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Hi, I’ve snuck onto a couple of other posters’ threads recently but, now that plans have become firmer, thought I’d properly introduce myself and ask for specific advice. Apologies this is a long post, please expect a few more!
We’re a middle-aged couple (no kids), dual British and Australian, living in Sydney. My husband has just taken a role with a tech company in Bellevue. This will be our fourth continent as we’ve also lived in Asia, so we’re not really fazed by the move although it definitely wasn’t on our radar three months ago until my husband’s company was bought out and he got made redundant!
Initially we thought we would live in Bellevue but, now he has been a couple of times, my husband thinks I would be bored there. I won’t be working initially but, once my work permit comes through, I hope to find something worthwhile to do with my time. I’m currently the Finance Director of a small environmental charity and would hope to find somewhere that can use my skills – paid or unpaid. My guess is those kind of places will be more central.
So we’re now thinking of living in Seattle itself. We’re city people and love eating out, going to gigs, the theatre, dance, movies, museums, art galleries, etc., and having spoken to a few people who know Sydney well they have recommended we live centrally. Downtown, Belltown, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, have all been mentioned.
My husband’s prepared to commute (he’s been doing 40 minutes or so by car here), I don’t want a second car (I haven’t driven for 17 years – personal choice), and would love to be in the thick of things. I want to walk or take public transport. Living on Sydney’s city fringes, and working close to Central Station, I’m not blind to the problems that inner cities have and not put off by them. That said, I’m not reckless - I know Sydney well, in Seattle I’ll be starting again. And as one recent thread has reminded me – you guys have guns.
I would love your opinions on the areas mentioned, and recommendations for any others you think we should look at. We’ll probably rent an apartment – we have (own) one here, it’s a spacious 3 bed 2 bath and we’d love similar although suspect we’ll end up with a 2+2. We’re thinking we’ll need to spend up to $4k a month. We don’t need endless amenities (what is with all the lounges, boardrooms, demonstration kitchens, etc.?) but a gym would be good. Space is more important to be honest, and a car park. We have cats (this will be their third continent, they’re from Singapore) so ideally want a place with solid floors throughout. Specific recommendations would be great.
The company is not huge (not one of those you’d instantly think of) and doesn’t have a relocation process in place. We’re getting a budget but will basically DIY. When we moved to Australia we had the services of an agent, gave her a wish list, and she shortlisted properties for us. Would I be able to get somebody similar in Seattle, independently? (I’m currently working my way out of my job and won’t manage a looksee trip, so when I do get over it will be all systems go.)
I'd suggest starting with places that have direct bus service to the job in Bellevue. That would typically include Downtown Seattle, plus some places from the University District / Montlake area.
Seattle isn't dangerous but the street people / mentally ill issue is very different from Sydney. Don't worry but be prepared.
I've only visited Sydney a few times and don't know where you currently stay, but I'll make some general comments that you can add to your present data base.
First, the Seattle region is becoming much more dispersed than it previously was, but the transport infrastructure still reflects an older pattern, i.e. it's very centered on downtown Seattle as the nexus of a "hub and spoke" plan. Is your husband's job in central Bellevue or some distance from the center? The reason for asking is that there are big "last mile" issues with non-CBD jobs in the Seattle area. You can get from downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue quickly enough using public transportation (although the so-called "reverse commute" - Seattle to Bellevue in the morning, v.v. in the evening - is now equally if not more time-consuming than the "normal" one.) But if the work trip involves "feeder" services, for example from Capitol Hill to downtown, or from the Bellevue Transit Center to Eastgate, then the travel time can easily double, making for a nasty time of it.
The same goes if he wants to drive. There are two bridges over Lake Washington - a northern one that's tolled (SR 520) and a southern one that isn't (I-90.) The bridges are easy enough to navigate, but it's the time needed to get TO and FROM the bridges that's the rub. Seattle is a very hilly town, and constricted by a couple of lakes, principally Lake Union in the middle of things, with the result that transport infrastructure - roads and the VERY limited local rail network - is anything but direct in feeding the bridges. You can have enough traffic congestion at either/both ends of the bridges that the lake crossing itself is a small fraction of the whole commute.
So I'd definitely be looking at the transportation network as a controlling factor. Use something like Metro's trip planner - https://m.tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ - to do some big "what if" thinking.
In terms of things like going out, museums and recreation, theater and all that, the same issues apply. While downtown Seattle certainly has these things in abundance, it's also the case that increasingly those other resources are also very dispersed. Many of the region's best restaurants (the majority, I'd argue) are NOT in central Seattle; they're in neighborhoods and districts of Seattle that are NOT easily accessed by buses, or they're in suburbs - like Bellevue - or even farther.
Even Seattle's densest "gentrified" neighborhoods, like Ballard or Fremont, or parts of Capitol Hill, are not as dense as districts in Sydney like King Cross or The Rocks; the city just didn't develop that way.
So in plotting your landing zone, I'd be looking at not just access to transport infrastructure for your husband, I'd be looking at things you can access easily before you start working. There might be some locations that are somewhat "under the radar" but which might offer a decent quality of life for both of you.
