Unknown, I hear 'ya. I haven't lived in OR, but I've been there a few times and had to go train there once, and my wife has friends there, and I used to as well. It's very beautiful too. I'll try to clear up a couple nuances that weren't mentioned before, as well as bring up a couple things that I forgot that were very important: VA and beer.
To keep politics out of it, and I tread lightly here and certainly don't want to break what is really the one rule for most us on this site, is that OR is closer to CA and from experience, bordering states tend to share similar laws and culture.
The marijuana and the gay marriage were mentioned in conjunction with the suppressors to illustrate that it isn't a liberal or a conservative thing at all, it's just a trend towards lightening up and allowing folks to do what they want if it doesn't hurt anyone else, and it is a clear case of democracy at work. And, like I said, the big national news headline and the big three propaganda channels (CNN, MSNBC, FOX) generally don't tend to have any affect on our laws and legislation here. In fact, the suppressors were actually legalized by the legislature, and marijuana and gay marriage were put on ballots for the people to decide. That's how it should be, particularly for extremely contentious or divisive issues, local or national.
I suppose, for lack of saying it any other way, I guess I feel more free living in WA than I ever have in any other state I've ever lived in, visited or worked in for a few months. Not just the fact "We the People" means something when we vote here (it may be this way in OR) which is really big for me, but I do have some awesome stories, one in particular that I could tell, that would most definitely substantiate my claim this place is more free and democratic than average, but they aren't appropriate for this forum I feel so I'll leave it out (though it isn't religious or political at all). I'll just say laws are enforced here, and overall the Sherriff here does a good job, but they aren't zealously enforced on average and I like that. I want them enforced, I don't wanna be fucked with for penny-anny shit. I don't need my truck searched for a broken tail light, for instance, which par for course in some places in the South regardless of race or profile.
Forgot to mention: Seattle is the seat of the VA hospital, which you being a vet may one day need. You may be healthy now, but like the guy that gave my ETS briefing and now myself, I can tell you something can catch up to you later and you'll want to be near a decent facility. VA hospitals are notorious for being old and shitty --it's a govt. hospital NOTHING like the ones on base you are used to. So Seattle is shitty if you get admitted, good ER, lots of diagnostic gear incl. MRI; American Lake is small, no ER, but much less govt. BS (waiting six hours after appt., wasting time other ways, being treated like you're still working for them, etc.). American Lake is pretty nice and that's where I go unless I need a procedure for some reason they can't do. The I have to consider how close that procedure will be close to my testicles or how important it is to my life before I decide to go to Seattle VA --or any other VA facility, and truth be told, Seattle by VA standards is a very nice and up to date facility. Still, I also use civilian doctors too that I trust more for other issues and to get the back surgery I need sooner, when available.
Not having SBS and SBR sucks, but I'm hoping maybe we can change that one day due to safety --reduced velocity and mobility for ever cramped living spaces is one argument, don't you think? MG's may be harder, and they certainly are so costly that there won't be enough support to get it though no matter how you tried, that's just being realistic. Even if I could afford one, I'd get other stuff just due to cost. I shot plenty of 'em in the Army anyway, I was SAW gunner for my first position, and the really fun ones are REAL expensive, SAW's, 240's, not sure about M2's but the .50 is my all-time favorite MG.
We don't really have "bad neighborhoods" and I've never seen a ghetto in WA, period. I've been around, and short of homeless, who have it bad no matter where, even the poorest of neighborhoods here just aren't that bad, they lack the violence. It's just overall a really nice, safe place to live (if you discount the world's most powerful subduction zone just 600mi. off coast and this giant, but LOVELY volcano) with lots of different flavor, different neighborhoods, different cities, I mean, there's somewhere for everyone here and you don't just get that everywhere. There's nowhere I wouldn't walk alone at night either, and I'm not just saying that because I carry.
There are what I'd call "semi-bad" spots, but not many, and only at certain hours. Still, never had trouble. There used to be Hilltop in Tacoma, the infamous site of the shootout between a platoon of Army Rangers BBQ'ing at their PSG's house and some gangsters. But that was a long time ago and it isn't anything like that today. Not the big heroin or crack plague like used to be (from what I hear) in the 70's to early-mid 90's, though it's obviously here.
Back to sharing culture with the state you border. Our biggest borderline (I think) is between us and BC Canada. They're really non-violent and you can walk anywhere there in Vancouver at any time of night too. There, like here, doesn't have a large presence of gangs. I think most of the gang stuff you see painted on a wall here is probably gonna be from a wannabe-gansta, skinny 15yo white kid from a really nice neighborhood. Not to say there isn't a gang presence, to think otherwise would be absurd, but they keep it discreet. This place is 180deg. from 90's Memphis or LA. To compare with OR is simple: we share some of their gun culture and ideas when it comes to voting on issues, but we don't border CA and we don't have any influence from them either. Finding places here to shoot on public land is actually really easy, there are many ways to do it.
Another thing we share with OR is beer (but our beer is better! --just kidding). So OR, WA, MA (but you SURE as hell don't want to go there!) Germany and Holland have all gotta be ranked together somewhere. Seriously, we have good beer and lots of it, lots of microbrewers and home brewers here --you wouldn't call McDonalds a great hamburger, just like you wouldn't call a mass produced beer great either. Good maybe, not great. They make a lot of great beer here though. Lots of taverns where they make it in-house --you can watch, you can smell it. Get it fresh, know the recipe, talk to the brewer. Taphouses. One place has 100+ taps and what, hundreds of bottles? They rotate 'em too. Many, many places have rotating taps of 20-50 or more, along with as many 200+ bottles. Some beers, particularly what Uber carries (my favorite pub on this planet, but packed and smaller than my small house) are so sought and rare, they'll will go out of their way to get beer you can't find or get anywhere else. Really rare stuff, like Hitachino Nest Coffee Stout on tap, and this one beer I forget, only one of 6 kegs sold by the brewery to WA. No Wesleyteren yet, but I expect it one day (if perhaps I just missed it). It was tiny and my neighborhood pub in Seattle, but every neighborhood in Seattle probably has a decent to great pub in walking distance. If you like beer, either OR or WA is the place you need to go to, sorry, forgot to mention it. That's a fact, and if you have MG's or have 'em in your future, well, I suppose it's settled then, isn't it?
When a lot of folks make big purchases here, they may go to OR to do it, or BC depending on where you are. WA WILL hit you for sales tax on internet purchases of firearms, that's new, and that does suck. I'm not really up to speed on WA tax, my wife deals with that, sorry (she does tell me something about it not growing on trees... no, wait, that's in regard to money when I want to buy something!).
So I suppose that's it, I just figured I go to bat for the state I found I love so much and decided to call home despite no family, just me and my wife now, and my former teammate right down the street, or brother actually. It isn't called the Evergreen State for nothing, it truly is green year 'round here in some fashion or another. Lots of just good people too. And OR has a lot of the same good features.
If anything I said or the other fellow, Unknown said, you seriously need to dig a bit deeper and find out which one suits you best, because it may come down to details, and they're both great states and I suppose if my wife wanted to/had to move there for work, I really wouldn't mind it much at all (well, the move would suck).
Perhaps you should come visit, but to get a good idea of it, you need to see East and West of both states. That's crucial. Again, good luck finding a home, sorry so long winded, I won't say anymore I promise. I've just been around and I really love this state and it's very accommodating to vets, particularly retired or disabled ones.
