Moving to Washington (Seattle surrounding area) from South FL...need help! (Bellevue: apartment complex, rentals)

[nessrose]

Hi all! As the title says, I'm moving from South Florida to Washington (in the next 6 months), hopefully somewhere around Seattle. I have limited knowledge of the area as far as where to live, where to avoid, 'etc. and could really use your help.

What I'm looking for:
Safe neighborhood. Somewhere where I can trust that my car won't be broken into, nor my apartment and feel safe enough to walk around the area at night if I need to.

Clean apartment. I have no idea what complexes are good/bad except for what I've read on Apartmentratings.com, which helps, but is very limiting.

Reasonable rent. I'm looking to rent a 2br 2b for about $1000 a month, but if I could find it cheaper, that would be swell.

By "around Seattle" I simply mean it's within an hour distance from me and I can visit it on the weekends.

A little about me to help you suggest a few places:
I'm a recent college grad who studied in a very liberal town in Massachusetts. I really like that sort of environment--hipster, young, artsy, liberal, very open-minded/accepting. Jeans, flannel tees, converse, that sort of deal. I'm also used to the North Face/Uggs crowd too. If the actual apartment complex is in a quiet neighborhood but is close to the hipster crowd, that's cool too. I'm pretty open!

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[AlohaHuey]

Where you work in Seattle often dictates where you live.

Some people really like the city/walking/public transit/mom and pop restaurants, others prefer the suburbs/driving/strip malls/chain restaurants.

Cars get broken into in even the best parts of the city, but crime isn't a huge problem in most neighborhoods.

I would recommend a month to month lease and pick a side of the lake (Washington). I started in Bellevue and ended up in Fremont.

[sekhmet1974]

A 2 BR/2BA for only $1000 in a good neighborhood seems unlikely, even an hour away, but maybe I'm wrong. I live in Fremont and have a 2BR/2 BA townhouse and have extremely low rate compared to others places in my neighborhood ($1220). But salaries are likely higher here, too, so you really need to consider cost of living in that regard.

Like the PP said, things happen even in good neighborhoods. I live in a great and extremely safe neighborhood and had both of my car broken into on separate occasions in the middle of the night. Get an alarm if you can and a club (for the steering wheel) and park in the best lit areas you can to lower the chances of that happening. And have good insurance coverage.

[aa85]

I would recommend checking rentals on Craigslist - that is where a lot of the independent landlords list their apartments. You might also find some small houses or townhomes that are reasonably priced. That being said, $1000 will not buy much - a friend has an old but decent-sized 2bd/1ba for $1200 and that is an amazing deal. You're not going to find many places like that right now - the rental market has noticeably tightened in the last 6 months.

Based on your post, I think you would probably like Capitol Hill (lots of young people, very "hip"), but you'd be lucky to find a 1 bedroom in your price range and it isn't the best place to park your car at night. Some buildings have garages, but parking is expensive.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by sekhmet1974

A 2 BR/2BA for only $1000 in a good neighborhood seems unlikely, even an hour away, but maybe I'm wrong. I live in Fremont and have a 2BR/2 BA townhouse and have extremely low rate compared to others places in my neighborhood ($1220). But salaries are likely higher here, too, so you really need to consider cost of living in that regard.

Of course, I would presume for a 2/2 for 1K/mo, the closer to DT Seattle, the less nice it must be. But... within an hour range...

Just on CL alone, I see Olympia has 2/2 for $700/mo . Lynnwood 2/2 for $740-945/mo. Burien has 3/1 (duplex with yard) for a 1K a month. Its better to rent now than buy... I've been hearing of friends negotiating rents down to great deals/steals.

[nessrose]

I was getting the $1000 range from Craigslist, actually. Most of what I was seeing was being rented for even less than that, and as I said in the OP, I'm very comfortable living about an hour out of the city to find a nicer neighborhood to live in.

Also, is Everett a place to avoid at all costs? I've read mixed reviews on it.

How about Lynnwood or Olympia?

Thanks again all!

[Inkpoe]

Everett isn't as bad as everyone says, but it doesn't really stand out the way other towns do. I love going to the Jetty Island park-- so underrated and unique. You only get on the ferry through Everett. A definite must-do trip! (But is seasonal, and I think its now closed.)

Olympia is very nice, more rural (less dense) that the Seattle surrounding areas. However, the DT area is so charming, quaint and just lovely. That's the one thing I love about the PNW is the great usage of the waterfront. Great Farmer's market. Most people would say it's VERY liberal... but it's really due to the Evergreen State College. As a community (minus the school), I don't think it's more so than Seattle.

Lynnwood is a busy area. Not a bad place to live if you want close amenities to town and more space. Very accessible to Seattle DT.

[nessrose]

Anyone have any experience with Avalon apartments?