Moving from Canada to USA (Seattle, Everett: apartments, rentals, daycares)

[Moving2PS]

Hello Friends !!

I have an offer to work for an aerospace company in Everett Wa. I will be commuting very close to Paine field. I currently reside in Montreal Canada. We are a family of 4 with 2 little kids (One is moving into grade 2 this fall, one will still be in daycare). I am looking at a 20-30 min commute max. I really like Mukilteo, Mill Creek, and Bothell.

My job is hybrid (2 days wfh). Wife's job is fully remote.

My plan is to rent a 2 bed 2 bath apartment or a townhouse (if i can find one). Housing budget is 2500-2700. I am looking for a good school district, the more multicultural the students background the better. Any suggestions?

I read a few threads with general suggestions on areas to avoid such as Everett & Lynnwood. Are there any other areas to avoid?

Tips/comments/suggestions appreciated Thanks a lot !!

[Ruth4Truth]

There are great neighborhoods with good schools in Everett and Lynwood, and then there are mediocre areas. I wouldn't rule out Everett altogether.

I found a really terrific 3-br. townhome rental in Edmonds set back from the beach last year sometime, in just your price range. It was in a 2-unit building, not a big complex. You can definitely find rentals in that range, including 3 br. SFH's. Edmonds has good schools. They have a high school that offers an International Baccalaureate diploma (IB). I think you should be able to find something there, if you try. Mukilteo is also good. Bothell is probably farther away than you need to go. Mill Creek is nice. I think you have a good handle on where to look.

Did you start a thread on this topic a few months ago? This sounds familiar, or maybe the Everett companies are recruiting in Canada...

[CrazyDonkey]

North Creek/Bothell


https://www.zillow.com/b/waterstone-...ell-wa-5XjKTS/


https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...65888518_zpid/


Lake Stevens


https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...37083797_zpid/

[Moving2PS]

Thank you Ruth4truth & Crazydonkey !!

This i my first post on city data so the previous posts were not initiated by me. I have read new threads on people wanting to move from east coast USA to Everett and California to Northern Seattle area. They seem to have kids around the same age as mine so I did get some good info off those threads.

Ruth4truth - As you suggested, I'll look at Edmonds...never considered or researched on it.

Crazydonkey, I read about hwy 2 being a bottle neck on the drive from Lake Stevens to Everett. Has it improved lately with more people working from home?

Which part of Seattle do you live in and what do you like/dislike about it?

Thanks again

[Algiz]

Originally Posted by Moving2PS

Thank you Ruth4truth & Crazydonkey !!

This i my first post on city data so the previous posts were not initiated by me. I have read new threads on people wanting to move from east coast USA to Everett and California to Northern Seattle area. They seem to have kids around the same age as mine so I did get some good info off those threads.

Ruth4truth - As you suggested, I'll look at Edmonds...never considered or researched on it.

Crazydonkey, I read about hwy 2 being a bottle neck on the drive from Lake Stevens to Everett. Has it improved lately with more people working from home?

Which part of Seattle do you live in and what do you like/dislike about it?

Thanks again

Mukilteo is filled with families, parents walking children in strollers a common sight all day and into dusk. Nights are safe if you want to walk after dark. Of the areas you mentioned, I'd say Mukilteo is the most family-friendly, but then again, so is Edmonds, but you're going to pay a much, much, much prettier penny to live there than in Mukilteo. In addition, as much as I love Edmonds, which I visit every two months for a haircut and lunch and a hang-out day there year-round, it's very tight, houses close together, which is common when you're so close to any body of water. It's beautiful, for sure, super clean and very family friendly.

Another advantage of Mukilteo is its proximity to Everett. Traffic is resuming, and it's getting really bad again. With the influx of so many people in addition, traffic is most definitely going to be something for you to consider even if you only commute a couple days a week. You still have to go out, and although you can time your activities around rush hours, believe me, that gets old. I'm talking here from experience as I live near Smokey Point and go south for most of the stuff I do.

