RN Commute to downtown Hospitals (Seattle: houses, neighborhoods, purchase)

[qdew]

Relocating from NC and wondering about drive times in morning to downtown hospitals? Would prefer 30 minute commute if possible. Where to purchase home? Only husband and me -no kids so schools not a concern, except for resale purposes. Suggestions on neighborhoods to live? Would like a garage and neighborhood feel to area. Also, any input on hospitals - I'm a Oncology infusion nurse and looking at Fred Hutchinson, Swedish and Virginia Mason.

[jabm67]

Originally Posted by qdew

Relocating from NC and wondering about drive times in morning to downtown hospitals? Would prefer 30 minute commute if possible. Where to purchase home? Only husband and me -no kids so schools not a concern, except for resale purposes. Suggestions on neighborhoods to live? Would like a garage and neighborhood feel to area. Also, any input on hospitals - I'm a Oncology infusion nurse and looking at Fred Hutchinson, Swedish and Virginia Mason.

None of those are in downtown itself. The main units of Swedish and Virginia Mason are a few (very hilly!) blocks apart up on First Hill; Fred Hutch is down at South Lake Union. There's also Harborview also on First Hill, and I think both Swedish and Virginia Mason have units elsewhere in town.

I work in both those areas, and I commute by bus, for the most part: I drive to a park-and-ride and bus from there. There's a very convenient route (#303, see the Metro Transit site at Metro Online Home Page (http://transit.metrokc.gov/ - broken link)) that runs from points north directly to First Hill ... its last stop before downtown is at the park & ride at Northgate Transit Center. There are other routes from other areas, but that's the one I know best.

Fred Hutch is half-convenient for bus commuting. The only routes with rush-hour service that it's listed as being on are the 66 and the 70. But most of the express routes that run southward through downtown before heading north actually start on Eastlake Ave at Fred Hutch, so for your going-home commute you can get on those right at their origin point. (Or, you can ride any of those into downtown and change buses there with no hassles.) The other part of that "half-convenient" is that not much goes directly there; unless you're right on the 66 or 70 line itself, you'll change buses downtown and catch a 70 back northward to get to FHCRC in the morning.

[pwright1]

For a 5-10 minute drive to Swedish or Virginia Mason I suggest some of the Seattle neighborhoods just east of these hospitals. Madrona, Leschi, the Central District and Madison Valley are cool. All are quite residential with coffee houses, restaurants and markets within walking distance. Plus public transportation is excellent with the #2 and the #3 buses dropping you right at the front door to both hospitals.