Moving from Alabama to Washington: help with details!
January 15, 2016 8:58 AM Subscribe
I recently accepted a job with a company (no, not THAT company) based in Redmond, Washington. I'm excited! That being said, I've not lived anywhere outside of Alabama in my entire life. Please help me prepare for this move!
Me: 29, single, no pets. Moving from Birmingham, AL to Redmond, WA during the second half of February. Haven't really left the state much during the last 25 years, so it's a new adventure, but I'm very VERY anxious about the entire process.
1) Where should I be looking to live? My estimated take-home is right at 4k // mo, but the housing prices I'm seeing in the area are scary (seriously, 1500 for a studio?). Should I be trying to live near work, or is commuting pretty much a default? I'd like to live somewhere with really good internet service, but that appears to mean Seattle proper: anywhere else with gigabit or similar in the region?
2) I'm planning on just packing my Fit with whatever I can and road-tripping my way there. My current route is taking me through Houston, TX and Irvine, CA to see friends: I've got two weeks to get out there, so is there anything else I should be looking to see on the way?
3) On that note, is there anything special I need to do // get done to prepare my car for the frozen North?
Any other tips? Anything else I didn't think about? This is a big great unknown!
Me: 29, single, no pets. Moving from Birmingham, AL to Redmond, WA during the second half of February. Haven't really left the state much during the last 25 years, so it's a new adventure, but I'm very VERY anxious about the entire process.
1) Where should I be looking to live? My estimated take-home is right at 4k // mo, but the housing prices I'm seeing in the area are scary (seriously, 1500 for a studio?). Should I be trying to live near work, or is commuting pretty much a default? I'd like to live somewhere with really good internet service, but that appears to mean Seattle proper: anywhere else with gigabit or similar in the region?
2) I'm planning on just packing my Fit with whatever I can and road-tripping my way there. My current route is taking me through Houston, TX and Irvine, CA to see friends: I've got two weeks to get out there, so is there anything else I should be looking to see on the way?
3) On that note, is there anything special I need to do // get done to prepare my car for the frozen North?
Any other tips? Anything else I didn't think about? This is a big great unknown!
Seattle is super fun to live in, but commuting from Seattle to Redmond everyday would make me very unhappy. I'm not sure what you look for in a neighborhood, but you could checkout the following suburbs just north and east of Seattle
Mountlake Terrace
Bothell
Central and older parts of Bellevue are not bad
Kirkland
Why not try for a short term sublet and check some neighborhoods out.
It rarely snows in Western Washington down in the cities. That stuff generally stays up in the mountains. Temps in the Winter are in the high 30s to low 40s, with lots of drizzle and rain and gray. That said if you want to get into the mountains, you'll want to have chains handy, and it can get icy at night or on extra cold days.
If you got time take the Pacific Coast Highway up from California to the Washington Peninsula, then east to Seattle. It won't add that much time to your trip and is super scenic.
posted by brookeb at 9:33 AM on January 15, 2016
Mountlake Terrace
Bothell
Central and older parts of Bellevue are not bad
Kirkland
Why not try for a short term sublet and check some neighborhoods out.
It rarely snows in Western Washington down in the cities. That stuff generally stays up in the mountains. Temps in the Winter are in the high 30s to low 40s, with lots of drizzle and rain and gray. That said if you want to get into the mountains, you'll want to have chains handy, and it can get icy at night or on extra cold days.
If you got time take the Pacific Coast Highway up from California to the Washington Peninsula, then east to Seattle. It won't add that much time to your trip and is super scenic.
posted by brookeb at 9:33 AM on January 15, 2016
Yeah, we're not so much the "frozen north" as the "gray/drizzly" north.
Gore-tex (and its kin) seems to have been invented for here.
Yes, rents are *very* high - you may want to look into sharing a place. Does your new employer have any employee boards that advertise this kind of thing? Are they willing to help with your relocation? It can't hurt to ask.
The above advice for suburbs is a good idea - and I echo the sentiment of not wanting to commute from Seattle "proper" to Redmond daily. Also consider if there is transit/shuttles to you workplace - I don't know if your employer runs shuttles but some (cough Google, Microsoft cough) do.
Take a look at the DOT cameras on any weekday during our rush hour and you'll see what I mean.
Best of luck, and welcome to the Pacific Northwets!
posted by dbmcd at 10:19 AM on January 15, 2016
Gore-tex (and its kin) seems to have been invented for here.