Why I know a bit about Mukilteo - I've just spent the last 2 months helping move a company out of state. I spent 5-6 days a week there for two months helping the company consolidate two companies into one and then pack up the semi trucks to send off. I was outside much of the time with the trucks and saw the neighborhood people. I brought my dog, so I walked him a lot in the neighborhoods as well. The business edged nice neighborhoods and wetland park-like areas. It's quite pretty there, and it felt like a little enclave. Also, my SO has worked in Mukilteo since 2004, so I've gone back and forth over the years.

The Mukilteo library is also the best in the Sno-Isle system, which is the most amazing system I've ever had the pleasure of using. Sno-Isle allows you to link a King county (ie Seattle) library card, so I've used Seattle's library system as well, but Snohomish county's is even better, if you can believe that. I was amazed...so if libraries are your thing, do not miss checking out the Mukilteo library even if you don't end up moving there. It's not only a great gorgeous library which is geared toward students of all ages, and adults too, but it has hiking trails all around it. It's a destination place for a Saturday jaunt, and so close.

US 2 remains an utter nightmare. I'd NEVER move to any of the communities that require driving US 2. It's getting more and more crowded, and the stopped traffic attempting to get on 2 gets longer on the freeway every year. It's not getting better in any way. The bottleneck will continue because of the single lane that merges from I-5 onto 2 will remain single lane due to the logistics of the bridge. Sure, maybe it could go to two lanes, but then you'e bottleneck at the other end, and you'd end up stopped on the bridge on your way over.

We have neighbors who moved from Lake Stevens about 2 years ago, and they were weary of the crowds, the traffic. It's gotten super tight and local traffic is bad, too. I go to Snohomish about every 6-8 weeks, but that's one I time with great care, only in the mornings after 9 or 10 and I'm back on the road heading west by 1pm, and even then, sometimes as I approach the merge onto 5 North, traffic stops.

Oh, no, you are wise to avoid anything that requires you to drive US2! And no, it has not improved due to people working from home. Note that it's a major way to get into the mountains, so it's not just people who live there who drive 2. It's how you get to Wenatchee...

[CrazyDonkey]

Here is a live webcam of the tressle traffic:


https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/M...featureid=1525


Traffic has generally been much less with so many people working from home or hybrid schedules. WSDOT has completed a study of solutions to the Hwy 2 Tressle situation. It should be high on the list for "infrastructure" spending. That means. of course, construction. An alternative route is Lake Stevens to Marysville, then I-5 to Paine Field.


I live in west Ballard, in Seattle. Positive: Everything within walking distance or a short/frequent bus-ride. Close to the Ballard Locks, Golden Gardens Beach, and Discovery Park. Negative: Train noise.

[mayfair]

Mukilteo, Lynnwood or Edmonds will be the easiest commute to Paine Field. It depends on if you like a nicer suburbia with homeowner's associations (Mukilteo) or older neighborhoods (Edmonds). Lynnwood is the cheapest but parts of it aren't very nice. Don't rent anything near Hwy 99.

[Moving2PS]

Thank you Algiz, CrazyDonkey and Mayfair. Based on everything I have read so far I am leaning towards Mill creek or Mukilteo more towards Mukilteo TBH

Reasons : 1. Good schools
2. Proximity to my work place
3. safety/security
4. Affordability (I should be able to rent a 2 bed room apt within my budget)

How much do daycares cost in this area? Is 1200 a good estimate. I currently pay 200$ per month (feels like a joke right? but that is what we pay here in Montreal )

Thanks again !! This thread has been helpful

[Moving2PS]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Here is a live webcam of the tressle traffic:


https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/M...featureid=1525


Traffic has generally been much less with so many people working from home or hybrid schedules. WSDOT has completed a study of solutions to the Hwy 2 Tressle situation. It should be high on the list for "infrastructure" spending. That means. of course, construction. An alternative route is Lake Stevens to Marysville, then I-5 to Paine Field.


I live in west Ballard, in Seattle. Positive: Everything within walking distance or a short/frequent bus-ride. Close to the Ballard Locks, Golden Gardens Beach, and Discovery Park. Negative: Train noise.

Thank you for the link to the webcam. Its 7:30 am PST and traffic doesn't look bad at all. I'll save the website and check traffic everyday if possible just to get an idea. Thanks again!!

[Moving2PS]

I have been lurking at zillow, realtor, forrent & apartments.com

Any other site that is good and well known for apartment hunting?