ATT: Seattle Crew: Might be moving to Seattle area

[Schnell 318]

I am interviewing for a job in Bellevue, but I may actually be working in Redmond I am not 100% sure.

I am looking for some info on good areas to look for an apartment or a townhome/duplex. I have found some things online but I am not sure what areas would be good for a 20-somthing college grad and my fiancée. I am not too worried about commute times but would like to keep it under 30min if possible. We are most likely looking for a 2 bedroom 2 bath place, but it must be pet friendly.

Any info would be greatly appreciated, especially places to go, nightlife hot spots, good restaurants, etc. Also how do you like living in the area? I will be coming from the Midwest so this will be a big change for me.

[StereoInstaller1]

This be a gud place to live

[TwoJ's]

The East side is pretty spendy, but it depends on what your job will be. Bellevue and Kirkland are awesome cities, as is Redmond. But you might want to look in to woodenville, bothel, renton etc. They are all decent places (redmond is starting to be decent) and not too far away from Bellevue.

You say you don't mind a small commute, but I'd recommend something as close to work as possible. Traffic is awful around there. Sounds to be out of your price range, but my mom is going to need tennants for her town home in bellevue pretty soon. It is 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath 4 years old about a mile south of Bellevue Square. It's a pretty nice place but will likely rent for $6000 or so.

[Schnell 318]

Thanks for the info.

I assumed traffic was nuts out there so I have been looking at stuff in the Bellevue area.

[CreagerPhotography]

Anything in the Kirkland, Bellevue & Redmond areas is going to be spendy.

If you want convenience you will pay for it, just like any place else. If you live on or very near a bus line you will pay for it.

I used to commute via bus to DT Seattle from Issaquah and it only took 25 to 30 minutes each way during commute times. So depending on budget you might need to look in a larger area. Not in any specific order....North Renton, South Bellevue, North Kirkland, Bothell, Woodinville (like TwoJ's pointed out), North Redmond, maybe Issaquah.

[TwoJ's]

I assumed traffic was nuts out there so I have been looking at stuff in the Bellevue area.

You might be mistaken... traffic is horrible in Bellevue. It sits directly across the lake from Seattle, and the bridges that go over the lake are miserable, as well as 405 that goes north and south of bellevue.

It is literally bad all over the place. I don't know where you are in Iowa, but I hope you are in for a change. My entire family lives in South West Iowa, and it is a completely different world.

[drift]

I'd stay close to job site for the first month or two, meanwhile get used to the area and surrounding, work schedule, etc. And then make your move.
It normally costs a little more at the beginning, but then you'll know what's better for you to decide down the road.

[TwoJ's]

Also, be sure as fuck you visit the area before you commit to anything. As much as I love this place, it isn't for everyone. If you can swing it, you should take a short trip out here and look at the different cities and get to know the area a little bit.

If you do, let me know. If I'm in Bellevue at the time we can grab a beer or something.

[StereoInstaller1]

If I could live anywhere up here, I would live in Gig Harbor.

Instead, I live in Samamish (Sa-mam-ish) which is between Issaquah (is-a-kwa) and Redmond (and who gives a fuck about pronouncing redmond, right?).

I don't think I wanna live in Federal Way, Kent (fuck hiway 167 right in the ass) or anywhere near Renton (fuck renton right in the ass, too).

Monroe is a sweet little town if you like girls who chew tobacco.

Enumclaw is a good place to get raped by a horse, apparently.

Keep a couple of things in mind when you come here: this is a LIBERAL city, if you aren't liberal, you will be killed.

Sorry, that's just the way it is.

You MUST drink coffee. If you can order coffee in less than 32 syllables, you are doing it wrong.

You MUST be OK with hippies, or they will run you down in their Subarus. Hippies here either have a lawyer on retainer or ARE a lawyer, so they can get away with it.

You will want to buy a kite here.

The ocean is NOT intended to swim in.

Fishing (yes, they pronounce the "g") is a religion here.

I will come up with more soon.

[Rennsport]

If I could live anywhere up here, I would live in Gig Harbor.

Instead, I live in Samamish (Sa-mam-ish) which is between Issaquah (is-a-kwa) and Redmond (and who gives a fuck about pronouncing redmond, right?).

I don't think I wanna live in Federal Way, Kent (fuck hiway 167 right in the ass) or anywhere near Renton (fuck renton right in the ass, too).

Monroe is a sweet little town if you like girls who chew tobacco.

Enumclaw is a good place to get raped by a horse, apparently.

