PRO’s and CON’s of living in the Seattle area?

[Rogerson785]

Calling all Washington state kilties.

I am considering applying for the Port of Seattle Police and since I have to go there for the testing process for Boise Idaho Police I figured it would not hurt to inquire with them and see if I may like the area.

www.Publicsafetytesting.com

What are some of the PRO’s and CON’s of living in the Seattle area, and don’t hold anything back I can take it I am in the Army.

Chris

[Streetcar]

Well...
I'll found that one man's "Pro" is another man's "Con."
I grew up in small town Nebraska, so with that background, these are some of the things that stood out for me.

Geographically, the area is green all year round. The temperature rarely gets past the mid 80's in the summer, but also rarely below the 30's in the winter. There are hiking / mountain biking opportunities galore.
There is The Rain, but in truth the average precipitation comes in a mist-like form, rather than the traditional downpour found in the mid-west.
The sun tends to disappear behind the clouds around October, and starts coming back around April.

There is an abundance of fine restaurants and some outstanding microbreweries. There are a fair number of theatrical opportunities as well, including some of the finest Improvisational Comedy in the country (Jet City Improv) *cough cough*

Politically, Seattle is very liberal. Many Seattleites are very political and not afraid to voice their viewpoints on any given issue - sometimes ad nauseum.

There is relatively little crime (compared to, say, Chicago or L.A.) but it does exist. The local papers (in my opinion) are pretty slanted in their reporting, and seem to delight in finding (and even inventing) scandals with local law enforcement. This has led to the completely false perception that the police here are corrupt. Port of Seattle doesn't hit the papers that often. Seattle P.D. and the King County Sheriff's Office tend to catch the brunt of it.

With all that in mind, I've been here for nearly 15 years and I love it. Though I don't know I want to retire in Seattle, I love this portion of the country.

I'll post more as it occurs to me.


By the way, when are you coming out to test?

[CDNSushi]

Pro: Seattle is the home of the Utilikilt... And since you're posting on this forum, it stands to reason that a kilt-friendly (at the very least a kilt-aware) area is one consideration.

Con: Lotsa rain.

[sathor]

Oh, and that big volcano on the skyline, yeah, those things make me nervous.

[Rex_Tremende]

Having only visited the area on a recon mission for the purpose of considering a major life change, the outcome would have been decidedly different had I not met someone quite nearly in the opposite corner of the country around the same time. So, I'm getting the life change, just not a change in career and scenery. I would have moved there in a heartbeat, but the heart had a mind of its own.

I'm sure this isn't all that useful to you as I have no real pros and cons to offer, but an impression that *I* would have enjoyed living there very much. But enjoy my travelogue if you like.

Regards,
Rex.

[BroosterB1]

Having grown up in Seattle to the age of 12 here is my list of pros and cons:

Pro Con
Very Green Rain
Lots of Water Rain
U of W Rain
The Underground Rain
Fresh Seafood Rain
Pike Street Market Rain
Hydroplane races Two weeks of glorious sunshine
Lots of really smart folks Rain
The Cascades Rain
The inter Island ferry Rain
Black berries, Raspberry
Salmon, and Huckleberry Rain
Steamed clams Rain
Really cool moss everywhere Rain
Lots of neat tap rooms Rain
Rainer Beer Rain

I truly love Seattle, that's why I live in the desert. Appreciation from afar.

[pdcorlis]

Pro = When the sun shines it is THE most spectacularly beautiful city n America.

Con = The sun doesn't shine all that often.

[BEEDEE]

Both my kids live there and LOVE it! I have found that it it a great place to visit, especially if you like the outdoors.

Brian

[vmac3205]

Gosh, and no one has mentions on eof the highest costs of living in the nation, so I won't either.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

In line with many other "liberal" cities (San Francisco, Berkley, etc.) Seattle isn't exactly "cop friendly". By all means apply for the position, but check out the community "attitude" with local LEOs, and see if you can get yourself a ride along. Since you are still in the Army you might also check with the MPs in the area and get their take on the Seattle PD.

If it were me I'd consider Spokane and Boise better bets. You might also want to check out the local tax/state income tax regimes in Washington before making a final decision.

Either way, "Good Luck".