By judging from the pictures and from what I've read about the city it sure sounds & looks like a beautiful place with progressive culture. Feels much close to the nature with mountains and lakes unlike Texas. I currently live and work in Texas(IT field). Also the job market seems pretty strong. I am planning to find a job first then relocate. My only concern is the rain and cost of living.

However it's always smart to get few ideas from people who live or have lived there. How expensive are decent single-bed apartments? I def. don't plan to live in downtown. Is weather really like what they say, 9 months of clouds and drizzle? Any suggestions/opinion about the place?

I asked similar question few months back on this thread http://sajha.com/sajha/html/index.cfm?ThreadID=116016

Also, see city-data for Seattle. Good luck!

It is pretty much raining always. almost 9 months. Besides its getting really expensive in Seattle. Please check every aspect before you move in. Even if you find cheap place it might be high crime rate area.

Hawking666, where did you end up moving?

the_dude, I live in Seattle. Seattle is very good place to live in if you like outdoor activities. Yes it's true that it rains a lot in Seattle but you rarely get snow. It's not like raining every day for 9 months. You get sun break, cloudy in between. But I have been living here since few years and I do not care and unnoticeable to me as I get used to it. But you definitely won't get warm weather like Texas or other southern states. Since your concern is Rain it may not be good place for you. Yes it rains a lot here. If I am not wrong only three states( Washington, Alaska and Hawaii) have rain forests in US.
There are tons of hiking and water activitiy places in Seattle just within 1 hour. If you want ski or snowboarding it's in 1-2 hours distance up in the mountain. The city is very liberal and progressive.
The city is growing so much that traffic has become insane. And so is the housing market. It's really really expensive but not expensive like California. However some places like Bellevue, Seattle downtown are as expensive as SFO. It's because hundreds of tech companies. It has pretty good number of asian population. Microsoft, starbucks, amazon, Expedia are some of the big companies around here.

Just like texas, Washington state doesn't have state tax. Hope these info help you to decide.

PS: Don't believe those highly photoshopped facebook pictures of seattle :P

thanks virusno1, I'd say my primary concern is cost of living more than the rain.

If you are working in IT, your company will be more likely in Bellevue or Seattle area. You will be lucky if it is cheaper places like bothell. YOu don't want to live too far away from your workplace since the traffic is crazy out here in peak hours. Rain makes it even worse. Cost of living in Seattle and Bellevue area is pretty high. I live around Bellevue area and pay 1500 per month for single bedroom.
Other than cost of living and rain, it is pretty good out here. Esp the lakes, mountains and people here ( indians, asians mostly plus Nepalese).

I moved from TX to Seattle Metro 3 years ago and loving it. Some points to noted
- Everything is expensive compared to TX esp Rent
- Rains in Winter for about (3-4 months). Its not heavy rain as in TX, it just drizzles.
- It doesn't snow here so i prefer rain over snow (just my opinion)
- summer is beautiful and weather is perfect
- Its heaven for people who wants to do outdoor activities ( Hiking, ski, mountain climbing, biking, running, water sports,,,etc etc)
- Job market is pretty good
- Public transportation is very convenient

I agree with above comments dude Seattle is nice bro compared to flat Texas, if you like mountains, Mt rainier, wild flowers, beautiful scenery if you love lavender thats the place to be during summer, lots of waterfalls, two national parks within few hours drive, hiking outdoor activities , pike place for shopping , a big Nepali community nth like Texas Nepal but they have events here and there so give a serious thought

Yea I do feel like I am bored with the south but have a pretty good job, affordable apartments and don't have to deal with the traffic where I am located and at the same time Seattle feels like a place which fits more with my personality which makes the whole moving plan little tough to decide....pros & cons time again ha-ha...Thanks for the feedback guys. I will def. think about it.

and above all Vancouver is right there. One of the most beautiful city in the world.

Ty for suggestions