DINKS & their dog drawing towards Seattle (Bellevue, Kirkland: 2015, condo)

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

I wonder if Issaquah would be too far? Not looking for any more than 40 minutes to downtown one way.

So West Seattle, Columbia City, Queen Anne, Renton, Kent, Ravenna, Edmonds, and Ballard is generally what I'm hearing?

Issaquah would be more like 45 minutes to an hour to Downtown, more to Swedish-First Hill or UWMC.

For a house with a fenced yard, look further north:

Pet Friendly Apartments & Houses For Rent - 64 Rentals | Zillow

For instance:

2732 NE 91st St, Seattle, WA 98115 | Zillow

Going to $3,000 gives you more choices closer in.

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Have a nice trip, Scorpion. Try to get out for a walk (even for an hour) in one of the amazing in town parks here, Discovery Park in Magnolia and Seward Park are two of my faves.

We plan on it! Forecast shows light rain this weekend but still about 60 which is perfect in my opinion. I can't wait!

[Scorpion3510]

So my wife and I returned from our weekend adventure in Seattle. Saturday is rained steadily and Sunday was clear for most of the day. We were able to explore quite a bit of the are, including many neighborhoods many of you suggested on here. We stayed in Bellevue but really didn't explore that area very much (time). We were able to get to Ballard (twice), parts of Fremont, Briar Cliff, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Downtown, Capitol Hill, West Seattle, Columbia City, Beacon Hill, Mt. Baker, Renton, and the area around Sea-Tac Airport.


The area is not exactly what I envisioned but did surprise me in some respects. My wife really liked Briar Cliff (super expensive), Magnolia, Mt. Baker, and West Seattle. I would add those plus Columbia City. In fact in Columbia City people seemed pretty friendly and chatted us up at the Flying Lion brewery.


Ballard is nice for things to do but seems too removed from downtown and not really our speed. We both liked West Seattle but my cousin mentioned something about them planning to get rid of the bridge or impose a toll. Something that would make it more difficult to get from West Seattle to downtown.


Capitol Hill was fun but where we were (15th & Pike/Pine) seemed too saturated with college kids. Though it was Saturday night. I don't think we would live there unless it was deeper into more residential neighborhoods. 25th area? I wouldn't want to live downtown either as it's too urban and busy. Renton, although nice, seemed to far removed as well.


I really wish we explored Ravenna and the area around UW but we simply ran out of time. Didn't get to see that area at all.


People complain on here about the homeless, but we saw very little especially when compared to San Francisco. Perhaps the rain kept them out of the tourist areas/pioneer square/Pike's market? There were a couple encampments but mostly around the interstate bridges.


Apparently SR-99 was shut down this weekend. I-5 has TERRIBLE traffic. Otherwise it was easy to get around the city.


One thing that struck me about the area is just how far north and isolated it felt. It really was an intangible thing but it felt far removed from the rest of the country and that we were at the edge of civilization. It's hard to explain.


Anyways, a good visit and if offered the job my wife and I will have to think about it. I like the area but was not completely blown away by it. Can any speak about the West Seattle tolls? Any other areas that we should check out?


Thanks!

[homesinseattle]

I think you are on the right track, you might want to throw Madrona on the list. West Seattle will always be a tough commute (only one bridge on and off), unless you live in an Alki condo and take the water taxi to downtown.

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

I think you are on the right track, you might want to throw Madrona on the list. West Seattle will always be a tough commute (only one bridge on and off), unless you live in an Alki condo and take the water taxi to downtown.

There are a couple of townhouses in Alki beach that we could afford (on Craigslist). It would be great to take the water taxi into work. Don't know about my wife as she will most likely work at a medical center (even an urgent care).


Is Madrona similar to any of the other neighborhoods? I see it on the map and its location looks good but I don't know anything else about it.

[homesinseattle]

A number of my clients live in Alki, take the water taxi and walk up (or hop rides) to the medical (near Swedish Medical Center) district. Madrona is cool, neat neighborhood. Lots of shops, cafes, close to almost anything.

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

A number of my clients live in Alki, take the water taxi and walk up (or hop rides) to the medical (near Swedish Medical Center) district. Madrona is cool, neat neighborhood. Lots of shops, cafes, close to almost anything.

Is Madrona similar to Mt. Baker/Columbia City? It seemed that area had a lot of amenities in CC and a good residential base in Mt. Baker. Plus close to the Lake Washington & Colman Park which we went through (liked that park!).


I just realized there is a light rail station in Mt. Baker too after looking at the map. Could be very helpful.

[homesinseattle]

Madrona does have a cool little core with shops and cafes, Columbia City has more though. Mount Baker is a fabulous combo: residential and mellow, close to the vibrancy of Columbia City and as you mentioned, light rail.

[Gardyloo]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

One thing that struck me about the area is just how far north and isolated it felt. It really was an intangible thing but it felt far removed from the rest of the country and that we were at the edge of civilization. It's hard to explain.

I grew up in LA and discovered when I moved away (to Oregon for college) that the constant stream of California-centric reinforcement I'd received my whole life - every movie and TV show seemed to be set in LA, sports, Hollywood, the beach culture, you name it - was actually the source of feeling a bit disconnected in Oregon. Years later, when I lived in Alaska, Seattle felt like the big "lower 48" city that was emblematic of urban America. Family I have who come from New York City have the same feeling in LA or the Bay Area; British friends find the size of the US to be very disconcerting. It's all relative and has to do with how you perceive things. Of course, standing on a deserted beach in Olympic National Park or on some trail in the Cascades, you really are on the edge of civilization, if only a few miles from settlement.

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

Anyways, a good visit and if offered the job my wife and I will have to think about it. I like the area but was not completely blown away by it. Can any speak about the West Seattle tolls? Any other areas that we should check out?

I am not aware of any tolls planned for the West Seattle bridge. I suspect somebody might have been talking about the tunnel (now being dug, Boston would be proud) replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct (SR 99). That tunnel WILL be tolled, but shouldn't affect the commute from West Seattle.

Two other neighborhoods besides Ravenna/Maple Leaf/Green Lake that you should include for the next time or else do some independent research - Madison Park and Wallingford.

Madison Park is a leafy enclave at the end of Madison Street (where it hits Lake Washington - there used to be a ferry to Kirkland from there.) There are very nice shops, a decent supply of (slightly upscale but not terribly expensive) rental housing, and despite feeling like a bit of a village, it's incredibly convenient to downtown - the buses go right past the big cluster of hospitals on First Hill on their way to downtown. What it looks like - https://goo.gl/maps/b82y9T8SWkB2

Wallingford is just uphill from Fremont, basically between Fremont and Green Lake. 45th Street and Stone Way are the main drags, with gobs of cafes, shops, movies, you name it, but a block or two off those streets and you're in a very pleasant residential district with lots of cool craftsman houses etc. Transportation to downtown or the UW medical complex is super easy, and it's a neighborhood with a very strong identity and personality. What it looks like - https://goo.gl/maps/yByarcXbUWz

[blacknotebooks]

Hey Scorpion, looks we were both in the Seattle area scoping out areas to live in - we are also DINKs (no dog yet). The rain on Saturday was pretty nuts huh?

We looked at similar places as you but liked Columbia City best. West Seattle didn't seem as diverse to us but we did go to that ramen spot, which was surprisingly very comparable to places in LA. I liked that CC has a light rail station that we can use for the airport and Capitol Hill as needed.