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My wife wants to move to Seattle

Hey folks (From Seattle area anyway), my name is Scott from SoCal Chapter. My wife is finishing up her Culinary School, and wants to get out of Los Angeles and try something new elsewhere. She wanted to move to Boston, but quickly said HELL NO! Her next choice is Seattle area, now that is doable since its only a 24 hr drive back to LA if I get sick of her and want to leave here there!!!! J/K!
The company I work for has an office in Seattle, and I may be able to get a transfer, but not sure yet. Now I know the weather is probably about 75% wet & gloomy... Yes? What about neighborhoods to live? I'm trying to do some research so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,
Scott Suyeto
 
Seattle sucks really bad. It rains 150% of the time. Stay where you are, there are too many Kalifornians up here already driving the price of houses through the roof. ;) Ok, not really... ;)

Actually, it's a pretty nice place to live. Houses are kinda expensive, but it all depends on what you think expensive is. In my home town, you can get a really nice big house with garage and land for under $100k. Up here (in Seattle), it's tough to find anything decent for under $225k. $225k will get you probably a 1950s 1 story house with a 2 car that has had some remodeling and updates. You want something newer in a nicer neighborhood, be prepared to spend $300k or more.

As far as neighborhoods go, it all depends where you will be working. Are you talking Seattle as in Seattle (Downtown, Capitol Hill etc), or a suburb. If you both work either North, South or East of Seattle, it makes house selection easier. If you work in Downtown, it makes it a bit more tough.

I commute everyday from Kirkland (160th & I-405) to Capitol Hill (12th & Madison). The morning commute takes me about 1/2 hour, it's 15 miles at around 7:15am. At night 5:00pm, it can take up to an hour, all depends. When it rains, it's bad, sunny, not so bad.

Right now I'm looking to buy a house in Burien. It's not a bad commute into Seattle from there. However, Burien (and most of West Seattle) has decent parts, and bad parts. I don't know if I've ever seen a Burien neighborhood that is your typical crisp, clean suburbia with well groomed lawns with Sallie and Suzy playing hop-scotch in the street.

If that's what you are looking for, you need to look on the East side (NE Renton/Newcastle, Factoria, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland/Juanita/Kingsgate). You will pay more for a home in most of those neighborhoods.

Here's how the traffic scene looks (rush hours):

From Seattle to Everett on I-5, it sucks both directions morning and night. I wouldn't live North of HWY 520. There is a 3 lane 'Express lanes' in between north and south I-5 in this section. It switches directions, Southbound (into Seattle) in AM, Northbound (out of Seattle) in evening if I am not mistaken. If you can carpool, living up north wouldn't be so bad.

From Seattle down to Renton on I-5, it's not bad, I'd say traffic is moderate and sometimes light, both directions. Getting on I-5 is another story. It's pain to get on I-5 in Seattle during rush hour.

I-90 is not so bad either direction. It is 3 lanes both directions with 3 'Express Lanes' in the middle that change directions morning and night. In the morning it's 6 lanes Westbound (into Seattle), in the Evening it's 6 lanes Eastbound (out of Seattle). Again, car poolers are the only ones allowed in the express lanes.

520 is not too bad Westbound in the AM and Eastbound in the PM. It really sucks Eastbound in the AM and Westbound in the PM. It's only 2 lanes either direction and if there is an accident, you're screwed. 520 Eastbound ends into Avondale RD. It gets very congested in that area in the Evening. I wouldn't live very far East of I-405.

I-405 has bad parts. In the AM, Southbound from Bothell into Kirkland is pretty bad, and Northbound from Renton into Bellevue is pretty bad. In the PM, from 520 and North (to about 522) sucks (that's what I sit in every day). Southbound is pretty bad from 520 into Renton.

You can call my Real Estate Agent. Her name is Tamila Timm. She works for John L Scott and can give you a good idea of the neighborhoods. Visit her website at www.tamilatimm.com. Go there and chose 'home search'. It's a pretty good function. It'll give you an idea of the homes in the area.

Steve

P.S. Avoid Whitecenter like your life depends on it (think South-Central LA).
 
WWHOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Man thanks for all the detailed info! A good source of info to go off of. My mom used to live in the Seattle area about 15 years ago... Kent & Federal Way.... I don't really know the areas but just remember it being so green! Anyway thanks again for all the information....

