Best places to rent in or near Seattle for a family of 4 (Bellevue: apartment complex)

[jhholdaway]

We are a family of four looking to move to Seattle for work at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. We are planning on renting and would like to know what areas are nice for a family to stay with not a long commute.

[AzDreamer]

I always recommend Mercer Island to folks looking for a family friendly area that's close to downtown.

[CityGirl72]

Is this a short term rent - or long term, will you care about schools?

[jhholdaway]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

Is this a short term rent - or long term, will you care about schools?

We will be there for 1-2 years and we will need a good elementary school.

Thanks!

[kengrubb]

Originally Posted by jhholdaway

We will be there for 1-2 years and we will need a good elementary school.

Wife and I lived in the north end of Bellevue, over on the Eastside, for several years. Our son went to the Lake Washington School District, Lakeview Elementary. School was awesome, but the area was much too pricey for us to afford to buy.

Apartment complex we lived in was Yarrowood Highlands.
Yarrowood

2 bedroom units are probably slightly bigge than the 3 bedrooms. Around 1150 sf for 2 bedrooms. 1130 sf for 3 bedrooms.

There are a few others right around there.

Sound Kirkland Park and Ride is about a 5 minute drive away.
Park & Ride Lots - East Side

[tobester]

What you want to pay for rent would dictate where you could live.

[Ira500]

I'm going to recommend the Eastlake area of Seattle. Almost walkable to Fred Hutch, and a nice, safe, walkable friendly neighborhood with restaurants, etc.
I generally don't recommend the Seattle Public Schools, but the way the Seattle Public Schools cluster system works, there would be a couple of schools that are considered good very close by, the Montlake Elementary School, and TOPS, which is an acronym for The Options Program at Seward, a K-8 school very well regarded...Once you get to middle school and high school the Seattle schools become far less good, but elementary schools in certain neighborhoods are considered quite good. The Eastlake neighborhood, Queen Anne,North Capitol Hill, Montlake, Ravenna, and parts of West Seattle have elementary schools that are well thought of.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I'm going to recommend the Eastlake area of Seattle. Almost walkable to Fred Hutch, and a nice, safe, walkable friendly neighborhood with restaurants, etc.
I generally don't recommend the Seattle Public Schools, but the way the Seattle Public Schools cluster system works, there would be a couple of schools that are considered good very close by, the Montlake Elementary School, and TOPS, which is an acronym for The Options Program at Seward, a K-8 school very well regarded...Once you get to middle school and high school the Seattle schools become far less good, but elementary schools in certain neighborhoods are considered quite good. The Eastlake neighborhood, Queen Anne,North Capitol Hill, Montlake, Ravenna, and parts of West Seattle have elementary schools that are well thought of.

The school district has recommended closing Montlake elementary and sending the kids to Lowell (they plan to split the APP program and send half of the kids to Thurgood Marshall next year - what a mess, I am so glad I am leaving! Typical Seattle school district, take a program that is extremely successful and then dismantle it.) Who knows whether this will happen or not but the final recommendations are scheduled to be made on January 6.

[carolinajack]

Thinking of moving to seattle too, with a family of 3, looking for a good rental, area with gardens, private schools, small shops, parks.