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Old 07-25-2014, 10:36 AM
 
6 posts, read 8,063 times
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Hi all,

First post here, but long time reader. After wanting to for years, I'm finally going to be moving to Seattle. Got a job just this past month, so I'm going through the relocation preparation now. Got a trip lined up next week to visit prospective apartments as well as the area in general in the hopes of nailing down a final housing arrangement for the move. While I've done quite a bit of research on my own already, I thought I'd throw my situation out here to see if any of the locals had any advice. I know these sorts of requests get asked a ton (and there's even another scouting thread going on right now) but everyone seems to have a different set of preferences, so I'll describe my own in the hopes of getting more applicable information.

The company I'll be working for is based in Bellevue, but nearly all work is done at client site. While the biggest clients are also in Bellevue, they could just as easily be elsewhere in the Seattle Metro area and projects change every 4-6 months, so there's no guarantee that even my first client will remain the client I commute to for the duration of a standard 12 month lease. Furthermore, for the first three months of the job or so, I'll actually be flying to other cities for work during the weekdays, so my commute in those cases is actually to SeaTac. (albeit only twice a week and not necessarily at rush hour) For the purposes of discussion, we can assume that Bellevue will be the primary commute following the 3 month period to SeaTac, but I just wanted to make it clear it's definitely not set in stone and could change by the end of the period.

I'm a young, single male who enjoys having the amenities of a city close by, but doesn't necessarily need to be in the middle of all of the activity. I like a good bar, but wouldn't say I'm a nightlife person. The main reason I'm interested in Seattle is really the area surrounding it, in fact- I'm moving here for the hiking, which is considerably more impressive than my current location in the East, as most locations in the West tend to be. All that said, there are specific restaurants and shops that I'd love to have access to, and I know from previous experience living in major cities, I am the type of person who will tend to not take advantage of a city when living at the edge of it, so there's a bit of internal conflict here and I kind of want to live in the city initially to know what I'm giving up if I live outside it.

My initial research led me to Ballard and Wallingford, as they seemed to be more laid back than the downtown areas south of them yet still full of interesting places. North Queen Anne also seemed appealing. There are a number of specific restaurants and shops I already know I like near those areas, so that's another point in their favor. Plus, easy access to the beach and parks also seems great. I lined up several apt visits for both Queen Anne and the Ballard/Fremont/Wallingford stretch, but was told by some friends on another forum that the Ballard to Bellevue commute would be absolutely atrocious. I'm used to doing around an hour each way for my Atlanta commute, so I'd like to keep the Seattle commute to that length of time at the maximum. Queen Anne, I assume, would be even worse and Wallingford not much better. Is my only real option, given the likelihood of working in Bellevue, to live Eastside?

I'm going to look into U-District and Bellevue apartments today to see if I can find anything I like, but I do know from the outset that those areas aren't anywhere near as appealing to me as Ballard. (Perhaps the visit will change my mind on this) My budget is around $1800 a month for a 1 bed/1 bath (and I'd love it if that 1800 included any sort of necessary parking fee) and I've already got a number of tours booked with some AMLI, AVA, and Archstone properties, as well as Urbana in Ballard. If anyone has any specific apts (or even houses, floating homes, whatever- I just have an easier time researching apartments) that they would recommend, I'm all ears.

So that's my situation. I'm going to keep the Ballard and Queen Anne touring appointments for now, but I do feel much more down on the prospect of picking those places after talking with others in the area about my specific scenario. Hopefully I can find something that somehow reconciles my desire to be in the city, have easy access to the hiking outside, and easy to moderately easy access to Bellevue. Thanks for any and all advice; I really appreciate it!
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Old 07-25-2014, 10:53 AM
 
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Ballard to Bellevue will be painful. But I wouldn't say you have to live on the eastside if you're working in Bellevue. How about the eastern end of Capitol Hill? Not nearly as crazy/urban/busy as the Broadway/Pike/Pine end of the hill, maybe focusing on 15th Ave E or 19th as the main retail drag. The 271 bus stops at the Montlake entrance to 520, and only takes 10 ish minutes to get to downtown Bellevue, and the 43 bus from Capitol Hill only takes a few minutes to get to Montake. Easy schmeesy. If you have to drive, the traffic on 520 isn't so bad, although there is a toll( which you're not paying if you ride the bus).
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Old 07-25-2014, 11:00 AM
 
Location: Seattle
1,651 posts, read 2,774,603 times
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Exactly what Ira said. I live in Cap Hill and it's a fantastic commute to just about anywhere - and easy to get to the light rail too (so you don't have to hassle with airport parking, plus it's consistent). The northeaster part is much more residential and laid-back than the south and even west part, but it still has lots of charm, character and walkable stuff.

