Moving from SW Florida to Seattle (apartments, lease, house) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

MafHoney · 08-28-2011, 10:51 AM

Basically I'm looking for any and all suggestions from those who already live there. It'll just be my husband, me and our dog.

Right now we make really decent money... around $135k a year. We have no doubt that we'll be making less than that moving out there and that's fine with us, but we'd still like to not live off ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches. I'm a store manager and my husband is pretty high up in one of the fire departments here. I wouldn't be able to transfer my position since the closest store is in the outlet mall, and since we plan on going with just one car I'd like to be able to walk or take a bus/bike to work. He's been looking into FD jobs out there at the Chief level, but that's a pretty big process since every state has different rules and qualifications as far as classes and training goes.

I'm looking into 1 bed with a den or 2 bedroom apartments, and the prices are really not that bad (until you compare it to the fact that we pay that much for a 3000sq ft house now.. but I'm trying not to think about that!), but I'm not sure about neighborhoods. We have friends who live in Lower Queen Anne and LOVE it, but hate the apartment and can't wait to move (one of those places where the models are great and updated.. the ones you move into though.. not so much!). I saw a few places in Belltown, but looking around it doesn't seem like such a great place? I have a couple places in mind that are in West Seattle that I really like. They're near Junction which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. But very new places. We do NOT want suburbs. We both want city life with cool/cold weather and not have to look at another palm tree again (really.. we've both lived here since we were kids and neither of us can stand it. We hate the beach, the sun that makes you feel like you're in an oven 10 months a year, and like I said before.. palm trees.. bring on the misty rain and gloom!)

Just a few finishing questions.. Obviously parking is different at each apartment and subject to their terms, but what about electric/water/tv/internet? Any basic amounts we can expect to pay for those? I'm imagining that since we wouldn't need the a/c to run all day at 72 just to keep in comfortable we can say goodbye to the $300 monthly electric bills? HA!

Seacove · 08-28-2011, 11:52 AM

West Seattle is completely awesome. Everyone goes for downtown Seattle and if you love the city, that's great. It's just hard to imagine you giving up what sounds like a pretty good income and jobs for what could be much less and cost much more. Quite a sacrifice. I know someone who's husband is a fire chief and it seems like you have to work for years to get to each level and that's from the inside. It would seem harder to come in at a level from the outside but maybe your husband has the credentials and experience to do that.

Jalhop · 08-28-2011, 12:43 PM

Not only will you not need to run the a/c, you won't have it! Some places, esp. poorly constructed ones, can get hot inside in the summer. Make sure you have good air flow through the unit, preferably trees that shade it. Hot here, though, is 80+ and for 2 months.

West Seattle is a suburb, I'd say. It's also a good place to live by most measures. The commute from there to Seattle downtown can be nasty. Belltown seems to be in the news a lot, for shootings after the bars close. Upper Queen Anne (on top of the hill) is probably the safest close-in neighborhood, and the most like a suburb (there is one main street of shops / grocery on top). Other places young childless folk like are Capitol Hill, Freemont, Wallingford, and Ballard.

You might consider something along the light-rail system, like Beacon Hill. The system will eventually extend through Capitol Hill to the U-District.

Commutes can be nasty here in general. Often it's best to find the jobs and then a more permanent place to live. Keep in mind the Metro Trip Planner for bus routes.

MafHoney · 08-28-2011, 02:06 PM

Seacove - Trust me.. all our friends think we're crazy. But, this place just sucks for us. Yeah, we make really good money to live very comfortably, but in terms of going to new places, seeing live bands, being able to walk mostly everywhere, that isn't here. We want a city environment (without BIG city like New York.. Chicago was the top spot for a long time, but not a chance will I make it past one snowstorm). I'd rather make less money and be happier than make a bunch of money and just be bored. He also does screen printing on the side (as well as teaching Paramedic school), and he's been talking about making that into a full time thing out there since he's starting to get really busy with it. He's been in the fire service for 20 some years and he's been talking about a change for awhile.

