Young Couple moving to Seattle in a couple of years. Any Advice? (Yakima: apartment, rent)

[Sleepy_Kitty=^--^=2010]

Ok so hi there! My fiancé are looking to move to Seattle after he graduates high school. We both live in and near Boise, ID. I have estimated that we will have 10 grand to move on after 2 years of saving up. We also have a car, and a cat. We are looking to sell everything except a couple of suitcases, transfer our jobs (if possible) and move away from this desert in Idaho.

I am thinking of going to Seattle Community College to get a A.S. in Computer Science, and then going to Seattle University to get a B.S. in Computer Science specializing in Business. I'm not sure what my fiancé wants to go to college for, probably something computer hardware related.

I have always wanted to work for Microsoft, so if anyone has info on that please reply. How much do YOU make in Seattle and what do you do to attain your income? How was your moving experience to Seattle? Would you want to move anywhere else?

High Crime rate? My mom is told by our aunt who lives in Yakima that there are kids who get kidnapped at bus stops and raped in libraries. I am for certain this doesn't happen. My mom is very unnerved by the idea of me and him moving to Seattle. I want a higher education that will matter, and work for a company that has high respect all over the world.

I am all for the cloudy and raining days in Seattle. I HATE the sun. With a passion. Is there any good parts in Seattle I should know about?

[Zippy7fo]

LOL at the rape in the libraries....who told your Aunt that, Mel Gibson?

I have lived in the worst cities a American can live in..Detroit, Cleveland, Bmore, Philly....Seattle is paradise. Don't get me wrong, you have a large group of MTV/BET wannabe thugs who need their diapers changed and such, but it's no where as to what you could experience in the midwest or east coast....

[evda]

Tell your Aunt that there are plenty o thugs and meth heads in Yakima for her to worry about. We're just fine here in Seatown.

[Robineli]

??Raped in libraries?? Show me the police reports.

Be wary, yes. Fearful, no.

My bf and I work in tech, love hiking, being near water, cool/cold weather, and other assorted reasons. I would prefer not to divulge our salaries, but I can tell you the base pay here is the top end where we came from. Our expenses are the same, except for our "fun" fees - now we visit restaurants, ride ferries, go places more here and have to pony up the dough for that. There's a strong insentive to increase our salaries.

Are there any good parts? What are you looking for?

[AlohaHuey]

Those raping Yakima librarians will get you every time. The Seattle library system is a bit better about not hiring raping librarians, so you should be set.

Besides, Boise isn't exactly a huge geographic move if it doesn't work out. Four hundred miles is an easy drive in a day.

[Sleepy_Kitty=^--^=2010]

I am looking for something that is reasonable in rent. Close to public transit. Near downtown, maybe close to a cemetery? (I like to go there to think when life gets to be a bit much.) I do not want to be completely reliant on my car, but I like to have it handy just in case. Maybe water views.

[Ana_bells]

I moved here 2 years ago from Japan (I'm not Japanese, just lived there for 3 years)... and I came with only $3,000 so you should be fine.

I lived in First Hill which is right next to Cap Hill downtown. The parking situation is ridiculous.... I lived for a year without a car, but then got one and it was a constant battle to get street parking. Parking in garages/apartment buildings was about $200/month, and most were full. I lived in a studio apartment that cost $750/month. There were a few other places in First hill that had cheaper studios for $550/600 but they were more run down/bad ratings online.

We also lived on Mercer Island. Everyone says it's really expensive, but the parking is FREE, and there are quite a few places that rent 1 bedrooms (that are big 1 bedrooms, not the tiny ones downtown) for $800/month. There are tons of parks and greenery. Luther Burbank is GORGEOUS! Public transport is not bad, you can hop on the 550 bus from the main terminal on the island and get downtown in 5-10 minutes.

Crime? Haven't experienced anything yet, but there's been a lot of junk going down (shootings and such) in Belltown area.
Then again, I'm from Detroit, so anywhere seems peaceful in comparison! (^O^)///

[just4ivaylo]

You might want to consider UW instead. It would be a lot cheaper than a private university. Just a thought!

[Casportsfan]

Yakima has one of the highest per capita crime rates in the country, so yeah, using that city as a benchmark to compare to any city would make one wary. 357 aggravated assaults in 2007 in a city of only around 71,000. Yikes! Maybe grandmas' stories aren't so far off. 55 forcible rapes in 2003. That's one per week.

To sleepkitty:

In your poll I voted Education, To get my out of my previous hometown to try out a new place, People, Weather, and other.

Im also planning to attend Seattle Central Community College.

It sounds like it is a good idea for you and your fiance to move and try out Seattle and both of you have good plans!
How was your experience with Boise, Idaho and Idaho in general? I didnt know there was a desert there lol. I also forget that Idaho actually borders Washington state. Boise is only 8 hours by car and one hour by airplane from Seattle but seems much further away. It will be a cultural shock for you, but it sounds like you and your fiance are ready for it.

I have enjoyed moving to Seattle from New York. It sounds like you and your fiance will enjoy it too.

Seattle's crime rate I would say is medium/slightly below the national average. Washington state has a mix of very safe areas, some dangerous areas(Yakima is the most dangerous place in this state) and plenty of in between places related to crime. Washington state is actually ranked 25th out of 50 for crime for all USA states.

I would say the nice and more exciting areas of Seattle are: Downtown, Capital Hill, University District, West Seattle, Wallingford, Ballard, Queene Anne, and some other areas too so there are plenty to choose from.

However, you shouldnt hate sunshine/the sun because it matters just as much as clouds/precipitation and you should start appreciating sunshine/the sun. I love sunshine and clouds/rain/snow.

Seattle can definitely be cloudy/rainy but has its fair share of sunny and dry days.
I enjoy sunny and warm weather and feel like I have enough of those days here and actually enjoy the weather a lot of the time here. July-September is usually the sunniest and driest time of the year but that doesnt mean it cant be sunny and dry other times of the year, and it can still be cloudy and wet sometimes even July-September. July was very dry and sunny and got only 3/10ths of an inch of rain while this early August is cloudy and rainy so far. Mother nature/weather has a sense of humor here.

Good luck on the move!
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To others on the thread: Most people didnt seem like they wanted to be helpful and decided to have a sick sense of humor and only focus on the crime stuff.