Looking to move to Seattle area.... (Bellevue, Everett: apartment, renters, neighborhoods)

[Alexilaiho27]

Hello all, I'm currently living in Illinois but by next spring my parents are moving to Florida, And I'm not one for that particular weather, So I'm looking to move out west. I work at walmart, so I can take my job with me But I was trying to get a good Idea of where to look for an apartment. It doesn't HAVE to be in Seattle, But would like a suburb, that is relatively close....(I've never been to a place with nightlife and Seattle sounds like it has plenty)

Not sure about rent, around $600 a month max would probably be my budget.....

Thanks for any help.

[jribe]

Others will certainly chime-in but i don't think 600 will get you anything in Seattle- unless its a very undesirable area and even then $600 seems awfully low for such an expensive metro. Please also take into account that groceries and such are also typically more expensive. Where in Illinois are you? If you're in Chicago at least you'll have a sense of what a high COL area is - if it's a smaller town i would run a lot of numbers before you decide to try to move. Your best bet would be to find a roommate (or three) to split rent at a more expensive place.

good luck!

[Hemlock140]

There is a Walmart Supercenter in Auburn, and there or nearby Federal Way is where you will have the best chance of finding rent you can afford.

[mkarch]

There aren't any Walmarts in Seattle. There's a sams club however up in North Seattle in a relatively affordable neighborhood. Working there would be close to a lot of popular neighborhoods with nightlife, though that particular neighborhood (Bitter Lake) is kind of trashy. The suburbs for the most part don't have much in the way of 'nightlife' , except that which is geared towards wealthier folks, not the kind of stuff that is fun for a young person on a budget. For instance, if experiencing the local music scene is important the 'burbs are the last place you want to be. Everything happens in the city and unless you want to spend a lot of time riding buses or driving, being out of the city is going to be a pain since most stuff happens in the following neighborhoods: Ballard/Fremont, Belltown, Capitol Hill, Georgetown and the University District. None of which are close to an actual suburb (10+ miles in most cases). Check the map there's only 1 close suburb, and that's Mercer Island which is extremely wealthy, and not the place you're likely to want to live in or commute from.

For $600/mo you're probably looking at renting a room or maybe a mother in law unit if you're lucky.

[GatsbyGatz]

MIL units in Seattle proper are still usually $700+ because renters will still find tenants. $600, I regret to say, is simply not going to get you anything. Perhaps try roommates or apodments?

[BATCAT]

I do know three people who live in Seattle proper (around Capitol Hill) who have rents in the $650-850 range. They have all moved into these places in the last year, too. However, these are the kind of places you have to hunt to find, and they are becoming rarer and rarer. All are small, modest studios with no amenities.

As mentioned above, there isn't much nightlife in the Suburbs.

If the OP wants to be fairly centrally located but still stay under $700 (I know it was $600 as a limit but 7 is much more realistic), I would suggest looking at the U-District and the less affluent areas of First Hill.This would most likely be a room for rent or an Apodment (Google that if you don't know what they are), although a studio is an outside possibility.

None of the Walmarts in Seattle are anywhere near the areas where the center of Seattle (look at Google Maps) so if you want to work at one but live relatively near work, you're going to be to driving or busing it to most of the good nightlife. The upside- rents are typically cheaper out in those areas.

[BellevueNative]

I'll say it: If you don't have a college degree and your goal is to work at Walmart here, don't move here. Too expensive for you. You should move somewhere with a lower cost of living that will be more manageable with your salary.

[TRS_151]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

I'll say it: If you don't have a college degree and your goal is to work at Walmart here, don't move here. Too expensive for you. You should move somewhere with a lower cost of living that will be more manageable with your salary.

^^^ This! Like another poster said, there are no Wal Marts in Seattle anyways. Even in places with Wal Mat like Auburn or Everett, $600 won't pay for rent. $700, maybe - but that place will be one big compromise.


If you are still interesed in being in the NW, I would suggest much smaller towns. Depending on how close you want to be to Seattle, maybe try looking at Monroe, North Bend, or Centralia. Those places are close enough to venture in to the city when the mood strikes, but much more affordable.