Yeah,sometimes the responses I make are offline, so I’m here, even if the comments aren’t on the HFH site!

Sometimes when considering a move, we ask ourselves, “Why this city? Why Seattle?” And I ask, “Why NOT Seattle?” Seattle is its own culture. It doesn’t try to be San Francisco, though we have our own tech culture here. It doesn’t try to be LA or NYC, though the foodie and fashion culture here are alive and growing. Seattle has a lot of young energy without it being overly hipster conscious. It is far more accepting of people from many walks of life. You walk down a DT street, and you are just as likely to see someone with brightly dyed hair and ripped jeans on a long skateboard as you are to see a techie professional walking right alongside a family who are clearly tourists. Statistically, one of them will be Asian. So in terms of “good for a 27 year old single female from North Carolina”, if you like diversity, if you want to meet a wide variety of people, if you are in that 25 – 35 year old age range, Seattle may be a great place to live and work.

Expense: yes, living in DT is going to be pricier than the suburbs. A cute studio with kitchenette near Pike Place Market is going to be closer to $1600/mo plus utilities and parking, but your apartment may have some amenities that make the smaller space comfortable, such as a shared large patio for BBQ’s and meeting others, a fitness room, covered and secure parking, ease of access to a farmer’s market, etc.

To save money, you could consider living closer to the Light Link Rail and south of SODO (South of the Dome), and take the light rail into work if your work is DT. If your work provides a monthly bus pass, it’s a really great option that will save you time and money, and you may be able to get a bigger space. Communities like Columbia City are growing rapidly, with the demographic fitting your description, with lots of people available for dating and meetups (and they won’t judge you that you live outside the city limits).

Another option is to look at neighborhoods just outside the traditional Seattle neighborhood lines, such as Columbia City and SODO, and pick housing near the Light Link Rail for convenience. The rents are cheaper, and you are likely to find pet-friendly housing, plus these are up-and-coming neighborhoods with a lot of charm, coolio eating and drinking spots, and community-based fitness groups and meetups that make it easier for singles and newbies to the area fit right in.

The Seattle Metro area is filled with hills. When the weather has been wet and then temps dip below freezing, they do tend to become icy, so that part of the story is true; it does get icy easily. But Seattle doesn’t shut roads and schools with a little snow. What it does do is give you weather advisories to assist people in making the best choices for their morning and evening commutes, and schools post their closures that morning starting at 5:00am if the roads will cause a danger to those trying to drop of children. Makes sense, right? The one year there was a significant snafu involved the then-mayor saying they would not put sand or salt on the roads right after a snowstorm hit. There was a major traffic problem with significant delays and road closures. I personally use Rapid Ride and the Light Link Rail to get around Seattle and the Eastside, and their bus services have been very good, even in inclement weather.

College graduate start off city: I don’t have comparatives with other cities. But the cost of living, if you pick the right neighborhood, is affordable. You won’t find a cup of coffee with toast to be $7. Job internships may help you get into position to be hired as a contracted worker or FTE quickly. We also have a number of large companies hiring, but it depends on what field you’re looking for. In terms of age group cohort, you would be in good company.