal version of Seattle. That should tell you something. People accustomed to California or southwestern US weather will often experience seasonal affective disorder after moving to the PNW. Winter days are short, and there can be extended periods where you don’t see the sun. It definitely got to me the first winter. Going out running year-round helped, but you’ll need to get used to being wet.
Some of my friends who are still there are gay, lesbian or trans. They seem to be doing fine, except for the same financial constraints everyone else faces. Outside of Seattle and the Eastside, the locals can be more phobic, especially in eastern or southwestern WA, but still not bad by US standards.
I agree that going there without a plan is risky. Look before you leap. But also keep in mind that desirable places to live all seem to end up with high cost of living. There are few (and short-lived) exceptions within the US. The same is true globally, though sometimes with a slower market reaction rate. If you can move there and it’s affordable and nice, someone else has already thought of doing that and has driven the price up for the next person.