Questions about Kent, Washington? (Seattle, Bellevue: buy, elementary school, college)

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by WestVsEast

First let me say sorry for the generalization I have done on here of any area I have very little knowledge about. For example I had no idea Rainier Beach was a bad area, thank you for that knowledge, I will scratch that neighborhood off the list lol. As far as Kent goes the only knowledge I have about the area I have gathered from emailing w a future co-worker about the area. My future co-worker told me "you do not want to live in Kent", without gathering further details about why I just figured the area was not for me and have completley ruled it out as a place to live..The prices in Burien are amazing. But im assuming there has to be a reason for that. I'm not looking for cheap as much as I am looking for value. I saw great value as far as what im looking for in Shoreline, but Shoreline's not going to work. I have found a few great apts in Greenwood, and I'm really leaning toward just putting in an application there and figuring out the commute once I get there. And I am just renting the first year anyway so if the commute proves to be as bad as I think it is going to be then I will move my search further south once I have gathered more first hand knowledge on the South Seattle neighborhoods..I just think it's really great Seattle is going to be getting an NBA team back in town! Im really excited to move to Seattle whatever neighborhood I end up in!

If value interests you - I don't see how that jives with commuting from Greenwood to Kent - that is going to be a pain. Burien is a fine place to start out in - and I am surprised that no one has suggested Renton.

Kent is ok - it is just experiencing growing pains. 25 years ago - it was much smaller with alot more farmland - now it has exploded into a growing city with a population over 100,000 with a large industrial area in the north, suburban tracts on the east and west hills, and an interesting downtown core. Crime is going to rise with explosive growth.

If you are renting - and are willing to put up with the hassle and cost of a commute from North Seattle to Kent - why not use that money to instead rent an apartment near the marina in downtown Des Moines? That is another city that gets a bad rap - but most of its problems are affiliated with Pacific Highway - which is sufficiently removed from the downtown area by the water to not be much of a factor. Des Moines would be a great place to get started in the area - and you cannot beat its proximity to your work in Kent.

[BellevueNative]

The reason no one has recommended Renton and the like is because the OP said he wasn't going to move all the way to Seattle and not live in the city itself.

OP, living in the north side of Seattle and commuting to Kent is ridiculous. Better to live on the south side of Seattle or west Seattle so you don't have to drive through the crowded downtown core every morning/evening. West Seattle is great, and actually less hipster in my opinion than Ballard. Greenwood is just an inconvenient location for your needs, and Shoreline makes no sense for you.

[secret_squirrel]

Originally Posted by Ira500

....a terrific bakery, a brewpub, a jail, a college, and lots of other things.

Ok, I read that as "and lots of other thugs."

It is a question on Kent, so it fits.

[Quantum]

First of all, I live in Shoreline and it is wonderful.

But second, you are not commuting from Shoreline (or anyplace else north) to Kent. Don't believe me, check the cameras during rush hour. Mass transit overall is an abomination.

Third, I'd describe Kent as blue-collar working-class with homes generally built in the '70's. All the beautiful trees were chopped down and tract homes built. (new non-native trees planted!) A slight smell of decay.

Fourth, you do not want to live in Seattle south of downtown. Easterly is Gangland, and westerly is industrial.

Fifth, it rains here at least 23 hours a day, except about two months in the Summer.

Have a nice day!

[chicagurl]

Well, speaking as someone who ACTUALLY LIVES in Kent, I'm amazed sitting here reading that we have high crime! Every night I watch the news, someone got killed in Seattle, fire in Seattle, kidnappers in Seattle, hmmmm . . . yet, I haven't experienced any crime in my over two decades of living in Kent. Wow, something to ponder! As for the previous poster saying it has the smell of "decay," uh, perhaps an ear, throat and nose doctor could help. As with anything else, it depends on where in the city you live. Yep, pretty sure there are homes from the 70's in Kent, but I'm betting there are homes from the 70's in Shoreline too. My house was built in the 90's, and there are still homes going up now - in 2012! Your choice of housing is varied.

Look, every city has its good points and bad points. You have to decide where to live based on your own situation. If you're young and single, I can see why Kent would not be attractive. There's a lot more action in Seattle. If you have a family, you have other concerns. My commute was a whole 5 miles. When the school called and said my child was sick, I could be picking him up within 15 minutes. That meant more to me than anything I can tell you.

I don't think you should shut the door on any community. You should have an open mind towards the move, come on up, explore the area and determine for yourself what you think is the best fit for you. We had friends move here and purchase a house on the lake in Ravensdale. Their commute is a killer, but they love living out there. At the company I worked for in Kent, we had employees from Bainbridge Island, Tacoma, Seattle, Gig Harbor, Bellevue, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Burien, Sea-Tac, Covington, Sumner, Des Moines, etc. Again, what works for one person might not be so hot for another, and what one person considers an acceptable commute is horrible to another.

Welcome to Washington, I hope you love it as much as we do and hope your new job is all that and more!

[new_to_seattle]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Uhmmm.... Do not look at Shoreline! General rule of thumb, if you work north of the city, live north and vice versa.

Hardly anything "small" about Kent... it's a very well populated suburb (so, no not a part of Proper Seattle) and the general traffic will remind you of this. There's a good amount of racial diversity... lots of homes and affordable apartments around. Its also a bit bland, with areas that can be skeevy; it has the Kent Station which doubles as a mall and a train/bus station. The train that goes through Kent is a heavy rail commuter train, which has a limited schedule; you might find it more convenient to use the bus instead.

If living in Proper Seattle is important, then look to Columbia City, West Seattle... even Capitol Hill would be fine (though just a bit more traffic getting out of Seattle DT).

I'm not sure what you mean by "really good value" because generally living south of Seattle is more affordable than north.

Shoreline is actually a nice place to live with some great beaches close by. Everyone i work with lives north of the city and most live south of the city. Your post doesnt make sense.

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by new_to_seattle

Shoreline is actually a nice place to live with some great beaches close by. Everyone i work with lives north of the city and most live south of the city. Your post doesnt make sense.

Huh? Everyone lives north but most live south?

No one here said Shoreline wasn't nice. We just said people who commute from Shoreline to Kent are crazy.

[new_to_seattle]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

[/b]

Huh? Everyone lives north but most live south?

No one here said Shoreline wasn't nice. We just said people who commute from Shoreline to Kent are crazy.

Everyone works north of the city and most live south of where they wok not further north.

[Quantum]

Mass transit here has never really gotten off the ground. It's taken massive effort, with all the resistance from SoCals, to get what meager bus and train service we have.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by new_to_seattle

Everyone works north of the city and most live south of where they wok not further north.

Tell that to the people who work in White Center, Boulevard Park, Renton, Tukwila, Burien, Kent, Des Moines, SeaTac, Federal Way, Auburn, Maple Valley, and Enumclaw.

Oh wait - they don't count.