Best Suburbs of Seattle? (Bellevue, Shoreline: middle-class, real estate, crime)

[mjheq]

Hello. My husband & I just moved from Washington DC to Shoreline, WA a couple weeks ago and we're in the process of looking for a house. My question is where is the best place (nice, clean & safe neighborhood) to buy a house that's not too far from downtown Seattle? I prefer to be close to the freeways and far from HWY 99/Aurora. I like Bothell but it might be getting too far from downtown. I really like Lynnwood but I also want to consider other places like Northgate, Tukwila and Burien. Any comments about those places?

THANKS in advance!

[scirocco22]

Hi mjheq.

If you like Bothell, I'd say go for it.

It's not any further from downtown than the other places you mentioned ...in fact, probably closer in some ways. Bothell has awkward access to I-5 but it's convenient to I-405. Better schools, newer neighborhoods ...a good burb, IMO.

I'll get flamed for saying this but Burien and Tukwila are places to stay away from, IMO. They're lower to middle-class areas and crime is a problem.

Northgate is actually inside the Seattle city limits and isn't really considered a suburb now but since it's so closer to downtown than the suburbs mentioned, it's property will probably be more valuable as time progesses. It's not the nicest of Seattle neighborhoods but you can probably find a nice house that will have great potential for appreciation in the future. Being part of Seattle, it's houses will tend to be older with smaller lots.

Again, if you like Bothell, go for it ...just my opinion.


Thanks.

--'rocco

[CityGirl72]

NOT NORTHGATE!!! GHetto and really bad schools!

Actually any school in Seattle School district is not that great. You will have to decide :Be close to Downtown, or be where the good schools are

All the best schools are on the East side, not Seattle area

If you like Bothell, that's going to be the best place out of your list.


PS - NOT TUKWILA EITHER!, I might get flamed too but try not to be south of Downtown, you are either going to be near gangs - or with hicks.

[secret_squirrel]

I agree with Scirocco.

Northgate is emerging. Keep your distance from 99, like you suggested, and it should be okay. Lake Forrest Park is nice, too.

[CourtneyCooper]

I personally like the north Seattle burbs! Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Brier are all good buys that meet this criteria.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by secret_squirrel

I agree with Scirocco.
Keep your distance from 99

Why does everyone say that? What's wrong with 99?

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by CourtneyCooper

I personally like the north Seattle burbs! Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Brier are all good buys that meet this criteria.

North of Seattle I like Shoreline, Edmonds and Lynnwood. East of Seattle I like Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond. I don't like anything south of Seattle

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

North of Seattle I like Shoreline, Edmonds and Lynnwood. East of Seattle I like Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond. I don't like anything south of Seattle

North - actually Shoreline and Lynnwood are NOT well thought of but Edmonds definitely is

East - all of those choices are good with Kirkland being the nicest because Bellevue is too commercial and the density is higher (I owned my second home in Woodinville which has now gotten expensive); you forgot to add Issaquah. In general, the Eastside is the most desirable, and expensive, suburban address

South - totally agree, it is really vapid

West - isn't Bremerton becoming an up and coming place? Only makes sense if you can walk from the ferry dock to a job in downtown Seattle

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

North - actually Shoreline and Lynnwood are NOT well

why?
.....

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

why?
.....

They're just not...you've seen them, no? To an outsider, the trees make everything look dreamy and pastoral in western Washington. However, drive around and look at the preponderance of the real estate stock and it will sink in. It's hard to find areas that have critical mass of "niceness." Shoreline is right above hodge-podge areas of North Seattle and Lynnwood is strip mall central. Now, Edmonds has the ferry dock, the marina and its waterfront parks. The downtown is kind of trendy. There are a lot of nice homes. Most of the housing stock is of better quality. That was the general sentiment in offices I've worked while living there. I worked for both an architecture firm and a residential developer while living in that area, so I think I got a good lay of the land.