Moving from Raleigh, NC to the Seattle Area (Kent, Renton: renting, townhouse)

[movingtosettle]

We are moving to the Seattle area from Raleigh, NC. My husband will be stationed at FT Lewis and I hope to get an advertising job in Seattle. So we will need to live somewhere South of Seattle.
Can anyone tell me about the Renton or Kent area? Or a good area that my husband and I can each get to work and still live some place nice. We will be renting - either a house or townhouse.
Thanks

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Des Moines is a nice suburb about 20 miles south of Seattle right off I-5. It has a nice waterfront area and access to Saltwater State Park on Puget Sound. Definitely nice than Kent. Kent has a lot of riff-raff.

[chamcha]

I just moved from the Raleigh-Durham area too. Renton and Kent seem to be more reasonably priced, especially since Raleigh is much cheaper than here, but Renton and Kent also have some shady places. Be sure to spend some time to know the area before renting.

Also, please do yourself a favor and buy an air conditioner. People in Seattle are crazy when they claim "you don't need an air conditioner." That is false.

Air conditioners not only cool the air, they also dehumidify and make the indoors more, well... indoorsy. If I wanted the swelter of late summer, I'd go outside. Seattle people don't seem to understand the modern world that way.

[Ira500]

Yes, Renton and Kent have some shady places, but they also have some very nice areas, so don't dismiss a place out of hand because of that. Seattle has some shady areas, so do Rome and London and Paris. Not saying you're going to mistake Renton for Paris, but Renton has lots of entertainment, shopping, and dining, as does Kent.

[MaikeerinWA]

This is a very helpful board, but there is an unfortunate tendency to label an entire city (even it has 75,000 or 100,000 people) as either wonderful or awful.

Originally Posted by Ira500

Yes, Renton and Kent have some shady places, but they also have some very nice areas, so don't dismiss a place out of hand because of that. Seattle has some shady areas, so do Rome and London and Paris. Not saying you're going to mistake Renton for Paris, but Renton has lots of entertainment, shopping, and dining, as does Kent.

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by chamcha

I just moved from the Raleigh-Durham area too. Renton and Kent seem to be more reasonably priced, especially since Raleigh is much cheaper than here, but Renton and Kent also have some shady places. Be sure to spend some time to know the area before renting.

Also, please do yourself a favor and buy an air conditioner. People in Seattle are crazy when they claim "you don't need an air conditioner." That is false.

Air conditioners not only cool the air, they also dehumidify and make the indoors more, well... indoorsy. If I wanted the swelter of late summer, I'd go outside. Seattle people don't seem to understand the modern world that way.

You haven't been here long enough to know, so I'll tell you ... the swelter doesn't last long. MAAAAAYBE a couple of months, if you are lucky.

Like clockwork, the weather will change come October, and you won't see your air conditioner again until next July. THAT, my friend, is the reason why Seattlites don't use air conditioners too often. The cost-to-benefit ratio doesn't add up.

[movingtosettle]

I have heard there are good and bad places in Renton. What are the good places and what are the places to avoid?

I have never been to Seattle or the area so as much information as you can give would be appreciated.

Thank you.