Where would you live...

[mazie]

If you were moving to Seattle in a couple months, needed a two bedroom apartment with all the extras, and had a $900/mo. budget? :confused:

My job will be in the middle of downtown, I'm looking at Shoreline and Edmonds on the internet, but I've never visited either place.

I am way too thrilled to be moving there :D and I don't want to screw this up...please help! Thanks!

[Gomezticator]

Nice places to live, both of them, but expect a lengthy and not so fun commute, like at least 30-45 minutes one way.

[Rain Monkey]

From the middle of downtown the best commute to affordable living is on the Washington State Ferry System. Look at Winslow on Bainbridge Island, or for lower rents and fewer extras look at Bremerton. Although the view from the ferry never gets old, Bremerton is a shithole. The daily fare is $6.10 for passenger only (no car) round trip.

[mazie]

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm looking at some apartments on Bainbridge Island. Just out of curiosity, I see on the map that there's a road to the mainland going west from the island...does anybody know how long it takes to drive to Seattle the long way?

[Gomezticator]

Even if it's plausible, it would take too long. You'd have to drive several miles into Tacoma, and then you'd have another 40 miles on I-5 to your destination. That's a lot of gas. The ferries are always your best bet.

[Rain Monkey]

I often drive around and can attest to the fact that it is completely impractical. And soon there will be tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The ferry system does not allow contractors to carry gas cans, so when I use small engine tools I have to drive around. I'm closer tho, in Bremerton.

There is another concern to the ferry commute, and that is that you can't really go home after work for a shower and then run back to Seattle for the evening. Although that is also easier on Bainbridge than in Bremerton.

I came home on the 12:50 ferry last night getting in at 2:00 and there is no bus service and not enough cabs, so I walked a couple miles when I really would have prefered not to.

Oh, and one more thing: it is really, really harder to convince a fresh pick-up to come home with you. But maybe that to is easier on Bainbridge than in Bremerton, or maybe you will find it easier then I do.

[CynicalGuy]

mazie, you may wanna consider west seattle--easy commute by bus to downtown.

[Rain Monkey]

$900.00 a month for a two bedroom plus "extras?" In West Seattle? I don't know, I haven't been looking, maybe there are places. That would probably be better than what I've got with my commute.

Maybe I should rent my house to mazie and I'll go to West Seattle.

But mazie, have you thought about buying instead of renting? $900.00 a month is more than my house payment and in the last five years I've made more on the increase in value of my house than I have on the job.

[CynicalGuy]

I guess for west seattle it would be a little over a thousand if you're talking two bedrooms plus extras, but the commute would be much more of a breeze to downtown than from bainbridge, bremerton or snohomish county.

[Gomezticator]

I guess for west seattle it would be a little over a thousand if you're talking two bedrooms plus extras, but the commute would be much more of a breeze to downtown than from bainbridge, bremerton or snohomish county.

Unless they shut down the viaduct. The West Seattle Bridge is the ONLY direct route to Seattle from West Seattle, which can cause trouble to say the least.

[raymondrna]

I suggest west seattle too, there are some nice places over there.

from the west seattle bridge you can get all the way accross to I-5, so the viaduct/99 is just one option, and also you can get off I believe on first and that's not too bad either.

i for one vote for getting a shithole apt or house in the central disctrict, that way you can try to get your $900 with everything (which I think is close to impossible except with some good luck) and you'll still be in walking distance of everything, can then sell your car for extra cash and stop paying insurance, etc. etc.

ps. I live on first hill $875/mo utilities included except electric (unit is heated by natural gas) 2bd. close to everything. just sold my car.

pps. It's too bad you're moving now, I would wait until summer as all the seasonal/college renters will be out of a lot of spaces (apts and houses) that are cheaper. This past summer I looked at alot of nice under $900 two bed rooms in the freemont to wallingford to U District swath of the city but I was holding out for something closer to downtown. When those places open they're taken up FAST.

I was just checking craigslist and yeah most of the 2br apts/houses are averaging above $1000.

Sucks. This post of mine is entirely too long.

