Considering moving to Seattle (rich, money, quiet)

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by Whereto?

Bellevue would be what you're looking for matey

Honestly, Bellevue and Mercer Island are in no way shape or form anything like Pacific Heights or Nob Hill. They are suburbs and the part of Bellevue you are referring to is not within walking distance of any amenities, neither is most of Mercer Island. Madison Park and Capitol Hill in Seattle are both within walking distance of their own little quaint dt areas. Madison Park has the beach at your feet, great restaurants, ice cream parlors, hair salons, a book store, locally owned shops, a Red Apple grocery store, a bank, parks, a tennis club and the Broadmoor Golf Club. Madison Park and the nearby enclaves of Washington Park, Broadmoor and Denny Blaine have attracted Seattle's wealthiest families for generations. Downtown Seattle is just a short 6 minute drive or simply hop on the #11 bus and be downtown in about 15 minutes.
Madison Park

[allforcats]

Great photos, pwright!

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by berkeleyres

Appreciate the responses alot..very helpful. I did do some research, redfin primarily, and found that the density of listings in the $1.25-2.5 million is about the same in certain neighborhoods in Seattle city and Mercer island. What's more, if you take out the obscenely priced homes, $5 million and above, the price per sq ft is roughly the same between say queen anne/ magnolia versus Mercer Island and the houses are roughly the same size..3,000-4000 sq ft.. I guess it's the obscenely priced homes that make the area the "monied area."

The other aspect of this, berkeleyres, is that the listings are only showing the properties for sale. I'm thinking there are more expensive properties on Mercer Island. However, in both Queen Anne/Magnolia and Mercer Island, one will have a difficult time, if not impossible, finding a property affordable to the lower-to-middle class wage earner to afford.

[allforcats]

Scirocco, waddaya suppose is gonna happen to Billy Gates' 20,000 sq. ft. house a hundred years from now when his kids' kids' kids decide to move to Turks and Caicos :-)

[Woof]

14th Ave E. on Capitol Hill is within walking distance of most interesting places .... parks, shopping, hospitals. Nice people too, not snobby rich.

[berkeleyres]

once again, a tremendous thank you to everyone who has added something.
scirocco22, I think you are correct about the fact that real estate for sale only shows listings and that there are probably many more expensive properties on Mercer Island
Hey woof, that's the perfect description for what I'm looking for, "not snobby rich"..not the kind of rich that's generational...thanks for that one

[BostonBorn]

I don't mean to sound preachy at all (dang that toneless cyberspace: no way for you to hear the sincerity in my voice) but, for what it's worth, please be careful with the "snobby rich" label. It's a slippery slope towards reverse snobbery if that kind of thinking takes over. How do you identify these snobby rich? The clothes they wear? The cars they drive? Does that give us insight into their hearts so we can judge them as snobs?

I work with many millionaires, and some are very good people while others are downright insufferable; however, I believe they would hold those characteristics if they were making minimum wage.

Live where you want to live because you want to live there. In most cities, you might be living right next door to a multi-millionaire and not even know it. Just go with wherever you think you'll like best.

My two cents. Again, no soap box intended -- I'm reminding myself more than I'm reminding anyone else.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by BostonBorn

I don't mean to sound preachy at all (dang that toneless cyberspace: no way for you to hear the sincerity in my voice) but, for what it's worth, please be careful with the "snobby rich" label. It's a slippery slope towards reverse snobbery if that kind of thinking takes over. How do you identify these snobby rich? The clothes they wear? The cars they drive? Does that give us insight into their hearts so we can judge them as snobs?

I work with many millionaires, and some are very good people while others are downright insufferable; however, I believe they would hold those characteristics if they were making minimum wage.

Live where you want to live because you want to live there. In most cities, you might be living right next door to a multi-millionaire and not even know it. Just go with wherever you think you'll like best.

My two cents. Again, no soap box intended -- I'm reminding myself more than I'm reminding anyone else.

I identify them by their attitude towards others.

[Woof]

Boston Born, you're right to some extent, but I think statistically speaking if the rich people aren't hidden away in a huge gated estate, but are in a more modest house or mansion where they're closer to other people, and they like to wander around their neighborhood to walk the ankle-biter and shop and chat with people, they're less likely to be snobby.

Then again some people have thought I was snobby because of being reclusive, it's just that I have some social anxiety in person (not on the internet though, thank God). So yes, we shouldn't pre-judge.

I've always like the area around Volunteer Park and 15th ave e, I would almost always include it in any long walk .... loved the view from that little park across from Volunteer.

[BostonBorn]

Thanks, Woof. I like your response. The truth is we never really know what's going on with someone in their inner world. Almost all the time, I am a genuinely warm and friendly person and I make a conscious effort to connect with people and honor the spirit within them. I am, however, just as human as all of us and that means I certainly can have my moments.

On days when I'm out of sorts for whatever reason -- maybe a slight head cold, maybe a tough day at work, maybe I just don't feel right, whatever it is -- if I encounter someone and they catch me in one of these down moments, they might very well conclude I'm unfriendly, a snob, a jerk, a downer, or who knows what. It's not who I am, but at that moment to that person, I am.

wannabeTexan, you say you judge them by their attitude. I understand that. I don't think very highly of people who talk down to others, bark orders at counter help, that sort of thing. But you didn't mention the "rich" part. If someone has that attitude but doesn't have much money, are they in the category of "snobby rich"?

I point that out just because I used to have kind of an anti-rich bias in me that I was unaware of for a while. I realized I was judging people just because they appear to have more money than most (I say "appear" because without seeing a financial statement of theirs I have no idea if the nice car and nice car they have come from gifts, borrowed money, or what). I am not proud that I had that view for a while, but it was a valuable learning experience.

I'm risking getting preachy, so I'll humbly step away from the pulpit and go have another cup of coffee. Thanks for listening.