Information about areas near Bellevue/Redmond (Seattle, Kirkland: sales, apartments, daycare)

[Island Gal]

We have lived on Oahu in Hawaii all of our lives. We've come to realize that Hawaii is just too expensive. No matter how much we scrimp and save, our quality of life sucks. Average price for a house is $660,000. 25 year old townhome apartments located 25 miles outside of metropolitan Honolulu, with a 45 minute morning, and 60 minute afternoon commute, are running $400,000 or more. Plus, you have to get on an airplane to get anywhere, even to another county.

Does anyone have insights into moving to the areas surrounding Bellevue/Redmond? We are looking at Duvall, Monroe, Bothell and Woodinville. What about schools? We heard Redmond has excellent schools, but I think the housing is too expensive in Redmond. Are the schools still good in the areas we are interested in? Is the weather really that bad? We've visited throughout different times of the year and Hawaii's outdoor environment seems more vibrant than what I can remember of Western Washington. Thanksgiving was much more enjoyable in Duvall, WA because of the weather. In Hawaii, turkey with all the fixings is a heavy meal when the temperature outside is 86 degrees!

Any insights would be appreciated.

[CJMom]

I've lived in the Seattle metro area for all of my life, with the exception of a few years attending college in San Diego. I have visited many parts of the country, including Hawaii (big island).

You asked if the weather is really that bad? When I was in Hawaii, it was December and it rained really hard - so hard that the streets flooded and I thought the island was going to wash into the ocean. In contrast, when it rains in Seattle it doesn't usually rain that hard or that much in a 24-hour period. The thing that gets to people living here is the perpetual grey skies and low ceiling during thewinter. And yes, it's pretty bad until you get used to it.

It sounds like the housing market here is going to be slightly less expensive, but not by much. I would say that many people routinely commute at least 45-60 minutes one-way, so you're not gaining much of a commute change by living here.

I'm not an expert on schools, so can't speak to the areas you asked about, other than to say that I haven't heard anything negative about the public schools in those area. The Bellevue public school system, along with Redmond, is supposed to be very good.

[Island Gal]

Thank you for the information. Every bit helps in our decision-making process. My sister lives in Duvall and she actually misses the heavy "Hawaiian" rainstorms. She's been trying to get me to move to WA for 15 years, so I can't fully trust the information she's giving me.

[DBM]

I currently live in the Islands, but for most of my life lived in Western Washington. CJ Mom's information is good, but maybe I can add a bit. First, the schools in the "Eastside" are generally very good, but when you get to the smaller towns it can be more hit-and-miss. The issues they face are keeping up with the rapid growth, as all of the places you list are right where incredibly rapid growth is and has been occurring. Where school construction has kept pace, you'll be in good shape. Where it hasn't, you may have to wait a bit for the new schools to come on-line. Regardless, pretty much any school in that area is going to be better than any public school in Hawaii.

The commute times from the towns you list to downtown Seattle are about what you face in Honolulu, but you may end up working in Bellevue, Redmond, or some other Eastside community, in which case your commute would be significantly shorter.

The weather is definitely a factor. CJ Mom is right about how and when the rain falls in Western Washington. I would add one more thing to think about, particularly if you're not a beach fanatic. I don't know exactly where you live, but if it's in a dry area of the island, it's probably been about 90 every day for the past two to three months. I don't find these summer days particularly usable -- it's too hot and the sun is too harsh, particularly for kids. If you compare the unusable days in Hawaii (a few for too much rain, a lot for too hot) with the unusable days in Washington (rain, snow, wind), you might be surprised at the comparison. Granted, the unusable days in Hawaii don't leave you all soggy, but it's still something to think about.

Last, I would disagree with your observation about the outdoor environment, but it depends on exactly what you're referring to. If you're referring to biking, hiking, playing sports, etc., then Western Washington has a much more vibrant outdoor environment. If you're talking about beaches, picnics, and hanging out outdoors, then Hawaii has it. This is related to my last paragraph, but Hawaii's weather is perfect for hanging out, but not for really strenuous outdoor activities. Washington's is more variable, but generally more conducive to sports and less conducive to hanging out.

Good luck in your move.

[Island Gal]

Thanks DBM! Your information was very insightful! We currently live in Mililani, have two young ones (ages 4 and 1). We are not very "outdoorsy" type of people. We don't take advantage of the beaches or parks. We try to stay indoors between 10 am and 3 pm because of the sun's intensity. So, you're right. The rain may not actually change the way we live.

In using the word "vibrant" I was unclear, and apologize for that. I was referring to the colors of the environment. I love driving on the H-1 and H-2 freeways and seeing the vistas of the Pacific Ocean, blue skies and white puffy clouds. Or, the rain falling over the Koolaus as you drive into town from the Ewa side.

I have to say that the views of Rainier and the Cascades is not so bad and I would like to visit the Olympics. We've driven north to Canada and south to Portland and the scenery was nice, but not as breathtaking as Oahu's. We really enjoyed riding the ferry to the San Juan Islands. I really enjoy the scenery you encounter during cross country drives. Hawaii does NOT have that.

I am hoping to get a job east of Seattle (Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, Woodinville, Kirkland). The lure of no tax on food and drugs, no state income tax and lower housing costs is very tempting. We are aware of the higher sales tax and property taxes and it appears that childcare/daycare costs are higher than Oahu, too.

We are weighing everything in our decision, so thank you for providing such great information.

[eastside]

The Bellevue/Redmond area is quite nice. It is expensive, however you can still find some wonderful deals on property. There are some schools in the surrounding areas which are more sought after. A lot of the outer-lying schools have gone through some renovations and are pretty nice. I live in Issaquah (about 20 minutes East of Seattle/Bellevue) and I enjoy it. There is incredible growth this direction, and many different price-points on property... to include new construction. As far as the weather, I haven't found any place better. When the temperature is perfect and the sky is clear, you want to be outside and part of it.... it is the BEST! Not to mention all the outdoor activities this area has to offer. Culture abounds, sports are available, so are numerous and varied cuisines!!! (Can you tell I enjoy the area! LOL) Hope this helps

[Island Gal]

Thank you eastside! We may consider Issaquah because it is more affordable. Are the public schools good in your area? We were thinking that we would go further east, towards Issaquah, instead of further north. Especially if we can find work in the Redmond, Bellevue area, because we will not have to go into Seattle. I'm actually not a big fan of the City of Seattle. I've really enjoyed our visits to Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, etc.

Thanks again! I appreciate any information I can get.

[LWSD]

The school district that serves Redmond is Lake Washington School District. I work there and would be happy to answer any questions you've got on schools. The district's web site is www.lwsd.org - there is a lot of information there, including links to web sites for each of the 50 schools. We cover Kirkland, Juanita, Redmond, and about half of Sammamish. Housing prices are less than Hawaii though still not cheap: there is a lot of housing inventory in the $450,000 to $550,000 range. As eastside says, there are some wonderful deals in different price ranges these days.

[seattlenextyear]

Does a school district really need to troll the internet to improve its reputation? That's a little creepy.

[VeronikaW]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Does a school district really need to troll the internet to improve its reputation? That's a little creepy.

I know, right? I can't imagine they're hurting for students.