Moving back...need location help please! (Seattle, Bellevue: transfer, neighborhoods, school district)

[Sadie181]

We are looking at the possibility of moving back to Seattle. My husbands old company wants him back so we are considering it after being gone for 3 years now. We lived in Issaquah and Bellevue ( lakemont) area when we last lived there.

Now that his company has moved to South Lake Union we will have to live elsewhere and that is where I am stumped. What area would be best for us as far as commute and schools. My dd is so the school district must be good.

Is Kirkland out of the question or should we try to stay away from crossing the 520 bridge? What about Green Lake, Queen Anne ( which I loved) or somewhere around there. ANyone have an opinion of those areas or can offer any help!

Thanks so much!!!

Jessica

[Ira500]

Greenlake and Queen Anne both have good schools. As do Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, and some of the NE neighborhoods like Ravenna, Wedgwood, View Ridge, and Laurelhurst. The problem with some areas in Seattle is that while many elementary schools are every bit as good as their eastside counterparts, the middle schools get too big, sometimes getting fed from 25 or 30 elementary schools. At least in the NE, they feed into Eckstein middle school which is very well regarded and then to the well regarded Roosevelt High.
But it's not for everybody, and if you're willing to pay the toll to cross 520, there's no reason to avoid places like Kirkland, oe even Bellevue or Redmond. I happen to like Issaquah and Lakemont a lot, but that commute to South Lake Union, while doable, would be kind of long.

[homesinseattle]

Hi jessica,

Welcome back!! I hope you are happy about it. Please look at some of the wonderful character filled Seattle neighborhoods. How old are your kid/kids?

[NewtoSD?]

Don't you know the answers to most of these questions after living there????

[Hemlock140]

Many people commute daily from Bellevue, Issaquah, and Sammamish to South Lake Union. That is not considered a difficult commute, with good bus service, and though there is a toll on 520, it's a lot faster now if you drive that way with so many people taking the I90 bridge to avoid paying the toll.

[RVD90277]

if your husband will be working for amazon, there are also a lot of vanpools that come over from kirkland. if he rides one of those, it's free for him and includes the 520 bridge toll so he won't have to pay out of pocket.

the commute on the vanpool is quick...around 20 minutes (or less).

[Sadie181]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

if your husband will be working for amazon, there are also a lot of vanpools that come over from kirkland. if he rides one of those, it's free for him and includes the 520 bridge toll so he won't have to pay out of pocket.

the commute on the vanpool is quick...around 20 minutes (or less).

Thanks but dh says a vanpool won't work with him working different hours each day.

Thanks Ira...You know so much about the area!

It looks like no matter where we live dh will have to transfer buses so we are looking back on the eastside where we lived before. We lived in Lakemont last time so I am looking there and around the Eastgate area. I am trying to get us as close to Eastgate P&R as I can. ANyone know anything about a neighborhood called South Cove?

Thanks so much!!

[Kayela]

It looks like no matter where we live dh will have to transfer buses so we are looking back on the eastside where we lived before.

If he's working for Amazon I believe they have a shuttle that goes back and forth to the Convention Place Transit Center. That's a major DT transit hub, and it's just north of Amazon. There are all kinds of busses that go there directly from all over the area. So - yes, he would have to take the shuttle after the bus, but he should be able to get a direct route to the Convention Place garage.

[texastrigirl]

South Cove is a fantastic neighborhood (albeit old). Though you are pretty much in Issaquah in South Cove. Have you thought about Woodridge in Bellevue? One of my favorite older neighborhoods there.

[RVD90277]

Originally Posted by Kayela

If he's working for Amazon I believe they have a shuttle that goes back and forth to the Convention Place Transit Center. That's a major DT transit hub, and it's just north of Amazon. There are all kinds of busses that go there directly from all over the area. So - yes, he would have to take the shuttle after the bus, but he should be able to get a direct route to the Convention Place garage.

this is correct in that there is a shuttle from convention place where all of the buses are.

amazon has also expanded so there are some buildings that are not in SLU and more downtown (south of denny) where it is walking distance to convention place so if he is in one of those buildings, he won't have to wait for the shuttle. in addition, they are going to start building a lot more buildings south of denny as well.

btw, the convention place transit center is south of amazon and SLU but doesn't change your valid point anyway.