Thanks for the info also on Whitecenter...... Not to be racial in anyway at all... but if its compared to South Central... Its kind of an Ironic name..

Scott
 
A little something about the weather.....

Here's a rundown on the weather. Read it! Learn it! Live it!
Ready?
Here you go;
If the clouds are high in the sky, it's going to rain.
If the clouds are low in the sky, it's going to rain.
Memorial Day weekend, it's going to rain.
Fourth of July, it's going to rain.
Labor Day weekend, it's going to rain.
Last, but not least, if it's not raining, it's going to.
It's official, you're now an official weather forecaster for the PNW.
Dan.
PS Can't wait to move back. :D
 
It isn't so bad. Be prepared to trade your tan for an umbrella when you cross the border into Washington. Actually that isn't true...we are so used to the rain here that you don't see many people using umbrellas. They just stroll around in a torential downpour acting like they aren't getting wet. Any chance that your work has an office in Portland???? Portland is like "Seattle Light". All the good without the extra crazy traffic.
 
If you dont like rain, move to eastern WA! 7-11 in a year....does that suit your purpose of not a whole lot of rain? But then again, I love snow and mud, so eastern WA is definitely home for me. Cows, grass, wheat, barley, and peace and quiet.....definitely like home! Hope to see it again someday when the army lets me take leave. well, hope you have fun in your quest, it should be interesting!

Kristen
 
I'm tired of this joint, I want to move home to Long Island.
Traffic drives me nuts, the morons causing the traffic drive me nuts, and those morons in the traffic stopping in my store drive me nuts. Everyone's got their ^%(&*)( Escalade or dumb super duty crew cab long bed super big dually semi truck pickup trucks and no one can drive them, or park them. Then you have the morons in thier Porsche's and Acuras etc, that think I'm a mere speed bump, as well as everyone else on the road and like to cut people off and slow down real quick like trying to cause 20 car pile ups, I tell ya, one of these days I'm NOT going to try and miss them and pile the rear end of thier nice car in with my big winch bumper. Then there's the dorks talking on thier cell phones who cant keep the car between the stripes, or maintain the posted speed, or they sit at a GREEN light and go just as it turns yellow so everyone behind them has to wait again. Need I go on? Oh, and I only drive 3 miles to work, not on the freeway yet.

But alas, I do stay. My friends are all here as is most of my family, I love the wheeling thats here and having the beautiful Cascades only like a hours drive away is nice. I guess deep down I really do love this state. But we do need to work out the traffic congestion, but then again, what major city doesn't have it. I think if you find a nice place relativly close to where you work, you should be petty happy. And if you don't end up liking it, like you said, home isn't too far away, you could visit from time to time.

Aside from that, I do like the weather here. It's not as bad as people make it out to be, in reality, we don't get that much rain, I think we just get less more often. Well, and of course the wheeling here I think is totally awsome. Some of the scenic views you can see while up in the mtns are totally unbeliveable.
 
railroadjeep said:
and like to cut people off and slow down real quick like trying to cause 20 car pile ups

My girlfriend says you are one of those. She came home the other day and said "Do you know a guy with a white lifted XJ with a winch bumper and stickers all over it?"

I said "RailRoad stickers?"

She goes "Ya"

I say "Ya, why?"

She says "He cut me off today."

I thought that was pretty funny and appropriate :D

She see's Mike (CherokeeKid) every now and then too. He likes to ride her ass, so she tells me.

Steve
 
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Willis said:
My girlfriend says you are one of those. She came home the other day and said "Do you know a guy with a white lifted XJ with a winch bumper and stickers all over it?"

I said "RailRoad stickers?"

She goes "Ya"

I say "Ya, why?"

She says "He cut me off today."

I thought that was pretty funny and appropirate :D

She see's Mike (CherokeeKid) every now and then too. He likes to ride her ass, so she tells me.

Steve

Maybe, but I've loaned it to a friend off and on latley, but he drives it too hard so that's stopped. I'm surprised to hear this though, I have a rule of merging, if I cant see the car in my rear view I won't merge. But then again there can be exceptions. :anon:

Besides, it's not a Porsche doing 90! :D
 
Last edited:
Willis said:
She see's Mike (CherokeeKid) every now and then too. He likes to ride her ass, so she tells me.

Steve

I'm not the DOB for nothin'!!!

