Eastside commuters prefer Seattle’s urban life

The reason people are choosing to live in Seattle, but work in the suburbs could be reflective of cultural differences in the areas.

Even though people don’t want to commute from Seattle to the Eastside via the 520 bridge or I-90, they might make the sacrifice for a more interesting social life.

The decision to live in the city and work in the suburbs is the opposite of what people were doing a few decades ago, said KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney. They are split between their income and the love of the city.

Of 10 neighborhoods studied, Belltown has the highest number of commuters driving across Lake Washington to work, according to Gene Balk (FYI Guy) of The Seattle Times.

KIRO Radio’s John Curley used to live in Queen Anne &#8212 number three on the list. The decision to move to the suburbs was based on schools for his children.

“Because you seem too contemptuous of Seattle politics and now sing the praises of Sammamish, I just assumed you got fed up with Seattle and moved to the suburbs,” Tom told Curley Monday morning.

That’s not exactly true. The decision to move was based on his children’s future, not being sick of the city, Curley responded. If they could, he and his wife would return to the city, he added.

Living in Seattle, Curley and his wife could walk to many places. Now, Curley has a 25-mile commute.

So, if he would prefer to live in the city, is Curley saying the suburbs are “soulless?”

“You have to look harder,” Curley said.

The Times reports the data is indicative of “two concomitant socio-economic trends” in American cities &#8212 a rise in suburban-job growth and cities in the midst of a renaissance.