Houston to Seattle (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland: lawyers, neighborhoods, school districts)

[rupp-certified]

I'd recommend Capitol Hill. Left-wing, walkable by Seattle standards, plenty to do (not NYC standards but the closest thing), not too far from downtown, and you can take the light rail straight to the airport when you need to. In the past it was "expensive" but I don't think that's the case anymore, relative to other neighborhoods. Ballard on the other hand isn't walkable and pretty far from downtown.

Here are the cons of Seattle based on what you want:
* MOST of the city is car-dependent, sorry to say, I tried going carless for years.
* Homeless/drug addicts everywhere in Seattle proper. A "liberal" neighborhood with "no homeless" is a contradiction that doesn't exist. Even if you find a park/neighborhood without any the encampments are constantly moving around.
* Most neighborhoods are full of corporate drones and techies. They have plenty of positive qualities, but it can get boring after a while if you want a more diverse/interesting neighborhood.
* It's certainly less "diverse" than Houston. I know you said Houston is "diverse but segregated." Well Seattle is "much less diverse and also segregated."
* School districts in Seattle proper have a bad reputation. I'm not an expert here so maybe there are exceptions.
* Bellevue/Eastside solves many of the problems above, but it's total car-oriented suburbia, even in the "downtown" areas.
* Houston is MUCH bigger than Seattle, that's obviously not a good thing itself, but it DOES mean you get plenty of access to mainstream culture/shows/concerts/festivals/sports/etc, so you won't find more of that here.

Pros:
* #1 benefit of Seattle is access to outdoor activities, which almost everyone is into, and may explain the lack of obesity.
* If you want a more secular/liberal place, that's definitely the case.

In summary the area has some of what you're looking for but you might be disappointed in some regards.

[leastprime]

I'm partial to Redmond's flats (lowland). Towncenter, Marymoor regional park, smaller local parks, nice schools, tutoring schools, grocery stores, multiplex movie theater, neighborhood theater. Terminus of LINK Eastside (2024 completion) and terminus of state highway 520. Soundtransit bus #545 can get you to close to SLU, and directly to downtown, ID LINK/Amtrak in ~45min; #542 to UW stadium/hospital/LINK/transit station 25minutes. (LINK will take you to the airport, and a single OrcaCard fare, bus-LINK). #545 runs every 15-20 minutes early am to pm, and 30 minutes after 9pm. Walkscore 80-95+, if you live in Redmond's lowland.
Newer 6 over 1 building 1bedrm ~800sf, $2k. Older 6 over 1 apt complex ~$1.8k.
Townhouse or single floor, 2bed+1bath older apt (850-1000sf) ~$2.5k. Make your best deal. Consult your favorite RE search engine.

Amazon has Bellevue and SLU centers.
Microsoft has Redmond flats, Redmond Heights, Bellevue, Seattle offices.
Both have dedicated shuttle buses throughout the region.

Three european style scratch bakeries-cafes (the Farina is very popular, belgium owner), couple smaller coffee-bakery; multiculture food scene. European-American style places have sidewalk tables; Asian (SouthAsian, Asian (Korean,Chinese,Japanese,Vietamese) and Mexican restaurants oddly don't have outdoor seating).

Note about the weather: West of Lake Washington will be more humid than EastSide because of the water affect. The first 2 years we've been in this area (Redmond), we never needed AC however, 2021 and 2022 we do use a portable AC which is enough to cool 1 room and is enough for 2. In Oregon, you needed AC even though the humidity is very low but temperatures running 5-10F higher than Seattle area. If you get a flat in an apartment, your heating may be nonexistent because of insulation and heat rises.

your 1st dwelling in this area, will not be your last.
GL
YAMV

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by rupp-certified

I'd recommend Capitol Hill. Left-wing, walkable by Seattle standards, plenty to do (not NYC standards but the closest thing), not too far from downtown, and you can take the light rail straight to the airport when you need to. In the past it was "expensive" but I don't think that's the case anymore, relative to other neighborhoods. Ballard on the other hand isn't walkable and pretty far from downtown.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...61942917_zpid/ - "Walk Score 97/100 (Walker's Paradise)"

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...77608424_zpid/ - Walk Score 95/100 (Walker's Paradise)"

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...97177685_zpid/ - "Walk Score 95/100 (Walker's Paradise)" - House, one block to Gilman Playground.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...61929293_zpid/ - "Walk Score 94/100 (Walker's Paradise)"

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...78718117_zpid/ - "Walk Score 85/100 (Very Walkable)"

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...48710677_zpid/ - "Walk Score 66/100 (Somewhat Walkable)", but walking distance to Golden Gardens Park/Beach and the Ballard Locks/Fish Ladder.

[Bluefox]

One clarification - will you be bringing your car? If not, and you travel frequently, being close to the Link will make a big difference. Particularly the neighborhoods south of downtown like Beacon Hill, Mt Baker, SoDo, etc. The Link goes right to the airport. Unfortunately housing is somewhat difficult to find there and what is available is newer and expensive. Capitol Hill has a lot of older apartments that are cheaper if you don’t mind not having a dishwasher, W/D, etc.

But if that’s not super important, most areas in Seattle will have what you are looking for.