Yes, rents are *very* high - you may want to look into sharing a place. Does your new employer have any employee boards that advertise this kind of thing? Are they willing to help with your relocation? It can't hurt to ask.
The above advice for suburbs is a good idea - and I echo the sentiment of not wanting to commute from Seattle "proper" to Redmond daily. Also consider if there is transit/shuttles to you workplace - I don't know if your employer runs shuttles but some (cough Google, Microsoft cough) do.
Take a look at the DOT cameras on any weekday during our rush hour and you'll see what I mean.
Best of luck, and welcome to the Pacific Northwets!
posted by dbmcd at 10:19 AM on January 15, 2016
I've got two weeks to get out there, so is there anything else I should be looking to see on the way?
If you have time, take 101 through Northern California. Stop at the redwood parks in the daytime.
posted by yohko at 11:00 AM on January 15, 2016
If you have time, take 101 through Northern California. Stop at the redwood parks in the daytime.
posted by yohko at 11:00 AM on January 15, 2016
It's not really that cold here... as dbmcd said, it's more rainy than snowy. If you want lower rent, rent from a private landlord. Nthing stay out of Seattle proper if you can. It's a fun place to live, but only if you actually work there. The commute is pretty awful to and from Seattle to anywhere else.
Seconding taking the 101 through the redwoods if you have the time. It's a trip you'll remember for a long time. Also, if you take the Southern route through Texas, you might just be passing by the Grand Canyon in Arizona, stop by the Skywalk if it's open. That's another sight you'll not soon forget and it only adds a few hours to your trip.
posted by patheral at 12:20 PM on January 15, 2016
Seconding taking the 101 through the redwoods if you have the time. It's a trip you'll remember for a long time. Also, if you take the Southern route through Texas, you might just be passing by the Grand Canyon in Arizona, stop by the Skywalk if it's open. That's another sight you'll not soon forget and it only adds a few hours to your trip.
posted by patheral at 12:20 PM on January 15, 2016
Like circular said, REALLY check out your car. Tell your mechanic what you’re doing and stress that you don’t want to break down anywhere. Fix anything that’s even questionable. You may not want to spend the money, but if something breaks on the trip you will be in the position of having to pay whatever it costs, wherever you are, plus towing, extra nights in hotel, etc. Get AAA.
posted by bongo_x at 12:48 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bongo_x at 12:48 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
I live in Seattle proper and can't get gigabit service, since the only one offering it is Wave G (or, as far as I know they're the only ones, CenturyLink claims to have rolled out that service but doesn't actually seem to offer actual gigabit speeds). They used to be called CondoInternet because they only serve buildings, so I can't get it in my little four unit building but they serve the Eastside (which is what those of us in the area call Redmond/Kirkland/Bellevue) pretty extensively and that would be a good place to base a housing search on.
$1500 for a studio is starting to be the norm in certain parts of Seattle, but as someone who has been looking for cheaper options, if you aren't totally set on blazing fast internet from WazeG you can get a much better deal not renting from a big apartment complex. Their prices are out of control, though some people think it's worth it for the perks (which are basically all the same at every single big building: rooftop deck, fancy kitchen you can rent, package acceptance, etc). I'd avoid a long commute at all costs and factor the savings in time and gas into how much you pay in rent, because seriously, I work from home and rarely drive anywhere and I still bitch constantly about Seattle traffic because it's terrible and only getting worse.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:06 PM on January 15, 2016
$1500 for a studio is starting to be the norm in certain parts of Seattle, but as someone who has been looking for cheaper options, if you aren't totally set on blazing fast internet from WazeG you can get a much better deal not renting from a big apartment complex. Their prices are out of control, though some people think it's worth it for the perks (which are basically all the same at every single big building: rooftop deck, fancy kitchen you can rent, package acceptance, etc). I'd avoid a long commute at all costs and factor the savings in time and gas into how much you pay in rent, because seriously, I work from home and rarely drive anywhere and I still bitch constantly about Seattle traffic because it's terrible and only getting worse.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 1:06 PM on January 15, 2016
Ok, I'm from Alabama and I've lived in Seattle. Don't panic about the frozen north, Seattle is really no worse than the worst Huntsville weather days, there are just more of them. Granted, Huntsville is a bit more snow than Birmingham, but still. Seattle is not Minneapolis.