I used to live in Queen Anne and commute to Redmond, and while it wasn't usually horrible, Cap Hill is an order of magnitude easier for accessibility to just about any part of the metro area. Personally, there is very little that could get to do Ballard->Bellevue on a regular basis. Queen Anne is a better commute to Bellevue (than from Ballard) because, although not the greatest, it still has quicker freeway access than Ballard. It's also pretty convenient to 99, which is a quick commute to the airport.

Last edited by Kayela; 07-25-2014 at 11:09 AM..
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Old 07-25-2014, 11:12 AM
fnh
 
2,888 posts, read 3,899,282 times
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My first thought too is simply stay south of the Ship Canal - downtown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Central District, Mount Baker, Beacon Hill... These neighborhoods have pretty quick and easy access to both the eastside (via I-90/520) and SeaTac (via the Link, I almost never drive to the airport anymore.)

If you give an idea of the specific types of restaurants and shops you like then Ira will set you up in almost any neighborhood.
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Old 07-25-2014, 11:22 AM
 
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Thanks for the fast input guys!

Re:food and shops I like- some of the specific draws of the more northwestern area were Fremont Brewing, Paseo's, and Card Kingdom, which I've already been to all of. I run a board game group locally and always look for a new gaming shop when I get to town, and Card Kingdom has to be one of the best I've ever seen period. I like just about any kind of food done right, but I'm specifically drawn to good burgers, pho, ramen, and sandwich shops. (Aloha Ramen, which is even further north, seemed pretty great when I went there)

I always read Capitol Hill as more urban, downtown feeling and less laid back, for whatever reason, but it sounds like I need to give it a shot and set up some appointments there. Lots of tips on that one here. I'll give it a look.
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Old 07-25-2014, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Finally Seattle!
277 posts, read 441,274 times
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For the first year we lived here, we were in Upper Queen Anne, and I worked in Bellevue. The commute wasn't great, but we also moved from a place where my commute was about the same time due to snowbirds and beach traffic. So it never really got on my nerves. We moved to West Seattle after our first year, and it really didn't get any better. Then I had to deal with getting over the bridge, and god forbid there's even a fender bender on it, you'd be stuck just sitting there for who knows how long.

We're moving again in December, and Ballard is high on our list of areas. I thankfully don't work in Bellevue anymore, but my husband does, and he's fine with the commute. Mostly because of what Ballard and the surrounding area has to offer in terms of restaurants, things to do, etc. We toured Urbana a month or so ago - really nice and new, though the leasing girl wasn't very helpful. But being on the corner of Market and 15th, I would imagine it would be loud at all times of day/night as that's a major intersection. Plus, there's a fire station across the street.

Which AMLI? We looked at the new SLU building (They also have an older one across the street from it, called 535) and it was GORGEOUS. The units were great, the amenities were very nice, and the location was pretty decent. We did a hard hat tour of the new one being built in Ballard about a month ago. It won't be ready to move into until September, but from what they had done (Just some of the apartments so far), it was also really nice. I think the thing I liked most about their building was the fact that they had so much closet space. You have storage everywhere, and that's a huge plus for me. I think parking for both AMLI buildings was $100. Speaking of, Urbana was crazy for parking- $140 a month I think it was? That's what ruled it out for us since we have two cars. Ava can be ridiculously expensive, though I've heard the amenities are nice. Which Archstone property, if you don't mind me asking? Our friends who moved out before we did lived in one in LQA and said it was the worst experience of their lives. They were told they'd have a specific unit, and when they moved out, it was completely different. I think it was Archstone Elliot Bay? At the time only the top two floors had been renovated, and they were placed on a lower floor and had issues with bugs, noise, general space (no drawers in the kitchen kind of space), and generally rude office management.

I'd agree with some others about maybe looking at places in Capitol Hill to ease the commute, but if you have a car, you'll probably be right at your budget threshold, unless you want an older building with no amenities and trying to find street parking. The new buildings that actually have parking underneath seem to be ridiculously expensive, all for the sake of saying you live in Capitol Hill.

Good luck on the U-District appts. I work in the area now, and maybe if I were still in college I'd live there, but now the noise and constant droves of college kids would drive me insane. It's not a terrible area and there are a lot of restaurants and things to do, but those things are usually taken over by 21 year olds.
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Old 07-25-2014, 01:34 PM
fnh
 
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A quick search pops up John John's on Capitol Hill but that may be more arcade-y than you are thinking, I really don't know. Lately we've been playing cards and dominoes at the Chuck's Hop Shop in Central District, I imagine that would be a nice place to have a regular games meet-up, if not a dedicated gaming room. At 20th & E Union it is really easy to get to.

