Is east side of Seattle a good place to raise kids? (Bellevue: houses, neighborhoods)

[joygovind]

We're planning to move from Michigan to Seattle soon. As most of you know, kids can play outside only for 4 months a year due to the weather here. They're stuck inside the houses most of the time. They do have friends to play with inside the house, but they get bored eventually not finding many things to do inside. One of the main reasons for our move is to find a place where the kids can get outside and play more often.

We were a bit discouraged by seeing the post "Confused in seattle". Is Seattle or the areas nearby not suitable for raising kids? Do kids get out and play a lot or are they inside the houses as we're here in Michigan most of the time? We are worried that we shouldn't take away the 4 months of outside playing time that they've today, in hopes of getting one all through the year.

Any info will be very helpful. Thanks!

[Ira500]

Yes, the eastside of Seattle ( the towns of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah) are fine places to raise kids and have good schools.
Do kids play outside in Seattle? Yes.
I think one's viewpoint varies depending on where one is coming from. Folks from California tend to find Seattle's weather brutal and unbearable, where folks from Michigan tend to find it pleasant.
There are kids soccer leagues all over the place here. I sat through way too many of my son's soccer games in the rain. You dress for it, and yeah, it feels raw and cold, but not brutally cold.
For many months it's cool and moist without hard rain. Lots of drizzle and light rain and just cloudy. November, December, and January see harder rain ( though we've seen an unusual amount of sunshine this November), and there's lots more than four months a year when kids here play outside.

[Inkpoe]

The Seattle area is very suitable to raise your children. There are many things to do and many things to see. I always recommend peope to check out a book called: "Seattle Mama Handbook" by Julianne Love Rowley... it's a reference guide to all the great kids (and family) related activities.

If you're the type of person who's going to stay inside on the account of weather... then you'd probably do the same thing here. People complain about the weather a lot here as well (even as mild it is, still too "wet" and cloudy, people complain) and of course you have those who say: No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. If you're determined not to let weather stop your kids's experience, there's a lot of group activities and meet up groups to join. We have many parks around as well.

[joygovind]

Thank you so much Inkpoe and Ira500! My boys would love to play outside even when there is a heavy snowfall. It's in 30's today, but still they were playing outside. So weather is not an issue, but they'll be more happy if their friends accompany them outside. I'm concerned if there will be kids outside for them to hang out with, not always but at least few days in a week?

[VeronikaW]

Originally Posted by joygovind

Thank you so much Inkpoe and Ira500! My boys would love to play outside even when there is a heavy snowfall. It's in 30's today, but still they were playing outside. So weather is not an issue, but they'll be more happy if their friends accompany them outside. I'm concerned if there will be kids outside for them to hang out with, not always but at least few days in a week?

I lived in the Issaquah Highlands for 3 years. There was a small park directly across the street from us. It almost always had children in it, rain or shine. We made the mistake of leaving Washington, but we're already planning our move back, because it's where we want to raise our kids.

[gwix98]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Yes, the eastside of Seattle ( the towns of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah) are fine places to raise kids and have good schools.
Do kids play outside in Seattle? Yes.
I think one's viewpoint varies depending on where one is coming from. Folks from California tend to find Seattle's weather brutal and unbearable, where folks from Michigan tend to find it pleasant.
There are kids soccer leagues all over the place here. I sat through way too many of my son's soccer games in the rain. You dress for it, and yeah, it feels raw and cold, but not brutally cold.
For many months it's cool and moist without hard rain. Lots of drizzle and light rain and just cloudy. November, December, and January see harder rain ( though we've seen an unusual amount of sunshine this November), and there's lots more than four months a year when kids here play outside.

Also look at the north end neighborhoods, Shoreline, Edmonds, Mukilteo. All have good neighborhoods and are a bit cheaper than the eastside.

[richwillard]

I have lived on the eastside of Seattle now for 26 years, most of that time spent in Sammamish where my three children attended public schools and played baseball, soccer, and they got a well rounded childhood with plenty of outdoor activities, even a fair amount of hiking in the Cascade mountains just east of Sammamish, which is in the foothills of the Cascades.