For example: Madison Park in Seattle. This is an upscale district on the Lake Washington shore at the end of Madison Street. The little shopping district at the end of Madison offers plenty of places to get a meal or a beer, and access to the SR 520 bridge (the tolled one) is easy via the lovely Washington Park arboretum. There are frequent buses from Madison Park to downtown Seattle, and numerous places to walk, ride bikes, or enjoy the lakefront.
Or Mercer Island. This is an island in the middle of Lake Washington, mere minutes from both downtown Seattle and downtown Bellevue. I-90 passes through the island, so both car and bus transit options are excellent. While Mercer Island has long had a somewhat stuffy reputation, this has changed dramatically in recent years with an influx of tech workers and their families. "Downtown" Mercer Island is a very up-and-coming place for restaurants and shops, a terrific farmers market, and lots of first-class amenities, including bike paths and a couple of outstanding public parks (including Luther Burbank Park, a regional treasure.) If you want to get to Seattle to visit a museum, go to a baseball game or board a ferry, it's around 10 minutes. Or, if you want to hit the ski slopes, jump on I-90 on Mercer Island and 50 minutes later you can be at Snoqualmie Pass.
Look at both these areas (and others) on this (admittedly commercial, but useful) site - https://findmyseattle.com/
Madison Park is nice, and certainly convenient for a commute, if driving, not sure about bus connections to a cross-Lake WA commuter bus, but all the entertainment venues are elsewhere: downtown, Cap Hill. There is bus service connecting Madison Park with those areas, though, fwiw. It's also an easy drive. Madison Park, as the name implies, is very park-like and peaceful, with beachfront on Lake Washington. If you're looking for a more urban environment, that might not fit your bill.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 02-23-2019 at 12:34 PM..
I'd suggest starting with places that have direct bus service to the job in Bellevue. That would typically include Downtown Seattle, plus some places from the University District / Montlake area.
Seattle isn't dangerous but the street people / mentally ill issue is very different from Sydney. Don't worry but be prepared.
Our vagrants are different than theirs, huh? Who'da thunkit. And that about the mass transit is absol-tively critical, due to the anti-car nature of Seattle. Can't really ride a motorcycle, either, due to crap weather half the year. Believe me, I've tried, and end up looking like Blondebaerde the African Safari Dude everytime I go out, due to all the gear I must wear (thousands of dollars) to fully protect from water, filth, other crap. The gear that works take preparations, to say the least, with one exception (Aerostich Roadcrafter), another story.
On to OP's question:
Until the city, or rather the voters, cry "enough!" there will be a significant vagrancy problem in some of the places mentioned. Tons of threads on that, I have specific suggestions for solutions and write such to elected officials in King County often, but no matter. It will resolve, eventually, I personally believe.
Didn't quite catch your ages, but if boring old Bellevue (LOL) isn't too your liking, nor boring old Kirkland (not mentioned, my home) same thing, gut reaction is: Belltown. I can't live there because I'd be in "contact" with SPD far too often for comfort, after I dealt with bums, vagrants, winos, addicts, mentally ill, etc. panhandling and accosting humans. I'd probably need my lawyer on speed dial. Perhaps OP can. It's almost worth it, given the decent access to direct downtown. 1st and 2nd NW of what, Virginia or so? Yes indeed, interesting place to live.
Capitol Hill seems to attract a younger crowd. In my 20s, I've have lived there. Wouldn't hesitate a second, since I was always out roaming the streets looking for a good pub and good camaraderie (in SF, in my case). Endless things to do there, too.
Our vagrants are different than theirs, huh? Who'da thunkit. And that about the mass transit is absol-tively critical, due to the anti-car nature of Seattle. Can't really ride a motorcycle, either, due to crap weather half the year. Believe me, I've tried, and end up looking like Blondebaerde the African Safari Dude everytime I go out, due to all the gear I must wear (thousands of dollars) to fully protect from water, filth, other crap. The gear that works take preparations, to say the least, with one exception (Aerostich Roadcrafter), another story.
On to OP's question:
Until the city, or rather the voters, cry "enough!" there will be a significant vagrancy problem in some of the places mentioned. Tons of threads on that, I have specific suggestions for solutions and write such to elected officials in King County often, but no matter. It will resolve, eventually, I personally believe.
Didn't quite catch your ages, but if boring old Bellevue (LOL) isn't too your liking, nor boring old Kirkland (not mentioned, my home) same thing, gut reaction is: Belltown. I can't live there because I'd be in "contact" with SPD far too often for comfort, after I dealt with bums, vagrants, winos, addicts, mentally ill, etc. panhandling and accosting humans. I'd probably need my lawyer on speed dial. Perhaps OP can. It's almost worth it, given the decent access to direct downtown. 1st and 2nd NW of what, Virginia or so? Yes indeed, interesting place to live.
Capitol Hill seems to attract a younger crowd. In my 20s, I've have lived there. Wouldn't hesitate a second, since I was always out roaming the streets looking for a good pub and good camaraderie (in SF, in my case). Endless things to do there, too.