[Gardyloo]

All of the rentals people are posting are for one bedroom units. How is that going to work with a child? If you need two bedrooms (which I would think might be needed) then I fear your budget might need to be increased.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Dika

When I was in my 20s I lived in Galleria, then in Rice U area bordering West U (Boulevard Oaks if you know). Lately I lived smack in the middle of the City Center as I was trying to find some life in the city.

Houston is full of strip malls, it’s like a one huge sprawling suburb. Doesn’t have much in terms of its appearance, nature or architecture.

Culturally it’s not on par with the big European cities or New York. Im not really interested in Rodeo or sports events… yeah There is just not much going on culturally.
Houston is really not diverse, it’s just segregated. Latinos stick with Latinos, Asians with Asians, etc. There is no real diversity in the city sadly. There is no real blend of people and cultures and no real acceptance of differences. And the city lacks energy that comes out of it.
People are also very religious, which is not my cup of tea I would much rather prefer secular city like Seattle.

One good thing is that food if good and inexpensive which might explain why there are so many obese people in the city and in the state…

Seattle sounds like it would be a better fit for you. Its much more walkable, liberal, and of course its a stunningly beautiful city. The things you can do outdoors know no bounds up there. When Ive been on projects there, I spend all my time outdoors.

But if you think Houston isnt diverse, youre in for a rude awakening when you go to Seattle. Other than NYC, the DC area, and LA, Houston is as diverse as it gets in the US. Thats not to say there is no diversity in Seattle because of course there is, but its nowhere near as diverse as Houston.

As for integration, there isnt going to be a big difference. You can see it in the maps. In both cases you have very integrated areas (Southwest Houston and South Seattle), but most neighborhoods are majority one race. The main difference is that there are just a lot more minorities in Houston.

https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-houston-tx/

https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-seattle-wa/

[jabogitlu]

I didn't read the entire thread but based on the OP's original post...

You are not going to find a European-vibe or even urban vibe neighborhood in Seattle which has all of your other characteristics (good schools, cultural mixing/diversity). So, you will have to give on at least one thing. But here are a few ideas.

1) Eastlake is an urban, high-energy neighborhood with a few distinct and interesting characteristics. A well defined and long (narrow) urban-style retail corridor, stunning waterfront views and floating homes (houseboats), and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center headquarters and associated medical research buildings/organizations.

2) Queen Anne Hill (aka Upper Queen Anne) is the OG posh neighborhood in the city, with also amazing views of the city and Elliott Bay, a very nicely appointed downtown, and a range of housing from $10mm++ mansions to fourplex apartments, with bigger condo buildings along the "counterbalance" (local term for the street going up the very steep hill).

If you research those two and don't like that direction, then I suggest you go totally the opposite direction and look at suburban areas with high cultural diversity, like Redmond (49% non-Hispanic white, 37% Asian, 7.6% Hispanic/Latino). Redmond also has very good schools and is home to Microsoft, Digipen, and Nintendo of America.

[pnwguy2]

Maybe I missed it but nobody has mentioned the climatic differences. Seattle and Houston are polar opposites when it comes to climate. Hot humid compared to cool summers. I guess rain would be something in common, but the difference it comes down in gushes in Houston while it dribbles from October to June in Seattle.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Gardyloo

All of the rentals people are posting are for one bedroom units. How is that going to work with a child? If you need two bedrooms (which I would think might be needed) then I fear your budget might need to be increased.

OP "will be looking for an apartment and ~500 sq. Ft. would probably be enough". A two-bedroom apartment would be closer to 750-900 sf.

She'll be coming with her ex-husband, but they'll be living in separate, although close-by, apartments. It sounds like the 7-year-old will primarily be living with him, since she will "travel a lot so don’t want to pay too much for rent as apartment will be empty a lot of times". Maybe she can clarify.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I didn't read the entire thread but based on the OP's original post...

You are not going to find a European-vibe or even urban vibe neighborhood in Seattle which has all of your other characteristics (good schools, cultural mixing/diversity). So, you will have to give on at least one thing. But here are a few ideas.

1) Eastlake is an urban, high-energy neighborhood with a few distinct and interesting characteristics. A well defined and long (narrow) urban-style retail corridor, stunning waterfront views and floating homes (houseboats), and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center headquarters and associated medical research buildings/organizations.

2) Queen Anne Hill (aka Upper Queen Anne) is the OG posh neighborhood in the city, with also amazing views of the city and Elliott Bay, a very nicely appointed downtown, and a range of housing from $10mm++ mansions to fourplex apartments, with bigger condo buildings along the "counterbalance" (local term for the street going up the very steep hill).

If you research those two and don't like that direction, then I suggest you go totally the opposite direction and look at suburban areas with high cultural diversity, like Redmond (49% non-Hispanic white, 37% Asian, 7.6% Hispanic/Latino). Redmond also has very good schools and is home to Microsoft, Digipen, and Nintendo of America.

Well there’s also the factor of the ex husband situation. Will ex husband be living in the same neighborhood? Or is the child going to be going to school wherever she lives? An interesting situation for sure but great for the child’s sake that both parents are willing to relocate to the same area. Just might make things a bit more complicated in terms of finding suitable, separate housing for two people.