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inlinestyle t1_j1502hi wrote

I currently live on Whidbey (south end) and worked for many years in Bellevue. They are about as opposite as you can get as far as Western Washington communities go. Specifically, Bellevue is far more dense and consistently affluent than Whidbey. It also has far more amenities. On the other hand, Whidbey is far more relaxed, spread out, and much more socio-economically diverse.

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davemathews2 t1_j1749fg wrote

Someone should mention cost of living. A waterfront home on whidbey is the price of a modest home in Bellevue.

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inlinestyle t1_j17uau1 wrote

Real estate 100%. But Whidbey isn’t cheap to live on. Groceries and services are expensive.

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check_my_cv OP t1_j1511e7 wrote

Do you like the South End more than Bellevue? I like the restaurant/store/activity availability that a place like Langley has but I’m not opposed to a more urban environment. I’m currently living downtown in an NC city so I’ve had some time in an urban setting since leaving Wa

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inlinestyle t1_j1596g7 wrote

I don’t really care for the vibe in Bellevue these days. Everything is very upscale, and I like things a little grittier and relaxed. So yeah, I like Whidbey better than Bellevue, but that’s very much a personal thing.

We moved to Whidbey from Seattle almost 7 years ago. My wife and I miss the city sometimes, but not nearly enough to move back, and our kids LOVE it here.

It really comes down to what you’re looking for and the trade offs you’re willing to make.

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s1ipperypick1e t1_j16n7gf wrote

What do your kids love about Whidbey? The wife and I are looking in the area and she prefers Whidbey while I’m partial to sequim. We’ve got 3 young ones who love nature and outdoor activities.

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Perenially_behind t1_j17lyg5 wrote

Where are you looking on Whidbey? It's a big island (as I'm sure you know) with a lot of local variation.

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inlinestyle t1_j17t7gz wrote

We were fortunate to sell in Seattle when that market was hot but Whidbey wasn’t, so we were able to afford some acres and a big cozy, quirky house.

Kids have spent the last two days sledding in our pasture and building snow forts. We have a trail around our property that also connects to our neighbors, where my son’s friend lives. My in-laws live nearby. It’s a good life.

I do wonder how they’ll feel about it when they’re teens though. There isn’t much to do on evenings/weekends, at least compared to a city, or college town, or really anywhere else.

Things you need to not mind to live here: everything closing at like 7pm, power outages, expensive groceries, limited amenities, limited services, limited social circles, and political diversity.

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