Safe apt living areas around University of Washington? (Seattle, Bellevue: transplants, 2013)

[amaiunmei]

Originally Posted by Ira500

If I'm not mistaken, the UW offers employees subsidized bus passes, available for 132 dollars per calendar quarter.

Yeah, I can confirm this (former state employee).

Parking is at a premium at the UW. I know folks who work there, and none of them drive. With the cost of parking - as well as competition from students and other employees - it's just not worth it.

Map of Ravenna: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?sour...537d579a408a61

[Kayela]

Ravenna is indeed lovely. Ballard would probably be the first place I'd look. It's got a ton of new apartments going up. Capitol Hill is terrific, and the bus commute would be quick, but it's getting more expensive by the minute and parking is a very mixed bag. I'd also keep an eye out for anything in Wallingford or Fremont.

Congrats on the new job!! Welcome to Seattle.

[baba_yaga]

I think Ravenna and Wallingford would be a great fit. Both are close to UW, but are quieter and have a nice safe family neighborhood feeling.

[RotseCherut]

I'd consider Greenwood, Green Lake or Ravenna.. The U-District has it's share of scuzzy characters.. I wouldn't call it unsafe, by California standards or even as bad as some parts of Portland, but the area has one of the higher crime rates in Seattle, due to the undesirables who hang out on the Strip. I recently walked past a Vigil for a guy who was stabbed to death in the Jack in the Box parking lot. That area I always felt was sketchy and would see gangbangers (or wannabees) hanging out there near the corner store. It didn't surprise me that a murder happened there.

The U-District also can be quite noisy I am told in the apartment complexes because of college kids..


Wallingford is dang expensive, I don't think you can get a 1 bedroom for your budget. Ballard may be a better option to get more for your money. Forget Capitol Hill, you will only be able to get a studio for your budget. West Seattle is another option. I saw some decent places in Alki and other areas in your price range, when I first came here to look. However, competition is fierce to get any place in Seattle, so you better be prepared to hustle. Nice places in Seattle can rent in a period of 2 or 3 days and will usually have dozens of applicants, many who are overqualified.

If you really want to save money, have more space, you can consider the suburbs around Shoreline, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way. The commute would only be like 20-30min. For $1200 a month, you can get a nice 1 or 2 bedroom apartment away from the bad areas. You may even find a duplex with garage, yard, etc. Good luck getting that in Seattle for that kind of money.

[skidamarink]

Wallingford or Ravenna is your best bet. Safe, quiet family areas surrounding udistrict.

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

I'd consider Greenwood, Green Lake or Ravenna.. The U-District has it's share of scuzzy characters.. I wouldn't call it unsafe, by California standards or even as bad as some parts of Portland, but the area has one of the higher crime rates in Seattle, due to the undesirables who hang out on the Strip. I recently walked past a Vigil for a guy who was stabbed to death in the Jack in the Box parking lot. That area I always felt was sketchy and would see gangbangers (or wannabees) hanging out there near the corner store. It didn't surprise me that a murder happened there.

The U-District also can be quite noisy I am told in the apartment complexes because of college kids..


Wallingford is dang expensive, I don't think you can get a 1 bedroom for your budget. Ballard may be a better option to get more for your money. Forget Capitol Hill, you will only be able to get a studio for your budget. West Seattle is another option. I saw some decent places in Alki and other areas in your price range, when I first came here to look. However, competition is fierce to get any place in Seattle, so you better be prepared to hustle. Nice places in Seattle can rent in a period of 2 or 3 days and will usually have dozens of applicants, many who are overqualified.

If you really want to save money, have more space, you can consider the suburbs around Shoreline, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way. The commute would only be like 20-30min. For $1200 a month, you can get a nice 1 or 2 bedroom apartment away from the bad areas. You may even find garage, yard, etc. .

