Working at Airport and Kirkland (Seattle, Bellevue: to rent, house prices, neighborhood)

[Fridays00]

Hi! We're looking to relocate from Oahu to Seattle area and wondering where would best suit us. We are a very laid-back, dual income couple with a 5 year old. One of us will be working out of Seatac airport (with various hours: sometimes rush hour, sometimes not). The other will be working in Kirkland and commuting during normal traffic times. We're both willing to have up to hour long commutes, although 30-45 minutes would be more reasonable. We'd like a family friendly area with good schools, and homes in the 500-650k range. Ideally we'd like a property of atleast .25 acre (although this isn't a deal breaker). We are not at all the "city types" and prefer suburban or rural areas.

When I first started looking at relocating I loved the Gig Harbor area, but saw that it would be over an hour commute to Kirkland. So, what other areas should I be looking at instead?

Thanks in advance!

[Backstrom]

Renton seems geographically ideal. It's kind of right in between SeaTac and Kirkland. For the Kirkland commuter, it's a straight shot up I-405. For the SeaTac commuter, it's I-405 west until it becomes 518. Sound Transit runs a 560 express bus that goes between the airport and Renton Transit Center.

I used to live in the Fairwood neighborhood-- it's technically unincorporated, but it's a quaint little suburb.

[Ira500]

I also like Fairwood, which is not likely to stay unincorporated much longer. Voters just rejected incorporating as a separate city, so they will probably be annexed by the City of Renton within the next few years.
But, other places you may wish to consider are the areas around Cougar Mountain and Squak Mountain State park. Houses there have bigger lots and a more rural character. It's not unusual to see horses and goats.Some will have Issaquah addresses, some will have Bellevue addresses, some will have Renton addresses, and some will have Newcastle addresses, but will almost all be in the Issaquah school district, which is good, and although you'll feel like you're out in the country, you'll be ten minutes from Issaquah for shopping and entertainment, minutes away from some great hiking trails, and usually a half hour or so from both SeaTac and Kirkland( and there are some secret back roads to Kirkland to avoid heavy freeway traffic).

[Fridays00]

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely look into those mountain areas; sounds like it'd be a good fit for my family. I also was interested in Maple Valley. Would commuting from there be reasonable?

[Ira500]

Maple Valley to SeaTac would be around 45 minutes on a good day, and Maple Valley to Kirkland would be around an hour on a good day..Maple Valley has great schools, and lower house prices than Bellevue/Issaquah, etc, and it has something of a rural feel, but it's a little further away from "civilization", you'd need to go to Renton or Kent to go to the movies, and Maple Valley doesn't have a real downtown, all the retail/restaurants, etc are on one street that's spread out for several miles, but people do like living there.