Good neighborhood, good schools not too far from Bellevue? (Seattle: rentals, townhomes)

[AnnieMill]

We looked at Bellevue. The schools don't seem as good though. I also read that some areas are not for a family at all. I don't know...It makes it harder, from San Diego, to figure out where a good area is and what school it belongs to.
My husband works 2.5 miles North East from the Bellevue Transit Bellevue. Now he is talking about bringing his bike to get from the bus to his office...Not easy! But I guess he could...
What are the nice areas of Bellevue? That would certainly be easier!
Thanks for the tips!
Annie

[WestCoastDiva]

Hey Seattle isn't so bad! I'm originally from Seattle, but I now live in San Diego, have lived here for the past 20+ years, but the majority of my family, still in Seattle, and now I must move back to help out with my elderly mother, ( we'll be living in Kirkland). I will miss my morning dose of sunshine, but I will love being surrounded by beautiful trees once again! ( There are a lot of Palm trees here, but a lot of them look awful!) The people in Seattle are absolutely wonderful too! I'll be back in my hometown by October!!

[Seattletony]

Thank you WestCoastDiva for sticking up for your hometown and for being the voice of reason.

[philiplo]

AnnieMill -

You wrote that the Bellevue schools "don't look as good." As good as what? They're pretty darn good. Most of the districts in the area score well on national tests. There's also a good IB program available (http://www.ibbellevue.org/) (broken link).

As far as commuting, your best bet in the Bellevue area is to think east/west. The north/south commutes are murder! If your current home gets you a nice price, look at the high-rent areas -- Medina, Mercer Island & such. There's been a lot of development the last 15 years in Issaquah, and the commute from there wouldn't be bad.

After living in the Factoria/Eastgate area of Bellevue for many years, I moved my family to North Bend. It's not one of the first communities people think of, but it's a nice town with a 20-minute commute (I-90 straight shot) to Bellevue.

Best wishes & best of luck wherever you end up.

[AnnieMill]

I was talking about Bellevue schools compared to Woodinville schools. But you are right, a few of them in bell vue have good results on GreatSchool.net

Unfortunately, we rent in San Diego and won't make any profit. Our hope is to be able to buy in Seattle...

We'll look in Issaquah, maybe the traffic won't be as bad as Woodinville?

Thanks for your help. It is quite a puzzle to figure out where to look...

[jwb123]

The problem with Bellevue, is that it can be spotty. Both in neighborhoods, shopping areas - and school districts. In my opinion, I don't just look at the statistical numbers & tests for choosing a school district - you have to look at the whole picture. Bellevue is sort of getting a "small city" feel to it - and personally, with little kids in school, I like a more "neighborhood" and "community" feel. Issaquah, specifically Klahanie, has a neighborhood school.

Woodinville has bad traffic simply because it's fairly difficult to get to. Small 2 lane roads through congested towns.

Issaquah will have traffic back up, but not like Woodinville.

Another plus, the public transportation/bus system/ride share is widely used in the area - and Issaquah has a major park and ride. My husband used it when he worked downtown and we lived in Klahanie. It's a great way to commute - and there are lots of "ride share" paid benefits offered through most employers, as well as state and city... the HOV lanes are *generally* wide open, so the commute is not an issue at all.

[jwb123]

I agree that North Bend might be worth a look. I have not been out there - so I can't say specifically...

[dpf11970]

We are also moving to Seattle with young kids and are searching for a location. My husband is in sales and will be in Bellevue, Downtown and at the airport. We currently live in Denver, so I can understand how difficult it is to choose an area from afar.

After much discussion, I think (clearly, I am not confident here) that we will either go to Issaquah, Maple Valley or Sammamish. All three seem to have good schools, access to amenities and somewhat reasonable prices. I'll let you know what we decide (and you do the same?)!

[AnnieMill]

Well, thanks! I will look more into Issaquah now! How helpful!
yep, let me know, we might end up being neighbors!
Annie

[philiplo]

Jenbar mentioned the Issaquah Park & Ride, which is fantastic. There is also a good one just off I-90 in Bellevue, with Express routes to downtown Seattle and a straight shot to Mariner games.

Dpf11970, if your husband will be working downtown, you should probably scratch Maple Valley from your list. The I-90 part of the commute would be easy enough, but getting from Maple Valley to I-90 on highway 18 in the AM (or returning in the PM) would be murderous. Issaquah or Sammamish would be much better for him. If price is an issue (that's what has moved many people to MV), try Renton. Don't go as far out as Kent, though -- again, the commute would make his life miserable. If you're not set on Eastside living, there may be areas of Seattle you could look at as well. Then, on his Bellevue days, he'd be doing the reverse-commute, which is nowhere near as bad.