Birmingham is a wide span, hard to know from that what you might expect. Whether you want to live in Seattle proper or near work, or someplace in-between kind of depends on the lifestyle you want. So think about how you want to live, and remember that your job is only one part of that equation.
- For context, what part of Birmingham do you live in, and what do you like about it? What would you miss most if your new neighborhood didn't have it?
- How do you want/expect to spend your time - at home? out on the town? at work 60 hrs/week? avidly following a particular hobby in a particular location?
- If you had your choice of spending 30 minutes each morning/evening driving your car or 45 minutes on a bus reading a book (and your phone), which would you choose? Would that be a different answer if it was 1hr vs 1.5 hrs?
- If you're at home and there's no food in the fridge, would you rather order in pizza, or drive 5-10 minutes to a shopping-mall area where there are chain restaurants you're familiar with, or walk 10 minutes into a neighborhood-downtown are where there are restaurants you may slowly get to know?
posted by aimedwander at 3:02 PM on January 15, 2016
Birmingham is a wide span, hard to know from that what you might expect. Whether you want to live in Seattle proper or near work, or someplace in-between kind of depends on the lifestyle you want. So think about how you want to live, and remember that your job is only one part of that equation.
- For context, what part of Birmingham do you live in, and what do you like about it? What would you miss most if your new neighborhood didn't have it?
- How do you want/expect to spend your time - at home? out on the town? at work 60 hrs/week? avidly following a particular hobby in a particular location?
- If you had your choice of spending 30 minutes each morning/evening driving your car or 45 minutes on a bus reading a book (and your phone), which would you choose? Would that be a different answer if it was 1hr vs 1.5 hrs?
- If you're at home and there's no food in the fridge, would you rather order in pizza, or drive 5-10 minutes to a shopping-mall area where there are chain restaurants you're familiar with, or walk 10 minutes into a neighborhood-downtown are where there are restaurants you may slowly get to know?
posted by aimedwander at 3:02 PM on January 15, 2016
I'll address #3. My understanding is that Alabama gets a little tiny bit of snow and ice every winter- that's about the same amount you can expect in the Northwest. I can't speak specifically to Redmond, but in Seattle/Portland people who don't want to drive in that snow or ice generally take mass transit on those few days. Winter is really almost all rain. And having experienced the rains of Alabama for the first time last summer, I can say you will have no problem driving in the rain out here- it's less intense, more drizzly. The one thing you might find strange is that rain out here is always cold, and rarely short-lived!
I would honestly be more concerned about preparing for any mountain passes or high elevation areas you might be passing through on your route. For example, the Grand Canyon could be a good thing to see on your route- but that area might be snowy in February?
cortex and I drove from Huntsville, AL to Portland, OR last year, swinging through New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico, seeing the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Great Salt Lake in Utah- it was a beautiful drive, enjoy it!
posted by Secretariat at 3:07 PM on January 15, 2016
I would honestly be more concerned about preparing for any mountain passes or high elevation areas you might be passing through on your route. For example, the Grand Canyon could be a good thing to see on your route- but that area might be snowy in February?
cortex and I drove from Huntsville, AL to Portland, OR last year, swinging through New Orleans, Texas, New Mexico, seeing the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Great Salt Lake in Utah- it was a beautiful drive, enjoy it!
posted by Secretariat at 3:07 PM on January 15, 2016
I've known several people move here and be completely thrown by the winter lack of light. (Seasonal Affective Disorder, formally.) Go out doors even when its raining, and try light treatment if everything is mysteriously exhausting and wrong ( really bright light fixture - say $200 of LED s - thirty minutes every morning.)
posted by clew at 4:05 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by clew at 4:05 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks all for the responses so far!
@aimedwander:
- Currently live in Vestavia Hills. I like the fact that I have a grocery store and a few decent options for food nearby... and that's it :| (I live here because I'm living with a friend, and I'm also literally 5min away from my grandmother's house, which is very nice.)
-Mostly going to be spending time either at home or at various hobby gaming shops around town, anticipating a standard work week without much long grind. I will be going around trying various bars and restaurants in the area.
-30min drive, 1.5h... that's harder to answer. Probably drive, depending on how the public transit goes (anxiety yay...) though it would be nice to bus it up and spend that time not driving.
