Just graduated college;considering moving to Seattle;Various Questions about where to live? (Tacoma: apartments)

[basketballblues]

Hello Everyone, I just graduated school in Pennsylvania as a Sport Management Major and have lived in the CT/NY area most of my life. I am ready for a change of scenery and also am trying to find out who I am. I do not have any friends or family over there and want to get as far away as possible to learn how to be self-relient. From what I have seen, Seattle seems like a very beautiful city with many things to offer and I am ready for change. Everything is so fast paced here on the east coast and I hear that Seattle is a little more laid back which is def. a positive aspect. Anyways, I have a couple questions that might be able to help me make my move. I am 22 and am looking for an area in Seattle or very close commuting distance to Seattle with people around the same age. I am also looking for a place with reliable public transportation because I will not have a car up there. Also, are there alot of basketball courts in the area...indoor or outdoor? It would also be nice to find a job in sports....it sucks the Sonics left but oh well, I'll pretty much take any job in sports given the oppurtunity. I am looking for apartments ideally that would cost less than $1000 dollars a month in a decent area that has alot to offer including, scenic parks/areas, basketball courts, music/art venues, and maybe a couple bars. Sorry that my questions might seem a little unorganized, I am new to the whole message board thing, but any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[allforcats]

Hi. Congratulations, and I admire your intention to create an interesting life for yourself.

Yes, the Seattle area is much more laid back than the Northeast, and the Pacific Northwest is breathtakingly beautiful.

Here are some resources.

Jobs:
This is the combined classifieds for the two leading newspapers in and around Seattle. It'll give you an idea of the job market.
Seattle area jobs, employment advice and information | NWjobs

Apartments:
The same classifieds. Look at the map. It will teach you locations. Click on any location, and neighborhoods will come up. You can drill down to smaller areas.
NWapartments: Seattle apartment rentals, house rental listings, rental classifieds and other property rentals in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue and other Washington areas, cities and neighborhoods
There are also craigslist, rent.com, forrent.com, apartments.com
Please remember NOT to send money to anyone until you verify 1) the person actually exists, 2) the property actually exists exactly as advertised, and 3) the person advertising is legally authorized to rent the property. Internet scams are reported almost weekly around the country.
BTW, we don't have ghettoes and really scary areas here. It's a pretty safe place to live.

The Seattle area has an excellent public transportation system of buses, called Metro. Metro covers most nooks and crannies within the city of Seattle, so that will accommodate you nicely, plus trolley and streetcar services.

Basketball courts I don't know about, but there are a lot of people on this forum who do.

Parks, big and small, are everywhere. Scenery is everywhere. Music and art venues abound in Seattle, both downtown and in the neighborhoods. Bars and clubs are everywhere. You can find a selection of all these in every neighborhood, along with excellent supermarkets, banks, restaurants, and the usual gaggle of shops.

Since you don't know the area, it's a good idea to plan on doing a short-term 6 months lease at the beginning. That way you'll have a chance to find out where you really want to live, and how to keep your commute to and from work to a minimum. THEN you can choose where to live. Something to remember.

Have fun planning!

[basketballblues]

thank you got the info, allforcats. It is much appreciated. I am really excited about moving there in January or February. Do you know any specific places to live that would fit my criteria?

[llll]

Originally Posted by basketballblues

thank you got the info, allforcats. It is much appreciated. I am really excited about moving there in January or February. Do you know any specific places to live that would fit my criteria?

For housing, go to seattle.craigslist.org as craigslist is huge out here.
You don't want to live outside of Seattle -- start thinking areas of Seattle. If I were you I'd start with a room rental (often less commitment and much less money). The "U District" has a ton of restaurants and bars. Wallingford is right next to the U District and you can usually find rooms for less (lots of big old houses...I'm not sure about apartments). Downtown is too expensive, Queen Anne is too expensive, Capitol Hill is probably too expensive (and it depends on how you feel about gays -- it's become more trendy, so it's a mix..but if you're not comfortable with men making out in public at night or walking into a gay bar you should go elsewhere). West Seattle is cool but I'm not sure about public transit -- and it's expensive. South of downtown is ghetto and sucks (but cheap -- you can rent a hotel room by the week for like $600/mo). Northgate is ghetto and not worth looking at unless you want to be close to a big mall.

[LucaBella]

Originally Posted by llll

For housing, go to seattle.craigslist.org as craigslist is huge out here.
You don't want to live outside of Seattle -- start thinking areas of Seattle. If I were you I'd start with a room rental (often less commitment and much less money). The "U District" has a ton of restaurants and bars. Wallingford is right next to the U District and you can usually find rooms for less (lots of big old houses...I'm not sure about apartments). Downtown is too expensive, Queen Anne is too expensive, Capitol Hill is probably too expensive (and it depends on how you feel about gays -- it's become more trendy, so it's a mix..but if you're not comfortable with men making out in public at night or walking into a gay bar you should go elsewhere). West Seattle is cool but I'm not sure about public transit -- and it's expensive. South of downtown is ghetto and sucks (but cheap -- you can rent a hotel room by the week for like $600/mo). Northgate is ghetto and not worth looking at unless you want to be close to a big mall.

Some might feel this post is a wee bit prejudiced, but I seriously appreciate the comments. I don't know why there isn't a sticky with a full explanation of all the areas, but man, it would be great.

[basketballblues]

Hey everyone, thanks for the answers, keep them coming!!! I heard West Seattle is a very nice scenic place to live. And I have another random question. This might seem kind of broad, but how are the pace of things in Seattle....like people walking in general. It might sound kind of stupid, but I am getting very frusterated working in NYC. Everyone is always in such a rush and it annoys me that the only way to get to work on time is being a rude, arrogant jerk. I rather be 15 minutes late and just take my time walking to work, taking the subways, and train etc. Its seriously like playing a game of Madden football trying to dodge people so they don't bump into you.