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We are two native Californians with two kids under 3. We started our careers and family in NYC but after nine years we are moving back west to Seattle at the end of the year. We have some family in the area and are super excited for this new chapter.
After a decade of city living, we are ready for a change, but full-blown suburbia might be too much of a culture shock. Would ideally like a happy medium - a small house with a yard, but still walkable to parks, stores. My husband will be working in South Lake Union. We are hoping to rent for a year or two to really know where we want to live before buying. Looking for a 3 bed/2 bath single family home for under $3k a month.
Priorities:
- Kid-friendly (parks, the ability to ride a bike, strong schools)
- Under 45 minutes to South Lake Union
- Diverse (by Seattle terms)
- Walkability
- Strong, active community (knowing your neighbors)
- In our budget (~$3k/month for a rental, ~$600k when we do buy)
Obviously I know we can't get *all* of that but just wanted to put the list out there. So far we have focused our search in NW Seattle neighborhoods - Ballard, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake and we love what we see but are open to other areas. Considering our priorities, how would you rank those NW neighborhoods vs. Magnolia, West Seattle, Madrona/Leschi, Ravenna/Bryant. Curveball: I see so many listings in Shoreline. Thoughts? What about Bellevue? Too much of a shock from NYC?
Thanks in advance! I've already learned so much from past threads.
We are two native Californians with two kids under 3. We started our careers and family in NYC but after nine years we are moving back west to Seattle at the end of the year. We have some family in the area and are super excited for this new chapter.
After a decade of city living, we are ready for a change, but full-blown suburbia might be too much of a culture shock. Would ideally like a happy medium - a small house with a yard, but still walkable to parks, stores. My husband will be working in South Lake Union. We are hoping to rent for a year or two to really know where we want to live before buying. Looking for a 3 bed/2 bath single family home for under $3k a month.
Priorities:
- Kid-friendly (parks, the ability to ride a bike, strong schools)
- Under 45 minutes to South Lake Union
- Diverse (by Seattle terms)
- Walkability
- Strong, active community (knowing your neighbors)
- In our budget (~$3k/month for a rental, ~$600k when we do buy)
Obviously I know we can't get *all* of that but just wanted to put the list out there. So far we have focused our search in NW Seattle neighborhoods - Ballard, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake and we love what we see but are open to other areas. Considering our priorities, how would you rank those NW neighborhoods vs. Magnolia, West Seattle, Madrona/Leschi, Ravenna/Bryant. Curveball: I see so many listings in Shoreline. Thoughts? What about Bellevue? Too much of a shock from NYC?
Thanks in advance! I've already learned so much from past threads.
- MBM
Shoreline would be a good budget option, but I don't think you'll need to resort to that. Not like it's a bad place, just not very walkable and not much beyond strip malls. Bellevue is very shiny but lacks the organic character of the Seattle neighborhoods and I much prefer the vibe in Seattle.
The Northwest Neighborhoods you mention are truly great, especially Ballard, but lack a ton of diversity if that's a high priority for you. The Greenwood neighborhood - which is connected to Phinney Ridge - centers around 85th and Greenwood and is a little more diverse and a tad bit grittier than Phinney Ridge, but still a good place for families and has good walkability. Capitol Hill has some single family homes as you go East of 15th or North of John and has diversity and great walkable amenities, but it is expensive for a decent sized single family home there. Upper Queen Anne is a very nice walkable neighborhood close to Downtown with some single family homes but is less diverse and also pricey. I would check out all of these, though.
Have you considered Columbia City? (it's a neighborhood in Seattle proper) It has a nice, walkable business district, light rail access to Downtown, and is diverse although it is gentrifying. West Seattle has some nice walkable areas (although the more diverse parts of West Seattle are not as walkable) and tends to be a little more affordable, but feels a bit isolated from the rest of the city.