- (drive 5-10min > pizza > walk 10min), but that also depends on the restaurant... order could easily be flipped if I find a place//places I really like.
posted by isauteikisa at 5:19 PM on January 15, 2016
@aimedwander:
- Currently live in Vestavia Hills. I like the fact that I have a grocery store and a few decent options for food nearby... and that's it :| (I live here because I'm living with a friend, and I'm also literally 5min away from my grandmother's house, which is very nice.)
-Mostly going to be spending time either at home or at various hobby gaming shops around town, anticipating a standard work week without much long grind. I will be going around trying various bars and restaurants in the area.
-30min drive, 1.5h... that's harder to answer. Probably drive, depending on how the public transit goes (anxiety yay...) though it would be nice to bus it up and spend that time not driving.
- (drive 5-10min > pizza > walk 10min), but that also depends on the restaurant... order could easily be flipped if I find a place//places I really like.
posted by isauteikisa at 5:19 PM on January 15, 2016
Summer doesn't really start til late June or even July. I live in Portland so I can't speak to Redmond specifically, but the biggest weather transition for me after many years in North Carolina was missing a slowly warming spring. Summer can be perfection, but sometimes it's overcast and gray through May and into June.
Be prepared for LOTS of annoying stereotypes about the South. People might actually say something like, "Wow, I bet you're glad to live somewhere without racism now!"
posted by bluedaisy at 9:06 PM on January 15, 2016
Be prepared for LOTS of annoying stereotypes about the South. People might actually say something like, "Wow, I bet you're glad to live somewhere without racism now!"
posted by bluedaisy at 9:06 PM on January 15, 2016
First, congratulations! The Pacific Northwest is AWESOME. The move is scary to you now, but this is a fantastic place.
Nthing what everyone else has said about the weather--it's rainy but not cold. If you're coming from California, you'll have to cross a mountain pass coming into Oregon, but after that it should be smooth (gray, wet) sailing.
Commuting will be mandatory. It's highly unlikely that your office will be close to abundant, affordable housing--Redmond, despite having a downtown, is really dispersed. Accordingly, you'll definitely want to live on the East Side. The only sane way to commute from Seattle to the East Side is if your employer provides a shuttle like Microsoft AND you absolutely want to live in the city. Otherwise, don't do it. A rush hour commute, non-HOV, from Redmond to Seattle is typically an hour in heavy traffic on the 520 bridge, and often more, AND you have the luxury of paying about $7 round trip on 520. If you're not a city person, don't bother. And, you can always decide after a year or two living on the East Side that you do want to move, but don't start with that hell.
N.B. I live in Seattle and work on the East Side and it's worth it for me--there are far more and better restaurants and bars in the city, I can walk to almost anything I want, and it's far more PNW liberal here: the East Side can feel really bougie. The commute is slowly eating my soul, but I can't imagine living in the 'burbs. If you don't feel like that, don't live in Seattle.
More notes:
- My impression is that rents are on average lower on the East Side.
- Consider Redmond itself, which has a decent small downtown with restaurants, bars, groceries, etc in walking distance.
- Also Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, and Issaquah, and maybe Sammamish; all will have reasonable commutes.
- If you're Google Mapping potential commute times, make sure you use "avoid highways". It's almost always better to avoid 520, I90, and 405 if you can. Especially 405. Ugh.
- The whole East Side is really built up, so even if you don't live IN TOWN in one of these places, you'll still have amenities within a short drive of nearly anywhere you do live.
- It's highly unlikely you'll find gigabit in most places, even Seattle.
- Gore-Tex jacket is pretty crucial. Most days in the winter, that and a sweater is all you need.
- The other comments above all have good advice. Go MeFi.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:30 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Nthing what everyone else has said about the weather--it's rainy but not cold. If you're coming from California, you'll have to cross a mountain pass coming into Oregon, but after that it should be smooth (gray, wet) sailing.
Commuting will be mandatory. It's highly unlikely that your office will be close to abundant, affordable housing--Redmond, despite having a downtown, is really dispersed. Accordingly, you'll definitely want to live on the East Side. The only sane way to commute from Seattle to the East Side is if your employer provides a shuttle like Microsoft AND you absolutely want to live in the city. Otherwise, don't do it. A rush hour commute, non-HOV, from Redmond to Seattle is typically an hour in heavy traffic on the 520 bridge, and often more, AND you have the luxury of paying about $7 round trip on 520. If you're not a city person, don't bother. And, you can always decide after a year or two living on the East Side that you do want to move, but don't start with that hell.