$1200 is plenty to find a decent space in Wallingford. The houses there are pricey, not apts. Its just that there arent many apts

Living the suburbs of federal way or shoreline is not ideal. 20-30 min commute ie only if the traffic is clear. I used to live in wallingford and commuted daily to lynnwood. Even when I hit shoreline on the way back, I remember sitting in traffic for over 30 min. And federal way is just a crummy place who wants to live there. I believe the op got the job here with the intentions of also having a social life in SEATTLE, not federal way or burien. So there are other reasons to live in the city besides just work.

$1200 is a reasonable amount to get him SOMETHING in most seattle.neighborhoods.

[skidamarink]

Originally Posted by Kayela

Ravenna is indeed lovely. Ballard would probably be the first place I'd look. It's got a ton of new apartments going up. Capitol Hill is terrific, and the bus commute would be quick, but it's getting more expensive by the minute and parking is a very mixed bag. I'd also keep an eye out for anything in Wallingford or Fremont.

Congrats on the new job!! Welcome to Seattle.

Ballard is pretty neat but if he commuted on the 44 bus, that could be at least a 30 min bus ride during traffic.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by skidamarink

$1200 is plenty to find a decent space in Wallingford. The houses there are pricey, not apts. Its just that there arent many apts

Living the suburbs of federal way or shoreline is not ideal. 20-30 min commute ie only if the traffic is clear. I used to live in wallingford and commuted daily to lynnwood. Even when I hit shoreline on the way back, I remember sitting in traffic for over 30 min. And federal way is just a crummy place who wants to live there. I believe the op got the job here with the intentions of also having a social life in SEATTLE, not federal way or burien. So there are other reasons to live in the city besides just work.

$1200 is a reasonable amount to get him SOMETHING in most seattle.neighborhoods.

He said $1200 including utilities and utilities are expensive here.. SO I would equate that to being around $1000-$1100 a month for an apartment. I couldn't find much in that price range in Wallingford that was anything decent, but maybe I wasn't lucky when I was looking a year ago.

[AT-AT28]

Well, holy crap the apartment finding in this town is fast, furious and stressful as hell. I've found quite a few in the $1100 range but they seem to go real fast and the other ones in the $1300 range for hte new complexes like Thornton Apartments, Clock Tower, Belay Apartments and other like them sure as for some serious cash. I've been finding information that aparently more cars get broken into in garages for apt complex vs on the outside parking areas? The reason being is no one is around to view them doing stuff in the garage vs out in the open? I found that new fact rather surprising. So what in the hell is the point of paying nearly $100 a month at some of these places if my car isn't gaurentted to be safe in a garage area? That is so beyond lame...

And sweet jesus, what is with having to pay the pro rate of the remaing of month at these apartments in Seattle? Some of these places wanted around $ 1,800 for security deposits, pet deposits, administration fee and pro rate up front at time of move in. Holy hell, we don't have stuff like that in Montana, talk about this being a real culture shock!

Padmapper.com is proving real usefull in finding apts in my budget and with anemenites I require, I plan on coming to Seattle next week at this time to hopefully find and secure something that won't put in me freaking debt, yeeeesh....

I'm finding most of these apartments in the Ballard, Greenwood, Haller Lake, Maple Leaf, Whittier Heights, Roosevelt and Northwest area of Seattle at this point

[Ruth4Truth]

Ravenna, top choice. Check Craigslist to get an idea of prices and what's available. Covered parking may not be an option in that area, as there isn't much in the way of big apt. bldgs w/parking garages. But it's a great area, quiet, just like you want, with a beautiful park for walking/jogging.

The University Village area, below campus, has apt. bldgs w/covered parking.

Greenlake area. Some bldgs. w/parking, Greenlake is a great amenity.
Wallingford: quiet, but amenities close by

A little farther out, but still on bus lines directly to the U:
Maple Leaf
Pinehurst/Victory Heights (very close to grocery & shops, east of Northgate Mall)
Northgate

These are quiet family areas (xcept N-gate). Greenlake has more young professionals like yourself. Wallingford is a mix of families, students, some UW faculty & staff

You might take a look at mother-in-law apartments. They won't require all that deposit money.