Seattle area has 2 seasons...July and rainy season. MSP has winter and construction season.

Summers are glorious in SEA, but short. If you have SAD and can't stand clouds and drizzle, SEA isn't for you.

It's easy to predict the weather. If you can't see Mt Rainer, it's raining. If you can see it, it's going to rain.

My bad, that's a typo. Shoulda been 2.21.

I'm not a troll and I live in Gig Harbor. Read my other post in this thread, I'm pro SEA

So wife is gonna be working in Auburn and we were thinking Tacoma Univ. of Puget Sound Area - any other ideas or suggestions or comments on the area? Moving from Northern VA

Good choice. My wife and I purchased a house a couple of years ago in the North End of Tacoma (Proctor area) and love it. That being said, if your wife wants to be closer to work we have friends that live out in Auburn and they really like it there. Schools are good in both areas although I would probably give Auburn a slight edge at the moment. Both are about 30 minutes from the airport employee lot. Just depends on what you are looking for. If you want older houses with character in a more urban environment, go with Tacoma. If you're looking for a newer home in a planned community with a more suburban feel, go with Auburn. For the money you can't go wrong with the North End of Tacoma. Great waterfront area (Ruston), huge city park with miles of biking trails, dog park and a zoo (Pt Defiance), and a great downtown with theatres, museums and a decent (and improving) restaurant scene. If you're looking for an urban feel without the crowds and high cost of living that comes with Seattle, the North End of Tacoma is your best bet IMO.

How do people like living in Olympia? Never been there before. Seems like a long ways away from seatac and I would think there might be better options closer. Guess not?

What about Bonney lake, enumclaw, maybe puyallup?

I don't have a lot to give you, but having commuted quite a bit between PDX and SEA, I will say that the area around "Joint Base" Ft. Lewis/McChord is alway a PITA on I-5. North of that, starting around Tacoma is ok. SEA area traffic sucks in general. Look at the topography of the area, and how the lakes define the highway system and cause choke points. If you're at SEATAC, a gross generalization would be that south/east is way better than north.

Lol. I'll never understand why someone asks a question like "I'm considering moving to a liberal mecca, but want an area without too many liberals, low taxes and small government". Here's an idea. Stay in PTC so that you'll be around "your kind" and never be exposed to things like taxes, hipsters, traffic, LGBT people, and democrats. Stay in Georgia. You'll hate the Left Coast. And we out here are tired of you eastern rednecks moving here and trying to change everything then *****ing and complaining when you realize you can't.

^^^^ How inclusive and tolerant