Bothell - Mill Creek - Kenmore - Edmonds - Mukilteo

[new_to_seattle]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Please post your sources.

From my friends' house-hunting experiences, my looking around, and sources like zillow and even the City-Data website... it all pointed Bothell being more affordable than Mill Creek.

Mill Creek also had to deal with having a glut of inventory that wasn't moving, though that trend may not still be as valid this year.

I live in Mill Creek. Why would I need sources when I live here? Bothell is more affordable then Mill Creek.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by new_to_seattle

I live in Mill Creek. Why would I need sources when I live here? Bothell is more affordable then Mill Creek.

That's an interesting point. I'd have guessed Bothell would be slightly more expensive due to the location and schools. That said, a lot of Bothell that was built in the 1960's-1980's is really run down at this point. I'd guess if you took an average home and compared it to one in MC's planned developments from the same era, the MC home would be in better shape. Maybe proof HOA's aren't all bad?

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by mkarch

That's an interesting point. I'd have guessed Bothell would be slightly more expensive due to the location and schools. That said, a lot of Bothell that was built in the 1960's-1980's is really run down at this point. I'd guess if you took an average home and compared it to one in MC's planned developments from the same era, the MC home would be in better shape. Maybe proof HOA's aren't all bad?

1. Bothell is very spread out and includes some attractive neighborhoods and some very unattractive neighborhoods. Mill Creek, by comparison, is much more beautiful...in my opinion there's no comparison. Mill Creek was established as a planned community, so it feels very cohesive - yet not cookie cutter. Bothell doesn't feel that way to me, though the older neighborhoods in Bothell certainly have a strong sense of community. When you get into north Bothell, where there are many unincorporated areas, I don't feel "community." We also were very turned off by the ENORMOUS power station and power lines that go through Bothell.

2. Mill Creek may be further north, but it is actually faster to get to the freeway from there than in most of north Bothell. These days I find I-5 to be easier to deal with than 405, and Mill Creek is just down 164th exit off I-5. Bothell-Everett Hwy. can take forever to drive down if you're trying to get to/from 405. I've said it before, but others don't seem to believe me, that when I lived in Kenmore (which is west of Bothell) it took me reliably 1 hour to get to my job in Lower Queen Anne via 522 and I-5. I-5 was a breeze...522 drove me crazy. When there was an accident on 405 that would sometimes stretch my commute to nearly 2 hours because of the overflow traffic. I've timed the commute from Mill Creek to my office, and it's basically the same. It's at least no worse.

3. Northshore is a good school district, yes. But the Everett SD is better than most people realize, and the Mill Creek schools are the best schools in the district. The community is supportive of school levies and education, which is important to us.

4. Mill Creek is more affluent than Bothell because of its proximity to Boeing. It is one of the two communities (along with Mukilteo) many Boeing engineers choose to live in. It's a very educated and gainfully employed community.