Fremont is another North Seattle neighborhood worth looking into. It's close to SLU and several of the other nice North Seattle neighborhoods (like Ballard, Wallingford, and Phinney/Greenwood), and has some good neighborhood amenities. You should check it out as well.
Magnolia is not walkable, not diverse, and not particularly interesting, so I'd rule it out. Ravenna isn't bad, but doesn't really have quite the distinct neighborhood identity some of the others do and is not diverse. The Roosevelt neighborhood adjacent to Ravenna (and also close to Greenlake) is probably a better bet for what you want - good walkability, more storefronts, and it has a subway station opening in 2021 connecting it to Downtown.
Madrona/Leschi is more diverse and pretty close to Capitol Hill and the Madison neighborhoods, but these areas are pretty sleepy and both only have very modest walkable business districts. I'd also consider looking into Madison Valley - it's a bit pricey but has a decent business district and is close to Capitol Hill, Madison Park, as well as the Central District (which has more diversity but is undergoing some gentrification, for better or worse). I think Madison Valley might offer a decent combination of what you want though. Madison Park, on the other hand, is a neighborhood with a nice beach and an upscale feel, but it's pricey and has more of an upper class, not very diverse air to it.
Last edited by Exlamatir; 08-18-2015 at 03:18 AM..
I raised a family in the Ravenna neighborhood and would take issue with it not being diverse. Obviously it depends on one's definition, but increasingly much of northeast Seattle - Ravenna, Wedgwood, Roosevelt, Pinehurst, Maple Leaf... are becoming quite diverse, powered partly by the University's influence, and also because these areas have a decent stock of modest family housing combined with good convenience to much of what you seek.
It's around 4 blocks (1/5 mile) from a supermarket, cafes, and a direct bus line to downtown. The elementary school (an excellent one - my nephews both attended) is a short walk, and the middle school equally short. Although your kids are little, the high school (Roosevelt) is academically one of the best in the city, very diverse, very "urban." The area is very family-friendly without being cloistered, very safe, and close to great regional parks, shopping (Northgate and University Village) and walkable from Top Pot donuts on 35th. (Not sure if that's a selling point or a drawback - the term is "attractive nuisance" in cop talk. )
That's just an example - maybe not your speed, but indicative of this part of town.
Phinney Ridge is great, we live there. 600K would be tough, $750K more realistic. Also know there is intense competition when a home comes on market, often driving the price up. For many of my clients, Shoreline/Richmond Beach is a sensible option. Although not very walkable, you certainly get more for your money, it isn't that far out and the schools are good.
You might also look at Columbia City or Seward Park, options that would check many of your boxes, including walkability, diversity, neighbohood connectedness, commute time. I think for you this makes the most sense.
For a diverse neighborhood with 30-40 minute commutes to SLU (less to downtown), lower rents and high-scoring schools, look at houses on north-to-mid Beacon Hill with Maple ES "9"/Beacon ES "8", Mercer MS "9", Franklin HS "7" as the assigned schools:
mbm, I think you would really like the highly regarded Next Door Media Seattle neighborhood blogs. Here is a the link to "Phinneywood", from here you can link to a number of other neighborhoods: PhinneyWood
Those are all great neighborhoods that you listed. West Seattle might be harder to commute from and you will need to watch the school situation, they range from great to bad, so watch which ones would be connected to your rental.
You might see houses for sale in those areas (northern Seattle - Ballard, Phinney, QA, etc) under $600K, but keep in mind that it is not unusual at all for those houses to go for more than $100K over asking. I'd almost count on it. If it didn't, then it was a very small fixer (big time - electrical, plumbing, etc). Also, it could be on a really busy road.
If it wasn't so competative around here for rentals and homes to buy, I would say you were in the ballpark, but I'm not sure about renting a house for under $3K, either. I'll let others comment on that, as they will know more.
Going south of the city is much more affordable, but I would really truly do your homework on schools if you do that.
