Apartment complexes in Seattle area?

[noE30]

Still in the planning stages of my move to the pnw, really aiming to move to the Seattle area. Do any of you live in apartments or have experience with good/reputable rental companies or know of good areas to look?
I've found some decently priced ones in the Renton area by searching online, but looking at ads online only help so much...

Would love to hear some advice or opinions!
Thanks much.

[Gerta]

Still in the planning stages of my move to the pnw, really aiming to move to the Seattle area. Do any of you live in apartments or have experience with good/reputable rental companies or know of good areas to look?
I've found some decently priced ones in the Renton area by searching online, but looking at ads online only help so much...

Would love to hear some advice or opinions!
Thanks much.

Are you relocating for a job or moving out here to find one? There are numerous places that are great and have good access to stuff ... also a lot of crappy places to avoid. It would help to know what you are looking for as well.

[e30damen]

How much are you looking to spend per month?

[BraveUlysses]

What city? Renton can be pretty shitty, depending on where you live. Commuting from the south end into Seattle or Bellevue can be a horrible grind.

[LateFan]

Go to Ballard. Yeah sure!

[Martin C.]

Be careful where you end up, as there are some areas with higher crime than others (like any other City in the US I guess).

The cost of leasing is going up the roof. Depending on what you want, you can lease a micro-apartment (more like an studio) in Cap Hill or U District. No parking though.

I live in Bellevue and know something about quality of housing due to my job. I also know that you can rent a nice condo for less than you rent an apartment. So it comes down to where are you going work, what sort of amenities you want, and clearly how much you want to pay.

[TobyB]

I couldn't afford to live here if I didn't already...

t

[noE30]

Are you relocating for a job or moving out here to find one? There are numerous places that are great and have good access to stuff ... also a lot of crappy places to avoid. It would help to know what you are looking for as well.

Basically I'm just planning to move just purely to relocate. I spent some time in the Seattle/Puget Sound area and down in Portland this summer, I greatly preferred the Puget Sound area. Myself and a friend of mine are hoping to move to the pnw, we are both in our lower 20s so we want to be where the "action" is. Right now I live 1-2 hours away from any sort of city scene/night life/activities, looking to live some where with more to do, hence the Seattle area idea. Totally open to recommendations though!

How much are you looking to spend per month?

If I move alone I'm sure ill be screwed rent wise, it seems 1br places run around $800+, where you can get a 2br for $1200~. A friend of mine wants to move as well but I really doubt his commitment..

[BraveUlysses]

so you don't have a job lined up? what kind of career are you in/pursuing?

[Gerta]

Maybe rent a room somewhere? Perhaps they have garage access you could include?

[LateFan]

Random thoughts from an ex-resident:

Commuting time is getting to be an issue in Seattle. So this depends on where the jobs are. Crossing the bridges is a pain if you have to do it every day. Buses are good there. New commuter train not yet completed. Good bike commuter system, but rain. I rode 8 miles each way year round.

Out in the burbs is just like anywhere, USA out in the burbs.

Closer-in neighborhoods are more fun, things happening, things to do. Ballard, West Seattle (but bridge), Queen Anne (expensive), Capital Hill (hipster hot spot), First Hill (nearby Cap Hill), Belltown (edge of downtown), Lake Union (former industrial area in the middle of the city, now a hot spot of new buildings, apartments, food, boats, trolley line downtown, flagship REI store, etc), Wallingford (popular), Greenlake (nice).

U District is getting more dangerous every day. Open drug dealing, nightly car window bashing, shootings, police don't respond much.

Just my observations. YRMV.

[noE30]

so you don't have a job lined up? what kind of career are you in/pursuing?

I'm currently working an Assistant Manager at Sherwin-Williams, I'm sure if I tried to transfer to a job in the PNW I could afford to live there. Just not sure if that would work out for me.. IE: you can only apply where there are open jobs.

Random thoughts from an ex-resident:

Thanks for the info on the surrounding areas, will look into some of the better ones.




Here's my issue:
I have a cousin in Portland that thinks he could really help me find a job/housing and would be a great contact in the pnw as his family lives there. But I would much prefer to live in Washington versus Portland based on the time I spent there.
Do I, move to the Portland area to get settled into the PNW and then relocate after I've figured out exactly what I want to do and where I want to be? That makes the most sense right??

[LateFan]

I'm currently working an Assistant Manager at Sherwin-Williams, I'm sure if I tried to transfer to a job in the PNW I could afford to live there. Just not sure if that would work out for me.. IE: you can only apply where there are open jobs.

Parker Paint - a great NW paint manufacturer. Many Parker stores around Seattle.

[noE30]

Parker Paint - a great NW paint manufacturer. Many Parker stores around Seattle.

Thanks for the heads up!