It was September 2019 when my husband and I, together with friends from Ottawa visited Seattle and absolutely loved it. We did notice a number of homeless in a park nearby to where we were staying, it was fenced off so they could take their dogs in there which I thought was a good idea. But we didn’t have any issues with them in fact they were very polite. Living in a city is of course totally different to visiting, and I could probably say the same thing about where we live, which was once a quiet community, but since expanding considerably it has become noisy and untidy mainly due to renters who have no pride in keeping the outside of their residences neat and tidy, but don’t dare wear shoe inside. Thoroughly enjoyed the read and your feelings about finding your forever home.
Beautifully written. My heart breaks a little more whenever I think about how much I loved Seattle. You're right though. It changed, and not for the better. On a side note, I didn't realize you guys were in St. Louis. I'm in Macomb, IL. We're practically neighbors. <3 Say hi to Anthony for me, please. (Angel McCoy)
Oh, Lisa! Those halcyon days of Seattle! As a life-long Western Washingtonian, I have always felt the pull of "the big city." I grew up in a small logging town on the coast, married and moved to a small logging town in the Cascade foothills, eventually on to a small suburb on the Eastside (of Lake Washington.) I've never lived IN Seattle, but loved being on the periphery. As a child, I remember car or airplane trips with my mother and grandmother - dressed to the nines - to shop and lunch at Frederick and Nelson, or go to the opening night of the movie My Fair Lady at the Cinerama. Have loved access to concerts, sports venues, amazing restaurants, incredible medical facilities and tech jobs. All just a bus or car ride away. But the tentacles of urban sprawl - traffic, ever-more-dense housing (but ever-increasing numbers of "unhoused" people,) cost of living, drugs, crime, incredibly poor planning and politicking - made our retirement decision easy.
So here we are now, just outside yet another small logging town. Cost of living and traffic are within reason, although all the other aforementioned things are here, too. Just not in such daunting numbers. Close enough to a smaller city that we have decent medical access. Jobs would be a problem, if we were looking for them here. Sports and culture are limited, but we don't mind most of the time. The air is amazing - and clearly, evergreens are in my soul!
Major issues with our current location: the hour and a half drive to SeaTac airport, including the traffic to get there, fills us with dread and definitely limits our desire for travel. Some medical issues need specialists only found in the Seattle area. Distance from family keeps us from seeing them as often as we'd like. A casual trip to a granddaughter's soccer game has become an all-day excursion. Christmas and birthday logistics use all my (rusty) project management skills. I miss the proximity of it all. But still wouldn't go back.
I highly recommend a rural-ish lifestyle - which you've embraced already! - and my only caveat for your later years would be to suss out carefully how much driving you want to do and how close good medical care will be. Those years are upon us. And we may have to make a new plan in the not-too-distant future.
Love ur essay. Sadly, any city that enables us addicts in active addiction is doomed to failure. I’ve watched it time and again. Non-addicts making policy for us makes no sense. “Harm reduction” is not reducing anything. I’m grateful I suffered grave consequences in order to wake up and get sober 1/4 century ago. Because the things they do now (especially in cities) just keep us sick. That being said I’ve been an Indiana hillbilly for 44 years, sober 25. And I’ve lived in a lot of places in between like LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Miami, and there’s nothing like midwestern Indiana for me! I’m glad u have found ur home!
I had the pleasure to visit Seattle in 1982 on a business trip. I surely loved several days there sightseeing. The Army transplanted me to Central Texas where retiring, and Iultimately landing in Waco where I met my beautiful wife of nearly 20years. We’re raising a 17yo grandson, and Waco has been absolutely perfect. Couldn’t ask for better place to live, conveniently located in the Heart of Texas. I grew up in Milwaukee, and my wife in Lubbock, but where we are is Perfect!
Hubs & I left the Seattle burbs about 12 years ago after raising our two kids. No regrets. Now I breath the fresh mountain air everyday. The biggest traffic jam is a herd of elk. And I’m only 1-1.5 hrs away from civilization should I need a good hospital. Too bad Seattle can’t round up all the mentally ill and addicted street people and move them for rehabilitation to the unused penitentiary just sitting there unused on the peninsula. I can’t remember the name. But it would be a viable option.
