How do you deal with the commercialism?? (Seattle: restaurants, places)

[WAIDOR]

It sounds like you don't want to be stranded all day while he is at work. The bus system does a good job of moving people in and out of downtown. Have you looked into Rosevelt, Maple Leaf, and Lake City? If it is in your budget I think Greenlake is a great place. Between the lake and woodland park people seem very active there.

[beautifulseattlehomes]

I felt exactly like you described when I moved here (I had lived in Portland, SF, DC, NYC and San Diego). I realize now that I was trying to make Seattle fit into my ideals of what a neighborhood and city should look and feel like. Seriously, I remember my friend driving me to Ballard, telling me I would love it and it would be a perfect place to find an apartment. I almost started crying because I thought it was so awful (I did not have a frame of reference for what Seattle was especially coming from the East Coast).

It took some time but I eventually fell in love with Seattle and especially how refreshingly non NYC/DC it was...and I moved to Ballard and fell in love with it too. I still adore the East Coast but I now love Seattle too! It just took a while.... : )

[RJ8089]

I can understand the disappointment of the original poster. Sad to say, but Seattle is not all that. Water and mountain views don't make a city. Everything else does. Theres plenty of other cities.... the better cities are in the Midwest and East.

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by nF88

We're not looking for much, but near transportation is the only must I/we can't afford to budge on. I mentioned he's working in the heart of downtown, but would rather not pinpoint his exact locale. As for our budget, I also mentioned he'll be making considerably less than he's used too (he's doing it for additional tech experience) and since I don't have a job lined up at this moment, our max rent cannot exceed $1200. We found a beautiful place along Nickerson St. with a view, but the landlord pulled a somewhat shady move on us and gave the apartment to someone else, despite our good credit, references and willing to pay months of rent in advance.

So those are our two main criteria: transportation and no more than $1200. Everything else is relatively negotiable, however, we'd ideally like to stay within 30 mins of downtown. Columbia City near the light rail (the true CC area, not what realtors try to pass for CC) would be almost perfect or Queen Anne/lower Queen Anne. Of course, Capitol Hill is gorgeous and has the vibe we're used to in Philadelphia, but we won't hold our breathe finding an apartment within our budget there lol

Have a look at West Seattle. A quick Craigslist search reveals a number of rentals below $1200 that are close to California Ave SW - a very walkable street with fun shops, restaurants, pubs, etc., and not a terrible bus commute to downtown Seattle. Many great views, too, e.g. ...



We go to Philly quite often (son, DIL and their kids live in the Fairmount district) and frankly dollar-for-dollar IMO many Seattle neighborhoods are better value. Remember, no air conditioning costs, lower heating costs, no state income tax, no city income tax... it all adds up.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by RJ8089

I can understand the disappointment of the original poster. Sad to say, but Seattle is not all that. Water and mountain views don't make a city. Everything else does. Theres plenty of other cities.... the better cities are in the Midwest and East.

this is absolutely true. If you want mountains and water views, you can also live in a small isolated village. Cities are a lot more than that and unfortunately Seattle is behind most east coast cities plus San Francisco, Portland and Vancouver.

[strad]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

this is absolutely true. If you want mountains and water views, you can also live in a small isolated village. Cities are a lot more than that and unfortunately Seattle is behind most east coast cities plus San Francisco, Portland and Vancouver.

Can you explain in what ways Seattle is behind these other cities? I've never lived in any of the cities you mentioned, though I have visited them all (the only east coast city I have ever been too, though, is NYC).

[Botev1912]

Only downtown feels like a city, the waterfront is terrible and most neighborhood are suburbs

[JBVirtuoso]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Only downtown feels like a city, the waterfront is terrible and most neighborhood are suburbs

This. For someone moving here from the East Coast, Chicago, San Francisco, or from a major city abroad, Seattle is a boring suburban snoozefest. Though I'd disagree with your earlier assertion that Portland is more city-like.

But that said, it's still possible to be an urbanophile and love Seattle. The built environment is decidedly suburban, but the culture of the city is very urban if you look in the right places. Numerous areas of the city have active restaurant and nightlife scenes, the people are well educated and well traveled, and the city's cultural venues keep up with the latest music and art trends.

Once newcomers get over the shock of all the one-story buildings everywhere, it's not hard to find aspects of Seattle that you enjoy.

[west seattle gal]

"Walkable" usually means close proximity to service businesses of all kinds = the commercial district. So confused by your post. Unless it's just the condos that turn you off? Seattle does have plenty of them, this town is very high density. I like West Seattle b/c it's walkable to parks, trails, water, beach...in addition to all of the independent shops.

If you live here and are without a car, get a bike.

[west seattle gal]

Originally Posted by sean98125

You caught me. This is an ugly city. The fall rains came yesterday and it is going to rain until next May. Now is the time that you need to clean your feet every night and carefully dry them so the moss doesn't grow between your toes. Our traffic is worse than anything you can imagine. Everyone here is forced to buy at least 24 ounces of Starbucks a day and to use only Windows based software and Windows phones. When Bill Gates or Paul Allen or any of the Microsoft billionaires drives past every person on the sidewalk must drop to their knees and avert their eyes, even in slug-filled rain puddles.

We have three somewhat active volcanoes within 90 miles of the city. There is a fault line that runs through the center of the city that could go at any time and that's just one of a hundred faults in the area. Our hills slide into the sea with alarming regularity. The ground is still settling after the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Last summer it seemed like our forests were on fire over a thousand square miles.

And it's dark here in the winter. So dark. The sun never quite gets high enough in the sky during the short days of December and January to cast enough light through the heavy low clouds where you feel comfortable turning off your headlights even at noon. You'll be waiting at dark and rainy bus stops hoping that no one driving down the road splashes you. Step too far one direction and you're soaked, step too far in the other and the bus driver will never see you.

You'll get wet and cold. So cold. Even though the thermometer says that it is 42, the rain drives the cold into your bones. And there is no protecting yourself from it. You could spend $1000 in rain gear and fleece at REI (which will get you a parka, a fleece vest, and a little thermometer or compass to put on your zipper) and still never be dry.

The roads are bedlam. People from all over the world come here, bringing with them the driving habits of their homes. Mix that with the timid drivers going 10 below the speed limit and the Microsofties and Amazonians using their smartphones while careening carelessly down the carriageways and you have a slow, congested white line nightmare. Sidewalks are dangerous when you are dodging bicyclists and beggars. And don't cross a cycletrack without looking for a stealthy ninja biker clad all in dark colors on one of our endless rainy nights. They'll run you down.

And the city is filled with grumps and malcontents and the disgruntled who moved here expecting it to be like their home but with mountains and jobs, who complain and whine because the environment here doesn't bend to their internal definition of what constitutes nice weather or social behaviors.

We Seattle folk try to market this place as a wonderful corner of the world, but it is really a pit of despair and misery shrouded in such heavy darkness and rain that any flame of hope and joy stutters and is soon extinguished. We want to sell our houses to you so we can move to gentler climes.

You caught us. You've seen through the lies. Don't move here, whatever you do. It'll destroy your soul. It'll break your spirit. Stay in Philly where you are safe and happy. There is nothing here for you but rain and sadness.

Rain and sadness.

OK, maybe this is tongue in cheek, but it does reflect how I actually feel every February. Like clockwork. If someone doesn't like Seattle in the summer, like the OP, this may not be the best fit.