Can I get away with living in Seattle without a car?

Question

1. I'm moving to Seattle this summer, and will probably stay there for at least 2 years.

2. I've been living in Manhattan my whole life, so I haven't driven much and would prefer not to. Would I be able to get around town without too much trouble on weekends?

3. I'll be working in Redmond, are there buses that I can take to commute to work?

any input would be much appreicated!!

Answer 1

It will depend on how close your home and work are to bus lines, and how much time you're willing to spend on the bus. You could probably manage getting between work and home on the bus, but for anything fun that's not right there in Seattle, you'll probably need to drive. With a little innovation, though, I think you'd be able to do most of your stuff via the bus.

There are two bus lines you'll probably have to coordinate:

Metro King County - http://transit.metrokc.gov/

Sound Transit - http://www.soundtransit.org/

Metro KC's site is the one you'll probably need to look at more, since it goes mainly in and around Seattle. Sound Transit connects Seattle with outlying places such as Tacoma and Everett. Hope all that helps!

Answer 2

You can't live in Seattle and work in Redmond without a car. You should be able to find a place in Redmond within walking distance of Microsoft though. A trick is that you don't have to live near your building, which will change at least once a year anyway, just live near any building. Walk to the nearest building and catch a Microsoft shuttle.

Anyway, this most important thing I can tell you is that you have to live on the same side of the water that you work on. Commuting from Seattle to the Eastside, or Eastside to Seattle, with or without a car, will absolutely suck.

To get from Redmond to Seattle, take the ST 545 to downtown Seattle. That's 45 minutes in no traffic. 1.5 hours in traffic. Now walk to another bus stop. Hang out on the street downtown for a while waiting. Now get on a bus for where ever you want to go in Seattle.

Answer 3

The commute by Bus from Seattle to Redmond would be difficult unless you live very close off of 520 (a highway from Seattle to Redmond). In addition, if you're not working at Microsoft, the bus isn't likely to drop you any where near where you work in Redmond. (Microsoft has their own bus station - not just a stop, a whole station thing). Anyway... Downtown Seattle is very easy to get to by bus from most areas of the city. Seattle doesn't have a sofisticated metro system like Manhatten does, so it will be shock to you, but it can be done. There are many ride-share programs for people who commute across Lake Washington so that is definitely an option. All this to say, it is far easier to live in Seattle without a car, than it would be to live in Redmond without a car. In Seattle you'll be able to find many places to rent that are on the bus line, near a grocery store, and easy to access. In Redmond, it's a totally different story, because it's got a very suburban feel and grocery stores aren't on every corner. Best of luck to you. I love living in Seattle (I've lived in Redmond, too).

Answer 4

Depends where you live - if it's downtown, I imagine you could commute to Redmond and then get away with buses for the rest. But I don't know - I grew up in the outer city limits (Shoreline) and the people who don't have cars...walk several miles a day. Seriously. Public transportation sucks in Seattle, and it sucks way way more in the surrounding areas. Nearest bus stop is almost a mile from my home - nearest stores, two or three. And Seattle is made of hills.

I don't know; I reckon you could manage, but Seattle is NOTHING like New York when it comes to public transportation.

Good luck! Hope you like it :)

Answer 5

You can get around in the Seattle area without a car; it just takes a little longer to go from place to place on the bus. If you're going to work at that big ol' software company in Redmond, they'll make sure you get home if you get stuck at work after the last bus has made its run, in case they didn't mention that to you :-)

Answer 6

Yes; you'll need a car in Seattle. Unfortunately, the West Coast is not a good place for public transportation like the East Coast is. If you want to avoid driving there (I would), try looking into shared commuting options.......good luck!

Answer 7

I HIGHLY recommend a car! the metro buses are good when you are not in a hurry, I would Hate to have to catch one everyday, it wouldnt be bad if you would be working downtown, but since you'll be working in redmond taking a bus to get to work is gonna suck!

Answer 8

sell it and purchase a scooter! that is real, with a pair of transfers you will get enormously much everywhere via bus. A bicycle is a great thank you to zip around downtown and get a solid workout on suited of it. yet once you like a splash greater velocity and mobility (for a fragment of what it expenditures to very own and perform and park a motor vehicle), pass purchase a scooter! $7 to replenish the tank, which will final you a week-and-a-a million/2, and parking is a breeze. in assessment to with a bicycle, you could carry a pair procuring luggage well worth of groceries with you, at no added rigidity on your muscle groups. there is likewise greater visability in site visitors whilst driving on a scooter (by using fact of velocity, top, engine noise, driving interior the middle of the lane, and head-lighting fixtures/tail-lighting fixtures), so that is quite greater secure than cycling. actual ditch the motor vehicle, inspite of the indisputable fact that. it is not well worth each and all of the charges. (especially with the cost of parking downtown!)

Answer 9

I don't live in seattle, but i am there all the time, and if you don't have a car, that God dang it you are fricken crazy, you NEED a car seattle its just that type of city.

Answer 10

Ok I hate to dumbfound the "must have a car" bots all over this page, but i have ridden metro ,sound transit and community transit for the last seven years , I don't own a car. According to them you'd wonder how I did it.