Toddler Friendly Neighborhood (Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds: for rent, houses, neighborhoods)

[Runner29]

Hi,

My husband just accepted a job in Seattle at the beginning of November. We are moving from Dallas, Texas. We are hoping to find a neighborhood that is not too far from his job in downtown Seattle. Any advice on a nice neighborhood to look into? We would love to be near museums, a library and a park. I know we might not get everything on our wish list but hoping to get close. Thank you for your help!

[tobester]

Originally Posted by Runner29

Hi,

My husband just accepted a job in Seattle at the beginning of November. We are moving from Dallas, Texas. We are hoping to find a neighborhood that is not too far from his job in downtown Seattle. Any advice on a nice neighborhood to look into? We would love to be near museums, a library and a park. I know we might not get everything on our wish list but hoping to get close. Thank you for your help!

The first question all will ask is "what is your housing budget?"

[RustinginSeattle]

Hi there. Where are you coming from? Seattle isn't big on Museums, but the ones we do have are mostly in neighborhoods that I wouldn't consider toddler friendly (Downtown, Capital Hill, U District). Queen Anne would be the closest family friendly area, but is also one of the most expensive areas of Seattle (think over $1 million for a small house), which is why you were asked what your budget is.

Ballard, Maple Leaf, Green Lake, Ravenna are all nice neighborhoods, but very, very expensive(think $600K for a small, old starter house that may not have a garage, but will certainly have a very tiny yard) .

Also, our finding is that the actual street you live on makes a big difference. We are in a very nice area of Ballard, but our house is just a couple houses away from a moderately busy road with a hill leading to that road. Not good for ball play, tricycles, or even just letting a toddler run on the sidewalk. Also, we didn't have any small children nearby until recently (and now it's just one family). I envy friends that live just a couple blocks away who live on a flat street with other neighborhood kids running around. It's nice that we have a park nearby, but I can't spend my whole life in a park. I work and still need to be able to take care of a house and business.

My husband grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and traveling out there has made me realize what a truly kid friendly neighborhood is (great parks aimed at kids, lots of kid friendly places to go and activities (pools!!!), trails to bike on, and large yards. It's just not like that in the city of Seattle, at least from my perspective (I'm born and raised here and have a 7 year old and a 9 year old).

I wish we lived in Broadview (west of 3rd ave nw) or Shoreline or Edmonds. They aren't close to the things you spoke about, but it would be so nice to live in a more family friendly neighborhood with kids running around and a larger yard. Edmonds has a nice little downtown area and larger lots, but you'll want to read up on the commute.

Good luck!

[Hemlock140]

Look at the part of Ballard south of Market, 15th to about 3rd. Very quiet residential area with flat streets, sidewalks, and many families with toddlers. It's also close to the zoo, parks and schools, and walkable to the library but you would have to cross Market.

[KonaldDuth]

People in Seattle hate kids. They'll probably make some remark about how you're a bad person because of the carbon footprint your kid will leave. I am not joking about this.

[Runner29]

Thank you all for your responses. Since we dont' know too much about Seattle will be renting our first year. Our max budget per month for rent ideally would not go over $2,400. Of course, we would love to find one much cheaper to save as much as possible so we can buy a home sooner. We don't mind living in a small home. We really just want to be in walkable neighborhood that is not far from things to do.

[Runner29]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

People in Seattle hate kids. They'll probably make some remark about how you're a bad person because of the carbon footprint your kid will leave. I am not joking about this.

This made me laugh so hard. I forgot about my carbon footprint when I had my son.

[Runner29]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Look at the part of Ballard south of Market, 15th to about 3rd. Very quiet residential area with flat streets, sidewalks, and many families with toddlers. It's also close to the zoo, parks and schools, and walkable to the library but you would have to cross Market.

Thank you, I will def check out that neighborhood.

[Runner29]

Originally Posted by RustinginSeattle

Hi there. Where are you coming from? Seattle isn't big on Museums, but the ones we do have are mostly in neighborhoods that I wouldn't consider toddler friendly (Downtown, Capital Hill, U District). Queen Anne would be the closest family friendly area, but is also one of the most expensive areas of Seattle (think over $1 million for a small house), which is why you were asked what your budget is.

Ballard, Maple Leaf, Green Lake, Ravenna are all nice neighborhoods, but very, very expensive(think $600K for a small, old starter house that may not have a garage, but will certainly have a very tiny yard) .

Also, our finding is that the actual street you live on makes a big difference. We are in a very nice area of Ballard, but our house is just a couple houses away from a moderately busy road with a hill leading to that road. Not good for ball play, tricycles, or even just letting a toddler run on the sidewalk. Also, we didn't have any small children nearby until recently (and now it's just one family). I envy friends that live just a couple blocks away who live on a flat street with other neighborhood kids running around. It's nice that we have a park nearby, but I can't spend my whole life in a park. I work and still need to be able to take care of a house and business.

My husband grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and traveling out there has made me realize what a truly kid friendly neighborhood is (great parks aimed at kids, lots of kid friendly places to go and activities (pools!!!), trails to bike on, and large yards. It's just not like that in the city of Seattle, at least from my perspective (I'm born and raised here and have a 7 year old and a 9 year old).

I wish we lived in Broadview (west of 3rd ave nw) or Shoreline or Edmonds. They aren't close to the things you spoke about, but it would be so nice to live in a more family friendly neighborhood with kids running around and a larger yard. Edmonds has a nice little downtown area and larger lots, but you'll want to read up on the commute.

Good luck!

Thanks for your advice! We are def having a tough time figuring out whether we will live closer to town in a small place that is closer to my husbands job. Or a little further out in a larger home that is more kid friendly. I will definitely look into Ballard and Shoreline. I would love an area that we can take our toddler out for walks and feel safe with parks nearby and maybe a short trip to musuems and other places. I will keep hlls in mind.

[amaiunmei]

I would not recommend Ballard simply because so many people are trying to drive around in the neighborhood, and the driving has only gotten more erratic over the years.

Nearby Magnolia has a LOT less car traffic and feels more out-of-the-way. It is hilly, however. If you want a more low-lying area, look on the other side of I-5 to places like Roosevelt and Maple Leaf.