Seattle/Kirkland area -- Is it a good place?

[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

[AtLast]

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.

[lionpaw]

I don't know if this will help you much since I left Seattle/Bellevue/Kirkland area six years ago....But what I will tell you is that Seattle has a very well established lgbt community, and Bellevue was just getting it's community together when I left....At the time, Kirkland didn't have anything to offer for the lgbt community...

When you leave Seattle and take rte. 520 into Kirkland (or Bellevue) these areas tend to be more conservative in nature. You will see lots of different faith systems to worship at, and it tends to be a more family oriented environment...In these areas, you are pretty much left alone.....

These areas offer much, but also be aware that you have to be able to adjust to the overcast skies (which tends to be most of the time)...The region has a long rainy season, and in the summer it can be quite humid.....

You also might want to check out the Seattle Times for additional information on the cities....It will give you a better picture on the economics of these cities and the state.

Good Luck!....I loved the area when we lived there....

[Gemme]

I'm not sure about the public transportation in Portland, but Seattle's was actually pretty good. The buses ran for free during the week in downtown areas too. It's been almost a year since I left WA, so maybe that's changed, AtLast?

It's family friendly, though you are going to find idiots no matter where you go.

I love the area around Pike Place Market. It's a melting pot of everyone and everything. Kirkland, however, I didn't spend a lot of time in, so I'm not sure about specifics for there.

Congrats on being headhunted, AJ!

[Slater]

There isn't really anywhere in the Seattle area that is not queer friendly. Let's put it this way ... I have lived for 7 years across the water in Bremerton, which was/is a dumpy little Navy town and even Bremerton is pretty queer-friendly.

I haven't spent much time in or around Kirkland in a number of years, but it was (and I imagine still is) a fairly affluent, very white, tech-industry-dominated suburb.

The queer community in Seattle is large and visible. I would agree with AtLastHome that the biggest drawback is the public transit. There is a new light rail system, but it is still very limited, primarily connecting downtown with the airport, but it will be expanded to the University of Washington (and maybe then over to Kirkland, I'm not sure).

Housing prices are still falling so it's a good time to get into the market. The state government is kind of in financial shambles because voters don't seem to understand that they need to pay taxes if they want a functioning government (why yes, I am still a little bitter about last November's elections).

Good luck with Google. By the way, your avatar is great.

--Slater