Where in the region can I find newer and more modern apartments and houses? (Seattle: renter, neighborhood)

[Anders15]

No offense but maybe it is because we have a family we are really noticing many of the apartments and housing aren't really that big. Also we were hoping for more modern looking apartments and such to rent. Where I'm from we were pretty used to older, "historic" homes in Virginia but in the Seattle area, where can I find apartments with more modern and up to date construction?

Is this because of the price range we have been looking for or is it just the communities we are looking at?

For example we see most apartments (we are looking to rent only until we get our feets wet here) most apartments usually have a dish washer but no washer dryer.. Sme had dishwasher OR washer dryer. Not that it is an actual choice but some communities just vary. Is this common all throughout the region? Any reason to this, like is it similar to some natural reason like why you have no a/c?

Do we need to look more east for "modern" and more recent newer construction apartments? I realize a lot of the apartments in Seattle are decades old due to the fair but where do I look for newer looking apartments and communities?

[SitoUK]

In my part of town this is really linked to your budget. You pay little you live in an early 20th century or mid-century building with few amenities. If you pay a lot you live in a modern apartment building with washer/dryer/dishwasher in the unit and a gym, pool and roof terrace in the building.

I am somewhere inbetween, in a old (but charming) building, got washer/dryer in the unit but no dishwasher (they preserved the original tiled kitchen and there's no space for it, looks lovely though).

I live in central Seattle and is most central parts of town you can really choose from the whole range, but you budget will limit what you can get.

[Inkpoe]

What exactly is your budget?

There's definitely newer and more modern apts/homes here and there within proper Seattle. The ones in W. Seattle are definitely going to be pricey. Then you have some in areas that are just undesirable (like Othello)... but they are relatively affordable.

[Anders15]

Originally Posted by SitoUK

In my part of town this is really linked to your budget. You pay little you live in an early 20th century or mid-century building with few amenities. If you pay a lot you live in a modern apartment building with washer/dryer/dishwasher in the unit and a gym, pool and roof terrace in the building.

I am somewhere inbetween, in a old (but charming) building, got washer/dryer in the unit but no dishwasher (they preserved the original tiled kitchen and there's no space for it, looks lovely though).

I live in central Seattle and is most central parts of town you can really choose from the whole range, but you budget will limit what you can get.

Oh ok I see. I thought that it all depended on the already established Seattle buildings. So if I moved say farther east, like cheaper areas east (if possible?) I'd likely still pretty much get what I pay for?

As a transplant, due to the history,the city im from is older and has older buildings but now population has began spreading outwards and the farther from the downtown city parts the more likely you'll find more newer and recent structures. They're usually all on the same level of price. You're saying in Seattle though, money more so than location determines what the rentals/communities look like?

[SitoUK]

I live in Capitol Hill and can't really comment on the Eastside. But CH is an old neighborhood with lots of older buildings, just like many other central Seattle areas. However, there are more and more new buildings going up on empty lots and, very sadly, old buildings are being torn down to build modern nondescript apartment blocks which, no doubt, will totally change the character of the area over the next few years.

The metropolitan market building and the entire block including Bauhaus Cafe are a good example for that. As a renter though it means you got the entire range form old and shabby to modern and glitzy to choose from. This is for central Seattle, Eastside and suburbs might be totally different.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

What exactly is your budget?

There's definitely newer and more modern apts/homes here and there within proper Seattle. The ones in W. Seattle are definitely going to be pricey. Then you have some in areas that are just undesirable (like Othello)... but they are relatively affordable.

I don't know what it would be like to live in that new luxury apartment building by the Othello Station. The neighborhood has long had a bad reputation. But the building is really nice, has good security, and an absolutely awesome place on the ground floor for gelato.

[Arushan]

Look towards the Eastside.

[Anders15]

Originally Posted by Arushan

Look towards the Eastside.

Does living on the east still mean that you need to pay more to get a more modern house or are all of the homes/apartments to the east fairly more modern to say Seattle/Tacoma in general?

In east do you mean as far as issaquah?

[tobester]

You still haven't mentioned budget - that will tell you how far from Seattle you have to be to live where you want to live. Everywhere has new and modern places.

[spotlesseden]

yeah, Eastside has alot of new appartments. The Kirkland apartment that i'm living in right is just two years old. Everything is new.

The Red 160 appartment in Redmond was very nice, but too expensive for me. Downtown bellevue has many newer appartments too