halfway pt between Kirkland and downtown Seattle? (Bothell: apartment, transfer)

[newseattl-ite]

My boyfriend and I have are moving to Seattle in June, I'll be working downtown and we've been looking at the Queen Anne, Magnolia, Wallingford, and Ballard areas....mostly because of the apartment availability and the easy commute to downtown. He recently decided on a school in Kirkland, so we're rethinking neighboorhoods... again. Is there a decent area that's roughly halfway between Kirkland and downtown? I keep hearing that we avoid the southern areas, but would a commute from the northern neighboods be realistic for him?

[scirocco22]

The halfway point between Kirkland and downtown Seattle??

I suppose that would put you right in the middle of Lake Washington!

I haven't been following your previous posts so I don't know what you're referring to when you say your DH has "decided" on a school in Kirkland. Is he a teacher or is he considering being a student at Northwest College?


--'rocco

[CityGirl72]

That's what I was going to say! Half way point is smack in the middle of water

there is no half way point - you'll either be on the Eastside or in Seattle...

better to just stay on the Seattle side and commute over, especiallyif you don't have kids

[newseattl-ite]

Herein lies my dillemma!!

Okay so, I probably should have mentioned that I have looked at a map He is a student and we don't have kids, so we're flexible. We would like to stay in Seattle, but we should go a little to the north(U-dist, Wallingford, Eastlake) or to the south (Leschi, Mt. Baker) to stay near the bridges, right? I guess I just don't know what kind commute we would be facing. We definitely want to be in Seattle, but how is the commute to Kirkland?

[jwb123]

The commute over the water, either way, is a killer.

[scirocco22]

yup, what Jenbar said.

Unless you're commuting between midnight and 4:00am, then it's going to be "iffy" in both directions on the 520 bridge.

There's been no reverse commute ever since Microsoft came into being. There's just as much, or more, traffic going away from Seattle in the morning and coming toward Seattle in the afternoon and evening so no reverse commute advantage.

--'rocco

[CityGirl72]

Trying to get from Eastside to Seattle or vice versa just sucks - that's why I said it's either you are THERE or you are over here

DO NOT MOVE SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN, Stay north! 1) you are asking for double trouble for traffic now, once through downtown and the over the water 2) South Seattle isn't the hip seattle young urban area, it's the affordable not quite the ghetto areas

[CityGirl72]

PS - Living in Kirkland is not bad, I hear it's nice over there, just don't plan on coming over to Seattle area - stay on that side

[scirocco22]

eh, I guess I'd have to agree with CityGirl. If your BF is going to be going to school or working in Kirkland, try to live on the eastside.

With that said, the bus commute isn't too bad actually. You didn't say where in Kirkland he'd be going to school but the only colleges I can think of in Kirkland would be Northwest and the LWTC. Excellent bus service to Northwest College, including a Sound Transit route and it's very fast from Seattle. LWTC would take a bit longer with a transfer included but still doable.

--'rocco

[jwb123]

Isn't there a UW Bothell, over there?