Moving to Seattle May 2010 (upper-class, apartments, job market)

[JTomajko]

I am moving out to Seattle in May 2010 after graduating for Architecture. I am wondering where the best places to live are. I want an area near nice views/greenery/water but close to downtown. I am also in a 600/700 a month studio or 1400.00 for a 2 bedroom. price range. I was hoping for some help in what areas are nice. Thanks. JT

[LookinForMayberry]

We started in Fremont, just north of downtown, and though it's become quite "gentrified" since the '90s, it still is a very nice place to live, and Salmon Bay runs between Lake Union and the Sound, so you have lots of water access, as well as the bike trail, and the bus lines to downtown are many. (You WILL want to avoid commuter traffic in Seattle, as much as possible. In fact, soon after moving there, we sold our second car, using our primary vehicle only for grocery trips, and out-of-town travel.)

The atmosphere in Fremont is still "funky." If you are more serious-minded, Queen Anne also has a direct shot to downtown, just south of Fremont, and more upper-class, yuppie. There's less immediate access to water -- it's a HILL, but with a bit of weaving through traffic you can get to either Elliott Bay, or Lake Union.

If you are into gothic/grunge, Capitol Hill is the place to go, the north end has fairly good access to Portage Bay, between Lake Union and Lake Washington - and again is an easy transit commute to downtown, though a bit further than Queen Anne.

If you enjoy ethnic diversity, there are options south of downtown. It used to be a bit scary there, but I understand it's been improved in recent years, and though that water access on the Sound side is industrial, Lake Washington (to the east) is available and very nice. Again, easy access to downtown.

There are a LOT of really great things about Seattle. I loved it, until the congestion got to me. I hope you love it, too.

[JTomajko]

Do you know of any apartments that u have heard or experienced as nice... .but on the lower end. Im hoping to find a place that is by trees and less urban.. but not drastically far away from Seattle. I am graduating college for Architecture and Im taking a yr off before going into the field to just relax and have 2 small jobs, like coffee/restaurant type of small jobs.

[JTomajko]

What is ur view on Magnolia ?

[elrupps]

This post hasn't had any traffic but I was wondering if you went ahead with the move and how you found the architecture job market in Seattle. I'm currently living outside the states and I am aiming to move back next summer. I'm eyeing Seattle but don't know how easy/difficult it would be to find a job in an architecture firm.