Life in Seattle and Everett

Hi all;

Anybody out there with experience concerning living in/near Seattle / Washington?

Any recommendation about websites,neighborhoods,schools, day care will be appreciated?
Our work will be in the east side.

I hate Seattle love Pugent sound. If you miss the bavarian food there is a nice little bavarian Deli at Pikes market (center of Seattle). Also Pikes Market is a wondeful place to buy local fruit and veggies if you leave in the downtown area. Another plus of Seattle it has one of the better transit systems in the U.S. Nice music scene. My personal favorite area is the Queen Anne section but it is a bit pricey. Also the greatest city in the world is three hours south-Portland Oregon.

Bad news if you have to commute via I-5 get used to migranes.

Edit: The best all-time movie was filmed there " Say Anything"

1) It rains a lot
2) Its earthquake country
3) You can see 3 volcanoes from Seattle. Beware if Mt. Rainer awakes.

You mean the east side of Seattle itself, like Madrona or Wedgwood, or east of Lake Washington, i.e. Bellevue or Kirkland?

come on. seattle is cool. think of grunge and bill gates!
try pming kit. he's left munich, but i know he and wifey lived in washington. i do believe it was seattle.

@ alala
i mean Bellevue,Kirkland...etc.

Okay, well then you're going to have to take 520 (or 90) across the lake to get into the city proper. They shut down in bad weather, so that's something to beware of. Not that the weather's that bad, that often, but when it is, you get stranded. Generally, the further west you go, the nicer it is, and Bel-Kirk are your average faceless American suburbs, BUT: commuting in Seattle is a bitch, so living close to work is generally recommended.

On the other hand, if you live in Seattle and commute to Bel-Kirk, you'll be going in the opposite direction to most commuters, so maybe it won't be so bad.

I don't have any direct experience of schools, daycare etc. in Seattle, except to say that it's generally a good place for that sort of thing, especially for alternatives like Montessori, Waldorf, Running Start, etc. Public transit's not up to Munich standards, but it's pretty good for the U.S., and there's lots of parks and bike paths and such. And of course what with the mountains and all the trees and water it's the most beautiful place to live anywhere in the world EVER, not that I'm biased or anything. The earthquakes aren't all that frequent, the volcanoes are really really pretty, when they're not blowing up, and all the rain is what makes it the Evergreen State.

For specifics, hm. I have a friend in Issaquah, and family in Wedgwood that I can put you in touch with, who might have more specific information about living there with kids.

Edit: Oh - and of course there's a Seattle Craigslist, probably very useful.

I agree. Commuting in Seattle is a bitch. Try and live as close to your work as possible. Every time I visit Seattle it seems like the I-5 is in a perma-traffic jam. Seattle has an absolute crap public transit system. A car is essential.

Its better than most of the US outside Portland (not playing the bias card here).

Alala was right its beautiful and if you love nature then the Pac NW is where to be rainforest/mountains/the sound/pacific ocean. It is a very social concious town so be prepared. Also tryout Elliot Bay bookstore on 1st avenue nice cup of espresso and wonderful selection of books as well as Bauhaus cafe if your up to challenging yourself.

the public transit in seattle is wonderful - i lived up there for a year in 2000/01 and actually had my car towed once because i didn't use it frequently enough (argh - that pretty much forced me to go out and move it once a week). this is, of course, if you live in the city - i don't have that much exp. with bellevue. Elliot bay bookstore is indeed nice -so good to go in there and hear all of the creaking wood. it doesn't actually rain that much, just often - mists a lot of the time. and yes, it actually does have earthquakes. i didn't know this when i lived there, and lo and behold the building starts shaking - not fun when you're unprepared! but, i found the regioun great - there really are a lot of close by areas to get outside.

Thank you all ,
And "yes" alala i would like to get in contact with your friends and family over there , in fact couple of friends recommended Isaquah for living , so please PM me with their contacts.

