[Wayne]

Hello westcoasters

I was hoping you guys could fill me in on everything Seattle, as well as show me some great pictures of the city.

You see, I currently live in Texas *vomit* where I have grown up my entire life...unfortunantly. I am nearing the end of college, as well as flight school- I am training to be an airline pilot.

For as long as I can remember there has been no doubt that I would leave Texas once finishing school. Over the past few years I haved thought about a few places I could move to...the top canidates were Miami, then the Baltimore/D.C. area, and even San Francisco-unitl I saw the housing prices :eek2:

Despite all that, I always loved Seattle. Why it never crossed my mind as a place to move to...I don't know. But for the past few months there has been no doubt in my mind that Seattle must be my new home.

Of course as all you who live in Seattle can imagine, the first response people give me when I tell them of my plans is: "but it rains so much!" Well, according to my research-and it has been extensive- Seattle actually receives some bad press. From what I learned it actually doesn't rain nearly as much in Seattle as it does on the east coast...Seattle is just cloudy so it has that reputaion as a rainy city.

But in either case, I like the rain and mild temperatures. Much better in my opinion than the sizzling heat and humidity of the South.

So, please I need you guys to help me out here. Tell me what it is like to live in Seattle. What is the lifestyle like there? What are some good neighborhoods to live in? I have been looking at Burien, Ballard, and West Seattle as possible locations. Are they good?

And most importantly, I would love to see more pictures of Seattle. Ranier has some incredible ones on here in the forums but I was hoping to see some more. The pictures of the downtown area are great, but I was also hoping to see much more neighborhood pictures as well.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Dancer]

I’m in a hurry so I can’t post any pics right now but Ill get on it later. As fare as neighborhoods go I personally like Ballard the best out the ones you posted. I have a friend who lives in west Seattle and she loves it but she is more into the suburban life then my self. For me I live in Queen Ann for now. It’s a very expensive neighborhood just north of downtown but you can find cheep rent if you look hard. I prefer to live in very urban settings so that’s why I just bought a condo in Belltown. It’s basically the north side of downtown and has a descent night life. Seattle is a great city. I’ve lived in NYC, DC, and SLC and Seattle is as great to live in as any of them. Hope to see you here. .Ill post some pics soon.

 

[mhays]

I suggest you look at various other picture threads. There's a good one at skyscraperpage.com right now.

West Seattle and Ballard both have a lot of good areas. Depends on what you're looking for.

 

[Dancer]

This is a pic I took with my phone from Magnolia the other day. Magnolia is a very nice suburban neighborhood that is pretty expensive but I’ve heard of people finding steals. If you are into that type of place its great because as you can see it’s a stone throw away from downtown but its clean quiet and very beautiful.

[/IMG] got ya Bond :naughty: muha ha ha ha

 

[Bond James Bond]

Damn, if I were a moderator here I'd ban Dancer. Just because.

 

[LA Guy]

Seattle is money Wayne--you can't go wrong. I think it's the best all around on the W.Coast. Live in the city close to downtown.

 

[Wayne]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I would like to live close to downtown. I am a very "urban" type person. So any place with neighborhood shops, cafes, and restaurants within fairly close walking distance from my home is the place for me.

I would really like to find the balance between nice houses/apartments and urban living. Also I want to avoid gritty areas like the plague, but from what I understand Seattle doesn't have very many gritty parts...just plenty of very Green parts which is great!

Queen Ann is a possibility for me, as is Capital Hill. However the impression I got from them was that they may be very pricey. Is that true? First year pilot salaries are not that great, so I am looking for something affordable-NOT cheap- yet nice.... Ballard does look great, btw.

Thanks for the pic, Dancer. And I saw that thread at skyscraperpage and it had some great pics. Saved it to my favorites list I am anxious to see some more pics of the Seattle area, especially of the different neighborhoods.

Oh, and slightly off topic but something I have wondered about: Has anybody who lives in Seattle ever spotted Bill Gates around town? I imagine he doesn't just drive through town but maybe somebody has seen him at the airport or some event?? I know....such a "out of towner" question But one I've been curious about no less.

 

[seapug]

....

hmm i spend a lot of time in the "gritty" parts they're not bad at all compared to some cities. my least favorite neighborhood is northgate.that's where all the white boys run around tryin to show how gangster they are. and for some strange reason they don't like me. one of em even pulled a gun on my friend kate. my favorites neighborhoods are downtown, first hill and the central district. i just like the central district because a lot of my friends live there. parts of it are bad and other parts are really nice and peacefull.

 

[zappa]

First I'll tell you that I was actually in line at the candy counter behind Bill and Melinda Gates at the 'Cinerama' movie theater in downtown about 5 years ago. I couldn't believe they were out without any 'visible' body guards. It was such a relaxed and unscripted situation, but really refreshing. I'm sure there was protection around for the richest guy in the world, but it was very undercover. Seattle just isn't that dangerous of a city as cities go, I guess.

I grew up in Georgia and Florida and to me Seattle is a fantastic place to live. There will be times when the gray will 'git ya' and you'll want a sun break in the Winter, or Spring, but overall, we're a really mild and easy climate. I had dinner tonight with newcomers from New York (8) months, and the winter seemed like nothing to them in contrast to what they're used to.

