Considering moving from Chicago to Seattle, need some info (sales, 2014)

[Firewithin]

Hello everyone,
I'm currently living in the Chicago burbs, but I wanna move to a place where I don't know anyone.I like Seattle because of it's beautiful nature and the fresh air, also I think its a very beautiful city. Can you tell me which areas are the best for young single people. I'm 29 female. I don't wanna live in the suburbs surrounded only with families like it is at the moment.I'd prefer to be able to take public transportation and to be as close as possible to the downtown area. I need a fresh start, to meet new people, explore and maybe find the love of my life What advice will you give me?

Also,
how much money do I need to move there without a job and is it fairly easy to find a job in sales?

[homesinseattle]

Hi there. Ballard, Green Lake, West Seattle, Capitol Hill are all good spots.

[tobester]

Originally Posted by Firewithin

Hello everyone,
I'm currently living in the Chicago burbs, but I wanna move to a place where I don't know anyone.I like Seattle because of it's beautiful nature and the fresh air, also I think its a very beautiful city. Can you tell me which areas are the best for young single people. I'm 29 female. I don't wanna live in the suburbs surrounded only with families like it is at the moment.I'd prefer to be able to take public transportation and to be as close as possible to the downtown area. I need a fresh start, to meet new people, explore and maybe find the love of my life What advice will you give me?

Also,
how much money do I need to move there without a job and is it fairly easy to find a job in sales?

Most people on this forum suggest about $10K to make the move. Half of that could be sucked up getting an apartment.

[agaace]

If you want to live close to downtown and don't mind city noise (traffic noise and ambulances in the early morning hours etc), you can find semi-affordable apartment rentals in First Hill (the neighborhood surrounded by hospitals, so a lot of ambulance noise). I personally liked it there, the location is ideal - walking distance both to downtown (jobs, businesses, city offices, restaurants) and capitol hill (night life, restaurants, hipsters, all the "cool kids"). So if you like going out, you never even need a cab to take you home after a few drinks! You can cover most of Seattle downtown by foot from First Hill. The crime is supposed to be a little higher over there but as a single lady in my 20s I never felt unsafe walking there at any time of day or night. Seattle is generally pretty safe, the only close-to-downtown area I would double check before moving in, would be Pioneer Square. I used to work in that area and sometimes long hours, and felt a bit uneasy walking after 10 pm over there (there's some homeless and drug related people "hanging out" over there, and there was a street shooting while I worked there, and they're pretty rare in Seattle).

But the noise from traffic/hospitals is something not everyone can handle, so keep that in mind if considering First Hill.
Look for older buildings that have been renovated inside. Last I lived there in 2014 my rent was $2,000 for a 1-bed apartment. I'd assume I'd be more like $2,500 these days. A newer, fancier apartment or an apartment in a better neighborhood (closer to Downtown or Capitol Hill) will probably be north of $3,000, I'm guessing. But you can always get something tiny for cheaper, if you don't mind living in a tiny apt. Or get something older and not renovated in the last 20-30 years. Keep in mind, most apartments do not include parking, it's a separate monthly fee, mine was around $230 per month, these days it's up to $300. Parking in Seattle in general is ridiculously expensive, due to the city policy to keep bumping up street parking fees until people can't afford it anymore.

You will typically need to pay first & last month rent in advance. If there's a competition for rentals (which there almost always is), the landlord may want to check your employment status and run a background check, and will pick someone they see the most reliable. Good luck!

[jakebarnes]

I'd say you would want at least 3 to 6 months worth of expenses. Try looking at Apodments. They are basically dorm rooms for rent, but they include all utilities and are less than other apartments. Minimum lease is 3 months but this way you have a place to stay while you look around.

Downtown and Capitol Hill/First Hill are very convenient but expensive. Also, depending on how much homeless/mental illness crisis/junkies you can handle also might factor in to that decision. I've lived on Capitol Hill for 21 years and it's never been worse. Green Lake/West Seattle/Columbia City would probably be less expensive and less miscreant-laden but also less convenient to get to downtown.

If I were you, I'd save money for expenses, move here, get an Apodment and explore the city. Once you have a job and know your commute, and are familiar with the different neighborhoods, you'll probably know where you want to live.

[agaace]

Also Ballard and South Lake Union are the new "cool" neighborhoods. Ballard is transforming from a single family home neighborhood into whole blocks of apartment buildings, and has some nice cafes and restaurants, and is close to some nice parks (Golden Gardens that is an awesome public beach and a park). South Lake Union is more business-oriented, it is popular now (and getting expensive, of course) with all the tech kids moving there (Amazon, Google, Facebook etc). The lake features spectacular views, kayaking, water airplanes etc. It's becoming more and more livable each day with new eateries popping up, and probably has more food trucks than downtown.
Green Lake is where I live now, that is becoming a millionaire neighborhood (houses sell around the $1M mark these days). The lake is packed with people on any sunny day but still huge enough to have space for everyone. Bike lanes, kayaking, boats, running trails etc. Perfect for active people and really really beautiful. Some little coffee shops, but not much night life, it's still mostly single family home neighborhood.

All of these neighborhoods would probably have good public transport to downtown, although I'm a car person so can't tell you much about it. Keep in mind if you do need to drive to downtown, it's gonna be REALLY expensive to park there. In South Lake Union, where I work, I pay $16 per day for parking. I think it's on the order of $8 for just 2h parking, street parking not much cheaper (either $3 or $4 per hour) if you can find any at all. Downtown is even worse, for night life, it can run you north of $20 for the night for parking alone.

[87112]

Don't know about sales jobs but in Seattle if you have construction or a Tech worker you will be hired in a matter of days. I if you're a female and want to find a guy you're in massive luck, the city is a sausage feast. The number of bros looking for love is embarrassing high compared to females left in Seattle. Its the the reverse of going to Russia or Eastern Europe.