Recommendations on where to live, hobbies? Job moving Lynnwood, $73k/yr (Seattle: buses, commute to)

[fillmore241]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Being able to fire guns off your back porch (which I take to be a desire to live in a rural area with no close neighbors) and "friends in the area" are somewhat contradictory, unless talking about buddies made at the gun range. How many cars will you need to work on? If interested in a dating-social scene, concerts, skateparks, "hipster" gathering places, etc., you don't want to be marooned out in the sticks. Throw in the desire for less than a soul-destroying commute and more than just one something's got to give.

Yes! This is very true. I don't think "free shooting" is worth completely isolating myself if that's it takes. Ranges are pricey but it's not a big deal - there seems to be lots of adventurous things in WA.

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

I'd suggest renting a house (I'd say apartment, if not for the "working on cars" thing) in the general Lynnwood area, itself

Agreed! I have two cars. I could sell them if an apartment would garner a really unique experience - but I haven't been a huge fan of apts in the past anyway.

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Note: You can live in more urban areas here and still not be more than one to three hours (if traveling outside peak commute periods) from mountains (hiking, camping, climbing, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, off-roading, etc.) and water (the coast, the Sound, lakes, etc., for surfing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, boating, etc.). The best surfing is at Westport, which is about 145 miles from Lynnwood - the quickest route is straight down I-5, then west on SR-8/US-12.

This is probably the coolest thing about Washington to me - I live in DC now and finding good outdoors activities is a huge time commitment. Some people like the outdoors here, but sounds of traffic, wrapper on hiking trails, smog on Shenandoah and people everywhere can all kill the mood for me.

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

The best surfing is at Westport, which is about 145 miles from Lynnwood - the quickest route is straight down I-5, then west on SR-8/US-12.

Thanks for the tip on the surf spot! I surfed for the first time in Port Angeles and LaPush last summer with friends and it was really fun, but definitely fell on the more expensive, full weekend type trip.


Thanks for the more different take on this. I'll try to price out Lynnwood as well. Is there any financial cost/benefit trend here? Like, is Lynnwood a relatively equal/inexpensive place to live? I'm afraid of spending so much money on rent and that driving everywhere to do outdoorsy stuff will be too expensive - any thoughts??

[fillmore241]

Originally Posted by mkarch

Get a Camaro and soup it up.

Tempting :-)

I'd really like to more car building stuff but it's expensive. My S2000 is plenty fun for now anyway. I mostly just do my own maintenance (and save crazy amounts of money with DC's labor rates)...

[homesinseattle]

Buy an affordable historic home in Everett and a shack out in the woods. Hipster stuff and gun shootin' locales don't mix that well, this way you could have both.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by fillmore241

Tempting :-)

I'd really like to more car building stuff but it's expensive. My S2000 is plenty fun for now anyway. I mostly just do my own maintenance (and save crazy amounts of money with DC's labor rates)...

Camaros are the old stereotype. It's mostly imports now. Do yourself a favor and look for a west coast car that hasn't seen much de-icer. The car I brought out to DC was a year old, and after 2 winters it was crustier under the hood than the 25 year old project car I bought last year.

[Blondebaerde]

To OP:

There is a guy who makes quite-good firearms review videos on YouTube who basically shoots off of his back porch. He's got a neat little range. I do not recall where, but obviously it ain't in Lynnwood.

I've spent enough time up around Lake Placid NY and the Adirondacks in-general. Wild country, for sure. Of course, Western WA and the Cascades are, too, but shooting off the back porch anywhere in Seattle metro will attract SWAT and helicopters.

Not so parts of Kitsap or many places far from Seattle-Tacoma metro, though.

If I was working in Lynnwood, personally I'd find a scummy apartment close by and travel out to the boonies on my own time for everything else. Decade and a half here, it dawned on me that living Eastside or Seattle, the epicenters of tech work (in my case) was the best plan. Work and easy commute first, recreation second. Invert it, going to work every day will positively suck time and resources.

Alternative is a more-spacious place for the same money out on Kitsap and take the Edmonds ferry in every day. Probably false economy unless it can be done walk-on, due to previously mentioned constraints. Friend of mine built an estate out on Kitsap and commuted to Eastside couple days/week for years; I questioned the logic, but living in a rural area was just that important to him and his family. YMMV.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by fillmore241

Thanks for the more different take on this. I'll try to price out Lynnwood as well. Is there any financial cost/benefit trend here? Like, is Lynnwood a relatively equal/inexpensive place to live? I'm afraid of spending so much money on rent and that driving everywhere to do outdoorsy stuff will be too expensive - any thoughts??

Lynnwood is a relatively inexpensive area, primarily due to being a semi-tough commute to Downtown Seattle. It is suburban, car-oriented, and not very walkable. There are a lot of apartment complexes there, built in the 1960-80s (when commuting was a lot easier). Craigslist shows about 30 houses for rent, from around $1,300 and up; 40 apartments for under $1,000. Also look in the adjacent areas: Edmonds to the west and Mountlake Terrace to the east.

