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Best place to live near Seattle? --need advice

post #1 of 15
3/22/08 at 4:36am
Thread Starter 
Hello, I recently got a job in Burien, WA (Highline Medical Center) and will start working in July. I've been to Seattle a few times, but I don't know enough about the areas surrounding it. I'm hoping to find a town/place about 10-20 minutes away from Burien. Do you guys have a suggestion as to which nearby towns I should look into? I'll probably either rent an apartment or sharing room with someone. If I like the area, I'll probably by a house in 1-2 years. I'm a 27 y/o single Asian male if that makes any difference.
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post #2 of 15
3/22/08 at 5:20am
It depends whether you like being in the city and also by what means you will commute. Burien is south of Seattle in a sort of... undesirable area. I'm not too familiar with the part of the city west of there closer to the water, but it's probably your best bet. 10-20 minutes during any kind of traffic doesn't get you that far away from Burien, unfortunately.
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post #3 of 15
3/22/08 at 5:32am
Get Out, Get Out While You Still Can
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post #4 of 15
3/22/08 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
Get Out, Get Out While You Still Can

Why?
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post #5 of 15
3/22/08 at 12:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by j View Post
It depends whether you like being in the city and also by what means you will commute. Burien is south of Seattle in a sort of... undesirable area. I'm not too familiar with the part of the city west of there closer to the water, but it's probably your best bet. 10-20 minutes during any kind of traffic doesn't get you that far away from Burien, unfortunately.

j, thanks for your reply. why is that west side area (e.g. Burien) an undesirable area?
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post #6 of 15
3/22/08 at 1:38pm
Let's just say I wouldn't want to park a nice car down there overnight, or walk around at night looking like I had any money.

The area west of Burien toward the water (and a little away from where planes are flying overhead all day and night) is most likely going to be better, but mostly you want to head north if possible. White Center's not much better... basically that whole area through the Rainier Valley.
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post #7 of 15
3/22/08 at 4:14pm
yeah, I hear living north of seattle is the way to go
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post #8 of 15
3/22/08 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
What about Renton/Kent/Belleview area? I figure I can drive 10-20 minutes to Burien to work but don't have to live in Burien.
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post #9 of 15
3/22/08 at 8:29pm
Top Hat, Rat City, Georgetown, South Park, White Center, Normandy Park, West Seattle, Genesee. Do you want an up and coming part of the city with lots of bars and places to eat or something safe, suburban and quiet? Do you plan on having a car or using public transportation? I am an Urban Studies major at UW and we have been talking about development plans for suburbs and peripheral neighborhoods in Seattle for quite some time. If you could be more specific in what you want in your surroundings, I could be a much greater help.

edit: I rarely check this part of SF so if you want any further advice you should just PM me.
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post #10 of 15
3/24/08 at 12:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakejake View Post
What about Renton/Kent/Belleview area? I figure I can drive 10-20 minutes to Burien to work but don't have to live in Burien.

There's no way you could drive from Bellevue to Burien in anything approaching 20 minutes during commuting hours. Same with Kent->Burien.
Renton might be doable but I'd be surprised.
A lot would depend upon where you're starting in Renton.
I405 is a nightmare south of Bellevue to I5 during rush hours.
It's not much better north of Bellevue.
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post #11 of 15
3/24/08 at 12:53am
I will be moving back to Seattle in a few months. I was raised in West Seattle, and it used to be great, but it has recently gotten pretty expensive. I would think the commute into Burien from West Seattle wouldn't be too bad. My father commuted from Alki Beach to White Center (affectionately referred to as Rat City) in 20-30 minutes on side streets.

The Arbor Heights area would be close to Burien, and was very nice. I have heard that Columbia City, Beacon Hill and certain parts of the Rainier Valley have been gentrifying, but have not been through any of them in a while. They used to have a bad reputation, though I had, and have many friends in those two neighborhoods.


Bic
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post #12 of 15
4/12/08 at 4:00pm
if money's not an issue, where should i live in seattle? what are the good areas?
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post #13 of 15
4/12/08 at 5:06pm
Depends on your priorities, lifestyle, where you're going to be working, etc. There are nice pockets all around, but obviously most people who can afford it usually want to live by/on the water, or on top of the hills. It's a question of how far away from the city you want to be, how big of a house/lot you want to have, access to freeways, etc.
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post #14 of 15
4/12/08 at 5:48pm
Avoid Belltown and Pioneer Square right now - there's been an increased drug and crime problem in these neighborhoods and it's not going away anytime soon.
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post #15 of 15
4/13/08 at 9:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by j View Post
Depends on your priorities, lifestyle, where you're going to be working, etc. There are nice pockets all around, but obviously most people who can afford it usually want to live by/on the water, or on top of the hills. It's a question of how far away from the city you want to be, how big of a house/lot you want to have, access to freeways, etc.

i was only in seattle once. i went to a dinner at someone's very nice house in the city in a neighborhood not too far from capitol hill (above it?) that had great views of the city. it looked like a great place to live.
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