I am packing all my stuff as we are shipping on Monday , so sad to leave my lovely warm apartment:(
just wanted to say that i check this thread on my breaks and so happy to see all the replies and the PMs thank you all and keep it on i really appreciate this

Wow, I am not on TT enough. How did I miss this post??

You should be in 'seattle' by now (eastside can not be called seattle, and people are pretty picky about which side of the lake you are actually from), and hopefully loving it and finding your way around. Seattle IS the best, and I'm sure I'm not biased. If you like Munich, you will like Seattle- close to the mountains, lots of neighborhoods to keep explorations fun and new, GREAT food, beautiful late night summers that last into September and yes, a bit of misty 'rain' in the winter.

If you haven't already, I would recommend getting a 6 mo. apt where people have recommended you live, and then see how the traffic and neighborhood fits you. Mostly because of the traffic concern.

In addition to Issaquah, a lot of eastside workers go south to Renton or further east to Monroe, due to pricing. Both are OK, but beware of 405... it's 100x worse than I-5 traffic. Find an area that you can either take backroads to work, or that isn't far. Or screw the traffic IF you love your car, and live where you want!



...this is true, but either direction on the bridge during rush hour, be prepared for 45-1.25 hour commute on normal days. 1.5-2.5 hours on a game day for seahawks, etc. If you have flexible hours, you would be much better off with bridge traffic.

I recommend living in Seattle, but it's hard with kids as the school system is not as good as the eastside. Unless you're willing to go private.

Outside of Seattle neighborhoods, I would recommend Issaquah. They are building quite a bit there. By now, I hope you've looked around at the new highlands (I think?) area. Huge new infrastructure going in there with plans for the coming years. Third choice on places to live on the eastside would be Kirkland (if you can afford it).

Housing is expensive, but hopefuls say it should plateau or come down soon. We'll see. I also recommend craigslist, as a couple friends have actually bought their houses from it! Its like the Toytown for seattle- with regard to advertising, etc. Citysearch is good for seattle eats, hotels, things to do, etc.

My favorite's list for things to do and see in Seattle:
* Ferry ride to one of the islands (Vashon is nice for biking, but not much food and stuff to do. Bainbridge is a good one, cute restaurants and park about 1/2 mi. off the ferry dock, and Orcas is amazing for camping in summer: can go to Rosario Resort for drinks, eat at Bilbos mexican in town, and rent kayaks for a day)
* On 1st ave in Seattle, is the best restaurant/bakery in existence... Macrina. Grab a starbucks and then head 1/2 block down to Macrina for a rocket or morning glory muffin in the morning. Then walk down first to Pike Place, hang out and have lunch. Great morning/afternoon lazy day.
* Kerry Park - the park on Queen Anne that has the famous view of the city with mt. rainier in the background. Good if you want to take a picture of the family to send around and say that you all are starting to get settled. The kirkland waterfront is a better park for the kids to play around in though. Other great parks: Greenlake - has a 3 mi run around the outer rim on gravel, and is a great paved path for strolling with kids in summer. The new Sculpture park on the waterfront, and there's a path that takes you from the sculpture park along the water to the huge refinery. Madison park, and you must hit Discovery Park sometime during the summer!
* Fun date night- Go to 'Ballard', neighborhood 10 min N of downtown. Have some wine and a cheese plate at Portalis (wine bar owned by a couple germans), walk up the street to Matador (very crowded on weekends, and full of 25 to late 30s crowd) for mexican dinner, then across the street to Majestic Bay for a movie, and outside to the right of the theater is a cafe that sells homemade cupcakes for desert!
* Other favorite restaurants to try, some you will find on the eastside but most are in Seattle: El Camino, Zoe, Cactus, Belltown Pizza, Cafe Flora, 74th St Alehouse, Via Tribunali (most italian pizza, if you liked what you ate here in munich), Casuelitas, Anthonys (go to the cafe downstairs instead of the restaurant, but both are great for seafood), Red Door (good beer and great deck for lunch in the summer, on sundays they have an outdoor market lining the street), Snappy Dragon (if you're willing to travel into a Seattle neighborhood for excellent chinese), Tangos, and the list goes on and on!!