It allows you to be closer to Seattle for socializing/dating and entertainment, while still easily being able to access all of the natural wonders to the west, north, and east. Everett also has entertainment options. As long as you pick your times, I-5 is fine for accessing attractions to the south (Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Westport/Ocean Shores, Long Beach).

I'm not sure if Westport has better surfing than La Push, but it is a lot easier to get to. See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFP7FHiuihA

[fillmore241]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Buy an affordable historic home in Everett and a shack out in the woods. Hipster stuff and gun shootin' locales don't mix that well, this way you could have both.

Good idea! I like the idea of a historic home & the time I spent in Everett/Mukilteo was really nice.

Originally Posted by mkarch

The car I brought out to DC was a year old, and after 2 winters it was crustier under the hood than the 25 year old project car I bought last year.

Man, driving through Seattle was like going back in a time machine. DC is really superficial, so all you see are Audi/BMW/Lexus SUVs with HID headlights and fog lights (even though its dangerous/illegal, everyone thinks it looks cool). Loved the cars I saw out there and will probably cave for one eventually. And yeahhhh, I have a ’97 subaru legacy that sat unused in VT for a while. Unbelievably rusty. But now after all the stuff I had to fix I love it too much; stockholm syndrome or something.

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

To OP:
I've spent enough time up around Lake Placid NY and the Adirondacks in-general. Wild country, for sure. Of course, Western WA and the Cascades are, too, but shooting off the back porch anywhere in Seattle metro will attract SWAT and helicopters.

I love Lake Placid. And hah; there are a lot of areas where I hope SWAT and helicopters would get involved

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

If I was working in Lynnwood, personally I'd find a scummy apartment close by and travel out to the boonies on my own time for everything else. Decade and a half here, it dawned on me that living Eastside or Seattle, the epicenters of tech work (in my case) was the best plan. Work and easy commute first, recreation second. Invert it, going to work every day will positively suck time and resources.

I like this idea. It really is practical to plan for work and adjust for life; learned that in DC as well. Though, as I said, my 10 mile commute is 45 minutes

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

Friend of mine built an estate out on Kitsap and commuted to Eastside couple days/week for years; I questioned the logic, but living in a rural area was just that important to him and his family. YMMV.

I really entertained this idea here. House in WV (cheap), commute to DC. They have a commuter rail service, but in the summer it gets hot enough that the rails expand and trains move 1/2 speed. Deer will run in front of trains (suburbia) somedays and you can’t get to work.

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

It allows you to be closer to Seattle for socializing/dating and entertainment, while still easily being able to access all of the natural wonders to the west, north, and east. Everett also has entertainment options. As long as you pick your times, I-5 is fine for accessing attractions to the south (Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Westport/Ocean Shores, Long Beach).

I'm not sure if Westport has better surfing than La Push, but it is a lot easier to get to. See:

Thanks - that sounds like a good approach. I once afforded $1300/mo +utils with a $53k salary but it was really hard. I will probably need roommates.

Surfing at Westport looks good enough for me. LaPush was hard to get to, and when I went there were probably 7-10 ft waves. I was in over my head.

[CrazyDonkey]

On second-look, $1,300 or so might get you a townhouse in Lynnwood, in which case you might as well rent an apartment for a good deal less. For a barebones house, figure on at least $1,500. For instance:

1400ft2 - 3 bd/1ba house or 3 Rooms available now near Edmonds communi

For more luxurious digs:

3 bedroom house w/garage for rent

Still, with two roomies, you're talking about $600 per, plus utils, water/garbage, cable, phone, etc.

[crf450ish]

Originally Posted by fillmore241

Not sure where to live (or if I need roommates)

Working in Lynnwood.

Currently takes me 45 minutes to commute my 10 miles in DC :-(. I can continue that if necessary; but 20 minutes would be lovely.



It was serious, but maybe not realistic. I don't know the area so I figured I'd throw it out there and see what people said. It actually happens in rural NY and WV. I've always heard that Washington has really rural areas, so I wasn't sure if that's a thing there (or if it's socially unacceptable). I'd prefer not to freak anyone out.

for the fist part in bold: your gonna have to choose...20 minute commute or living somewhere rural.


second thing in bold: Why do you care who you freak out? do you care that much about what others think of you?

[Jiff]

Re, Lynnwood "semi-tough commute to Downtown Seattle". It's been pretty easy for me. By CT or ST bus: Lynnwood TC to/from Stewart St reversible ramp in Seattle: morning rush: 30 minutes plus or minus, afternoon rush 30 - 40 minutes. Buses every 15 minutes until around 8pm, then less often until a little after midnight. Been doing it for 25 years. No complaints. The Double Talls are nice.