3 ms·

Thinking of doing the opposite. Moving from Madison, WI likely to PNW (Seattle is most likely). The complete lack of... much of anything around here is a huge d

Thinking of doing the opposite. Moving from Madison, WI likely to PNW (Seattle is most likely). The complete lack of... much of anything around here is a huge driving factor. That and the political landscape of the area. If I was looking to raise a family (I am not), it would be much more compelling to stay.

MomoXenosaga 5y ago
My artistic homosexual brother moved to the big city. He is now living together with a Japanese expat. Some lifestyles just can't be had in the boonies.
- packetlost 5y ago
  Good for him! I would be lying if part of it wasn't also the lifestyle, big city is very appealing to me, personally! Here's a short list of why I'm personally planning on leaving: * Winters here suck, a lot (4~ months of the year is <40 degrees f, much of it in the 0-9 degrees f range) * Summers here are hot and muggy (3-4 months of the year >75 degrees f + 73% humidity daily avg.) * Mosquitoes are very bad here (and I'm allergic to them) * I'm allergic to most of the flora around here, thanks dad * Better job market, not a fan of fully remote work * Walkable communities, better public transit * More people for niche hobbies * Better diversity, nearly everyone here is white or a college student * Far from major airports, air travel is either expensive + inconvenient or a 3 hour drive away * Outdoor activities are rather limited here relative to other parts of the country, it's very flat and the lakes are small * Surrounding area is all yee-haw people (lol) * Restaurant selection is good, relative to only having a McDonald's and Little Ceasars (so not good, but better than most other parts of the state) * Hope you like driving! You'll do a lot of it to do anything at all * Housing market here sucks too, maybe not as bad, but still out of range for most
- sam0x17 5y ago
  It can work though. Living with my husband in a very rural area of a rural state, and it's going fine.
WorldMaker 5y ago
I think a lot about that "political landscape" part of the problem. It contributes to the brain drain that makes it worse. If you stay you still have a vote. You still have something of a voice if you want to try to make change. If you leave, you can maybe expect things to get worse in your absence (times everyone else who leaves for the similar reasons). There's no easy answer there. I'd feel guilty leaving; I feel guilty or at least complicit (or worse victimized) staying.
- packetlost 5y ago
  My vote is not worth making my life actively worse, sorry.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
ozzythecat 4y ago
I was in the Seattle area for about 10 years and recently moved to the east coast. I don’t recommend Seattle. Skyrocketing cost of living, increasing homelessness, and progressive politics that are real communism with local politicians saying we should nationalize Boeing and Amazon. Did I mention crime? It used to be petty crime, break ins in vehicles, property damage, that kind of stuff. Downtown Seattle is not safe for a woman to be alone, and especially not an Asian woman. There are several recent cases of Asian woman getting sucker punched or beaten with a bat at rail stations or public transit stops. The city looks the other ways. Criminals get locked up overnight if at all and get let go the next day. When you add on to this the insane real estate costs and rising rents, it makes zero sense to live in Seattle.
- packetlost 4y ago
  Where do you suggest then? Both my partner and I have friends & family in that area, which makes moving across the country easier.

MomoXenosaga 5y ago

My artistic homosexual brother moved to the big city. He is now living together with a Japanese expat. Some lifestyles just can't be had in the boonies.

packetlost 5y ago
Good for him! I would be lying if part of it wasn't also the lifestyle, big city is very appealing to me, personally! Here's a short list of why I'm personally planning on leaving: * Winters here suck, a lot (4~ months of the year is <40 degrees f, much of it in the 0-9 degrees f range) * Summers here are hot and muggy (3-4 months of the year >75 degrees f + 73% humidity daily avg.) * Mosquitoes are very bad here (and I'm allergic to them) * I'm allergic to most of the flora around here, thanks dad * Better job market, not a fan of fully remote work * Walkable communities, better public transit * More people for niche hobbies * Better diversity, nearly everyone here is white or a college student * Far from major airports, air travel is either expensive + inconvenient or a 3 hour drive away * Outdoor activities are rather limited here relative to other parts of the country, it's very flat and the lakes are small * Surrounding area is all yee-haw people (lol) * Restaurant selection is good, relative to only having a McDonald's and Little Ceasars (so not good, but better than most other parts of the state) * Hope you like driving! You'll do a lot of it to do anything at all * Housing market here sucks too, maybe not as bad, but still out of range for most
sam0x17 5y ago
It can work though. Living with my husband in a very rural area of a rural state, and it's going fine.

WorldMaker 5y ago

I think a lot about that "political landscape" part of the problem. It contributes to the brain drain that makes it worse. If you stay you still have a vote. You still have something of a voice if you want to try to make change. If you leave, you can maybe expect things to get worse in your absence (times everyone else who leaves for the similar reasons). There's no easy answer there. I'd feel guilty leaving; I feel guilty or at least complicit (or worse victimized) staying.

packetlost 5y ago
My vote is not worth making my life actively worse, sorry.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ozzythecat 4y ago

I was in the Seattle area for about 10 years and recently moved to the east coast. I don’t recommend Seattle. Skyrocketing cost of living, increasing homelessness, and progressive politics that are real communism with local politicians saying we should nationalize Boeing and Amazon. Did I mention crime? It used to be petty crime, break ins in vehicles, property damage, that kind of stuff. Downtown Seattle is not safe for a woman to be alone, and especially not an Asian woman. There are several recent cases of Asian woman getting sucker punched or beaten with a bat at rail stations or public transit stops. The city looks the other ways. Criminals get locked up overnight if at all and get let go the next day. When you add on to this the insane real estate costs and rising rents, it makes zero sense to live in Seattle.

packetlost 4y ago
Where do you suggest then? Both my partner and I have friends & family in that area, which makes moving across the country easier.