Hi everyone! I spent June '00 to Sept. '00 in Port Townsend. Having read Strategic Relocation, I wanted to share with you a couple of thoughts. Please keep in mind while reading the following that I've been a New Yorker for the last 20 years.
First, the good things about Port Townsend.
Port Townsend (hereinafter "PT"), is a beautiful little place some 40 miles NNW of Seattle.
On my first day there, it rained. On my last day there, it rained. In between, glorious sunshine.
The people here are very friendly & will go out of their way to help you. While having an inedible bagel there, I remarked on my not having a map. The counterperson stopped what she was doing, found me a map & proceeded to show me places to see and things to do.
Being from New York, I was struck that people smile at you and conversations spring very easily between strangers.
Front doors & car doors are left open. I ironically noticed this while at this time in Seattle there was a rash of people getting stomped and beat up by roving punks.
There's always an ocean breeze.
No matter where you look, you will see snow-peaked mountains.
Now, the bad things about PT.
The place is crawling with liberals. If you're a feminist, a tree hugger, a vegan, a Nader supporter, an anti-capitalist, a homosexual, a New Ager, an aging hippie, or a person who simply have had enough of the 'outside' world, this place is for you. To wit: I saw a household display a Lenin banner with Cyrillic writings; I saw several households with rainbow flags; a Rite Aid store was prevented to set up shop here and there are not one but two New Age type stores selling crystals, scrying balls, oils and what not.
Food prices are expensive, even by New York standards.
Safeway is two miles away.
It was here in PT that I noticed America's growing medical problem with obesity.
PT's entire economy is from tourism and the kind of businesses here reflect this sad fact.
Cat and dog lovers take heart: there are more of these animals than there are people here.
I ask for your forgiveness at my culinary parochialism but the pizzas & bagels are inedible.
I was surprised at the lack of racial diversity since I figured the more leftist a place the more racially diverse.
You cannot buy cold medicine off the shelf. Such medicine is kept under key. It seems cold medicine is used in the manufacture of meth.
Confirmed by the men living in PT, there seems to be a lack of available women from the ages of 20 to 40.
PT is simply too close to naval bases.
PT is a very pretty place, but the sad conclusion is that PT wouldn't be the place to relocate.