10 Pros and Cons of Living in Everett

Live In Everett's focus is the good things happening in Everett. Everett is awesome, but I realize Everett is not for everyone. I'll share my top good and bad things about living in Everett. 5 of each. Sound fair?

Lets just rip the band-aid off and start with the bad.

The Bad:

1. Gritty
Everett's a little gritty. A little urban. This isn't necessarily bad, but if suburbia is more your thing, there are plenty of surrounding communities to hang your hat (Mukilteo, Lake Stevens, etc).

2. Lack of space
I won't lie. Sometimes my wife and I fantasize about having a little land. I think a half acre would be perfect. Land is certainly more limited in a more urban place like Everett, though. Our average lot size is about 6,000 sqft. Oh well, less land means less maintenance.

3. Poverty
Everett has a real mix of incomes, including many who are in poverty or homeless. Being the County seat, we have the jail and social services here in Everett. I'm glad Everett is able to help serve those that are down and out, but this obviously comes with some challenges.

4. Crime
Crime happens in Everett. Drug use. Homes getting broken into. All that good stuff that comes along with urban environments. Thankfully the city of Everett, multiple non-profits and churches are doing a stellar job of trying to take good care of any and everyone in our community.

5. Dog crap
OK, I admit it. This one's personal. It only happens about once/ month. But every so often I get a dog bomb left in my front yard. The nerve! Oh well. Crap happens.

The Good:

1. Walkability
When I was a kid, everything was miles aways and the roads didn't even have shoulders. I dreamed of living in a walkable place. Everett is very bicycle and pedestrian friendly. It's just convenient in general. Everything is super close. I dig that.

2. Character
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And I agree. Unless we're talking about historic homes and buildings. Then there's no debate. Everett has amazing character that never gets old.

3. Affordability
Compared to Seattle, Everett is nearly half price when it comes to housing. We also have free parking and tons of free community events. If you make a decent wage and are decent at managing your money, you can have a pretty great quality of life in Everett.

4. Fun
I mentioned the free events. Everett Music Initiative's been putting on bodacious concerts. In the Summer there's the Everett Farmers Market every Sunday and the free Jetty Island ferry. There's the waterfront, over 40 parks. Views of the Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, Cascade Mountains and Snohomish River. Multiple bowling alley's. Good food. 6 breweries. An award winning distillery. Amazing libraries. Did I mention it's walkable and affordable? Everett's kind of a fun place to live.

5. Community
Speaking of walking around Everett doing fun stuff, I've noticed it's easier to meet people here. Or at least have friendly acquaintances around town. If you see someone around town enough times, eventually maybe you say hello. You strike up a chat. You get to know people. And before you know it, you kind of feel like you belong here. That's pretty cool.

Everett isn't for everyone, but everyone is welcome. Despite the bad, Everett has a lot of good things to offer. I like it here. How about you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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