Simran Bajaj: ‘I don’t miss the smog’

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Sim says there is just so much to love about Seattle.

Simran Bajaj
Seattle, Washington

“I love the air here. I love that you can drink water out of the tap. I love that everything is green.”

For some it’s housing prices, but for Sim, the decision to leave L.A. was prompted by a breakup. A relationship tying her to L.A. had ended and she decided to move to Seattle.

She described Seattle as a small city, where it’s easy to walk around, with a good food and bar scene. She also said that there are a lot of tech startups attracting smart people to the area.

She left her family behind in Los Angeles, but she said she can always go visit.

sim- seattle ring

Is there anything that would have kept you in Los Angeles?

The final straw was breaking up with my boyfriend, because I’d already had a bad job and I was already thinking of quitting and I just felt like I needed a change. I had been there for 37 years. I’d never really experienced anything new and really forced myself to get out of my comfort zone. So breaking up with my boyfriend, I just figured, well I have nothing really holding me here. I love my family they’ll always be there. My friends are all kind of are doing their own thing or they’re married. I’m single and I have an opportunity to try something new.

How does the cost of living compare?

I thought for sure I was going to save money living in Seattle, but no it’s not cheaper. If you’re going to live in Seattle proper then it’s pretty comparable to L.A. But you can live right outside Seattle. You know twenty minutes away and it will be a lot cheaper. Gas is probably the same price of L.A. And actually the retail tax here is higher than L.A.

What do you miss about LA?

I’m miss my family and my close friends. I don’t miss the smog I don’t miss the fact that I feel like people on scene just don’t really care as much about the environment as they do in Seattle. I don’t miss that attitude I don’t miss the entertainment industry there.

This is part of a series looking at why people are choosing to move out of Los Angeles. Are you leaving Southern California? Share your story!