How much is avarage rent in Kirkland area? (Seattle, Bellevue: affordable apartments, to rent)

[SunAndRain808]

I am thinking of moving up to Kirkland area in the near future.

I am currently renting apartment here in the Auburn/Puyallup area. I spend around $1K a month for a one-bedroom apartment here.

How much is the average rent up in Kirkland? People tell me it's really expensive, but I am pretty sure there are affordable apartments around Totem Lake, right?

[CrazyDonkey]

Totem Lake and Kingsgate are cheaper. For instance: https://www.zillow.com/b/sancerre-kirkland-wa-5XjLHx/

Don't expect anything near $1k, however. For any real selection, think $1,500-1,600+.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Totem Lake and Kingsgate are cheaper. For instance: https://www.zillow.com/b/sancerre-kirkland-wa-5XjLHx/

Don't expect anything near $1k, however. For any real selection, think $1,500-1,600+.

Oh okay. That price range is not too bad! But a little more than what I pay here in Auburn/Puyallup area

[RotseCherut]

From what I saw when I was looking to rent in Kirkland last month was that any 1 bedroom + apartment you would actually enjoy living in usually rented for $1,800 and up a month. There are many older and dated apartments or apartments built on very busy roads that you would not want to rent that are a bit cheaper. The Eastside has become another area in the Sound that is not very attainable to average working class folk. Even IT workers from what I am hearing are struggling to find good housing near the nicer parts of Redmond, Bellevue or Kirkland. There are some older and seedier sides of Kirkland like Totem Lake that are a bit cheaper. But most of these apartments will be older, run-down and may not have the most desirable elements of people living in them.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

From what I saw when I was looking to rent in Kirkland last month was that any 1 bedroom + apartment you would actually enjoy living in usually rented for $1,800 and up a month. There are many older and dated apartments or apartments built on very busy roads that you would not want to rent that are a bit cheaper. The Eastside has become another area in the Sound that is not very attainable to average working class folk. Even IT workers from what I am hearing are struggling to find good housing near the nicer parts of Redmond, Bellevue or Kirkland. There are some older and seedier sides of Kirkland like Totem Lake that are a bit cheaper. But most of these apartments will be older, run-down and may not have the most desirable elements of people living in them.

Sure, up near the hooker hotels and hospital. What did you expect, dude: can't touch anything west of 405 for less than a couple grand a month, seems-like. Totem Lake is waiting to be cleaned out and redeveloped, I wonder when someone's going to figure that out. For now, I personally figure that Rose Hill (North, and South) are where it's at in terms of relative bargains in Kirkland. Pinged Zillow, multiple hits for $1.5K to $2.0K (1, 2 bdrm respt).

Just my opinion, strolling around those neighborhoods on warm summer days. That pedestrian bridge on 100th makes it pretty easy to take a walk one side to the other.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

From what I saw when I was looking to rent in Kirkland last month was that any 1 bedroom + apartment you would actually enjoy living in usually rented for $1,800 and up a month. There are many older and dated apartments or apartments built on very busy roads that you would not want to rent that are a bit cheaper. The Eastside has become another area in the Sound that is not very attainable to average working class folk. Even IT workers from what I am hearing are struggling to find good housing near the nicer parts of Redmond, Bellevue or Kirkland. There are some older and seedier sides of Kirkland like Totem Lake that are a bit cheaper. But most of these apartments will be older, run-down and may not have the most desirable elements of people living in them.

I am specifically looking for apartments in the Totem Lake area, or actually, places near the hospital in Kirkland.

I have driven around there couple months ago, and the apartments complexes look pretty okay.

While I like the quietness of the Auburn/Puyallup area and my job/company, the people around here don't know how to drive (drive like turtles), people in general aren't really friendly out here (i.e. when I go grocery shopping, poor customer service, neighbors looking down at the ground when I pass them), and the big factor, is that most of my friends and people I have met at Meetup events live up north.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

I am specifically looking for apartments in the Totem Lake area, or actually, places near the hospital in Kirkland.

I have driven around there couple months ago, and the apartments complexes look pretty okay.

While I like the quietness of the Auburn/Puyallup area and my job/company, the people around here don't know how to drive (drive like turtles), people in general aren't really friendly out here (i.e. when I go grocery shopping, poor customer service, neighbors looking down at the ground when I pass them), and the big factor, is that most of my friends and people I have met at Meetup events live up north.

Right, which means those run down apartment complexes built in the 1970s on and around 124th? Yes, people understand what you're referring to, we live here. Nothing "wrong" per se with any of that, but it doesn't appear to have an urban core per se and that dead mall doesn't really count, that thing's been on the decline since I moved north of there in the late 1990s. Not sure what is left, because no one really wants to go there at-current. I chalk it up to retail in-general being on the decline.

I'm sure you'll be fine there, if that's your wish, which may be what you want to hear. Totem Lake area has little of the charm of, say, Moss Bay or Norkirk (south of 7th) which constitutes the bulk of apartments "downtown" Kirkland, in my observation. I'm not sure what anyone would see or do up there from those complexes, but hey: if they're competitively priced, that must be one of the last bastions Eastside and something to be said for that. The place is only ghetto compared to west of I405 neighborhoods, not in any objective sense.

I lived in a place a lot like Kingsgate a year out of college, I really didn't care and was a hairy biker dude anyway, probably part of the "bad element" in the neighborhood (another city). That's what I could afford, and I laugh now how reasonably priced it was even in 2017 dollars (maybe $1,500/month equivalent here in Seattle area).

[badgersgirl]

The Totem Lake Mall is currently undergoing a huge redevelopment. I am pretty excited about the upcoming changes.

Totem Lake Mall

http://centercal.com/coming-soon-village-totem-lake

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

...and the big factor, is that most of my friends and people I have met at Meetup events live up north.

To where do you commute?

For dating/social scene, where you live matters - the Auburn/Puyallup area is FamilyLand, at best. Distance and time to connect...

You might also look at Burien, which is also further north and has much better socializing prospects, and rents from $1,000 to $1,600:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...94_rect/12_zm/

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

To where do you commute?

For dating/social scene, where you live matters - the Auburn/Puyallup area is FamilyLand, at best. Distance and time to connect...

You might also look at Burien, which is also further north and has much better socializing prospects, and rents from $1,000 to $1,600:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...94_rect/12_zm/

I usually commute up to Shoreline/Mulkiteo area, or the Bellevue/Factoria or Kirkland areas when I meet people. A good college friend lives in the Bellevue area, and another high school friend lives in Mulkiteo.

So as you can see, a long drive from Puyallup to those area is daunting to me. Not to mention the horrible traffic that I face when driving back down south along the I-405 or the I-5 freeway.

Yes, I can see that the Auburn/Puyallup area is a family-oriented area. If I were to be married with children, then yes, I would not mind buying a house out here. But I'm single, and it gets boring at times living down here. Not to mention how people down here don't know how to drive properly.

You have mentioned Burien. But for the profession I work in, there is no facility in that area that fits my job.

Is life for me going to be really that good if I were to move up to Kirkland? Not really. But in terms of driving distance, I'm closer to friends and better shopping areas.