Seattle

[sugarbugar]

Does anyone here live in Seattle? We're thinking of moving there and I was wondering how someone with our illness does living there. Thanks in advance!

[Sleepy In Seattle]

I LOVE SEATTLE!!!!!!! 

I guess it depends on what you want and need from your surroundings.

The "pros" list can go on for pages - but for us, it's natural beauty, mountains, rivers, lakes, Puget Sound, lots of parks, extraordinary food (both restaurants and markets), coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, lots of healthy small businesses, music, theatre, museums, neighborhood pubs, people who are into the environment, not-too-big-not-too-small-city, lots and lots of trees (it's a very green city), live-and-let-live attitude, civic engagement, diverse population, varied architecture, close to "big nature" (Cascades, Olympics, etc), proximity to Canada, the San Juans out the back door, the amazing ferry system, all the neighborhood fairs and festivals, the neighborhoods themselves (which are all different and like mini-cities-within-the-city), the moderate climate, GORGEOUS summers, and did I mention the food, LOL?

The "cons" - at least to us - not so much the rain, which is more of a drizzle most of the time, but the DARKNESS in the winter can be a bit much, and it drags on for a looooong time. We are pretty far north (further north than most of Maine) and with the heavy cloud cover, the shortest days in the winter have only about 6 hours of real daylight. The flip side, of course, is that in the summer you can sit on the porch and read until after 10pm, and the sun's up at 4! Also, people do tend to be a bit reserved - suits us fine because we tend to be that way too, but for some people it's off-putting. When you first move here it helps to join something - a religious organization, a book club, a yoga class, a neighborhood watch - whatever - and invite people over for dinner, or out for a beer, or whatever. You may have to instigate the contact several times before it catches on, but once you get to know people, they're quite kind and friendly.

Oh, and both UW and Virgina Mason have world-class Rheumatology centers, so you can get good care for autoimmune diseases.

I hope that helps. We have lived here 14+ years, and LOVE it. I'd say my one real complaint is the darkness and damp of winter, but really it's not nearly as bad as some places....it hovers in the 40's most of the time, with an occasional snow. (But if you WANT snow, you can drive an hour into the mountains and get all you can handle!). The summers and most autumns are INSANELY gorgeous - 70's and sunny all day, 50's at night (no need for air conditioning) for the most part - a hot week (i.e. over 80) in July or August, but mostly just blue skies and temperate weather. We hate to go anywhere in the summers because this is the most gorgeous place on earth from May/June through mid-October.....9some years better than others - this one has been amazing!).

So there's my two cents....

[Tivia]

Hmm I was wondering this same thing. We went through that drought this year, and I believe that caused Sjogren's to rear its ugly head. I feel absolutely miserable when the humidity disappears, so I was thinking somewhere tepid but moist lol.     

[Sleepy In Seattle]

I prefer "temperate and verdant" to "tepid and moist"....

[Sooki]

I've lived near Seattle for over 20 years now and I second absolutely everything Sleepy says about Seattle.  We live on 2 1/2 acres just across the Sound from Seattle near the ferry dock.  Seven miles as the crow flies and we have bears and coyotes. It's quite remarkable.  Ferry to Seattle, but drive to Tacoma. Summers are wonderful (although tomatoes and peppers may not ripen).  The air is never very dry, which helps.  One year I visited Denver in the winter where the humidity was nosebleed low.  When I got back to Seatac airport, it was 50 degrees with a very gentle mist in the air - the air felt soft and wonderful.

The gloomy, dark, and drippy season is long. It often starts some time in October and goes through June (well, drippy anyway).  When I open the window, I let the gloom in.  We DO have a zillion names for precipitation; this year I got to see graupel. When I'm feeling bad, it's intensified by the darkness.  The days are short and the sun never gets high in the sky.  And the cloud cover makes even high noon dark.  Many mornings, sunrise and daylight is a very subtle change from the night.  Sometimes I long to feel my pupils contract

It's hard to have dry feet and hard to stay warm, even though the temps aren't that low.  Two winters ago, I had terrible brain fog and fatigue and craved sunshine.  We took a road trip to sunny California and I felt instantly better, although I came home with a brand new lupus skin reaction.  It strikes different people differently.  Some years, the winters aren't so bad. Vitamin D supplements help a lot. We're currently wondering if maybe we need to move further south.  It's all a balance.     