Keep a couple of things in mind when you come here: this is a LIBERAL city, if you aren't liberal, you will be killed.

Sorry, that's just the way it is.

You MUST drink coffee. If you can order coffee in less than 32 syllables, you are doing it wrong.

You MUST be OK with hippies, or they will run you down in their Subarus. Hippies here either have a lawyer on retainer or ARE a lawyer, so they can get away with it.

You will want to buy a kite here.

The ocean is NOT intended to swim in.

Fishing (yes, they pronounce the "g") is a religion here.

I will come up with more soon.

hahahahahaha




hahahaha

hahaha

My pops is very conservative and he manages to get by...
pretty much spot on tho!

[lylefk]

Working in Redmond, Bothell would be a good place to looks, perhaps...it's a little bit north and for the most part is a nice area...Kirkland is nice too, although the Kingsgate area of Kirkland isn't as nice. I'd love to live near Lake Sammamish, so if I were working in Bellevue or Redmond, I'd STRONGLY consider Redmond itself, Sammamish or Issaquah. Traffic from Issaquah to Redmond in the am wouldn't be toooo bad, I'd just come up along the lake.

How about this...places to NOT live: Renton (unless you are in the highlands area, but even then I personally wouldn't. It's ghetto.), lake forest park, lake city, rainier beach, south seattle, white center, allentown, beacon hill...

Really, to be honest...to be within 30 minutes of Redmond, look at a map...north, don't go any higher than bothell. South, don't go any lower than Issaquah or North Renton. Sammamish is really nice, as is Woodinville. It's hard to go wrong in that area, it's all nice.

As long as you can deal with the 9 months of gray weather, it is absolutely gorgeous here. Lots of water, green, amazing...the people are the nicest on the west coast, too...pretty friendly, in general.

Hope that helps.

[TwoJ's]

lol, this is why you need to visit first -- I disagree with Luke on more than a few points.

Renton is pretty cool as it is up and coming and is right on the lake.

There is nothing wrong with being conservative around here. I am definitely conservative and I get along just fine. There are more educated, business owners around here than some people think.

It is definitely not hippie dominated; especially in the places you actually want to live like Bellevue and Kirkland.

You don't need to be a coffee snob. I drink a lot of coffee, but it is just the drip shit for me, no americano or latte shit anymore.

I have never owned a kite.

I have swam in the Pacific ocean and Puget sound hundreds of times. It's not warm, but not uninhabitable either.

And fishing is awesome.

[StereoInstaller1]

the people are the nicest on the west coast, too...pretty friendly, in general.

yup, even in traffic.

Tom, you Dad has learned how to ACT liberal. Besides, he drives a fucking E28, the hippies think he is one of them!

[lylefk]

Yeah, I don't recommend Monroe, Gold Bar, Sultan, anything that way. They are full of racist redneck idiots...I had a couple black friends literally get run out of town in Monroe.

Luke's right about hwy 167, it's a fucking parking lot. FYI, the worst spot in the world for traffic is hwy 405 from renton to where it hits i-5 during the commute times. Also 167 and both floating bridges...so keep that in mind.

[lylefk]

As for the nightlife, food, bars, etc...there are SO many different 'scenes' here...as for the eastside where you'll be.

Downtown Kirkland: Young with money, tends to be what I like to call the 'douche bag crowd'. Guys with popped collars, etc. I do go down here once in a while when meeting friends, but it's not my first choice. Worth checking out at least once, there are so many different styles of bar there, you'll find at least one that suits you...I cna't keep the various bars straight, but there are a couple college style bars, couple sports bars, couple upscale more sit and chat kinda bars...there's a good variety of bars, not as many restaurants...

Downtown Bellevue: 30's crowd, lots of money. This is the rich crowd. I like Joeys, but it's ALWAYS packed and the food is not cheap...Have to wait for a chair or table a lot of the time. The Parlor is pretty decent for pool, but expensive, esp on weekends. Bellevue has a ton of great restaurants and bars. We hang out here a lot, generally at the bars inside of the nice restaurants...that's just our style, apparently.

Issaquah: This is harder to describe...young, dive bar kind of atmosphere...lots of drinking, slightly rougher, trashier crowd. Stans on Front St is a great Kansas City style bbq place, def have to check that out. Family atmosphere, they close early. The brewery there is worth checking out too.

Woodinville: Redhook brewery is cool, trivia on tue nights, outdoor movies during the summer...this is also the place to go for wine...a million wineries out there with frequent tasting events and stuff.