Moving to Seattle from Ohio (Tacoma, Bellevue: for sale, apartments, rentals)

[alkali-feldspar]

Hi, all--

You're an incredibly helpful bunch--perhaps you can help me.

My best friend and I are looking to possibly move to the Seattle in a couple of months. We're both 25 with post-graduate degrees and looking to move to the city for maybe a year or two to get some job/life experience. We're looking to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in the metro area and we're looking for areas that are safely walkable (we're smart and aware, but don't want to feel in danger, even at night), affordable (rents under $1000 if possible), and with at least a few non-chain restaurants/shops.

I've done a little research on neighborhoods already, but we'd love to hear from locals who know these places by heart. What parts of Seattle should we start with in our search? Also, how is Seattle's public transportation system? We'll both have cars, but would love to go a little greener wherever possible.

Where should we begin?
--Alkali

[SaltyDawg]

Transportation within Seattle is quite good... less so as you get out into the suburbs. It's bus-based though, with the pitfalls that come with it.

As for walkable, safe neighborhoods with apartments, I'd look at Wallingford, Madrona, Greenlake, Ravenna, West Seattle (North part - Admiral/California), Columbia City, Ballard. Capitol Hill is the most dense and walkable, but has a bit more 'character' in terms of petty crime. Belltown is super-convenient with lots to do, but comes with downtown ills (homeless, drugs, etc).

Cool that you guys are looking for a different experience - the Northwest is indeed quite a bit different than the Midwest. Both have their pluses and minuses, and it's huge to experience as much of both as you can.

[allforcats]

I second SaltyDawg's suggestions. And the bus system in Seattle is fabulous, comfortable, dependable, and goes everywhere you can imagine. I've been using Metro for decades to both commute and play.

We usually advise people to live near where they work, as the commute is usually crowded and slow.

Do you have these resources?

Seattle City Clerk's map of Seattle neighborhoods; click anywhere to enlarge:
Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Map Atlas

Apartments:
This is the combined classifieds of the two major newspapers; clicking on a location in the map will drill down to neighborhoods:
NWapartments: Seattle apartment rentals, house rental listings, rental classifieds and other property rentals in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue and other Washington areas, cities and neighborhoods

More on apartments:
Seattle Classifieds
craigslist: seattle-tacoma classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events
The Stranger - Seattle's Only Newspaper