I'm so jealous! PM me if you have any questions or thoughts on Seattle. Am happy to help any way I can.

Enjoy!! Seattle is awesome.

As a Northwest Native, my compliments on the previous post! It makes me homesick just reading it.

just got a PM from kit. he's now back in Seattle with his wife.

Ok,

Probably at the end of this year I will go for my first time in US to take a job in Seattle or Everett.
Right now I don't know exactly where I will end up working.
Which one of the two places you recommend?
And how expensive is the life there? Basically what netto income should I have to live well (I like to go out quite a lot).
Will I be able to make some savings also?

Thanks!

Topics merged by admin

aero... Seattle... Boeing?

Hopefully!

I thought so! I don't know much about Seattle other than that most people absolutely love the city. As for Boeing, on the whole they set the standard for pay and benefits in the aerospace industry. Their outlook is also solid so they'll likely be a good company to work for for a while to come.

Are you looking to do commercial aircraft engineering or something else?

I'll see what future brings, but I find it hard to think that it will be easy to find work for something else than commercial aircraft.

The people make a huge difference, so I'd say Everett is a bit better than Seattle. Everett seems just a little more neutral, Seattle has left strong memories for me. The two aren't that different, and price and commuting distance to your work will probably be much more key to your choice than anything.

Seattle is a great place to live if you don't have to deal with the people, and you can stand the rain. The rain is light usually, I didn't find it that bad at all. And it keeps everything so green and pretty. The views are breathtaking, the shops are great, it's a wonderful city. Traffic is a little heavy, commutes can take longer than some big cities, but it's probably about average for a city that sized.

The problem with Seattle is the people. If your not a tourist, and not someone they have know for years, they are pretty nasty. They say it's the constant rain that puts them in a bad mood. And it's fairly well known they don't like "outsiders" moving to their beautiful city, particularly if you come from California. Everett seems more friendly. But if your going to work for a big company, depending on the department, there might be a big social network in place there that will quickly accept you, in which case I'd probably prefer Seattle.

i went to grad school in oregon & it was the same attitude. when i told people i was from texas, they said, well thank goodness, at least you're not from california

i do not know if it is the lack of weed or my common sense but I am laughing my ass off. I will have to step up to the box and defend my bro&sis from the north and say we do not like people that want special treatment because they are from california. Granted bringing that 12 ton SUV will not gain you favoritism but if you do not try to fit in you will fit in. Its like saying oh there is a clique on TT and making a big deal about it. jesus just fucking live man.

I'd have to agree, I don't have a clue why anyone from California thinks it is a good thing. Only people FROM California seem to think that... Everyone else thinks things like "land of fruits and nuts," brain dead surfers, shallow, materialistic, etc...

But that hardly makes Seattle friendly! Visiting or moving to (Southern) California you will in fact find some of the most friendly accepting people in the world. Visiting or moving to Austin Texas seems similar. Midwest, Nebraska, Iowa, etc... very friendly. Seattle is full of people who look at you like your insane if you happen to be smiling while walking down the street. Not what I'd call friendly by any definition.

And, TT is a massive clique. Quite honestly, most people that are even remotely friendly here do it by PM, because they seem scared to say anything publicly (probably for good reason). And to try to say TT is representative of Germany, PLEASE! I've not been in Germany long, but my experiences so far have been that the Germany people (if they speak English a little, or none at all) are friendly, helpful, kind, and very accommodating. It's the comments on TT that seem clique'ish and hostile, not the Germans on the street or in the shops.

Then again, if you think TT is friendly, no wonder you think Seattle is also.

