Everett

My husband and I lived in Everett several years ago while he was on a 6 month project at Boeing’s Everett base. Overall I quite enjoyed living in this working-class city, though it did have its downsides. The Boeing base itself is one of the dominating features of the city, with tens of thousands of employees. The other main feature is the port, as well as of course the downtown area.

The positive aspects of living here are as follows:

--A large Boeing community of colleagues nearby. This made us feel welcome and at home right away.
--A very low cost of living compared to other cities in Western Washington.
--A growing downtown retail core. There are a few restaurants and shops downtown, and this area continues to grow and change. I’ve enjoyed seeing the refurbishments that the city has invested in.
--The summer farmer’s market on the pier, which has an excellent selection of produce and crafts.
--The proximity to I-5 and highway 2. Hwy 2 takes you to many outstanding hiking and biking options.
--The parks: Both Jetty Island and the park along the bluff are wonderful places to pass the time. Spencer Island Park is also a treat, with old rail bridges to explore and marshland that is prime bird watching territory.

The negative aspects of living here are as follows:

--There is a lot of poverty that Everett does not seem to be able to resolve. Certain streets will have dozens of homeless people (usually men) on the sidewalks. Having worked to relieve poverty, it is always heartbreaking to see people in such conditions. As a resident, it also unfortunately made me worry about walking alone at night.
--Lack of vegetarian restaurants. Though most restaurants here do have at least one or two vegetarian options, there are no vegetarian-specific restaurants, which I missed while I was living here.

In summary, I do recommend Everett, however, I hope that the city continues to address and resolve some of its shortcomings.

I lived in Everett for a few months in 2013 before I moved permanently to Seattle. Compared to Seattle, Everett is WAY more affordable. For example, in Seattle $1300 gets you a decent studio, or a shabby 1-bedroom apartment. In Everett, it gets you a two-bedroom house with a garage and yard. This is a main draw for many who live in this industrial port town.

But there are reasons why rent is so much cheaper. First, the commute to Seattle is a slog. At the time, I was commuting to Capitol Hill in Seattle, and to be at work at 8am, I usually had to leave home at 6:15am or earlier. I would leave my car at the park and ride, and catch a bus to downtown, then transfer to another bus to get up the Hill. Both directions, it could add up to 4 hours to my workday. Not ideal. To be fair, on some good days it would only take 45 minutes! But those days were rare. I really don’t know how people do it. Driving isn’t much faster and then you have to worry about parking. There’s also the more relaxing commuter train, but it’s not quick, and more expensive.

Of course, not everyone who lives in Everett works in Seattle. There’s a big population that is employed by Boeing, which has a factory a couple miles south of downtown. In fact, Everett has a long history of being a port town based around heavy industry, with railroads, mines, and lumber mills all playing a large role in the city throughout history. The international port is very active, where quite a few people are employed. Other big employers are Everett Community College, BNSF railroad, Swedish medical center, and the US Navy, which has a large base in Everett. Speaking of boats, Everett also has one of the largest marinas on the West Coast.

Another reason rent is cheap in Everett is that the city has a lot of low-income residents. For the most part, this is fine. In fact, it’s a great community. But unfortunately, with poverty often comes crime, and homelessness, which you’ll find in Everett. I don’t know exactly how the crime compares to other similarly-size cities, but in my personal experience, I usually avoided walking by myself at night. But most of the time, I felt safe and enjoyed living there.

There are some really wonderful things about Everett as well. The large public library has a cozy coffee shop downstairs, and two high ceilinged stories full of bookshelves and desks. There’s also the Everett Children’s Museum and toy store. And you can’t miss the incredible summer farmers market. Located right next to the docks, there are dozens and dozens of food and craft stands. The place gets packed every weekend in the summer, rain or shine. My other favorite place is the tiny little fair trade shop, Ethical Choices, which is run by Leo and Laurie. Leo will talk your ear off if you don’t watch out.

There are some parks scattered around town, but by far the coolest place is Jetty Island. In the summer you take a little ferry out to this narrow strip of land and enjoy the beach. Also, in town, there’s a gorgeous strip of houses along the bluff on Grand Avenue. They have a stunning view of Puget Sound, and there’s a public, paved walking path just along the edge of the bluff. I remember walking this path just before Christmas at dusk and seeing all the houses light up with Christmas lights.

For how many people live in Everett, it’s surprising how small the city center is. There are a handful of restaurants and cafes, but I hope that more get developed in the future. I have a feeling they will. There are still some good options though, like the Irishmen pub. And the best place for a coffee is the Firewheel Coffeehouse, which is like a community living room. There’s also the Everett Mall south of downtown, but it’s not as good as the nearby Alderwood mall, located in Lynwood, so most people head there for shopping.

For entertainment, Everett has three performing arts center. There’s also the huge Xfinity arena, which hosts the Everett Silvertips hockey team in the winter, as well as concerts.

Conclusion:
Overall, Everett has the sense to it that it’s got a bit of a rough and tumble past, but has good jobs and is slowly growing and maturing. It’s affordable and has some decent entertainment. I’m looking forward to seeing how it changes!