Thinking about moving to another city? Seattle or New York? Both cities have a lot to be said on their behalf. You need to visit both before making the final decision as tastes differ. But before that let’s compare the most common facts about Seattle and New York.

Seattle vs New York Area

The most startling change is simply size. Seattle is an order of magnitude smaller than New York. A couple orders of magnitude smaller if you focus on just the downtown of Seattle versus Manhattan. Downtown Seattle isn’t even as big as one neighbourhood of Manhattan. We at least have a few decent skyscrapers and the views from them are amazing. But still, you can easily walk the downtown area of Seattle completely while covering what feels like just a few blocks.

New York and Seattle are both surrounded by water, but the Puget Sound and our lakes are infinitely more inviting to boaters, kayakers, even swimmers than anything you will find in NYC.

Leasure: Seattle or New York

Along with that, the nightlife in downtown Seattle is… nothing to write about after NYC. Sure they have theaters, a symphony and an opera. And restaurants to be proud of. But it simply does not have the energy of New York. Seattle is decently diverse with particularly strong representation from Asia. But New York is a city of the world, writ large. For culture and museums, NYC wins by such a large margin that I am embarrassed to even discuss it.

If, however, you love the outdoors, then I think you will find Seattle to your liking. Hiking? Check. Boating/kayaking? Check. Bicycling? Check-check. Mountains, forests and honest-to-goodness wilderness, rivers, lakes, the ocean…. Decent skiing close by and world class skiing (Whistler) is just a few hours drive away.

Weather in New York and in Seattle

New York has four distinct seasons, though New Yorkers complain about each one. Winters are cold, long, harsh and intermittently dangerous. Springs are wet and still too damn cold. Summers are too hot, yet ironically, too short. Fall is just about perfect, but turns cold all too quickly.

Seattle’s weather is mild, muted even. We don’t get 9 months of downpour as some would have it. What we get is 7–9 months of cloudy, drizzly, chilly weather. We rarely get snow and even frosts are remarked on. Summers are glorious with incredibly long days and warm to hottish temps, low humidity and cool nights. In the balance, Seattle wins on the weather front.
Job opportunities

Without any doubt New York can be named the city of job opportunities. While the economy of modern Seattle is based on the high-tech industry New Your is welcoming those in finance or marketing. Business and education are constantly growing in Seattle.

New York and Seattle Rents

Seattle is obviously cheaper than New York in regards to rents, which means you can choose larger houses at more affordable prices. NYC has far more going on, more people, more variety of people, jobs, more to see, do, eat, etc. New York is a unique city globally, not just in the US. That said, it’s is incredibly stressful, overwhelming, competitive, expensive, crowded, noisy, dirty, tall buildings everywhere blocking the sun and sky, so many people you meet come and go quick, feel like a drop in the ocean no matter how exceptional you thought you were before, hard to feel a strong connection with anyone for either friendship or serious dating, people can be a mix of surprisingly friendly or aggressively rude, on and on. So moving to Seattle is essential for families looking for an affordable and safe neighborhood or exciting location, while New York has something to offer as well.

We’ll give a few suggestions:

• Kirkland – a safe and homey neighborhood with a rent of under $2,000.
• Madison Park – a luxurious beachfront community with a monthly rental rate of $3,753.
• Queen Anne – one of Seattle’s largest neighborhoods where you can find everything, from houses, multiplexes, condos, and apartments with the median rent of $2,387.

Read also How much more or less will it cost to live in the new city?

Commuting

The Seattle Freeze is real. It’s hard to meet people. Maybe because a lot of people drive and it’s a more “introspective” city. People weren’t kidding when they said Seattleites are cordial but not warm. In New York it was easier to make friends. Perhaps people are too direct in NYC, but it’s a survival tool. Anyone in NYC will give you directions if you need them and is happy to help, but efficiently. In Seattle, everything moves slower. In some ways it’s a welcome relief. But other times, like at a 4-way intersection, it’s very frustrating. Or, how drivers at stop signs anticipate a pedestrian who hasn’t yet arrived at the crosswalk and hold up traffic. Or stop suddenly when seeing a pedestrian last minute, posing a danger to those driving behind him. That stuff is minor, but gives you a sense of the general pace of life.

The crime and violence rate

In comparison to Seattle where the majority of Seattleites feel safe walking around the city at night, NYC is known for its high crime and violence rate.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

It is believed that people don’t tend to stay in New York for more than a few years, unless they grew up there. You will compare, but try not to. Appreciate the differences. It really depends on what’s important to you in your move, and your perspective. The reality is, no city is perfect, you just have to tease out who you are and the answers will follow. Having years of experience in moving business we know where to start and our best advice is not to waste time. Planning your budget using our moving cost calculator is also one of the important steps. Check moving companies reviews and choose a suitable mover who you can afford. Check our blog for fresh moving tips or watch helpful moving tips at our Youtube channel. Good luck with your move!