Best Places to Live for a 30-Something (Seattle, Bellevue: renting, neighborhoods)

[meggymj]

I'm moving to the Seattle area from Scottsdale and trying to decide where to live. I've been to many different areas, but visiting is always different than moving! I just turned 30 and I'm not a hipster. Is there a place in Seattle for me?!

I'll be working in Bellevue and am considering living there, but can't quite get over the idea of being in Seattle so I'm thinking of just trying the commute for a while, since I'll only be renting for now and can move closer if it's awful. I like good restaurants and bars. I'm single and want to meet new friends and date and I also like to get outside and be active. Any suggestions? Thank you!

[Kayela]

One recommendation would be NE Capitol Hill - around 15th, north of Thomas, south of Aloha. It's kinda the 'grown up' part of the hill. It's got charm, restaurants, coffee shops, close to decent transit, one of the better commutes to the eastside from Seattle. It's close to nightlife while being quieter and mostly residential. There is convenient grocery shopping, a few places to workout, and just to the north is volunteer park, and a nice older neighborhood to go walking/running in. If you absolutely must live in Seattle and commute to the eastside (which I understand because that's what I and teh husband do), I'd highly recommend staying east of I-5. It makes a HUGE difference in how painful the commute is. Another place you might try is Madison Park - smaller set of shopping and restaurants, but lots of charm, close to the lake and very nice.

[Gardyloo]

Another question is where in Bellevue will you be working? Downtown, north, south, east? It can make a big difference as to which bridge from Seattle is more convenient (northern, SR 520 is tolled, southern, I-90 is bigger and free) hence which residential area in Seattle involves less grief from a commuting point of view. North Capitol Hill is one such, better suited to SR 520 than I-90; much of downtown Seattle as well as areas like Pike/Pine has (surprisingly) relatively easy access to I-90, not to mention decent bus access if that's of interest.

If you're now in Scottsdale and like that vibe, you might also check out downtown Kirkland on the east side. It's not as sterile as downtown Bellevue, has a ton of recreational options, lots of decent eating and drinking places, and you could commute to Bellevue on surface streets for the most part.

[amaiunmei]

Originally Posted by Gardyloo

Another question is where in Bellevue will you be working? Downtown, north, south, east? It can make a big difference as to which bridge from Seattle is more convenient (northern, SR 520 is tolled, southern, I-90 is bigger and free) hence which residential area in Seattle involves less grief from a commuting point of view. North Capitol Hill is one such, better suited to SR 520 than I-90; much of downtown Seattle as well as areas like Pike/Pine has (surprisingly) relatively easy access to I-90, not to mention decent bus access if that's of interest.

If you're now in Scottsdale and like that vibe, you might also check out downtown Kirkland on the east side. It's not as sterile as downtown Bellevue, has a ton of recreational options, lots of decent eating and drinking places, and you could commute to Bellevue on surface streets for the most part.

I agree with this suggestion.

Number one rule of this area: don't cross a body of water unless you absolutely HAVE to. If you work in Bellevue, and you're already living in Scottsdale, living in either Bellevue or Kirkland just makes the most sense. Don't subscribe to more commuting than you have to if you can help it.

[mkarch]

Agree with above. If you're working in Bellevue, you should look at the neighborhoods adjacent to I-90 and 520, and if you have to, look at the Eastside. It's definitely not the same as living in Seattle, but there are some decent, somewhat city like areas.

[CrazyDonkey]

Another option would be east Wallingford and north of the U District (Roosevelt, Ravenna, and Bryant), which gives you fairly easy access to SR-520 (via the I-5 Bridge, University Bridge, or Montlake Bridge). The U District itself could be a possibility, although it might be "younger" than you like.

MT-271 and ST-556 run from the U-District to the Bellevue Transit Center (and beyond). There are also easy transit links with Ballard (#44), Capitol Hill (#43 and #44), and Downtown (multiple buses, plus light rail starting in 2016).

556 | Issaquah - Northgate - SoundTransit

Route 271 - King County Metro Transit