Best place to live outside of Seattle?

[nessrose]

Oooo, delivered! That sounds even better. What's a Zip car?

[Inkpoe]

Is Zipcar for me? Car sharing replaces car rental, ownership, and more – Zipcar

[SitoUK]

Originally Posted by nessrose

Oooo, delivered! That sounds even better. What's a Zip car?

Zipcar lets you rent cars by the hour. The cheapest ones are around $7/hour plus tax which includes insurance and fuel. The cars are parked all over the city and you have to return them to their space when you've finished. They can be reserved online or by phone.

It's a great system. I used to live in London where I used it maybe once a month. Here in Seattle I use it much more and sometimes spend several hundred dollars a month on it but it's still cheaper than owning a vehicle. I think it makes sense for anyone who don't need a car to get to work. You also always drive a fairly new car and don't need to worry about maintenance etc...There are lots of Zipcars in the central areas, if you move further out it'll be much more difficult to find one. I live in Capitol Hill and there are probably 20 within 5 or 10 minutes walking-distance, so you can always get one when you need it, even when making a spontaneous trip.

[nessrose]

That's awesome! Would they average cheaper than a taxi to the grocery store though? If I can help it, I'd like to go without a car for the move so I don't have to worry about parking or anything happening to it.

This Zip car solution sounds really interesting though. Thanks everyone!

[Molly N.]

I would vote Kirkland you can find places in your price range. There is a great night life, its safe and it easy to get to the highway for going places. However if you plan on being in Seattle alot then you will be paying the toll to get across the lake.

[Jalhop]

Originally Posted by nessrose

I'd like to live in Seattle, but don't have the budget for it. What area would you all recommend? I've looked into Everett, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Kirkland, Bellevue, Kent, & Federal Way. I've heard Capital Hill mentioned as well as Queen Anne & those areas sound really great for me, but I'm not sure I can afford it.

Definitely not Everett, Lynnwood, Kent, or Federal Way; the value in those places is low, including safety.

A top consideration is where you'll work, esp. what side of Lake Washington. If you work on one side of the lake and live on the other, you'll have much less free time.

Capitol Hill and Queen Anne (hill) are great for young people. You should like urban stuff. Both can be sketchy at night. On top of QA is the least sketchy.

If you want good safety and keep your car, choose Bellevue, it's the #5 largest city with the lowest crime in the top 10 cities in the state. You could live near a supermarket to cut car costs; e.g. near 156th Ave NE and between NE 8th and NE 20th--lots of apartments there, and a Trader Joe's (great food market). Bellevue gets a bad rap for being boring, but is actually a melting pot with excellent ethnic food and probably the best park system in the state. Free parking everywhere. You can take a single bus to downtown Seattle from much of Bellevue. A 2-bedroom for $1200 is very doable.

[Woof]

Definitely not ....Lynnwood, .....

I'm pretty sure that the further north you go in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, the less crime there is, and the more affordable the housing is. The OP might be able to find $1200 studios in Bellevue, but generally speaking rents are much lower in Lynnwood. The biggest complaint I hear about Lynnwood is that it lacks character, it has many big-box stores - but that has an upside too for people who love to shop in a frugal way. It has It has Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, Costco, Wal-Mart, Albertons, Best Buy, Circuit City, Walgreens, Car Toys, and Alderwood Mall.

This is not first-hand information, I've never been to Lynnwood - it's just what I have read, especially when I was considering those northern cities. I think other places like Woodinville, Edmonds and Bothel up in the northern areas might be nicer places in terms of character: views and having a city center to hang out in, but again this is what I've read, I haven't spent much time north of Northgate.

[Woof]

OK, just looked at craigslist, there ARE some $1200 apartments with 2 bedrooms in Bellevue. That would definitely be a better place to live than Lynnwood etc. http://seattle.craigslist.org/search...1200&bedrooms=

[Molly N.]

I would say Kirkland. Is has a range of prices a great night life and is near the highway. The only downside is there will be a toll across the bridge soon so to get into seattle you would have to pay that, take the bus or go around the lake.