There are several brewpubs to choose from in Seattle, the Elysian on Cap Hill is a good one with full menu.

Capitol Hill is not all uber-urban, there are definitely quieter and leafier spots that are still within walking distance of the bustle. Most neighborhoods in Seattle offer at least a few good restaurants and shops if not a charming village core, and if you pick a place with good transit options it is pretty easy to get to almost any area of town without needing to live there. Obviously you will consider how often you plan to do those things relative to your work commute.

Capitol Hill is expensive for all the benefits mentioned above, and that's why I recommend other less expensive neighborhoods to the south as well. Regarding the U District... there are plenty of nice places there but again, my advice is that anywhere north of the ship canal just adds another bridge to your commute.
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Old 07-25-2014, 01:49 PM
 
6 posts, read 8,063 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MafHoney View Post
For the first year we lived here, we were in Upper Queen Anne, and I worked in Bellevue. The commute wasn't great, but we also moved from a place where my commute was about the same time due to snowbirds and beach traffic. So it never really got on my nerves. We moved to West Seattle after our first year, and it really didn't get any better. Then I had to deal with getting over the bridge, and god forbid there's even a fender bender on it, you'd be stuck just sitting there for who knows how long.

We're moving again in December, and Ballard is high on our list of areas. I thankfully don't work in Bellevue anymore, but my husband does, and he's fine with the commute. Mostly because of what Ballard and the surrounding area has to offer in terms of restaurants, things to do, etc. We toured Urbana a month or so ago - really nice and new, though the leasing girl wasn't very helpful. But being on the corner of Market and 15th, I would imagine it would be loud at all times of day/night as that's a major intersection. Plus, there's a fire station across the street.

Which AMLI? We looked at the new SLU building (They also have an older one across the street from it, called 535) and it was GORGEOUS. The units were great, the amenities were very nice, and the location was pretty decent. We did a hard hat tour of the new one being built in Ballard about a month ago. It won't be ready to move into until September, but from what they had done (Just some of the apartments so far), it was also really nice. I think the thing I liked most about their building was the fact that they had so much closet space. You have storage everywhere, and that's a huge plus for me. I think parking for both AMLI buildings was $100. Speaking of, Urbana was crazy for parking- $140 a month I think it was? That's what ruled it out for us since we have two cars. Ava can be ridiculously expensive, though I've heard the amenities are nice. Which Archstone property, if you don't mind me asking? Our friends who moved out before we did lived in one in LQA and said it was the worst experience of their lives. They were told they'd have a specific unit, and when they moved out, it was completely different. I think it was Archstone Elliot Bay? At the time only the top two floors had been renovated, and they were placed on a lower floor and had issues with bugs, noise, general space (no drawers in the kitchen kind of space), and generally rude office management.

I'd agree with some others about maybe looking at places in Capitol Hill to ease the commute, but if you have a car, you'll probably be right at your budget threshold, unless you want an older building with no amenities and trying to find street parking. The new buildings that actually have parking underneath seem to be ridiculously expensive, all for the sake of saying you live in Capitol Hill.

Good luck on the U-District appts. I work in the area now, and maybe if I were still in college I'd live there, but now the noise and constant droves of college kids would drive me insane. It's not a terrible area and there are a lot of restaurants and things to do, but those things are usually taken over by 21 year olds.
The new one- Mark24. I would have to delay my move by a few weeks, but, for a year's commitment, if it is the right place, I'm ok with that.

Archstone Elliott Bay in lower Queen Anne is the Archstone property I have a tour scheduled at. Thanks for the warning re: your friend's experience. Overall feedback on the property is positive, but I like to hear all sides, in any case.
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Old 07-25-2014, 02:05 PM
 
Location: Seattle
338 posts, read 846,577 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dobogin View Post
Re:food and shops I like- some of the specific draws of the more northwestern area were Fremont Brewing, Paseo's, and Card Kingdom, which I've already been to all of. I run a board game group locally and always look for a new gaming shop when I get to town, and Card Kingdom has to be one of the best I've ever seen period.
My husband and I frequent Card Kingdom 1-2x a week and just so you know, they are currently building one in Bellevue. No idea on when it will be open as they are literally building it, but just an FYI if Ballard doesn't work out.

I don't know if the commute to Bellevue is bad, but we live in Magnolia. It's near both Queen Anne and Ballard. I can get to I-5 in about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. Took me 30-40 minutes to get to the airport last week for a conference. Another place to consider, though Queen Anne probably has more rental places than Magnolia (though that's changing).
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Old 07-25-2014, 02:12 PM
 
236 posts, read 288,394 times
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Have you considered downtown Kirkland? It's got beaches, parks, restaurants and an easy commute to Bellevue.
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