Bothell Traffic: Is it really that bad? (Seattle, Everett: new house, neighborhoods)

[MtnSurfer]

We are looking at places to live in WA including Bothell and its surrounding cities. These include Mill Creek, Lynwood, Edmonds, etc... I can live anywhere due to remote work options.

The primary reason we would move there is proximity to UW Bothell for our three teens to eventually attend. One of the biggest problems we would need to come to terms with is that we hate traffic. My wife and I grew up in SoCal and lived in LA, OC and SD. We can no longer stand living there and traffic is a big contributor to that among other things. Our QOL has been so much better in Monterey where we live ~ an hour outside of the Bay Area and any large cities.

If our kids attended UW Bothell and we lived within a reasonable distance (~10-12 miles) in Mill Creek, Lynwood or possibly on the way to Snohomish traffic looks really bad during rush hour. This morning, for example, I checked and Google estimates 30-60 minutes to travel 10-12 miles from basically any direction! That seems like LA/OC/SD kind of congestion. Is it really that impacted up there? It seems like someone could ride a bike and travel 10-12 miles faster. Then they would risk getting hit by all those cars.

Would the only viable option be to live right in Bothell, let's say ~ 6 mile radius from the school?

How do these crowds affect overall QOL in the region? What's it like off peak hours? In other words are all the local streets jammed up as well when navigating to different areas for various activities? How about weekends, etc? Let's say you want to head to the mountains or a lake? Are you always fighting some degree of traffic and crowd scenes... the human footprint encroaching on nature?

Others options we are strongly considering include living somewhere less congested and letting the kid(s) live on or near campus. That of course costs more but may ultimately be worth it for our own sanity and QOL preferences.

Thanks,

Derek

[homesinseattle]

Hi Derek.

There are a number of nice neighborhoods in Bothell and Kenmore itself. Lake Forest Park would work too. The key is to stay off the freeway if possible, those areas would give you that option. I was in Orange Cty last week for a short trip. As challenging as our Seattle traffic is becoming, I don't believe we are anywhere close to LA congestion.

From Bothell, it's just an hour out Hwy 522 to great hiking trail heads and skiing at Stevens Pass. You'll love it. This area just vibes in a more authentic and mellow way (interpersonally) than LA, that will be refreshing for you. Living in Bothell and closeby areas also opens up the possibility of visits to the cultural amenities (symphony, museums, live music, theater) and great restaurants of Seattle, which are enjoyable to have closeby. Bothell is actually a rather convenient place to be.

By the way, my feeling is to stay away from brand new homes. You get more for your money (and often a nice yard) if you get something a bit older. Although they are shiny, brand new development homes aren't built as well as you might imagine either. Good luck with the move if you come.

Cheers,
Vince.

[mayfair]

You could find a home on a busline so your kids could take the bus to UW-Bothell. Parking is tight there, so that would be a better option than driving. The traffic is substantial.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Hi Derek.

There are a number of nice neighborhoods in Bothell and Kenmore itself. Lake Forest Park would work too. The key is to stay off the freeway if possible, those areas would give you that option. I was in Orange Cty last week for a short trip. As challenging as our Seattle traffic is becoming, I don't believe we are anywhere close to LA congestion.

From Bothell, it's just an hour out Hwy 522 to great hiking trail heads and skiing at Stevens Pass. You'll love it. This area just vibes in a more authentic and mellow way (interpersonally) than LA, that will be refreshing for you. Living in Bothell and closeby areas also opens up the possibility of visits to the cultural amenities (symphony, museums, live music, theater) and great restaurants of Seattle, which are enjoyable to have closeby. Bothell is actually a rather convenient place to be.

By the way, my feeling is to stay away from brand new homes. You get more for your money (and often a nice yard) if you get something a bit older. Although they are shiny, brand new development homes aren't built as well as you might imagine either. Good luck with the move if you come.

Cheers,
Vince.

Vince,

Thank you for the help. So would you agree that a ~ 6 mile radius would be doable, generally speaking? When I lived in LA that was the key. Basically, you do not get on the freeway during rush hour if at all possible. So the goal is to live close in to work/school. However, even certain main highways would back up as well and come to a complete stop like Santa Monica Bl, Pacific Coast Hwy, etc...

