Possible move from NYC to Seattle (Tacoma, Bellevue: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[wasabisam]

Hi - my husband and I are considering a move to Seattle or the surrounding area in the next couple of months or so. Here's what we're thinking at this point.

- We are looking to get a two-bedroom apartment (cat-friendly) in the $1,000/month range.
- Our neighborhood here is pretty vibrant and has a strong community feel, so it would be nice to find something similar.
- We do not currently own a car (public transit system in NYC pretty much rocks), but we'll assume that we'll need to get one there.

So my questions are - what Seattle neighborhood (or metro town that's close to Seattle) would be safest and most convenient in our price-range? And, is owning a car in Seattle absolutely necessary or can you get anywhere on public transit?

[azoria]

You can get around Seattle in the city limits reasonably well on the bus system. There is also Sound Transit which serves surrounding Metro areas, but then you're into the bus transfer thing which is often agonizing.....very time consuming. And once you start talking anything outside of the immediate Seattle area--forget it. I know what I'm talking about as we came here in March and don't have a car.

As an example, I've been taking my cat to the animal hospital from west Seattle to Burien, according to Google maps a distance of 5 miles. It takes three buses to get there and about an hour and fifteen minutes of waiting, transferring and travel time.

Not NYC, no.

[Ira500]

I lived in Seattle without a car, and it is doable, especially on Capitol Hill,Queen Anne, Fremont, and few other areas...But having a car here gives lots of flexibility..So where in NYC are you from?

[SeattlitefromNC]

The entry rate for 2 bedrooms in the better parts of town start at $1200 and quickly go up from there.

[wasabisam]

Thanks everyone - this is all very helpful.

azoria - I feel your pain on the distance vs. travel time. Right now my daily commute to work is an hour and a half each way - and that's all through public transit. And what's ironic about it is that it's only really about 25 miles from where I live.

It's likely, however, that we'll get at least one car because it may not make sense for us to rely solely on the public transit system.

Ira500 - I currently live in Queens and am very near bus and subway transportation. We've lived here for about 6 years and have mostly enjoyed it, but have been mulling over the idea of coming to Seattle for at least half of the time we've been here. If everything falls into place we'll finally make the move - but we probably won't know for sure until later this week.

SeattlitefromNC - Yeah, that's what I've figured in looking at craigslist listings, but am glad to have that confirmed by someone who lives there.

Thanks again, and any other insights or tips would be most welcome.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by wasabisam

I currently live in Queens and am very near bus and subway transportation.

Hi. There's nothing here like the #7 since both a much smaller population and very different geology make that both unnecessary and unfeasible. But bus service is quite good within the city limits of Seattle, and is good in a huge geographic area outside of Seattle.
Also, because of the smaller population, very different history, and other factors including the climate, you'll find that even in the most densely populated areas here, there is a lot of relaxation among people and finely-honed "street smarts" aren't necessary. Nice difference...
Where you live here will be determined by where you work. Commuting by either bus or car, or even long-distance train, is slow because the roads are crowded at commute times. So you want to locate yourselves near work as much as possible, so that you actually have personal time after commuting.

... looking at craigslist listings

These can also help --
NWSOURCE -- The combined classifieds of the two leading newspapers in and around Seattle. Click on a place name in the map to drill down to smaller areas and 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
SEATTLE WEEKLY --
Seattle Classifieds
THE STRANGER --
classifieds.thestranger.com | seattle classifieds, employment, rentals, buy sell trade, musicians, escorts

[Ira500]

While there is nothing quite like Queens in Seattle, a few neighborhoods that are vibrant and diverse and fairly safe include the Alaska Junction neighborhood of West Seattle, Columbia City, and parts of downtown Renton. All three have farmers markets and good restaurants.

[stuckinseattle]

People who say that Seattle has reasonable transit don't know what reasonable transit is. You absolutely need a car - transit here is grotesque.

[Pygmonicus]

but good luck with parking

[motor80]

I moved from southern California to Seattle over five years ago and love every inch of it. Coming from California's car addicted culture, it was tough for me to give it up. But, I can now say that I have been car-free in Seattle for three years now. I can get anywhere I need to get to by bus just fine. Of course, I live within the city in Fremont. Yes, sometimes you need to take a transfer to get where you're going, but hey, I think it beats paying for gas, insurance, and upkeep. My girlfriend and I also use a "Flex" car for doing grocery/Costco runs, or runs to Ikea, or any other task that would be infinitely more convenient with a car.