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Seattle 3939 Responses
Last post: 1 month, 3 weeks ago | Thread started: May 2, 08, 10:15 p.m.
- Point5
Been about 7 or 8 years since I've visited, but let's get past that… what I want to know about is the neigborhoods, community, lifestyle etc. up there. I'm married with 2 kids. Can anyone offer any insight into:
• family neighborhoods (basically no city living, would like a yard)
• is a commute into downtown just nightmarish?
• is a designer's wage decent in that economy? (I know this is a relative question, but just wondering on average)
This is just a potential move I'm giving some thought to. I've been doing some freelance for a company up there that is going to hire a full time designer soon and they've expressed interest in offering me the position. I currently live in Vegas (almost as extreme opposite as you can get from Seattle), so any and any and all info you can offer would be great.- May 2, 08, 10:15 p.m. – Permalink
- jfletcher
I live in Seattle. If you want something more relaxed with kids, that's not near to too much action there's Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland.... if you want something nicer, closer to downtown, madrona is nice. Ballard, Wallingford, Greenlake areas.
Commute to downtown can suck depending on where you're coming from. Greenlake, Ballard, Madrona would be easier since they are closer.
Rent has gone up a lot around downtown. I make a decent amount, but I'm not sure about other designers. Most of them work for Microsoft, Google, Amazon or T-Mobile. I assume the pay for corps is all similar.
I dig the city, but the weather can sort of suck.
Anything else specific?
- Dog-earMay 3, 08, 12:12 a.m. – Permalink
- ukit
Seattle is a nice town, you'll probably like it a lot. Good place to raise kids IMO. A lot of the art and culture things that are good about city life without the hassle of a city the size of NY or Chicago, plus you're super close to skiing, hiking and other outdoor stuff. The summers are beautiful, just get ready for a solid three months of gloom and rain and in the winter.
Be prepared to pay a lot for housing though if you live anywhere near the city. Prices are super high and not really going down yet, so you might have to settle for somewhere less than ideal if you don't have a lot to spend on a place.
As jfletcher says, Microsoft and Amazon especially really dominate here, even if you don't work for them you will probably end up doing work for them at some point or another. There is a big market for user experience or information architecture jobs with those kinds of big companies. There are also a handful of well-respected design firms like Hornall Anderson, and some smaller ones that are good like Phinney Bischoff and Bukwild. Tons of startups too.
- Dog-earMay 3, 08, 12:48 a.m. – Permalink
- Gilt001
jfletcher gave a good rundown. You might try the Phinney Ridge area too. But stay south of 85th. There's some nice little neighborhoods and your downtown commute wouldn't be too bad. I would have to throw Burien into the mix as well. I grew up down there and liked it a lot. It's 20 minutes to downtown and has a whole lot sprouting up. Restaurants, bars, shops, bakeries. My mom actually has a house in Burien she's trying to get rented out. I believe it was $2000 a month. It's in a very quiet neighborhood and about 50 feet from Puget Sound. I could get you more info if you're at all interested.
- Dog-earJun 13, 08, 10:19 a.m. – Permalink
- Ampersanderson
I think you'll find even the upper end of Capitol Hill is a good place, though, as all have mentioned, you'll likely have to pay a good chunk for it. You can bike down the hill into downtown, it's beautiful, there's little or no driving involved with life; to me that's worth paying for.
Ballard is also very neighborhood-ey, and while the commute is no LA, drive/bus ride time is hairy in rush hour.
- Dog-earJun 13, 08, 11:24 a.m. – Permalink
- urban10
I just moved here in March 2007 from Austin (originally from Austin area and too fucking hot!) and love it. Yeah, we don't see the sun all that much which lately has been getting harder to bear since winter hangs on this year (the mountains just got dumped on by FEET of snow earlier this week). However, the summers and proximity to anything outdoorsy makes up for it. Last summer was my first here and it was amazing! Though this has also been my first full winter here, which wasn't unbearable, but I like cool rainy weather during the winter so didn't bother me much. I needed a change in seasons which Texas seriously lacks.
I live just north of downtown (SLU) which is pretty expensive, but having lived in NYC for a little while it's bearable. No car. Walk everywhere. Greenlake, Ballard, and Madrona are really nice areas relatively close to downtown. I'm probably moving to Capitol Hill/First Hill next year once my lease is up... prefer to be much closer to downtown and would rather pay higher rent in exchange for not having to commute by car or bus.
- Dog-earJun 13, 08, 12:40 p.m. – Permalink