Jal - Is it easier to take a bus from West Seattle? The friends who live in Queen Anne were talking about moving out there once their lease was up and there's a ferry as well? Fremont looks a little further away (according to Google Maps), unless I'm looking at the wrong Fremont (and that's quite possible.. I have no sense of direction..).

Ira500 · 08-28-2011, 02:21 PM

The number 54 bus runs from the West Seattle Junction to 3rd and Pike in downtown Seattle and takes 16 minutes. West Seattle is actually a bunch of neighborhoods, some nicer than others. I happen to love the West Seattle Junction neighborhood, also known as the Alaska junction, the area around California Avenue and SW Alaska St, but Alki is very popular , with killer views of the water and downtown Seattle, and a passenger only water taxi that crosses the bay in about 10 minutes. The admiral District is another nice West Seattle 'hood. Buses do better than cars going into downtown because they have an exclusive lane on the West Seattle bridge. Cars can do fine too, but at rush hour it's pretty miserable.
Capitol Hill is probably the most urban neighborhood in Seattle, the most densely populated with tons of good restaurants, live music, etc...
West Seattle doesn't feel like a suburb to me. The West seattle junction feels like it's own friendly little town. It has more character than a lot of suburbs do...A little further south of the Junction is Seattle's best place for breakfast, Meander's. The building has been there since the 20's ( and looks it) and seats maybe 12 people, but boy howdy! it's good.

MafHoney · 08-28-2011, 02:23 PM

Also wanted to ask because I just came across it.. Harbor Steps apartments? The grounds look nice and the inside looks great with amenities that we're looking for. But I'm trying to figure out why a 1 bed + den and 2 bathrooms with 1350 sq ft with city views is WAY cheaper (like.. $150.. so not outrageously cheaper, but enough!) than a 1/1 660 sq ft place? Seriously? It's on multiple websites so I'm pretty sure it's not a typo..

Ira500 · 08-28-2011, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MafHoney

Also wanted to ask because I just came across it.. Harbor Steps apartments? The grounds look nice and the inside looks great with amenities that we're looking for. But I'm trying to figure out why a 1 bed + den and 2 bathrooms with 1350 sq ft with city views is WAY cheaper (like.. $150.. so not outrageously cheaper, but enough!) than a 1/1 660 sq ft place? Seriously? It's on multiple websites so I'm pretty sure it's not a typo..

A couple of things come to mind. Does the smaller unit have a water view? That'll cost you. Also, I'm thinking that the larger unit might be a lot noisier, since it may be closer to the Highway 99/Alaskan Way elevated viaduct structure.

Seacove · 08-28-2011, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MafHoney

Jal - Is it easier to take a bus from West Seattle? The friends who live in Queen Anne were talking about moving out there once their lease was up and there's a ferry as well?

There's a water taxi from Pier 50 to West Seattle. You can even see a video of the trip form the Salty's restaurant website.
http://www.saltys.com/seattle/

Just scroll down to see the video.

Jalhop · 08-28-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MafHoney

Jal - Is it easier to take a bus from West Seattle? The friends who live in Queen Anne were talking about moving out there once their lease was up and there's a ferry as well? Fremont looks a little further away (according to Google Maps), unless I'm looking at the wrong Fremont (and that's quite possible.. I have no sense of direction..).

Ira answered some of this. The water taxi just goes from point A in West Seattle to point B in downtown Seattle, so you'd need to get to point A and from point B somehow. (I much prefer to visit the neighborhoods around downtown Seattle than downtown itself.) Fremont is closer timewise to other close-in parts of Seattle. Google for "Fremont Bridge Seattle"; it's on the north side of the bridge. Wallingford is to the east, north of Gas Works Park.

Not to knock West Seattle, but the more you know... I lived on top of Queen Anne for a few years. It's not the most lively place but is very convenient to Fremont and other lively places. The top of QA is significantly different than the lower part where your friend lives.

Hemlock140 · 08-28-2011, 06:39 PM

Here the $300 utility bills are in the winter to heat, not in the summer to cool, in our 3,000 sf house.

Unfortunately winter lasts a lot longer than summer here so in the end the bills cost more per year.

Still, in a small apartment it shouldn't be that bad especially if you are between floors so have someone above and below you to help insulate.