Shoreline has great schools and loads of houses, but it really isn't walkable. There might be pockets, though. Also keep in mind that you want to stay away from Aurora/Hwy 99 (everywhere in the city). That's where the riff raff hangs, so while it might look like living closer could make it more walkable to shops, you won't like to do that walking.
We are two native Californians with two kids under 3. We started our careers and family in NYC but after nine years we are moving back west to Seattle at the end of the year. We have some family in the area and are super excited for this new chapter.
After a decade of city living, we are ready for a change, but full-blown suburbia might be too much of a culture shock. Would ideally like a happy medium - a small house with a yard, but still walkable to parks, stores. My husband will be working in South Lake Union. We are hoping to rent for a year or two to really know where we want to live before buying. Looking for a 3 bed/2 bath single family home for under $3k a month.
Priorities:
- Kid-friendly (parks, the ability to ride a bike, strong schools)
- Under 45 minutes to South Lake Union
- Diverse (by Seattle terms)
- Walkability
- Strong, active community (knowing your neighbors)
- In our budget (~$3k/month for a rental, ~$600k when we do buy)
Obviously I know we can't get *all* of that but just wanted to put the list out there. So far we have focused our search in NW Seattle neighborhoods - Ballard, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake and we love what we see but are open to other areas. Considering our priorities, how would you rank those NW neighborhoods vs. Magnolia, West Seattle, Madrona/Leschi, Ravenna/Bryant. Curveball: I see so many listings in Shoreline. Thoughts? What about Bellevue? Too much of a shock from NYC?
Thanks in advance! I've already learned so much from past threads.
- MBM
Ballard, Wallingford,Phinney/Greenlake vs Magnolia: Magnolia doesn't feel like Seattle. It feels like a 60's elegant California suburb. It has a small "downtown", much smaller than Ballard's, though it does have some nice restaurants. If you lived close to the heart of it, you could walk to stuff. But it's Dullsville.
West Seattle: It's not as far as people are making it out to be, if you live in a neighborhood not too far from the bridge, and you take public transit. The buses have their own lane on the West Seattle Bridge, and from the Admiral District in West Seattle, it's a 20 minute bus ride. a shorter trip than the Rapid Ride from Ballard. The Admiral District has a lot of cool old houses, and is close enough to the Alaska Junction neighborhood, which is the retail and restaurant epicenter of West Seattle. There are nice supermarkets in West Seattle, a PCC store and a Metropolitan Market. Views from the Admiral District are killer.
Madrona/Leschi- I used to live in Leschi, and did a lot of hanging out in Madrona when I lived in Leschi. Lovely, leafy, diverse neighborhoods, both of these neighborhoods have parks that are part of the Seattle Olmstead plan. The big issue of Madrona and leschi is the public schools. Maybe they've improved in recent years, but the wealthier folks on the eastern side of the neighborhood sent their kids to private schools, or knew how to manipulate the system so that their kids went to Options/Magnet/AP programs at other schools. Still, really nice and convenient neighborhoods. Pretty much everything is less dense than Ballard, except Capitol Hill and Lower Queen Anne. The northeast part of Capitol Hill is so nice(the east side of Volunteer Park and north and east of there. You might find a house to rent for 3k there, and maybe you can buy a garage for half a million, so that wouldn't be the neighborhood you'd be planning on staying in if you bought a house, unless you win the Lotto.
You don't strike me as the Shoreline types, but Richmond Beach is very nice. Just kind of out there.
Bellevue? Downtown Bellevue's pretty hopping. Fantastic public library. For my taste, downtown Bellevue is a little too new and shiny, but some of the neighborhoods are very pleasant. Some neighborhoods within Seattle feel a bit isolated, and there's not a lot to do, and some neighborhoods in Bellevue are a 5-10 minute drive from arguably the best Asian/Indian restaurants in the Seattle area. Bellevue is more diverse than many North Seattle neighborhoods. But outside of downtown Bellevue, it does feel suburban.
