Top reasons to move to Seattle:

1. You want a big city with a small town feel
   • Compared to other metro cities (NYC, SF, Chicago), Seattle is a major city where you can get from one end to the other in 30-45 mins (without traffic). It’s relatively easy to get around with a subway (light rail), street cars & a robust, timely bus system.
   • It’s pretty easy & relatively convenient to live close to work, with Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing being situated in areas with living, dining & entertainment options (Bellevue, downtown Seattle & south Seattle). So you don’t have to have a terrible commute (45+ mins) unless your job is just not paying enough (<$40k).
2. You’re currently in an expensive major metro area and want a more affordable situation
   • Seattle rent is less than San Francisco’s (currently highest in the nation at median $3k+ for a 1bd)
   • Less than Manhattan’s (similar pricing to the above)
   • A 1bd in downtown Seattle runs from about $1,700 – $2,000, depending on the square footage. And if you’re willing to go up north/south/east, have roommates or live in older buildings, you may even be able to go as low as $1,100 – $1,400.
3. You want to work in tech, health and/or travel
   • Some of the largest & most influential tech companies have offices here or are based here, the most notable being:
     • Amazon HQ
     • Microsoft HQ
     • Boeing
     • Expedia
     • Starbucks
     • Costco
     • Facebook
     • Google
     • Zillow
     • RedFin
     • …and more! There are a lot of great job opportunities here & a good ecosystem of startups to work at as well.
4. You love the outdoors; outdoors being anything to do with:
   • hiking
   • snow sports (skiing, snowboarding etc)
   • water sports
   • bouldering/rock climbing
   • fishing & boating activities
5. You love cool, moderate weather AND don’t mind some precipitation
   • It’s never too hot in the summers like it gets in NYC (think 95 degrees with real feel of 105 due to humidity). Seattle summers stay a calm 70-80 degrees with possibly a few bursts of 80s-90s.
   • But also never too cold as it gets in Boston/Chicago (think -30 in January/Feb for Chicago or 5 feet of snow for Boston). Seattle winters stay a moderate 30-50 degrees for the most part. Snow historically isn’t super common, but recently (thanks to global warming) there have been more snowstorms in Seattle.
   • The only caveat is that Seattle is a very wet climate meaning lots of rain throughout the year & long bouts of cloudy weather in the winters. This tends to be a deal breaker for most people, but it’s also not too different from cold, cloudy winters in Philadelphia or NYC. So it’s mostly a matter of perception.

Thinking about moving to Seattle? Here are some useful links:

• https://www.thestranger.com/
• SEATTLEITE | Seattle Lifestyle Resource
• https://www.spaceneedle.com/webcam/