I know nothing about Seattle, but I do understand commutes. How long timewise would it take to commute those 15 miles versus the 6-7? Do both places lend themselves to commuting by bike? How much does it mean to you to be able to ride easily from your home? Does driving stress you out?

I went from being 5 minutes from work to being 45 minutes to an hour. And from a small home of about 1,000 sq. feet plus a garage to a bigger home. I miss the ease of my former life in many ways. Driving and traffic wear me out. On the plus side, I can easily ride from home now, but it doesn't make up for it.

I don't have a strong sense of community at either place, but that would be a huge selling point for me, especially if I were new to an area.