And, my final disagreement is on the "special treatment" thing. Get off your cross and use the wood to build a bridge so you can get over it already! It's not that horrible to be kind and helpful to people. In my book, EVERYONE deserves special treatment, a kind word, a smile, and a helping hand. No one deserves to be left in the cold and laughed at because they didn't see the sign or weren't able to read it. I'd go out of my way to help, in fact I do. I stop for stranded motorists, ask "confused looking" people if they need help, offer my seat on the train to older folks and women with children. But that's just the way I am, and I'd consider that "friendly."

Wow I have been called a jesus look alike but never cross bearing. Man no wonder I felt so heavy as of late. Yet if you think Toytown is unfriendly then i see we will have to stay at "I agree to disagree".

To all those that want to look past badlandz opinion:

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest

_{I am still living with your ghost...lonely and dreaming of the west coast}

I can live with that... Back to the topic though, the guy/gal asked about it, I thought it only fair to warn them of what to expect. I'd go for work, I love the area, but I found the people there cold, grumpy, and occasionally hostile. I am not alone in thinking Seattle is unfriendly. I think psychologists have even done studies on if the cloudy rainy weather contributes to the overall funk and depression of the people in Seattle. Wish I had a reference handy, but Google should help. Others say Seattle is unfriendly also...

“Seattle is the most unfriendly place I’ve ever been,� says Sherryl, a 43-year-old bachelor gal. -- Seattle Woman Magazine

"I have read a number of articles recently with a similar theme as " Seattle (N)ice" (Feb. 13); how Seattle natives are unfriendly to newcomers," Woman explains they were better in the 80's, but the newcomers have worn out the welcome and deserve the cold shoulder now. -- Seattle Times I like the bit at the bottom where they say Germans are much more friendly...

I could go on, and on... but point is, I'm not the only one who's seen it. Seattle has great things, great nature, great place to live. But the people there want to keep it to themself and don't want anyone new coming for any reason.

I stand by my original statement, Seattle is awesome, except for the people.

I just returned from a trip to Seattle. I have to admit it's never been high on the list of places I've been eager to visit and my trip confirmed it. There isn't anything especially offensive about the area, it just didn't have much that left a strong positive impression either. Much of the people I met that were friendly seemed eager to leave Seattle, but my friend who acted as tourguide has been fanatical about the city for years (so much that this is her 4th effort to move to the city. Each time she "moves" to Seattle, she gets depressed within months and moves away.)

I liked the popular Alki Beach area in West Seattle much more than Seattle proper. The area around Seattle is beautiful, but the city itself is pretty drab and industrial looking in alot of areas. It does have alot of nice bookstores and lots and lots of coffee houses though. Also the strawberries from Pike Place Market were some of the best I've had in years.

i went to seattle recently and it seemed not too unfriendly to me, at least quite a bit friendlier than my hometown san francisco feels to me. what i loved most about seattle was the view of the olympic peninsula mountains across the sound. thanks for posting that article about seattle changing badlandz.

san francisco seems unbelievably snobby to me every time i go back now, and it didn't used to seem that way twenty years ago. seattle's a bit different, but i can see how it's maybe changed over the past few decades, i guess like a lot of places have. i guess things change everywhere. i hope portland stays weird, but i think it might change also. to me it seems the friendliest place i've ever been to in the states or maybe the world was kansas. even kind of tough looking people in the bars seemed so increadibly nice and friendly. but i'm quite sure that no matter where one goes (seattle, san fran, new york, germany, every city every country) most people are pretty nice and friendly, at least deep down inside.

My fiance and I are moving to Seattle in mid May and we can't wait! We were there 2 years ago on holiday and loved it! We're even getting married there in July, on a yacht. I really can't wait to go now that it's so close. This waiting thing is a b..ch!

you've only been to seattle in the summer? oh, you're in for a treat! i don't know you, but i will give you one piece of advice: BUY GORETEX!