If you're urban, there's lots of neighborhoods that could work, and people seem loyal to their own 'hood' once it's their home.
I live near Greenlake and use my own little neighborhood (Tangletown), as well as Fremont and Wallingford for all my needs. Capitol Hill is very urban and walkable, Certain parts of Ballard, Fremont I like a lot, and lower or upper Queen Anne could work for you too. And of course, Belltown.
Coming from Texas you might find that all of Seattle seems quite expensive. Just hang in there and you'll find you're place..even if it takes some exploring after you get here to find it.

 

[LA Guy]

Sorry no pics. I live in LA. As for gritty parts, you're talking about Seattle my friend! The crime rate (at lease violent) is very low, one of the lowest in the country. People in Seattle are busy doing other things like working or hiking. Some parts south are probably a bit tough but that is, of course, a relative word. Come try LA. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with Seattle now and in the future. I think the core area is and will undoubtedly be top five in the country. I will be looking for a place to spend at least 3 or 4 months per year. Probably in SLU. I do agree w/ seapug about the central district which is slightly less urban yet very close to DT and also Lake Wa. Lots of potential there.

 

[Dancer]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I would like to live close to downtown. I am a very "urban" type person. So any place with neighborhood shops, cafes, and restaurants within fairly close walking distance from my home is the place for me.

I would really like to find the balance between nice houses/apartments and urban living. Also I want to avoid gritty areas like the plague, but from what I understand Seattle doesn't have very many gritty parts...just plenty of very Green parts which is great!

Queen Ann is a possibility for me, as is Capital Hill. However the impression I got from them was that they may be very pricey. Is that true? First year pilot salaries are not that great, so I am looking for something affordable-NOT cheap- yet nice.... Ballard does look great, btw.

Thanks for the pic, Dancer. And I saw that thread at skyscraperpage and it had some great pics. Saved it to my favorites list I am anxious to see some more pics of the Seattle area, especially of the different neighborhoods.

Oh, and slightly off topic but something I have wondered about: Has anybody who lives in Seattle ever spotted Bill Gates around town? I imagine he doesn't just drive through town but maybe somebody has seen him at the airport or some event?? I know....such a "out of towner" question But one I've been curious about no less.

I think you can take your pic of any neighborhood in Seattle if that’s what you are looking. Some neighborhoods are more renowned then others like Capitol Hill, Belltown, Lower Queen Ann, Downtown, First Hill but all have their little urban areas. Some of the really great urban areas that aren’t on the top of the list are Fremont, Ballard, Green Lake, Mercer Island, West Seattle, U Village, and of course DT Bellevue is quickly becoming a mini Vancouver. It’s too hard to go wrong. Ill try to get out and get some photos when the weather clears up. I’ve been wanting to do a Ballard update for a long time.

 

[hossoso]

Living in Seattle is like getting a blowjob from an angel while lying on a bed of rose petals. Everyday.

 

[Dancer]

^^Um......................ya :dunno: that sounds about right

 

[pwright1]

You want pictures? You got it.

Downtown

Alki Beach Seattle

Green Lake area of Seattle

Capitol Hill

Pioneer Square

First Hill

Hope this helps.

 

[Wayne]

Wow! Thanks for that!!

Seattle is absolutley amazing! It looks so good that I am almost suspicous that ther *MUST* be something wrong with that town! I know, I know...everybody who is not from Seattle would say its the weather. Actually the weather is a big draw for me.

I have also heard that traffic is bad up there. I don't think it can be any worse than what we have down here in D/FW but then again it couldn't all be perfect up there could it?

So, what about the food up there? How good is it? Plenty of restaurants around town and in the neighborhoods?

I will probably make a trip up there sometime soon to check the city out first hand. When is the best time to go? I was thinking sometime in October or November...although I know that is the cloudiest parts of the year. Not that I care but I don't want to leave my girlfriend with a sour taste, even though she is completly on board to move to Seattle as well.

Hope to see you guys there soon! We will have to go out for a beer :cheers1: I imagine Seattle has a good bar/pub scene.

 

[Bond James Bond]

1. Those pics are lies. Don't believe them!
2. The food here sucks. Unless you like fish everyday.
3. The traffic is horrendous! Don't even THINK of driving anywhere unless you've got a couple hours to kill.

GO AWAY WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE!!!!!!!

 

[Suburbanite]

^Bond is right. Those pics are actually of Detroit and all the Detroit pics you may have seen on this site are actually of Seattle. It's a conspiracy.

 

[SJM]

Seattle rocks, I love it here, and you will to if you come and check it out!

 

[LA Guy]

The food in Seattle is fantastic. There are a ton of great spots ranging from very expensive exotic to great neighborhood joints. And the traffic is not bad, period. Getting around city proper is actually very easy--the buses in Seattle are very good. Seattle is small and easy to get around. The weather is also not that bad if you don't mind clouds. Sorry guys. Just build high and dense!

 

[bungalowbuck]

i love seattle, and i have enjoyed my visits there. i live in florida, and i am wondering if anyone can do an extensive photo portrait of belltown, queen anne and the capitol hill neighborhoods. i remember some incredible houses and some wild commercial structures. thanks very much!!!