In Bothell you have some major arteries like Bothell Everett Hwy which seemed to get jammed also. I did change the Google commute from from Mill Creek to 'only' use surface streets - mostly Bothell Everett Hwy. The distance is only 8 miles and estimated time between 20-45 minutes. I'm not sure if that is accurate or not.

Our housing requirements for a family of 5 plus an office (where I'll work) including size (2000 sf+), bdrm count (4+), etc... seem to place us in 'outskirt' areas given our budget (< $600K). Now if we open it up to older homes a few more things emerge... but not much. The market is very limited right now with rising pricing around the campus.

Derek

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by mayfair

You could find a home on a busline so your kids could take the bus to UW-Bothell. Parking is tight there, so that would be a better option than driving. The traffic is substantial.

Good point, mayfair. I didn't think about parking problems on campus. I'll need to do more research regarding public transportation from various communities to the school. I'm guessing it would still take just as long, maybe longer with stops. But they wouldn't have to deal with parking issues once there. I can only imagine what a scene the main Seattle campus is like.

Derek

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Vince,

Thank you for the help. So would you agree that a ~ 6 mile radius would be doable, generally speaking? When I lived in LA that was the key. Basically, you do not get on the freeway during rush hour if at all possible. So the goal is to live close in to work/school. However, even certain main highways would back up as well and come to a complete stop like Santa Monica Bl, Pacific Coast Hwy, etc...

In Bothell you have some major arteries like Bothell Everett Hwy which seemed to get jammed also. I did change the Google commute from from Mill Creek to 'only' use surface streets - mostly Bothell Everett Hwy. The distance is only 8 miles and estimated time between 20-45 minutes. I'm not sure if that is accurate or not.

Our housing requirements for a family of 5 plus an office (where I'll work) including size (2000 sf+), bdrm count (4+), etc... seem to place us in 'outskirt' areas given our budget (< $600K). Now if we open it up to older homes a few mroe things emerge... but not much. The market is very limited right with rising pricing around the campus.

Derek

Derek the 6 mile radius sounds reasonable, ideally south or west of 405 and East of I-5. You might want to check Mountlake Terrace too, prices might be touch better. Mill Creek would be in your price range but Both-Ev Highway (as you've noticed) gets plugged up. Keep in mind that most homes are selling for more than list price, sometimes considerably more. There is an art to being successful in this market, a number of things you can do to increase your odds of prevailing. Try also to be open to a bit less square footage and get creative (like a 3 bedroom with a bonus room or rec room. Also, look at places that need a little carpet or paint. Sometimes that holds down competition a little, a "win" is having 3 offers to compete with rather than 10 .

[mayfair]

The main campus has light rail as well as buses so it is well served by transit. The issue is gridlock in the streets around it and getting to the UW district. If you're near light rail, that's a good way to commute to UW Seattle.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Exactly Derek. You might want to check Mountlake Terrace too, prices might be touch better. Mill Creek would be in your price range but Both-Ev Highway (as you've noticed) gets plugged up. Keep in mind that most homes are selling for more than list price, sometimes considerably more. There is an art to being successful in this market, a number of things you can do to increase your odds of prevailing. Try also to be open to a bit less square footage and get creative (like a 3 bedroom with a bonus room or rec room. Also, look at places that need a little carpet or paint. Sometimes that holds down competition a little, a "win" is having 3 offers to compete with rather than 10 .

Wow, thanks for that boots on the ground reality check! I guess the market is still very hot. Good to know.

Derek

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Wow, thanks for that boots on the ground reality check! I guess the market is still very hot. Good to know.

Derek

You got it man, happy to help!

[Thom52]

Note there is an excellent bike/recreation path that goes right through the UW Bothell campus.
If you can find something within a 6-8 mile radius on or within easy access to the bike path, that is a viable transportation alternative for all but one or two months in the dead of Winter, and some people would say "year round".

I bike commuted for many years from Kirkland (North Rose Hill) to jobs in the industrial parks north of UW Bothell and passed through the campus.

The older houses (built in the '70's) in North Rose Hill used to be a bargain, but I am guessing they must be creeping up in price like everything else these days. People used to snub the idea of older, split-level houses, which kept the prices down, even though the lots were bigger and square footage was more than the new houses that were twice the cost.