Me too. I'm not a native, but I lived there for the last 11+ years, so Seattle is essentially home to me now. The last winter (2005-2006), though, was totally depressing. It rained for something crazy like 60 days without a break. When I first moved there years ago I was so thrilled because stuff stayed GREEN during the winter! The green (as opposed to pure brown from Sept to May in CO) counteracted the clouds and rain for me. But after 11 years it was getting old!

Some people move there and hate it with a passion, while others just love it. It's usually the weather that makes people hate it. It's very individual and I think the area you live in (Kirkland versus, say, Kent) will influence that heavily, too. Sometimes, aside from missing my friends, I long for simple things like a Caffe Ladro mocha or a fish taco from Taco del Mar or a walk along the water in Edmonds, Shilshole or Alki. I also miss the smell of the ocean that comes over the whole area when a strong wind blows from the west, the ferns and moss (except when moss eats through the weather stripping on my car), the espresso stands every 2 blocks and knowing that you can hop in your car and get to the Pacific, the Olympic rain forest, the Cascades, several volcanoes or Portland or B.C. fairly quickly. And I still always got/get a thrill when I see downtown from I-5. You have to admit that Seattle has a kick-ass skyline! I don't, however, miss the traffic (yes, it's bad), the clouds and rain (I've heard people complain about how Germany is so cloudy usually... being from Seattle it would take a lot more than 20 days of rain to faze me, lol!), the inflated grocery prices, the inflated real estate prices or the many, many creepy spiders.

Regarding Everett... ummm... how do I put this? I looked at apartments in Everett a couple of times when desperate for something cheap (needed something up north), and they were just too scary for me. I had friends that lived there and, seriously, Everett overall is NOT a nice place. There are a few cool spots in downtown Everett, and a couple of decent neighborhoods, but it actually has a higher crime rate than Seattle (despite being much smaller), particularly heavy on the rape and aggravated assault side. There are many problems at the main high school that have been in the Seattle area news lately, too. Even surrounding blah suburbs like Lynnwood have half the crime rate as Everett, so would be a better choice if wanting to live north. If you don't already know (for the person moving there), there's a newspaper for Everett and surroundings, http://www.heraldnet.com .

Overall, I would say that if you like great espresso (and I am not talking about Starbucks!), fresh salmon, a rainforesty atmosphere (meaning green all over, rhodedendrons, ferns, gardening zone 8, so nearly everything grows there), immediate access to every type of outdoors (beaches, boating, skiing, hiking, etc), the occasional excitement of an earthquake or volcanic eruption, and a usually mild climate, you should enjoy it :-)

Getting past all the negative posts I am still looking forward to moving to Seattle, which is in 7 days.

We got a house in Northgate so still pretty close to city and not far to Green Lake or Lake Washington. I defo think I'll invest in the odd tanning booth session for a lift in the winter but am looking forward to doing some sailing around the Sound and skiing in Whistler. I have heard the traffic is the worst but a friend told me that its a sign of a good economy and lots of jobs around. She has lived there for over 20 years and has experienced the city when they had all the lay-offs and there was hardly any cars on the road. So in a round about way am glad of the traffic cause I'll be needing a job!

aren they building this "light metro" or whatever they are calling it. It should help with the traffic i guess.

well,
so far the light metro is being built from the center of the city south to the airport...so alsmost no help at all
or have they updated the plan?

so I-5 is still a nightmare from 6 a.m. until midnight...

t.

I'm always so tardy with these posts! Drat.

Northgate should be great! That area and greenwood (just to the west of N.gate) is 'up and coming' since the popular neighborhoods of Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont, West Seattle and others are skyrocketing in price. You'll have greenlake and carkeek park very near. Carkeek is very unknown, but right on the water. Good running trails too.

There is no light rail plans right now heading north, that are firm that is. The one I was so excited about, which would have extended up through Ballard, got knocked down a couple years ago. They keep trying to get a plan in place that everyone will agree to, but it just doesnt look good. The latest battle has been over the viaduct bridge and whether to build underground (like Boston, which everyone uses as the most extreme bad example) or tear down and replace with another bridge. Ho hum.

