moving to seattle...

iamsam_pj

i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on neighborhoods??! i was looking at the capitol hill area...just wondering if there may be any helpful tips for areas to avoid or that are really awesome. i'll be working in lynnwood but would really like to live in the city.

thanks in advance!!

South of Seattle

Check out :

Green Lake
Belltown
Capitol Hill
Madison Park
Queen Anne
Ballard

When looking online, peep these neighborhoods. Also the closer to downtown, the shittier the parking.

STONEd and dAMENT-ED

are you looking for a house, apt, condo? i would not move to belltown but i would definitely go out there (if you are not alone). north seattle keeps you close to work and close enough to downtown. that's where i live. i would pick greenlake or wedgewood if you can

Commy

ballard rules.

lived in green lake and north seattle and they just don't compare to ballard in my opinion.

iamsam_pj

thanks for the suggestions! i'll expand my search a bit to other neighborhoods and then explore a bit once i fly out in a couple weeks to sign a lease. holy crap i'm so excited!!

bmwweirdoguy

Come to West Seattle! It's the best!

dcfaithful

Washington State, preferably a Seattle suburb is where I'd like to reside one day.

You're lucky, I hope you love it up there!!

dawng

If you have a job in Lynnwood - you will not want to live too far south. At least you'll be opposite the majority of the commute as long as you stay towards the North end...but if you move to the south end you will be stuck in it getting through Seattle every morning. I would not wish that on anyone!

Ballard and Green Lake are both very nice, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, and Fremont (expensive but nice), U-district, Queen Anne. Have fun looking

iamsam_pj

dcfaithful wrote:

Washington State, preferably a Seattle suburb is where I'd like to reside one day.

You're lucky, I hope you love it up there!!

i hope i love it too!! it's going to be quite the change for me...i haven't lived outside of florida since i was 13...about 15 years ago.

i'll be working weird hours...if i open, i'll be in at 6am. not sure what closing shifts will look like?! i'm hoping i can handle the traffic...orlando tourist traffic has given me lots 'o practice

bmwweirdoguy

Also I hope you're ready for the grey...fortunately you're moving here as the days are getting longer and the weather nicer..Come October, you may have second thoughts...

You might want to look into a full spectrum lamp. The year my wife moved here (I'm a native) was the year we had over 90 straight days without sunshine...

But seriously, we love it here! And during July, when it's light until 10pm and the sun is shining, it can't be beat!!!

WildChildRose

West Seattle (Alki Beach) is awesome. Too bad you didn't move here about 6 months ago, I needed a roommate and I have an awesome place on the beach. Good luck!

The Stugots

My "big" move was only 300 miles, so you have me beat a hundred times over. I don't have any local Seatlle advice, but do wish you luck - this sounds very exciting :!:

mookeywrench

parking on capital hill is freakin impossible on a weekend.

Queen Anne is freakin spendy.

Belltown gets pretty freakin shady

North seattle neighborhoods are the freakin way to go

iamsam_pj

The Stugots wrote:

My "big" move was only 300 miles, so you have me beat a hundred times over. I don't have any local Seatlle advice, but do wish you luck - this sounds very exciting :!:

it is extremely exciting and happening waaaay too fast!! i just signed all of my relocation paperwork today...got my itinerary for my apartment hunting trip - which has me totally stressed out 'cause i literally have less than 24 hours to sign a lease :shock: these next couple of weeks are going to be a complete whirlwind to say the least!!

thanks for luck...i'm going to need it!

Champagne Breakfast

I F@ckin Love Seattle. If I was a west coaster I would live there in a heartbeat.

May I ask where you are moving from? & what brings you to Seattle?
Perhaps the greatest band in the world????

adropinthepark

If you will be working in Lynnwood, I suggest staying north of the Ship Canal bridge. It will save you a lot of travel time.

Ballard is a little off the beaten path for commuting (though not bad if you take 15th up Holman to Greenwood, then 99 into Lynnwood), but a nice neighborhood for clubs and food without being too far from downtown, etc.

mensane

if you are working in Lynnwood, I would NOT recommend Capital Hill. I think other people here are RIGHT ON when saying stay on the north side of the ship canal. I would say stay west of I-5 as well. Green Lake, Wallingford, Fremont, Ballard, Phinney...all great areas with an easy commute.

i moved here 8 years ago. love love love it.

iamsam_pj

Champagne Breakfast wrote:

I F@ckin Love Seattle. If I was a west coaster I would live there in a heartbeat.

