:eek:
We’re planning on getting a dog when we move out…with Dopers loose, it seems like maybe I should lean more toward a “hulking guard dog” type than the “fluffy yipping” type.
I have to second the Ballard suggestion. I’m on The Eastside now, but if I were to move to the Seattle area Ballard would be my top choice.
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Ballard, Ballard, Ballard!
I live here in Ballard. 
I love it to pieces. I work in Georgetown, and it’s an eeeeeasy commute on 99, and thru the viaduct (time of day is a factor, but it’s favorable for me both in and out). Lousy drivers here in Ballard, though; good thing you’re going to work at home. 
Lots of fun little spots in this area, great place for taking up walking (up and down the hill), then there’s the Locks, Golden Gardens, the bluff, Shilshole Marina, etc.
You may have to hunt for the bargains in terms of apartments/housing, but hunt! They are out there. I live in Olympic Manor, for crying out loud - and I work retail/warehousing.
I love Seattle too. Moved here from NY 20 years ago and never want to leave. Welcome. (I would, however, suggest delaying the dog. )
Oh, don’t worry, we’re not getting a dog immediately–that would be too much to do while we’re moving–we’re thinking it will be our Christmas present to each other. We’ve been talking about a dog for the past three years, though, so it’s definitely not an impulse.
Well, after we talked, we’ve decided we just don’t have time to drive cross country. The route would be 5 solid days of driving, plus a day with each of our families, that’s already a week. Bummer.
This means we have to trust the moving company with most of our stuff–some of the important things like heirlooms we’ll carry on, but mostly we’ll just have our clothes and personal items for the first few weeks while everything else is in storage. We’ve also got to ship our car. We started making a list of all our crap yesterday (sorted by room and whether we’re selling/donating/keeping it) and my only thought was, “Wow, do we have a lot of crap.” It’s things like old clothes that we haven’t worn for a year that will take the bulk of the time to get rid of.
We just sat there staring at the list of stuff that kept getting bigger, and I told my husband that we need a wife. Then I turned to my BIL, who hadn’t been listening, and asked, “Hey, will you be our wife?”
He asks, “What?!”
We explain, “Well, there won’t be any sex or anything.”
He raises an eyebrow and says, “Well, then what’s the point?!”
Weighs the options… Hm…incest…packing…incest…packing… He refused to be our domestic engineer. Pshh. Ingrate. I even make him dinner sometimes.
We looked at Magnolia and Interbay on Google Earth last night, and they seem like nice residential neighborhoods. They’re on the list with Ballard now. Thanks for the tip. (Yay, sidewalks! Rochester is opposed to sidewalks on philosophical grounds or something.) Not many apartment companies with websites there, though, so we’ll have to wait until we’re actually in town to look on that side of town. It’s potentially a bonus, and potentially a hassle. Luckily, we’ve got free temporary housing for a month (!) and help searching for apartments. I think we’ve got a handle on that front for now. The big hurdle is tying up all our loose ends, getting rid of stuff, and moving the rest.
Ballard’s cool, if you’re near Market Street. Further north tends to get very family oriented. Which is cool if that’s what you’re looking for, but “downtown” Ballard has an entirely different feel to it; lots of little semi-artsy-craftsy businesses coming and going, good record stores, great little indie coffeeshops, great bars, etc. Also a gorgeous library and a movie theater.
It’s mostly condo/apartments though.
Yeah, Market Street is the place to be. We’ve lived there or near there for the past four years, and I can’t imagine what I’ll do if we ever need to move away. I’ve gotten used to popping in to the Bay for a matinee whenever I feel like it.
I’m not really fond of the condos, however. I drove by the place where they tore down Denny’s one day, waiting for the light to turn left onto 15th, and there was a big sign pinned to the fence: Another landmark lost to corporate greed. Now, I won’t pretend I’m interested in the historical significance of an old Denny’s restaurant; Ballard is chock full of well-deserved, well-preserved historical buildings. But it’s for MORE CONDOS. Sigh. I’d rather get a Slim Slam. My old walking route on 24th has the sun quite efficiently blocked out by condos. I’m a little sick of them.
I wonder what they’re putting up where the old QFC was? I hope it’s not more condos…
I would almost (but not quite) recommend Georgetown, because there’s a lot of cool stuff all through there, but the residents are the whiniest bunch I’ve ever been around. Many of them move, knowingly, into an industrial area, then complain about all the industrial things that happen around them. I work with a guy who grew up there and owns his own house there, and he’s actually really cool. The folks who know the ropes there are some of the most laid back, cool people you could ever ask to meet, but there’s a heaping helping of that famous “ironic attitude” in there, too. This all only IME, YMMV, of course, and this is just my personal experiences with hanging out there for only 5 months. It may get better or worse with time. I actually considered moving there, but I’d probably have to go to Capitol Hill or White Center for simple things like groceries.
But what do I know, when I first moved to Seattle I lived in Boulevard Park. Everything looks good compared to there. We had to go to Burien to get anything done.
Magnolia and Interbay are good recommendations, I’ll second those places. Magnolia is very pretty, and Interbay… well, it seems nice, I’ve heard good things about it. I only ever go to the driving range, though. Oh, and Myrtle Edwards Park is really nice.
Welcome! I’ve lived all around the country, but Seattle’s been home for the last ten years now, and I love it.
Sammamish? Eh. We’re staying here for the good schools, but once we get these kids graduated (3 more years 'til the youngest is done) we’ll probably move either to downtown Bellevue, Kirkland, or Seattle proper. Way more fun cultural stuff in those areas than in the staid 'burbs. The nice thing is it’s an easy (though often traffic-y) car trip to lots of cool places.
Seattle’s the best. You’ll love it here!
Yeah - the trick with Interbay is that there’s not a whole lot of “there” here, but it’s 5 minutes from Ballard, 10 from the top of Queen Anne, 15 from Downtown, 20 from Capital Hill, 10 from Fremont… etc. And because it doesn’t have a whole lot of character, I wouldn’t be surprised if the housing prices are somewhat lower than other neighborhoods. I haven’t actually done research to see if that’s true, though. It doesn’t have the charm of some other neighborhoods, but it isn’t trashy, either, and it’s awfully convenient.
Now that I think about it, Interbay would be a great place to live while you’re learning Seattle, so you can find the neighborhood that you really love!
Not exactly a glowing review, eh? But we like it here. 