Anyone live on Mercer Island and NOT like it? (Seattle: fit in, apartments) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

theyreinphx · 02-27-2013, 01:50 PM

I have 3 children ages 4, 6, and 8. We have lived here for about 8 months and here’s what I think about Mercer Island:

The schools are amazing. They do a lot of fundraising to make up for the lack of funds. You really have to be involved in the school to understand how this is beneficial. Ratios are average but the extra support staff makes up for it. The curriculum is amazing as well. Old buildings don’t matter to my kids but they are building a new elementary school on the North end of the Island. Of course this is subjective depending on who you talk to.

It takes me 9 minutes to get to work in Capitol Hill and my husband takes the bus. My youngest goes to preschool in Bellevue (language immersion) and it takes about 15 minutes to get there. So, we are happy with the commute.

The privacy and serene feel is phenomenal. Again, subjective. But there are 4 main parks that are within walking distance, an indoor pool, youth theatre, dance school, karate, grocery stores, restaurants, hiking paths for kids, Skate Park, thrift store, community center with indoor basketball, Boys and Girls Club etc. I love the community feel.

The shopping is not all here but then again, our family doesn’t shop much. We aren’t mall people and don’t feel the need to buy “things.” So when we need to go to Target it is literally a 10 minute drive to factoria and yes I have timed it.

The only downside is the real estate. It is very expensive to live here.

I cannot compare to living in Bellevue (that was our second choice) but I am not disappointed. I can see how others are though so it really depends on what is important to you. We wanted our kids to have a good life and so far, everything has worked out perfect. They all made friends within a week of moving here!

mkarch · 02-27-2013, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theyreinphx

The schools are amazing. They do a lot of fundraising to make up for the lack of funds. You really have to be involved in the school to understand how this is beneficial. Ratios are average but the extra support staff makes up for it. The curriculum is amazing as well. Old buildings don’t matter to my kids but they are building a new elementary school on the North end of the Island. Of course this is subjective depending on who you talk to.

I have no idea how the MI school district is structured but it seems really odd that property tax levys in such an expensive neighborhood do not support the schools. Is this a case of the really wealthy people not supporting the school system, or a demographic problem due to too many retirees?

tobester · 02-27-2013, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theyreinphx

It takes me 9 minutes to get to work in Capitol Hill!

Are you saying you can walk out your front door and be at your workplace in 9 minutes?? I work 4 miles from home and can't do that.

theyreinphx · 02-27-2013, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobester

Are you saying you can walk out your front door and be at your workplace in 9 minutes?? I work 4 miles from home and can't do that.

Actually yes however, I live right off of I90. That does not mean that I don't experience traffic. I have had it take 40 minutes to get to work if there is an accident. When there is no traffic it is a breeze because MI residents get to use the carpool lane even if you aren't carpooling.

RunTheDistance476 · 02-27-2013, 02:48 PM

Hi! I just moved here from college back in St.Louis. I know my situation is way different than yours, but I will give you my opinion.

The most annoying part of Mercer Island are the kids. As there isn't much to do, a lot of them just hang around the north area in large crowds, often very loud. They are some of the most rude/snobby little kids I have ever been around in my life.

If you want to talk about schools, sometimes moving to the most expensive area isn't the best. I have heard (and seen) about a lot of bullying in MI schools. For example, I was at Einstein's bagels a couple of weeks ago and these three kids were setting there minding their own business, but when a kid (who looked like his parents were either computer scientist or non-existent) walked down the street, the kids ran outside surrounded him and yelled "Loser! Loser! Loser!" and started shoving him. And the people in Einsteins just sat there and watched them! I went outside and grabbed a hold of one of the kids sweatshirts and told them that they were the losers (well, in so many words) and that I was gonna kick their ***** if they didn't leave him alone.

The kid being picked on started crying and ran away, the other 3 kids looked like they were about to die, I was trying to be as demeaning and scary as possible, as there is no place for that, no kid should have to deal with that. I let them go told them to go home and I assume they did.

Now, I don't think it is cool for a 22 year old to be picking on 16 or 17 year olds, but they needed someone to humble them up as they clearly werent getting it from home and I think the community needs to stand up to issues like bullying on a full time basis.

So, if you are rich, your kids are athletic and popular, you are fine. If they are on the "nerdy" or "soft" side, you might run into bullying troubles here. Just my two cents about the school itself. I absolutely do not believe this is a one time instance or only case. You'll get bullying everywhere, but it is easier to tell some schools are much worse than others.

Other than that, I love being secluded from both cities until I am ready to go to work or shop for anything other than food. It is a nice area, a lot of rude people, though.

I work odd hours (start at 6:30 am and leave around 3:30) and I rarely ever have to deal with any traffic going in any direction from the island.

mkarch · 02-27-2013, 03:12 PM

Careful there wlw, you could be charged with assault and those kids parents probably have the $$$ to make it happen. Who are the parents going to side with, you or their prescious little snowflake? The one they no doubt taught to act in that way.

RunTheDistance476 · 02-27-2013, 03:19 PM

Haha, yeah probably so. I think it is worth it, though. If it gave the poor kid at least the peace of mind for that night. I look for him/them when Im out and about. I would love to see them with their parents one day and let them know whats up.

Looking back on it, I liked being away from the hustle and the bustle of the city, but I grew up poor and attended poor-to-middle class schools. My girlfriend's family lives in the south burbs (between Federal Way and Tacoma) and the people in that area in general are much more friendly and it doesn't feel any less safe.

Good thing, though, is that my lease expires in just two more months and I think I will probably move elsewhere. As I am getting use to living here, it is a lot easier to spot what is and is not desirable for me.

MI-Mom · 02-27-2013, 06:31 PM

I live I'm the South end and now with the road diet, it's 12 mins on average to I-90, so that makes it longer. I was heavily involved in the public school here when my children attended. I was on the PTA, Room mom, etc. Aides didn't make that much of a difference IMHO. I was in the classroom 3 days a week on average. This again, was our experience. We gave $$$ to the school, auction etc. I would disagree that the curriculum was spectacular. Sub par. WLW brings up a very valid point. The culture and attitude of the parents and kids was NOT an example we wanted for our kids.

MI-Mom · 02-28-2013, 11:35 AM

Oh forgot to mention the inevitable...tolling of I-90. If you think you be leaving the island frequently, you may want to factor this in.

BellevueNative · 02-28-2013, 02:53 PM

Whenever someone asks on this board where "the best" schools are - and it seems like that's everyone - I do kindof cringe a little. Wanting a good education for your child is a good thing, but you must be careful what you wish for. The best schools are generally in the wealthiest areas, and the wealthiest areas are full of people who "made it," whether it's family money or by working their tails off. Rarely does one get to that position in life without clawing their way to the top or putting business before people...sometimes they're just real a$$holes. These "elite" then have children and teach their kids to be like them...not in a mean way, or intentionally, it's just that when you teach kids to be competitive and successful, should it really be a surprise when those kids start treating their classmates like competitors they need to beat?

Parents who ask for the "best" schools should consider whether their children are prepared for that environment, and whether they have the confidence and muster (notice I didn't say "smarts") to excel in the most competitive schools. The kids at the "best" schools are not necessarily any smarter - nor are their parents - than those elsewhere, but they ARE more competitive. That can be a very supportive environment for some kids, but probably disastrous for others.