It was September 2019 when my husband and I, together with friends from Ottawa visited Seattle and absolutely loved it. We did notice a number of homeless in a park nearby to where we were staying, it was fenced off so they could take their dogs in there which I thought was a good idea. But we didn’t have any issues with them in fact they were very polite. Living in a city is of course totally different to visiting, and I could probably say the same thing about where we live, which was once a quiet community, but since expanding considerably it has become noisy and untidy mainly due to renters who have no pride in keeping the outside of their residences neat and tidy, but don’t dare wear shoe inside. Thoroughly enjoyed the read and your feelings about finding your forever home.
Beautifully written. My heart breaks a little more whenever I think about how much I loved Seattle. You're right though. It changed, and not for the better. On a side note, I didn't realize you guys were in St. Louis. I'm in Macomb, IL. We're practically neighbors. <3 Say hi to Anthony for me, please. (Angel McCoy)
Oh, Lisa! Those halcyon days of Seattle! As a life-long Western Washingtonian, I have always felt the pull of "the big city." I grew up in a small logging town on the coast, married and moved to a small logging town in the Cascade foothills, eventually on to a small suburb on the Eastside (of Lake Washington.) I've never lived IN Seattle, but loved being on the periphery. As a child, I remember car or airplane trips with my mother and grandmother - dressed to the nines - to shop and lunch at Frederick and Nelson, or go to the opening night of the movie My Fair Lady at the Cinerama. Have loved access to concerts, sports venues, amazing restaurants, incredible medical facilities and tech jobs. All just a bus or car ride away. But the tentacles of urban sprawl - traffic, ever-more-dense housing (but ever-increasing numbers of "unhoused" people,) cost of living, drugs, crime, incredibly poor planning and politicking - made our retirement decision easy.
So here we are now, just outside yet another small logging town. Cost of living and traffic are within reason, although all the other aforementioned things are here, too. Just not in such daunting numbers. Close enough to a smaller city that we have decent medical access. Jobs would be a problem, if we were looking for them here. Sports and culture are limited, but we don't mind most of the time. The air is amazing - and clearly, evergreens are in my soul!
Major issues with our current location: the hour and a half drive to SeaTac airport, including the traffic to get there, fills us with dread and definitely limits our desire for travel. Some medical issues need specialists only found in the Seattle area. Distance from family keeps us from seeing them as often as we'd like. A casual trip to a granddaughter's soccer game has become an all-day excursion. Christmas and birthday logistics use all my (rusty) project management skills. I miss the proximity of it all. But still wouldn't go back.
I highly recommend a rural-ish lifestyle - which you've embraced already! - and my only caveat for your later years would be to suss out carefully how much driving you want to do and how close good medical care will be. Those years are upon us. And we may have to make a new plan in the not-too-distant future.
Love to you and Anthony!
MK
Love ur essay. Sadly, any city that enables us addicts in active addiction is doomed to failure. I’ve watched it time and again. Non-addicts making policy for us makes no sense. “Harm reduction” is not reducing anything. I’m grateful I suffered grave consequences in order to wake up and get sober 1/4 century ago. Because the things they do now (especially in cities) just keep us sick. That being said I’ve been an Indiana hillbilly for 44 years, sober 25. And I’ve lived in a lot of places in between like LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Miami, and there’s nothing like midwestern Indiana for me! I’m glad u have found ur home!
I had the pleasure to visit Seattle in 1982 on a business trip. I surely loved several days there sightseeing. The Army transplanted me to Central Texas where retiring, and Iultimately landing in Waco where I met my beautiful wife of nearly 20years. We’re raising a 17yo grandson, and Waco has been absolutely perfect. Couldn’t ask for better place to live, conveniently located in the Heart of Texas. I grew up in Milwaukee, and my wife in Lubbock, but where we are is Perfect!
Hubs & I left the Seattle burbs about 12 years ago after raising our two kids. No regrets. Now I breath the fresh mountain air everyday. The biggest traffic jam is a herd of elk. And I’m only 1-1.5 hrs away from civilization should I need a good hospital. Too bad Seattle can’t round up all the mentally ill and addicted street people and move them for rehabilitation to the unused penitentiary just sitting there unused on the peninsula. I can’t remember the name. But it would be a viable option.
I hope Seattle finds itself again.