N.B. I live in Seattle and work on the East Side and it's worth it for me--there are far more and better restaurants and bars in the city, I can walk to almost anything I want, and it's far more PNW liberal here: the East Side can feel really bougie. The commute is slowly eating my soul, but I can't imagine living in the 'burbs. If you don't feel like that, don't live in Seattle.
More notes:
- My impression is that rents are on average lower on the East Side.
- Consider Redmond itself, which has a decent small downtown with restaurants, bars, groceries, etc in walking distance.
- Also Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, and Issaquah, and maybe Sammamish; all will have reasonable commutes.
- If you're Google Mapping potential commute times, make sure you use "avoid highways". It's almost always better to avoid 520, I90, and 405 if you can. Especially 405. Ugh.
- The whole East Side is really built up, so even if you don't live IN TOWN in one of these places, you'll still have amenities within a short drive of nearly anywhere you do live.
- It's highly unlikely you'll find gigabit in most places, even Seattle.
- Gore-Tex jacket is pretty crucial. Most days in the winter, that and a sweater is all you need.
- The other comments above all have good advice. Go MeFi.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 10:30 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
Congratulations on your new job! I'm from the east side area (Issaquah) and have family in Redmond. Yes the prices are crazy aren't they? (Welcome to Microsoft land)
Anyway, the roads aren't ever really that bad in my opinion. You can get over virtually any mountain pass in the Pacific Northwest with all-wheel-drive. If you're in a time crunch you can always ship your car and your household goods domestically. (Alabama to Washington is a trek) In my opinion, time is money and once you get to Redmond you're going to find yourself spending a lot of it on cost of living.
A final recommendation - once you start getting familiar with the upper east side areas (i.e. where is the grocery store, the laundromat, etc.) I would venture out to Seattle for real fun and exposure. That being said, the reverse commute is always an option. Comparing prices of housing - Redmond vs. Seattle - you might actually find something slightly cheaper in the city (even factoring in the gas to get you there.)
Also stay tuned on news of Seattle's infamous Light Rail transit plan - who knows - it might finally get done someday and ease the traffic east and west...
posted by evcourtexaminer at 2:03 PM on January 19, 2016
Anyway, the roads aren't ever really that bad in my opinion. You can get over virtually any mountain pass in the Pacific Northwest with all-wheel-drive. If you're in a time crunch you can always ship your car and your household goods domestically. (Alabama to Washington is a trek) In my opinion, time is money and once you get to Redmond you're going to find yourself spending a lot of it on cost of living.
A final recommendation - once you start getting familiar with the upper east side areas (i.e. where is the grocery store, the laundromat, etc.) I would venture out to Seattle for real fun and exposure. That being said, the reverse commute is always an option. Comparing prices of housing - Redmond vs. Seattle - you might actually find something slightly cheaper in the city (even factoring in the gas to get you there.)
Also stay tuned on news of Seattle's infamous Light Rail transit plan - who knows - it might finally get done someday and ease the traffic east and west...
posted by evcourtexaminer at 2:03 PM on January 19, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
Ha. I'd get your car checked out and tell the mechanic you'll be moving to a colder area. Make sure the battery is included in the checkup.
If it's convenient for you to get a snow brush for dusting off the snow, might as well do that now. Check Youtube for tips on quickly deicing your car windows, especially if your car might not be in a garage. Some people spray on denatured alcohol; others use CD jewel cases or the ice-scraper thing on their snow brush (our scraper is awful so my wife uses a jewel case or we warm up the car prior to leaving).
Also make sure your tires are checked out and watch Youtube for tips on driving in icy conditions and look at the PSA video on NOAA's youtube channel regarding driving in flooded conditions. Example of what can happen on ice.
Keep a cold-weather emergency kit in your car, too. Hand warmers, extra coat, blanket, water in water bottles, extra umbrella, warm hat, gloves.
In my experience you won't necessarily need all of that but when you do, it is really nice to have. My dad got stuck on a floating bridge in the middle of a winter storm and you know, there are no bathrooms there. People were freaking out.
When you get there, probably don't use the frozen north expression too much. :-) The real frozen north is much further north. When summer comes along it'll be great. Good luck!
posted by circular at 9:11 AM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]