Frankly, I don't know why Belltown was mentioned at all. I wouldn't recommend it. Nor SLU, south Lake Union. Cap Hill could be a good fit, depending on location.
I think that if you want to live on the Seattle side, you'd want to live in a neighborhood that's fairly close to either SR520 or I-90, the bridges that go to Bellevue. Capitol Hill is in between the two, so geographically a fine choice. If you're planning on staying here for years, there will be light rail to Bellevue starting in a few years. So neighborhoods near a light rail station ought to be considered. So add the Central District to the list(which is a convenient neighborhood for both Bellevue and Seattle, and Mount Baker, Leschi, Madrona, and Columbia City. South Lake Union I'd be a little leery of. Rents are especially high because it's Amazon land, so you'd be surrounded by Amazon employees, which is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, just a factor. And traffic to South Lake Union can be especially horrendous.
For lots of "walk out the door and do" stuff, with a not too troublesome commute to Bellevue (drive/transit) for him and an easy commute to Downtown (transit/walk):
Broadway corridor on Capitol Hill. Light rail, streetcar, #49, #43, #11, #8. Volunteer Park, SAAM.
Pike-Pine corridor on Capitol Hill. #49, #2. SCC, Cal Anderson Park.
15th Ave E Corridor on upper Capitol Hill. #10, #43, #11, #8. Volunteer Park, Interlaken Park.
Madison Ave/First Hill/E. Capitol Hill. #12, #3, #4, streetcar. Coming: RapidRide G-Line BRT (2019). Hospitals, Seattle U, Arboretum, Frye Art Museum (free).
University District/Roosevelt/Ravenna/Bryant in NE Seattle. Light rail (Husky Stadium/UWMC), #44, #49, #70, #65, etc. Coming: U District and Roosevelt light rail stations (2021). UW campus, The Ave, Ravenna Park, Burke Museum, kayak/canoe rentals.
Wallingford/Green Lake in N. Seattle. #44, #62, #26X. Gas Works Park, Woodland Park/Zoo, Green Lake Park, Archie McPhee's.
Downtown/Belltown. Light rail (Downtown), RapidRide C, D, and E Lines, Monorail, many more bus routes. Pike Place Market, SAM, Benaroya Hall (symphony), Westlake Center, Macy's, Nordstrom's, etc.
Pioneer Square/International District/Little Saigon/Judkins Park. Light rail (PS/ID), streetcar, #7, #14, etc. WSF Ferry Terminall, art galleries, underground tours, Klondike Gold Rush museum (free), etc. Uwajimaya and other Asian markets.
SLU/Cascade/Eastlake. RapidRide C Line, streetcar, #8, #70. Amazon, MOHAI, NW Center for Wooden Boats, Lake Union Park, Denny Park, REI, kayak/sailboat rentals.
N. Beacon Hill/Mt. Baker: Light Rail, #36, #60, #7. El Centro de la Raza, Jefferson Park/Golf, Asian markets/restaurants.
Columbia City: Light rail, #7, #9X, #50. Restaurants, shops, cinema, Genessee Park (Lake Washington).
Nix Ballard, Queen Anne, Magnolia, and West Seattle as being problematic for a Bellevue commute.
I live in First Hill and it’s quite easy access to Rainier Ave S which puts you on to the I-90 bridge, so that would be convenient for your husband. First Hill also has the street car which goes north to Capitol Hill and south to Chinatown and Pioneer Square, all three of which have light rail stations. In addition to many bus lines. So you would be well-connected to public transit.
The one drawback is that First Hill is home to a number of hospitals so you do frequently hear sirens. But it’s not really a big deal, not to me at least. Cities are noisy as I’m sure you’ve discovered.
Hi. I registered just to reply to you, as we have a lot in common. We are also middle-aged, no kids, with cats, multi-national, moved for a job in downtown Bellevue, one car, wife not working, etc. and wanted to put in a few comments.
100% move, at least in the short term as you have never lived here, to downtown Bellevue. The first priority should be to minimize your husband's commute and live somewhere convenient while you get settled in. Downtown Bellevue has everything you could need within walking distance, has the benefit of being very safe when you are new to the area, and is only an express bus ride or short uber from Seattle when you want to do things in the city. If you get bored during the period of a short-term lease (say 6 months) then it makes sense to use your time too look elsewhere. It is unlikely that your first rental anywhere in the area would be "perfect." And if you find employment, you can re-adjust where you look to suit you both.
Downtown Bellevue is a mixed bag for housing, as some are of decent quality and others are poorly constructed. We have had better luck with private landlords, although they tend not to be open to shorter leases. For quiet buildings with hard flooring, I suggest the Ashton or a private rental in Belleuve Towers. Around $4k should get you a 2 bed. 3 bedroom rentals are much harder to find. Happy to chat privately, as there are a bunch of buildings I don't recommend (either through personal experience or friends), but don't want to slag anyone publicly.
Anyways, just my 2 cents. We thought we'd end up moving into Seattle, but the traffic is so bad that we stayed in Bellevue. FWIW, we now only go into Seattle when people visit, as the city itself isn't that exciting either.
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