When the youngest reached high school age, we moved to Bellevue, where the public schools are also celebrated and highly desireable. I love Bellevue and its Park system, they do a phenomenal job of planning, improving, and maintaining their parks. I walk every morning now with my wife and our dog in the Bellevue Parks. We walk through trails in the nearby woods, up and down through the terrain. It is safe, clean, and beautiful. The park we frequent most is Wilburton Park, near the Botanical Gardens. It has two large baseball fields, and a brand new artificial grass surface soccer field that has to be the nicest one I have ever seen in a park. Their trail system there gives us a two mile walk on improved gravel or mulch trails through lovely terrain.

As a kid, I grew up in Medina, where we played outside safely probably 8-9 months out of the year. So, there shouldn't be any hesitation on your part. Today it snowed but only flurries. It froze last night but was mild today around 38-40 degrees, no wind, cloudy...a typical day for November, if it's not raining. I can only encourage you as this has to be one of the five most livable cities in America, and our economy is pretty darned good with its diversity and availability of excellent housing choices.

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by joygovind

We're planning to move from Michigan to Seattle soon. As most of you know, kids can play outside only for 4 months a year due to the weather here. They're stuck inside the houses most of the time. They do have friends to play with inside the house, but they get bored eventually not finding many things to do inside. One of the main reasons for our move is to find a place where the kids can get outside and play more often.

We were a bit discouraged by seeing the post "Confused in seattle". Is Seattle or the areas nearby not suitable for raising kids? Do kids get out and play a lot or are they inside the houses as we're here in Michigan most of the time? We are worried that we shouldn't take away the 4 months of outside playing time that they've today, in hopes of getting one all through the year.

Any info will be very helpful. Thanks!

Whaaaaaaaat? You only let your kids play outside 4 months out of the year? I grew up in Grosse Pointe, and my friends and I were out 12 months out of the year, no matter how bad the weather got. Heck, the winters were the best part. We'd find a way to get out onto Lake St. Claire and spend the day on the ice. In the winters, we would vacation up in Frankenmuth where the weather was even more ominous, and we'd still be outside. Summers at 4 Bears water park, autumns with a rake and an endless supply of leaves, and Spring with a windbreaker.

As to your question, the East side is the more affluent side of town, and all that comes with it. I can't answer your question as to whether your kids will be able to play outside more or not, because I can't figure out why it is they only play 4 months of the year where they are. I have my suspicions - and I will say that it rains/drizzles most of the year out here, so if you only let them out when it's nice out, they won't be out much, but I don't know for certain.

[CarawayDJ]

Originally Posted by joygovind

We were a bit discouraged by seeing the post "Confused in seattle". Is Seattle or the areas nearby not suitable for raising kids? Do kids get out and play a lot or are they inside the houses as we're here in Michigan most of the time? We are worried that we shouldn't take away the 4 months of outside playing time that they've today, in hopes of getting one all through the year.

Any info will be very helpful. Thanks!

While forums such as CD are a great source of info, please keep in mind that it only takes a few individuals out of the gazillions that inhabit the city that is called the "Internet" to greatly skew the reality of an area. A lot of things seem to be exaggerated a bit online. Online forums also tend to attract a lot of people on the "fringes of society". Once again, a lot of good info in here, but always maintain a bit of skepticism. If you can find your area in the forums, look at it and compare what is written to what you think is reality. It'll give you a good idea of how different our perceptions of the same thing can be.

For what it's worth, I may also be relocating to Seattle, and a good family area is priority #1. It is the single greatest thing we are looking at. The culmination of our Internet research, visits, and advice from close friends who grew up in Seattle has us thinking the Eastside will be a fine choice. We loved Magnolia in Seattle proper too. I don't live there, so my opinion and $4 will still leave you about a dollar short for a good latte.

[texastrigirl]

My kids play outside year around in Seattle. It's just that the short days we have right now limit their time. In the summer you get the long days...much like you do in Michigan and the temps are nicer here in the summer I think. The rain is not a factor for us personally. Don't let this board scare you...Seattle is a great place to raise kids. We live on the Eastside (Sammamish) and enjoy hiking, skiing, biking, boating, kayaking, canoing, paddleboarding, etc. The parks are fantastic!