Biking in Seattle
#34810 - 01/01/04 05:20 PM
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My hubby and I are planning to move (again!) next year. Only thing is...my hubby has a degenerative eye disease...and so he needs a place where he can bike to and from work, the grocery store, etc, every day. (He still has his license...but he can't see the color of traffic lights...so he only drives when I'm in the car to tell him what color they are). We're also looking for a place that will be healthy for me with my allergies.
What do you all think about Seattle? Are there bike lanes there? Are there people who use bikes as their main transportation? Riding his ultimate touring bike (he has 2 bikes now and we're about to get him a 3rd...diff. types for diff. types of riding/weather)...he can ride in rain and snow (not ice).
My hubby and I have never been to Seattle....but we're seriously considering it! We're also considering Baltimore, Maryland and Miami, FL.
How is Seattle for ppl with allergies? Does the rain help or make it more moldy?
Thanks for all your help!!!!!!!!
Love,
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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I read just a bit ago that more people commute to work via bike in Seattle than any other city in the country. Considering that it's such a temperate climate here year round it's easy to see why. It's rarely colder than 40 in the winter or hotter than 80 in the summer. I'd guess it's between 50 and 70 degrees here about 90% of the time. So, for biking, we're a good bet. And if you lived in one of the Seattle city neighborhoods instead of the suburbs, you could easily ride (if not walk) to work, grocery stores, restaurants, gyms, etc.
For the allergies, I really don't know. It's a mild and wet climate, so mold would definitely be a problem. We are green year round - roses are still blooming here, plants and trees keep a lot of their leaves, flowers are out year round. So, it's not at all dry and pollen or mold free.
I can't imagine biking year round in Baltimore - it's really super cold and snowy there in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer. Miami wouldn't have snow but I'd find it intolerable to be outside in that climate at all in the summer, let alone biking in it. The heat and humidity is overwhelming. Not sure about allergies in either of these locations, though.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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NORTH of Seattle
#34816 - 01/01/04 06:59 PM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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Well, Ruchie, we moved from California to Washington, but we didn't like Seattle -- too big, too much like San Francisco, and we'd had enough of that -- so we kept on going north. We're about 80 miles north of Seattle, on the Canadian border. If you don't like rain, you won't like it here. However, we get a lot less rain up here than Seattle!
Frankly, the best-kept secret is our weather. Don't tell anyone, but this area is incredible. NO HUMIDITY in the summer, and beautiful clear skies -- NO CALIFORNIA SMOG. Okay, so we get rain. If you don't like the rain, just wait a day 'cause tomorrow the sun will come out. Sometimes in the winter it gets cold, but, unlike Northern California (sorry Val), WE GET SUNSHINE in the winter! No sunshine-deprivation here!
Now, about those allergies. My hubby is allergic to molds. I'm allergic to pollens. He sneezes in the winter, I sneeze in the summer. For me, it was MUCH worse in California. He says for him it's just as bad here as in California. When I was visiting Baltimore, I thought I would die from the pollen; I was sneezing constantly.
This area up here is kayak territory. You go kayaking. Not so much in California -- we used to row down there where the water is warm (in case you go over). Here the water is deep and VERY cold. You kayak.
Now, about cycling. My dentist bikes to and from work. And even cycles home for lunch. He's also in Bellingham. It's a nice city, not real big like Seattle or San Francisco, and everyone is very friendly. It's a good place to bike. It's safe too.
I've been to Miami and I've spent a LOT of time in Baltimore. Okay, now my apologies in advance to all of you out there in those lovely cities, but -- TOO DAMN HOT AND HUMID! And Miami has alligators. EW.
Come on out! You'd love it here! AND we'd love having you here too, Ruchie!
Bev. 
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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