Greetings to all:
I've got a choice -- I can work for 5-10 more years here in out-of-sight expensive northern california, or I can move to somewhere less expensive and get out earlier. My presence on this forum makes it easy to guess which way that choice is going to go!
At the same time, a leap to one of the really inexpensive places (flyover states or the south) is daunting to someone raised here in the west. I was wondering if I could find something on the west coast.
I lived in Bremerton, WA about 30 years ago -- I have good but very faded memories of the area and, as I didn't have a cent to my name, there's not much to go on apart from fishing and hiking and riding the ferry back and forth. (Well, ok, there were the sailors, too, but I'm past all that now! ;-D
I'm thinking about a place within striking distance of Seattle and its amenities, but cheap enough to make a move from CA worth the effort. I checked out Ellensburg this summer -- nice little place and not out of the running, but I wonder what else there is worth a look-see.
Maybe Olympia? Maybe Bremerton is worth another look? Any other towns out there deserving of a visit?
I'd LOVE to be near the water -- maybe somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula. I also wondered about living north of Portland, instead, to take advantage of Oregon's lack of sales tax and Washington's lack of income tax.
I don't want to live too far out -- ideally I'd want a place in a cute town or area so I could walk / bike back and forth to the grocery store, etc. Seattle itself is too expensive -- housing isn't that much less than it is here.
I'm planning to spend a week in the area later this year -- any advice / experience from the folks on this forum would most appreciated!
Caroline
I've got a choice -- I can work for 5-10 more years here in out-of-sight expensive northern california, or I can move to somewhere less expensive and get out earlier. My presence on this forum makes it easy to guess which way that choice is going to go!
At the same time, a leap to one of the really inexpensive places (flyover states or the south) is daunting to someone raised here in the west. I was wondering if I could find something on the west coast.
I lived in Bremerton, WA about 30 years ago -- I have good but very faded memories of the area and, as I didn't have a cent to my name, there's not much to go on apart from fishing and hiking and riding the ferry back and forth. (Well, ok, there were the sailors, too, but I'm past all that now! ;-D
I'm thinking about a place within striking distance of Seattle and its amenities, but cheap enough to make a move from CA worth the effort. I checked out Ellensburg this summer -- nice little place and not out of the running, but I wonder what else there is worth a look-see.
Maybe Olympia? Maybe Bremerton is worth another look? Any other towns out there deserving of a visit?
I'd LOVE to be near the water -- maybe somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula. I also wondered about living north of Portland, instead, to take advantage of Oregon's lack of sales tax and Washington's lack of income tax.
I don't want to live too far out -- ideally I'd want a place in a cute town or area so I could walk / bike back and forth to the grocery store, etc. Seattle itself is too expensive -- housing isn't that much less than it is here.
I'm planning to spend a week in the area later this year -- any advice / experience from the folks on this forum would most appreciated!
Caroline