Like Sleepy said, there are great rheumatologists here and good medical services in general. 

[wendyoh]

I am curious about living there too because i love moderate weather, heat and sun flare my sjogrens. sun is a happy feeling tho so its catch 22 of course.  I am in midwest and I am more homebound in the summers than winters since AI because of the heat and sun. and I hate mall walking, so I figure at least in WA I could walk easily year round.  Some friends moving to Vashon, not sure if I could handle having to take ferry to city but its lovely there.

I can't figure what would bother me more, gloom of darkness or dealing with snow and freezing cold and awful hot summers.

But I am curious if you Seattliites could comment on this, a friend just sent me this link, a bit offputting:

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/Tunnel-could-create-ratpocalypse-3862635.php

its about invasion of rats to city cus of tunnel

[Tivia]

well thats a deal breaker for me  Rats yikes!!

[Sleepy In Seattle]

Pffft. Boston went through the same thing in the "Big Dig" in the 90's. The whole city freaked out because they thought they'd be neck-deep in wriggling rodents - but the city implemented good pest control strategies and in the end, the city had far fewer rats than they began with before the project. It was a total non-event, rat-wise. I suspect this project will be the same way.

People like to freak out about gross stuff, but the reality seldom lives up to the hype...

[slccom]

Rats can make good pets. And, properly cooked, good eating!

Seriously, NYC has a big rat problem, but as long as you stay off the subway tracks, you don't even hardly see them. At least, that was true as of 1988, when we escaped... er, left.
Sharon

[wendyoh]

cool i hope its not a problem in  WA, the rats

how did you like NYc in the 8os? i wish I would have gone for awhile back then to catch cbgb's,mapplethorpe, basquiat vibe etc love the culture that came up then, will never be the same!

[sugarbugar]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I do appreciate it.  My family and I went to TX this year and I felt great out there! Minus the heat. I can't tolerate heat with my dysautonomia. But, the humidity and being at sea level seemed to really help. So, we were thinking Seattle because the weather is cooler there.  Do you find the grey skies really get to you? Is there anything to minimize the effect?  Do you think I would have less symptoms there?  I live in Denver where it's very dry and very high in elevation.
I had no idea I would feel so good in TX, but I did.  Was it coincidence, I have no idea.

[genko_b]

The other thing about Seattle is virtually no mosquitoes, no-see-ums, black flies, etc. We do have spiders, though - many kinds, and lots of them.

I would really recommend that you come to Seattle during January or February for a week or two, to see how you handle the winter. It's fine for me - I'm out in the garden all year round, and it is mild enough for that. Also I don't get seasonal affective disorder. But many people find the dark moist climate to be oppressive. That is when the snowbirds here leave town for Hawaii or Arizona!

Have fun with your decision - how great to be able to choose where to live.

Take care,

Genko

[sugarbugar]

genko-b~ I hate spiders!!  But I will deal with spiders to feel better. 
I don't get S.A.D. syndrome where I live, I thrive in the fall and rainy days. They're my favorite because it's when I feel the best, so I don't think it would get to me too much. However, I am coming from sunny Denver.  I do plan on coming out next February/March time frame for a couple of weeks for the exact reason you were talking about.  I'm glad to know you're outside a lot, I love being outside and I have to be a hermit 4-5 months a year here because it's so hot for me. Especially this year! Thanks Genko-B and you're right, we're blessed to have a job that can transfer us pretty much anywhere. I am very thankful for it.

[hootyhu1]

I recently moved to Whidbey Island and I love it here!!!!! I haven't been here for the winter yet but we will see. There was about 3 days that it got super hot for a few hours this summer but all in all it was a cool summer for me. (I just moved from Florida and South TX before then so I was used to HOT summers)

There seems to be a lot of fun things to do here. It is peaceful and beautiful here.

[sugarbugar]

Thanks Hooty! Anxious to hear how the winters are for you!