Can anyone give advice regarding areas around Seattle?

Question

My friend and I are planning to move to Seattle this fall, and we are trying the best we can to find everything we can about the area.

We plan on living in Washington for a year in order to get instate tuition for the following school year. We planned on moving to Seattle, but we want to find the safest, cheapest, and most bike accessible area we can.

Does anyone have any information or referrals to areas outside of Seattle, but close enough to the city?

Also, although I am undecided in which school I will be attending, my friend is planning on attending UW; so a surrounding area close to that school would be ideal.

Answer 1

You will have to stay in Seattle if you want to be accessible to the UW by bicycle. I would recommend something in one of the neighborhoods that is near the Burke Gilman Trail http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/BurkeGilman/bgtrail.htm because it goes right near/through the campus. These neighborhoods would be Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake (also a great bike/walking trail that goes around the lake), Phinney Ridge, U-District, Ravenna, and Wedgewood. All of these are safe areas, but there isn't really anywhere that is cheap in Seattle (sorry!)

If you are looking for "relatively" cheap, and still safe, you might try Ballard. You could bike to Fremont from there and pick up the Burke Gilman Trail. It is also a great neighborhood for commuting to downtown. Ballard is a cute neighborhood (used to be it's own town, so it's a large neighborhood), with lots of great restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, it's own theatre, etc. Plus you would have all the conveniences of grocery stores, banks, pharmacies, etc. right there as well. (Something my neighborhood doesn't have).

Another area you might consider is the north side of Queen Anne Hill. It doesn't really have a "neighborhood", but it is where the Seattle Pacific University campus is, so there are affordable rentals there, and there is a bike trail that goes along the ship canal, which will take you to the Fremont Bridge and the Burke Gilman Trail.

I've lived in a neighborhood in North Seattle for 4 years, and I wouldn't live in any other part of town now. I've loved living near the zoo, Green Lake Park, the Locks, etc.

I hope that you & your friend will get a chance to visit here and scout out the neighborhood that best suits you before you move here. I really think that where you live, can define who you are. Many people here identify with the neighborhood they live in.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

One suggestion I would make if you are looking at moving into the college community is move right after school at the beginning of summer. You will have a better chance of finding rentals that are decent, although some may raise the rent when they get closer to the semester. Seattle is a pretty spendy spot to live. But it also depends on where you are coming from. If you are moving from another large city than you will probably find the rental rates to be pretty similar. Don't be too opposed to living a bit out of the normal school zone either. The buses have bike holders on the fronts of them, so you can still commute pretty easily. Lake City used to be an ok area from what I recall, lots of apartments and stuff. Just be careful of too cheap rents, there are some places that have bugs and other not so great pests.

Answer 3

Most of the answers above seem to be focused in the area right around the University, or in city neighborhoods nearby, mostly to the south and west. If you are serious cyclists, though, and really don't care to be in a dense urban environment, might I suggest that you look along the Burke-Gilman Trail in the other direction--north and east. There are still affordable areas near the north end of Lake Washington in the Bothell, Kenmore, and Lake City areas. All have all of the amenities you'd need, plus adequate bus service (with bike-racks) for the days you just don't feel like riding. Good luck.

Answer 4

Seattle is kindof expensive. I just graduated UW, and lived in many different houses and appartments. Rent in the University District is steep, and most people live with 1,2,3, or 6 roommates to make ends meet :) A nice apartment w/ 2bedrooms will be around 1400 a mo. or more. I had a house I shared with 4 roommates and we payed about 500 a month each. Houses are hard to come by, but really the best way to go.

Answer 5

i might want to inspect the college inn on Roosevelt way. that is on bus lines that take you right into the city, and considering the college organisation is very in many cases performed for the three hundred and sixty 5 days, there likely isn't as a lot of human beings staying there and rates may be decrease. (yet another tip: I used to artwork at a motel motel and that i'll inform you that rates are continuously negotiable even as there are empty rooms. don't be afraid to ask for a chit than you're initially quoted.) ***** and Alki fish and chips are good thoughts, yet isn't highly problem-free to get to by technique of bus considering there's no longer accommodations that is on a reachable bus line to those places. The places you factor out as opportunities to stay are all outdoors the "experience loose" zone, yet buses are not any further expensive in Seattle so i'd not problem about it too a lot because you'll in common words be the following some days. there is accommodations interior the loose zone, yet i'm no longer confident you may want to get something on your required budget, except for the golf eco-friendly Tortoise hostel (and hosteling isn't an staggering adventure for first timers to a city).

Answer 6

If you're going to attend UW...parking there is extremely expensive, but you might be able to find some houses close by for cheap(well cheaper than the dorms). Otherwise..I'd highly suggest staying around the U-District..it'd just be easier. Otherwise..Northgate is pretty decent, so is lower queen anne. But again on a college students budget..you might end up in a small studio apartment that sucks, but at least you'll be close and when you're in college..you can't be THAT picky.
~G

Answer 7

May I suggest you have a look at the official web site for Seattle.
You will find an absolute wealth of information there; ranging from transportation, visiting, arts & culture, utilities, weather and much more.
It will help familiarise you with the whole city and area.
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/

The link below is a map of where The State University is located; may I further suggest you check the classifieds in the Seattle papers for accommodation in and around the area.
It would be very expensive to live nearby I would imagine.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&latlongtype=findit&address=&city=Seattle&state=WA&zipcode=&country=US&latitude=lLaC%2fWLVxP6BbLtGQlzVNQ%3d%3d&longitude=fvOr10RVpfPGNGhzxxZV8w%3d%3d&cat=University%20of%20Washington%20State

The Seattle Post Intelligencer (this has a mass of information too)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/

And lastly a link to the Seattle's VVisitors and Convention Bureau:
http://www.visitseattle.org/bureau/
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/

Good luck to you both in your new city.

Answer 8

Eastlake is the best. I lived there for 7 years. Right on the bus line to downtown (south) and UW (north), easy to bike to UW, fun neighborhood on 4th of July (BEST fireworks show in downtown), lots of restaurants, friendly neighbors, etc. You should live in Eastlake.