Moving to Western Washington (Seattle, Everett: employment, neighborhoods, to live in)

[naturelover60]

Hi all
My adult son and I will be moving to Western Washington by the end of the summer and I am looking for advice. A few months ago we were looking at the Olympia area, but as we have looked at employment opportunities we are opening up our research to other areas.

I have degrees in Child Development/Child Life and Thanatology (Grief and Bereavement) I am looking for work in a hospital, child development center or family agency. I do not drive so looking to live someone where I can do public transportation around an hour or less each way.

My son is an apprentice carpenter and it looks like most of the work is in the Seattle area.

The area we are wanting to live in would be/have:

Under 50,000 people
Be close to hiking opportunities
Walking trails close to where we live
Water views- I was born in a coastal town and the water is my "happy place"
Good public transportation
Walkability within the town.
Sense of community

We have been looking at Bremerton and then started exploring the neighborhoods around Seattle like Shoreline and Alki Beach.

We are open to the Seattle area but do not want to live in the city itself. Are the Seattle neighborhoods like a suburb of Seattle? I use to live in the Boston area and there were towns that were all within an hour of the city of Boston by public transportation. Is this how the neighborhoods of Seattle are?

Thank you for any information.

[homesinseattle]

As far as smaller feeling towns commutable to Seattle, Edmonds Bowl is nice if you can afford it. Historic North Everett (N on 19th and West of Broadway) is attractive and relatively affordable, many people don't know about it.

There are also plenty of neighborhoods that ring Downtown Seattle, they are not at all like suburbs. Some of the ones that will give you a water vibe are West Seattle, Sunset Hill (the west side of Ballard), Montlake, Mount Baker, Seward Park, Wallingford, Madison Park.

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, I"m not quite understanding your inquiry. It sounds like you've Settled on the Seattle area, as being the best locus for job opportunities for both of you, but you're now inquiring about neighborhoods? Or nearby towns, connected by transit to Seattle? Are you looking for a suburb of 50,000 or less, is that it? Or are you open to other parts of Western WA? If you want to be in or near Seattle, then I agree that Edmonds, west Everett, or West Seattle would be best for you. Burien, to the south of Seattle, too. It's more affordable, and has waterfront on the Sound.