Port Angeles v. Sequim

[Chuck Marunde]

I raised my family in Sequim and now live in Port Angeles, and this area is one of the best places in the country to live. We're only 15 minutes apart. I will say that some of the comments I've heard about backwardness in Port Angeles has some merit, and Port Angeles should be much further ahead along in its economic development than it is. But anyone who has lived in a small town knows that this is the way it often happens. Personally and professionally (I'm retired as a real estate attorney and now I own a real estate brokerage), I'm working hard to help develop a vision for Port Angeles among businessmen, and to help people moving into the area.

Sequim is a much new city, and that has given them a huge advantage in terms of urban and rural planning and development, because they started on a geographic clean slate, so to speak. But also the local Sequim bussinessmen, city council, and chamber of commerce are very active with assertive leadership, all three. And let's face it, Sequim real estate is beautiful. It just is. I do think that west of Port Angeles is probably one of the best kept secrets, though, in terms of incredible water views and reasonable prices.

If you're outside the area, and you want specific information about the real estate market or anything, email me, and if I can email helpful info to you, I certainly will.

I've written about these issues on my local blog and literally 100's of other articles about the local real estate market and news, and you're welcome to read and comment on my blog. If you want to see it, go to http://SequimRealEstateNews.com

Oh, my email is [e-mail]

[Van McKinley]

I am interested in why Sequim is referred to as the "sunbelt" of the northwest. I check the weather for that area on a regular basis and it seems to have just as much rain and cloud cover as other coast areas!

[Chuck Marunde]

Sometimes it seems there's no difference in weather between Sequim and Port Angeles. I drive back and forth, and I really haven't seen much of a difference at all in rainfall. I'm no expert, and I don't measure any rainfall, but a lot of times it's even sunny in P.A. and cloudy in Sequim. The technical explanation from the weather service is: http://sequim-port-angeles.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Graham]

I work in water resources on the Olympic Peninsula and the issue of our climate comes up often. Sequim is more blocked from the storms off the Pacfic and Strait of Juan de Fuca than Port Angeles and is more directly in the rainshadow of the mountains. Port Angeles gets a lot more marine air than Sequim and is not only wetter by 10 inches annually (Sequim about 15"/yr, PA about 25"), but cooler as well(PA average monthly max temp never cracks 70 F, but Sequim's does in July and August). When the Highway 101 bypass rerouted traffic away from downtown Sequim, the local govt loosened zoning restrictions to foster development. The result is Anytown USA with a WalMart, Home Depot and Costco, not to mention a new Wallgreens across the street from a new RiteAid. All this for a town of about 5,000. While Port Angeles may be plodding along in slow motion, Sequim's bubble is clearly thinning. Too bad because it's a great place to live (lived there for 6 years).

[texas pete]

Van McKinley wrote:

I am interested in why Sequim is referred to as the "sunbelt" of the northwest. I check the weather for that area on a regular basis and it seems to have just as much rain and cloud cover as other coast areas!

I refer to Sequim as the retard belt of the northwest.