Move to Seattle area (Federal Way, Kent: to rent, buying a house, safe area)

[legaldealer]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to move to the Seattle area for a job in South Seattle with my spouse and 1 infant child.

Is it feasible to commute M-F from areas more North (Bothell, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds) with a car?

Or is my best option to look for a place further south? (Renton, Kent, Federal Way)

Are there safe areas where I could find a 2 bedroom to rent for around $2,000/month?

Just in my initial stages of research so I would really appreciate any feedback and insights.

Thank you

[Ruth4Truth]

Yes, the south areas should be affordable to you. Look in Burien, as well as in Kent, etc. You also may be able to afford a 2-br. in South Seattle, itself. Where in S Seattle is your job? What neighborhood?

The answer to your other question is: no. Live as close to your job as you can. Traffic is awful. Even during non-commute hours, it's slow on the freeway.

[mhays25]

It's generally a bad idea to commute from one end of town to the other. You should definitely look at something near where you'll work.

[legaldealer]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Yes, the south areas should be affordable to you. Look in Burien, as well as in Kent, etc. You also may be able to afford a 2-br. in South Seattle, itself. Where in S Seattle is your job? What neighborhood?

The answer to your other question is: no. Live as close to your job as you can. Traffic is awful. Even during non-commute hours, it's slow on the freeway.

Thank you so much for the feedback! We were thinking about renting for a year before looking into possibly buying a house.

Darn, I was hoping the commute would be doable. From my limited research it seemed like the northern areas of Seattle were more "up and coming", better school districts, future light rail systems etc.

I believe it's called the Beacon Hill area near the Jefferson Park.

Hmm haven't looked into Burien but I will now. What are your thoughts on Renton?

[legaldealer]

Originally Posted by mhays25

It's generally a bad idea to commute from one end of town to the other. You should definitely look at something near where you'll work.

Understood, thanks for the insight!

[RustinginSeattle]

Up north already up and came and you have an infant, so schools are a ways off. If you want to see your child at all, I would not recommend driving from the North to the south. Rent closer to work, make sure you love the job, then learn the traffic patterns before buying. Best of luck!!

[CrazyDonkey]

If working on Beacon Hill, consider living there.

[homesinseattle]

I second Donkey's recommendation. Try Beacon Hill itself. Other closeby options are Columbia City, Seward Park, Rainier Beach and Mt. Baker neighborhoods.

[legaldealer]

Originally Posted by RustinginSeattle

Up north already up and came and you have an infant, so schools are a ways off. If you want to see your child at all, I would not recommend driving from the North to the south. Rent closer to work, make sure you love the job, then learn the traffic patterns before buying. Best of luck!!

I see, wise advice, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

My wife was planning to find work as an elementary school teacher as well. What are your thoughts on Renton as being a good medium between the city and areas with good school systems?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by legaldealer

Thank you so much for the feedback! We were thinking about renting for a year before looking into possibly buying a house.

Darn, I was hoping the commute would be doable. From my limited research it seemed like the northern areas of Seattle were more "up and coming", better school districts, future light rail systems etc.

I believe it's called the Beacon Hill area near the Jefferson Park.

Hmm haven't looked into Burien but I will now. What are your thoughts on Renton?

You can afford Beacon Hill and adjacent Columbia City. Stick with those for now. Scope out other areas after you get a rental. For buying, also consider Seward Park, which is a beautiful more upscale neighborhood near Columbia City, overlooking Lake Washington on its east side. All of those are within Seattle city limits, within an easy commute of Beacon Hill. I'm not sure about the affordability, but I wanted to call Seward Park to your attention, since it's near enough to your work. Should have good grade schools. Would be a great place for your wife to work, if she could luck into a school there.

After you get moved, you'll see what we mean about locating close to work and avoiding a freeway commute. What looks easily doable on a map is a very different beast on the ground and in your car. Trust us. And you can test-drive the route from Renton to your job a couple of times at the end of your workday, just to see what it's like.

There are some surprisingly nice properties and neighborhoods south of the areas mentioned here, before you get to Renton. Some listings from that area have been posted here, and they're amazingly affordable, and some have large, nicely treed lots. Some are near the Japanese garden in the far south end of Seattle.

Take your time to familiarize yourselves with the areas under discussion, the driving conditions, and so on, while you're in your 1-year rental. You can study the schools, etc. Who knows, maybe your best bet will turn out to be Renton, but you should try the commute, first, and also see if any closer-in locations could fit your bill.