May I ask where you are moving from? & what brings you to Seattle?
Perhaps the greatest band in the world????

i'm moving from tampa...which i hate! and i'm pretty much over florida in general...except for orlando, which i love though that probably has to do with all of my friends being there still

but...seattle has been in my sights for quite awhile now. i seriously started considering it when i was promoted with my job here to tampa. i told my boss that i didn't want to be here for more than 2 years and then wanted to move on to seattle! we had another conversation about it last summer and have been working on my move out for almost a year now.

maybe it also has a little bit to do with this totally awesome band that i love...maybe but mostly my super awesome job that i love...i'm just nervous about a new store again and literally not knowing a singe person. this is my test!!

iamsam_pj

mensane wrote:

if you are working in Lynnwood, I would NOT recommend Capital Hill. I think other people here are RIGHT ON when saying stay on the north side of the ship canal. I would say stay west of I-5 as well. Green Lake, Wallingford, Fremont, Ballard, Phinney...all great areas with an easy commute.

i moved here 8 years ago. love love love it.

is it just the traffic that is bad? my future boss was saying that as long as i catch i-5 a bit north of downtown i should be good with capitol hill??! is traffic always bad or just during rush hour? the hours i would spend communting are really off times...is there much traffic at 5 or 6am? i was there back in september and was caught in afternoon traffic that didn't seem too bad...nothing i haven't been through before.

i just really want to make sure that i end up in a good neighborhood that will really help me to absorb everything about city life.

thanks for everyone's help!!! this is a bit difficult trying to make the right decision living at the complete opposite corner of the country right now!

Corso

You are going to have a blast in Seattle! I am trying to make a move out there as well. I had a recent interview with a company located downtown. The Interview went well however they are holding back on hiring at the moment but the near future looks promising. Anyone need a roommate in a couple of months? From the information I gathered Ballard and West Seattle appear to be a great community to live in; I am sure there are other great communites too. Downtown seems like it would be the best; if that is the environment you are seeking. I could be happy with any of the areas but downtown Seattle sounds great.
Cheers

OneTooFree

congrats on the move! i love the PNW... i'll be going to The Gorge for the first time ever this summer to see Phish in early August. can't wait

iamsam_pj wrote:

thanks for everyone's help!!! this is a bit difficult trying to make the right decision living at the complete opposite corner of the country right now!

isn't it? i'm moving from Portland, ME to Austin, TX in a few weeks... thank god i have friends down there & family up here to help me get things in order

SomethingCreative

I live in Mountlake Terrace...its about 15 minutes north of downtown seattle (when there aren't 3 frickin lanes closed on I-5). Pretty quiet, not much to do there but your close to the city and the housing is A LOT more affordable.

edit: I also left out that its in between Lynnwood and Seattle, closer to lynnwood though

iamsam_pj

FuzzyDunlop wrote:

congrats on the move! i love the PNW... i'll be going to The Gorge for the first time ever this summer to see Phish in early August. can't wait

iamsam_pj wrote:

thanks for everyone's help!!! this is a bit difficult trying to make the right decision living at the complete opposite corner of the country right now!

isn't it? i'm moving from Portland, ME to Austin, TX in a few weeks... thank god i have friends down there & family up here to help me get things in order

the gorge is amazing!! if you're camping at the gorge be sure to bring something other than just a sleeping bag to sleep in...you're basically sleeping on rock!! that was my first introduction to seattle/pnw and it was the best spontaneous vacation i've ever taken

you'll love austin too!! that's where i did all of my interview for my current company 5 years ago...i'm still a little bit sad that they sent me to miami instead :( such a fun city!! though it's crazy hot in the summer...be prepared. good luck with your move too!!

OneTooFree

i'm sure there is more than enough in Seattle to keep you occupied, but if you have the chance take a trip south to Portland, OR... it's a great city & there is tons of stuff to do there (great microbreweries & the best book store on the planet, Powell's books)

i grew up in Houston so believe me, i'm well aware of how hot it can get down there in the summer at least they have AC, whereas Mainers have no idea how important Central Air truly is

thanks for the tip re: sleeping at the Gorge! it was kind of a spontaneous thing for my brother & me too... a friend offered me two 2-day passes out of nowhere so i jumped on the opportunity. it's gonna be so much fun

mensane

iamsam_pj wrote:

mensane wrote:

if you are working in Lynnwood, I would NOT recommend Capital Hill. I think other people here are RIGHT ON when saying stay on the north side of the ship canal. I would say stay west of I-5 as well. Green Lake, Wallingford, Fremont, Ballard, Phinney...all great areas with an easy commute.

i moved here 8 years ago. love love love it.

is it just the traffic that is bad? my future boss was saying that as long as i catch i-5 a bit north of downtown i should be good with capitol hill??! is traffic always bad or just during rush hour? the hours i would spend communting are really off times...is there much traffic at 5 or 6am? i was there back in september and was caught in afternoon traffic that didn't seem too bad...nothing i haven't been through before.

i just really want to make sure that i end up in a good neighborhood that will really help me to absorb everything about city life.

thanks for everyone's help!!! this is a bit difficult trying to make the right decision living at the complete opposite corner of the country right now!

i just really dont care for capital hill. it is so crowded and there is never any parking anywhere. it seems to always have a bunch of sketchy people hanging about bumming change. ballard is cool...with live music, bars, cool shops. i live in west seattle, which i love. it would be a bit of a drive to lynnwood though.