Madrona/Leschi- I used to live in Leschi, and did a lot of hanging out in Madrona when I lived in Leschi. Lovely, leafy, diverse neighborhoods, both of these neighborhoods have parks that are part of the Seattle Olmstead plan. The big issue of Madrona and leschi is the public schools. Maybe they've improved in recent years, but the wealthier folks on the eastern side of the neighborhood sent their kids to private schools, or knew how to manipulate the system so that their kids went to Options/Magnet/AP programs at other schools.
This is important to note for California folks. In the tonier neighborhoods in L.A., all the schools are top-notch (the parents move in on the schools and make it this way to avoid private schools and improve home values). At our local elementary school in L.A., our son went to public school with the kids of big name actors and musicians. And these people were involved in a meaningful way. (Nothing like seeing Slash at the spring barbecue, or having CBS build your media lab/library!)
It's not necessarily like that here, so it's confusing. The first time I drove through Leschi, Madrona and Seward Park I said, "That's it, drop my bags, I'm not leaving this spot." Then I read about the schools. I saw the schools. My brow furrowed. Why, in a beautiful area with expensive homes would you abandon your local schools? Not everyone does, but still, enough do that it makes the community feel disjointed, and it's kind of sad.
As for the comments about "having to resort to Shoreline (ewww, gross! ) I grew up in Santa Monica/Venice and I freaking love Shoreline and Richmond Beach. And West Seattle is the closest feeling to home that I've found, though it's also uniquely its own with a dash of right coast thrown in for good measure. It's simply awesome. I would be there right now had I not fallen in love elsewhere. I am a Sound-side type of girl, so that obviously informs my opinions.
I need just a tad sleepier, so I chose Edmonds. To me, it is the most perfect place on earth. Good schools, small town atmosphere, huge arts focus (a major writing symposium every year, huge arts center, strong local theater, fine arts events every summer, diverse and kooky, strongest sense of community I think I've ever experienced). It's like the town on Gilmore Girls. But real. I'd recommend it (I get downtown in the mornings in about 36 minutes) but it's certainly not for everyone.
We moved from Ravenna, and the last thing I'll leave you with is that the number rankings mean very little when evaluating school. My kids were bullied relentlessly in a '10' school, and they're the gentlest, goofiest most loving children. But affluence sometimes breeds a certain type of kid. Not all the time. Just sometimes. And when my sweet, bookworm son came home bleeding I realized I'd had enough. I've heard better things about Wedgwood and View Ridge. I also think Greenwood is up and coming and a good investment. It's very hard to go too wrong here. Involvement goes a long way, as it probably does anywhere.
Please feel free to PM me with any questions. Welcome!
It's not necessarily like that here, so it's confusing. The first time I drove through Leschi, Madrona and Seward Park I said, "That's it, drop my bags, I'm not leaving this spot." Then I read about the schools. I saw the schools. My brow furrowed. Why, in a beautiful area with expensive homes would you abandon your local schools? Not everyone does, but still, enough do that it makes the community feel disjointed, and it's kind of sad.
The areas around Leschi and Madrona are in or near the Central District, which has historically been a black neighborhood. The gentrification of this neighborhood has more or less taken place in the 2000s, so before then, those schools were likely long abandoned and it just became habit for rich people to put their kids in private school to avoid having them "exposed" to black people.
Ditto with Seward Park; within a block or two of the lake, homes are very nice and it's very common for people of means to send their kids to private school. Once you get about three blocks in, things get dicey fast.
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) 
) I grew up in Santa Monica/Venice and I freaking love Shoreline and Richmond Beach. And West Seattle is the closest feeling to home that I've found, though it's also uniquely its own with a dash of right coast thrown in for good measure. It's simply awesome. I would be there right now had I not fallen in love elsewhere. I am a Sound-side type of girl, so that obviously informs my opinions. 
