Moving to seattle....?

I was a military brat and lived variously at Bangor (Navy), and then Ft. Lawton and Ft. Lewis (Army)... if you're at Bangor then you're across the water and the commute via ferry would make no sense. If you're going to Ft. Lewis, it's a good hour and a half south of Seattle; you're much better off living in Tacoma or even Olympia just for the commute. Ft. Lawton is a very small base in Seattle itself, actually in a really beautiful spot near Alki beach and Magnolia, and if you can get stationed there then more power to you because it's the only way you can live in Magnolia for that cheap, haha. But it's so small there's no PX or commissary...

There's a large black community in South Seattle, Beacon Hill, and West Seattle, and you'll find tons of barber shops/salons/etc. in those areas, so don't worry. In North Seattle or Redmond or Bellevue... forget it. Those areas are whiter than me, and that's saying something.

Jobs aren't super-easy to come by these days but they're out there if you try. I'd start trying to ask around with any military families you know and see if anyone has any connections, otherwise, hit the pavement and look on Craigslist. Rent is cheap if you're moving from a place like SF or NYC, but is about the same as much of Los Angeles - the attitude that it's cheap in Seattle is a misnomer, and if you're moving from somewhere in the midwest or south, it's going to be expensive. Pay sucks there on the whole, but you don't have to pay income tax.

Please let us know where your husband is being stationed. The greater Seattle area is pretty big, and you'll want to make sure you choose a neighborhood that is a reasonable commuting distance to the base where he's being stationed.

For example, Fort Lewis and McChord AFB are south of Tacoma. Everett Naval Base is 30 miles north of Seattle. Bremerton and Bangor are both on the Olympic Peninsula, and Whidbey Island NAS is much further north near Oak Harbor. It's a 2+ hour drive between Fort Lewis and Whidbey Island, so in order to give you suggestions you'll be able to use, we need more information.

seattle is a wonderful city, even tho it rains 8 months a year.. it has beautiful sites and has a lot of different ethnicitys. You will love it