May end up relocating to Seattle (Tacoma: apartment, to rent, home)

[centauri]

I have been looking for jobs elsewhere, but I received a call today, and the possible employers may have an offer for me up in Seattle. The pay... is ok ($15 an hour) I guess. It is a full time position, and I am more than willing to relocate.

What will be decent area's I should look into for a apartment on $15 an hour? My friends up there tells me to screw it and just go, but I want to research more into the city and the COL. (I know it is high)

[Bolo99]

At that wage, i would seriously look into renting a room for about $500 but if you really need your own place, you can rent an apodment which goes for around $800. This way you can still have some money left over each month rather than letting rent eat everything.

[laurabf]

What area is the job in? If you don't have much debt then you could make this work depending on how you spend your money- savings, shopping, vacations, etc. What are you looking for in a neighborhood? Do you have a car and how far are you willing to commute? Are you willing to have a roommate? Being that Seattle is so expensive and we have many colleges there are a number of home share options.

[homesinseattle]

Northgate area.

[centauri]

Originally Posted by laurabf

What area is the job in? If you don't have much debt then you could make this work depending on how you spend your money- savings, shopping, vacations, etc. What are you looking for in a neighborhood? Do you have a car and how far are you willing to commute? Are you willing to have a roommate? Being that Seattle is so expensive and we have many colleges there are a number of home share options.

I will be working in Tacoma, and the office is in Seattle. I found a few places downtown Tacoma, but I am still looking around.

[mhays25]

That wage might be almost middle class in Tacoma, but it would mean living like a student in Seattle. Downtown Tacoma is getting to be a nice area with a lot of options between UW Tacoma and the Stadium District (getting well north of the CBD), at prices I'd guess to be around 60% the Seattle equivalent.

From there, you can get an express bus that takes you the 35 miles to Downtown Seattle in about 45 minutes if I recall, often in HOV lanes. Or walk or take the streetcar south to the Tacoma Dome station where multiple express bus routes converge so it's every five(?) minutes to Seattle at rush hour, and both commuter rail (rush hour only) and Amtrak do the same trip albeit slower than the bus.