Stay away from everett... unless you are the total home-body type.


I will admit, that it's hard to meet people. But I think that's generally true everywhere you go. Once out of school, friends dont pop down out of the sky. Sometimes you're lucky and work with some fun peeps that are interested in the same stuff as you. You're generally in a good position to meet some cool folks that are up for going out and such if you work for a smaller company, downtown. .coms are always my favorite.

Seattle-ites and, I think in general the NW, are just laid back and not overly agressive or outgoing. That doesnt make them mean or unfriendly. If you take a step and ask someone to go hiking, or where fun places to go, I'm sure they'll give you a laundry list and sign up to go with you!

Here are some great clubs with good people that like to have fun:
- Mountaineers (hiking, rock climbing, etc). Join the everett group, as they're smaller and really, really friendly and fun! However, you should still live in seattle!
- Cascade Cycles. Great community of bikers for commuting to work or weekend rides.
- Seattle Co-Rec. Like to kick the soccer ball around? You can send your name in to be picked for an existing team that just needs a couple extra players. Voila, instant team and new friends to meet! They have ALL levels from beginners to ex-college players. Join a co-ed team for more fun, as every team I've been on has usually had BBQ, after game drinks, etc. They have teams that play everyday and at all times, but I suggest you put your name in for a weeknight team, or Sunday afternoons.

There are also wine clubs, dinner clubs, great bars and restaurants to go to... Take your clubs to Interbay for a short par 3 game and join a 2-3 some to meet a couple new peeps. Or, why not ask a few coworkers to join you for a fun saturday outing? Go to rattlesnake lake for a hike (near issaquah, and great hike/views- good for all level hikers), rent a boat on lake union and bring beer/food with (http://www.theelectricboatco.com/default.asp), plan a BYOFood for a grill party at discovery park, or plan a group race (plenty of 5Ks and others around town! Or see if you can get a team of 12 to run the Hood to Coast- AWESOME fun).

Seattle is overcast and misty in the winter- no doubt about it. But people stay and love it for the most amazing summers.

And why, oh why, did someone have to mention Taco Del Mar?? I never ate there while living in Seattle, too many other yummy mexican places to eat. But I would give my right arm for a super veggie burrito right now!

Enjoy seattle! I'll try to be more timely with the next person moving to seattle...

My Northgate Info:
- Northgate Mall (has california pizza kitchen, which oddly enough, I really like and very delicious lemon drops). If you dont want to brave downtown for shopping, and northgate isnt doing it for you, head north to Alderwood Mall. They've made major improvements over the years, although I still prefer downtown.
- Target, Best Buy and Big 5 Sports is across the street from Northgate Mall
- IKEA is in Renton (there's only one in all of the NW!), about 30 min. drive south
- You must go to Snappy Dragon on Rosevelt road- about 5 min drive. The most delicious chinese in a neighborhood joint. Try their homemade noodles.
- Have a family you are toting along with you? Try Zeeks or Pagliaci Pizza for a kids night out. It's not a games place, but has good pizza that you and the kids will like in a casual environment. If you have an all adult crowd, then you should hit Via Tribunali on Capitol Hill.
- Oak Tree cinemas on Aurora Avenue & 100th? is pretty good. In that same mini-mall area, they have a Qdoba (good mexican food) and Larrys Market (pricey but good groceries).
- Grocery hierarchy: Albertsons (stay away, very bad), Safeway (good for canned goods and everyday items), QFC (for produce and meat/fish), Larrys or Metropolitan Market (when you want something high end or particular).
- Unique grocery stores you can't live without: Trader Joes (wines, fresh pre-made, and other small necesities), PCC - on aurora, near greenlake or in Fremont next to Red Door (for organic, lots of tofu/grain options and the most delicious salads!), or Whole Foods (similar to PCC but larger and more meat options)

Enjoy!!