[mjcrites]

Bainbridge Island is a good suggestion. Bremerton is a shit-hole and you’ll spend any money that you save by living there on getting out of there on the weekends. You might want to look at Renton and Kent, they’re not the greatest places (actually I like Renton), but they’re close into Seattle and there’s lots of busses. Lots of people commute from Tacoma to Seattle on express busses and the sounder train and like it just fine. Just don’t tell Gomezticator you’re planing on moving to Tacoma, he has issues. You can get a 2 bedroom place in a cool, renovated, 1920’s building for about $700 or so in Tacoma. If you’re into hiking try the east side as you have easy access to the alpine lakes wilderness and lot’s of express busses to down town seattle. I’m not sure what it costs to live on the east side.

I can't get real excited about the idea of living in seattle right now. First hill-ish might be OK if you're looking for a "big city" feel.


http://www.soundtransit.org/riding/fac/stexpress/
http://transit.metrokc.gov/
http://www.soundtransit.org/riding/fac/sounder/

[mazie]

Wow, and thanks so much everybody :D

I don't have any say-so about when I move because it's up to the company. I have too much exploring to do to get rid of my car...I have almost a year's worth of weekends planned already. See, I'm moving from Houston where I've hated living since the day I got here, oh, more than seven years ago. :mad: I fell in love with Seattle a couple years back and it's somewhat of a miracle (long story) that I'm moving there.

I'll be that woman skipping down the street with the silly smile on her face...say "hi!" if you see me :D

[Psychoholic Slag]

Id try North Greenwood. There are lots of apartment buildings there. You just have to look for the extras you want. I'd go to Seattle Times online and look at the apt. listings. If you can find out adresses I'd recommend getting a place north of 85th Street, but not much further north than 130th street. But it's pretty much all apts. on Greenwood Ave. all the way up to 145th.
The only problem with Greenwood (and actually all of Seattle) is just about every single person I know has had there car stereo stolen at one point. :eek:
Taking the bus from there to downtown can take between 20 to 35 mins. Not too bad really. You definitely don't want to drive to work unless you have free parking. It costs way too much to park downtown. A bus pass is probably about $40 for a month which would only get you two days of parking.
I'm rambling on now, but message me if you want to know more or have any other questions. I love giving people the scoop about Sea-Town.

[Shady_B_206]

Go to Lake City, the best hood in the 2-0-6! :D

[Psychoholic Slag]

I live in North Lake City. It's a cool area if you're not right IN Lake City like on 125th and Lake City Way. Go a couple blocks east of Lake City Way anywhere between 100th and 145th and you're good to go. :D The busses from there are pretty fast too if you get the right one.

[ParanoidDepression]

Lake City. I am one LC and 125th and it isn't so bad. Although going a few blocks east you do get away from the ghetto trash.

[Gomezticator]

I lived in Lake City for nearly a full calendar year, just a block or two west of the fabled LCW/125th intersection. Yeah, there's a lot of ghetto trash that likes to congregate in the concrete park and at the bus stops there. Overall, it still seemed relatively safe at night, but as a neighborhood it seemed like 'trashy posing as quaint'. I liked having two grocery stores and Mad Pizza just blocks from me, but I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

It was easy to get to downtown (41, 522, commute on the 306 and 312), Northgate (41, 75) or the U District (65, 72, 75, weekdays on 372) by bus, though. You had plenty of options.

[Shady_B_206]

I have lived in Lake City for almost 4 years now and it is great. Good bus routes, and being on 522 makes it easy to get downtown, upnorth, or the east side pretty quick! The buses would be even better if they came before 6am!

[mazie]

Okay, so I just jumped in and put an apartment on hold on Bainbridge. I had to spend a little more, a thousand and some change, but I was able to get a 2b/2b with all the bells and whistles. :)

I have never had more than a ten-minute commute in my life, so this should be interesting.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you guys were really helpful! :D

[Rain Monkey]

Okay, so I just jumped in and put an apartment on hold on Bainbridge. I had to spend a little more, a thousand and some change, but I was able to get a 2b/2b with all the bells and whistles. :)

I have never had more than a ten-minute commute in my life, so this should be interesting.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you guys were really helpful! :D


Riding the Bainbridge ferry is not compairable to the same amount of time on metro buses. However, riding the Bremerton ferry is compairable to the same amount of time on a "short bus."

[stan]

Good call.

Bremerton is truly a shithole. Avoid.
Tacoma sucks, too. I'm stuck here now. The train is cool, but the commute takes far too long - 90 minutes each way. And the latest train leaves at 7:10am, which means I have to be up at 6:00 and walk out the door no later than 6:50 to make it.

The busses aren't horrible, but their timetables can vary wildly based on the traffic conditions.