What does she drive?
Where am I riding it?

LOL

BTW I used to live in San diego and would love to move back there, Everyone there is tan, skinny and happy. Here everyone is pasty, fat and depressed!!!
 
It was somewhere in Kirkland...

She drives a burgandy XJ with 5.9 ZJ wheels. Plate frame says 'Ferrari of Seattle'. Will be getting a 2.5" OME lift, C4x4 rear bumper and Rusty's flowmaster exhaust by the time it's out of the bodyshop (she got rearended last Saturday). Body shop is buying the bumper and exhaust, she bought the lift.

Steve
 
The traffic really isnt that bad and sure there are pleanty of idiots out there but again not that bad. Sounds like Choo Choo needs a vacation! :scared: The weather is gloomy in the winter but gets pretty nice in the summer. I dont commute to work but I find myself driving all over the place in rush hour traffic. The east side is "nicer" but spendy! As is north of seattle(Ballard) Other than that nice areas are spotted all over.
 
I just hate the sound of all the ricers with their damn exhaust kits. It drives me insane down here!!!!! it's like really high pitched humming that hurts your head. Back up north in the town I lived in everyone drove old fords or beaters, hardly any of this rice crap.
 
Steve,

Thanks for all the sweet info! My wife and I want to move back to the NW
Seattle area in a year or two. She's going to check out some areas when she's up visiting family in April. We'll get a hold of your real estate agent for sure. Her website is really helpful.

Thanks again and look forward to wheeling the 601 trail with you someday...

Randy
 
PNWXJ said:
Sounds like Choo Choo needs a vacation!
You dont want to know when my last vacation was, let's just say it was a loooong time ago. So yes, yes I do!

I was driving around Seattle tonight after doing some stuff at Amtrak, and I began to realize how much I actually do like this joint. Despite my prior thoughts on traffic, I think I'd be hardpressed to actually move too far away from here.

I dunno, maybe I'm crazy, but driving around Seattle at night has some sorta intregue to it. Plus, the abilty to take myself for a modern day downtown to the country in an hour is kinda cool. I was in Vancouver this weekend, and it's like no matter where you turn, your still in the city. Seattle is like you take the ferry or hop on I-90 and in 40 minutes your out in the country. Thats cool. PLus I've been hitting some of the nightspots here with a Jeep buddy, this place has got a very diverse night life to it. The more I find out about this place, the more I'm liking it.

I discovered 3 Tree point/Normandy Park the other day, very cool place. One of my co-workers and I were out there to visit a customer, he was raised out there in Normandy Park, as we drove out to the point he was telling about all sorts of cool stuff about that area. That sounds like a nice place to live, I'd move there if it wasn't so darn $$$.

I dunno, thought I'd throw in another $.05 worth. :)

Chris
 
railroadjeep said:
I dunno, maybe I'm crazy, but driving around Seattle at night has some sorta intregue to it.

PLus I've been hitting some of the nightspots here with a Jeep buddy, this place has got a very diverse night life to it. The more I find out about this place, the more I'm liking it.


Chris


We should take a trip to CA and hit some clubs :woohoo: maybe spend a weekend in Hollywood I prefer Pac beach or Newport/Huntington myself then again I'm a bit older so we should probably hang in Carlsbad :wierd:
 
cherokeekid said:
We should take a trip to CA and hit some clubs :woohoo: maybe spend a weekend in Hollywood I prefer Pac beach or Newport/Huntington myself then again I'm a bit older so we should probably hang in Carlsbad :wierd:


Very diverse they let DOBs in almost everywhere here!
 
cherokeekid said:
We should take a trip to CA and hit some clubs :woohoo: maybe spend a weekend in Hollywood I prefer Pac beach or Newport/Huntington myself then again I'm a bit older so we should probably hang in Carlsbad :wierd:

Ha ha, don't temp me! You heard about the Canada trip, we were supposed to go to a casino in Mt. Vernon, next thing ya now were rollin downtown Vancouver! :D
 
I used to live up in WA. I'm in Florida now, and really miss the mountains, and the wheeling. I'm moving back up to the Bellingham area next month. The rain does kinda suck, but I can deal with it. I've also thought about moving to northern California, but I don't know anyone there, and I have friends in WA. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be at the Northwest Fest in July, so hope to meet you all there.
 
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