Quote:
Originally Posted by dreadgeek
Hey folks:
I'm being courted by Google for a job that would move me up to the Seattle/Kirkland area. I have some limited experience of Seattle but none of Kirkland. Is Kirkland a decent area? Is it reasonably queer friendly? As a whole, how is Seattle's queer community? Right now, the headhunter and I are in the early phases of the courtship but before I get my hopes up, I'd like to get some sense from folks who live in the area what life would be like for a lesbian couple. I'm already in the PNW in Portland, so the rain isn't an issue.  Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Aj |
myself. There are some wonderful "neighborhoods" in Seattle that you both would find very comfortable living in as a queer couple. Many progressive of the queer variety in Seattle. Has a large progressive segment within the primary caucus system. I would think that the whole tech arena there would be right up your ally.
The only draw back with Seattle (especially compared to Portland and vicinity) is the lack of public transportation around a major city in which the traffic is awful! There have been projects developed lately, but Seattle is far behind Portland with this. In fact, this is the main reason (aside from realizing the climate would just not be good for me in terms of severe poly- arthritis syndromes) that I didn't move there. It is not as bicycling friendly as Portland is, either. But, again, there is a movement to change this. Being so close to the Canadian border is quite nice, too. Great road traveling.
My friend's youngest son is a gay man in tech fields and he landed a great job in the middle of the recession after returning from Boston College. He is totally out at work. My friend has always been out as a teacher in Seattle schools. She has taught elementary school in an area that is diverse racially and ethnically with struggling schools due to property tax revenues being much lower than other areas. She has never found it difficult to be out as a teacher there even years ago.
Kirkland specifically, I don't know much about. Ballard, Bellevue, Seattle proper, and West Seattle are the areas I know the best. For a time, housing prices held steady in Seattle areas during the housing bubble, but during the last year, prices have fallen.
Oh, and it does snow there in winter much more than it used too- but you are probably experiencing this in Portland as well.
Hope this helps. I bet people that live there, themselves will have more up to date info.