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Moving to Seattle

SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
edited May 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Currently I live in Upstate NY, near Albany. I've lived here my whole life and I've never considered it anything special. There's nothing tying me down to the place, I'm pretty bored with it and I want to move to a city. Initially I considered NYC, then Boston and I've finally settled on Seattle. NYC is very expensive though I have friends there, Boston was a good middle-ground but then I decided maybe the west coast was better, so Seattle.

It's been a year since I attended school, I was enrolled in a community college. I'm working on getting the money together for the move and if it works out I'll have enough time to transfer to a community college in Seattle and get an apartment. If that doesn't work out I'll stay in Upstate NY for another year and then transfer to the University of Washington. I'll attend school and live off of my financial aid though I may get a small job. I've looked into the requirements for becoming a resident and I'm unwilling to work the necessary 30 hours a week while attending school to become a resident and receive in-state tuition. The difference between in-state and out-of-state is significant but I'd like to concentrate on school after putting it off and working for so long.

My first question is which community college to attend? Right now I'm considering North Seattle and Seattle Central. I'm not sure about my major yet besides that it will definitely be a science, either biology or physics most likely. I don't know much about either school academically, all I know are their locations and that North Seattle has a God awful website whereas Seattle Central's website is much more informative. North Seattle is also situated closer to UW and one of the apartments I was looking at is also in that area. Seattle Central is in Capitol Hill, a neighborhood I'll probably be visiting often and one of the other apartments I'm looking at is nearby. I'm leaning towards Seattle Central right now because of the website but if North Seattle is better academically I'd go with them.

My second question is, how should I go about finding an apartment? What I'm doing right now is using Craigslist and Apartmentratings.com to find something good and then looking to see if the apartment complex has a website. Sometimes though the apartments aren't rated or the ratings are mixed. I'm not sure how to figure out what apartment might be good and what might be bad. Eventually I do intend to make a trip to Seattle to look at these places in person but how do I decide if I'll have a good or bad experience in a particular apartment? Many of the apartments on Craigslist are independent and aren't really affiliated with a big company and they don't have fancy websites or ratings to go off of. Are these viable options?

My third question is about neighborhoods. Which neighborhoods should I be looking at? The apartments I've liked so far are in Wedgewood, Central and Beltown. My mother is really worried about safety. She doesn't like the idea of me living in Central only because she's found a wiki with uncited information saying it was unsafe. I also intend to keep my car, at least initially, and Wedgewood seems more spread out than central Seattle though on the other hand central Seattle is an area I'd be in a lot anyway and it would be cool to live there.

Going back to apartments, my budget is around 800 a month for rent. I'm looking for studio apartments. I researched what it would cost to live in student housing at UW and it's very expensive, a complete rip-off if I decided to live in the student apartments (I don't think I could live in a residence hall). If my rent was 800 the utilities and other monthly expenses would bring my monthly expenditure to about the same as a UW apartment, maybe a little bit more, but the place would be much nicer. I've found Wedgewood Estates up north in Wedgewood, Legacy at Pratt Park in Central which is near Pratt Park, of course, and I also found Archstone Belltown in Beltown. Wedgewood is north of the U District, the rent is cheap (less than 700), it looks nice enough from the pictures and it's very well reviewed. It's far from the center of Seattle, though. I think while I'd go to school in the U District eventually most of my time I'd like to spend further south. Legacy at Pratt Park is 815 a month, the apartment building is less than a year old, and it's close to the middle of Seattle and Capitol Hill. The studio apartments are also very nice with a very modern look, W/D units in the apartment and there's underground parking available. There aren't any reviews for it, though and I'm not sure of the area. Archstone Belltown I don't know much about, I just found it. It doesn't appear to have W/D in the apartment which is important to me and I'm not very familiar with the Beltown neighborhood.

So H/A, what have you got for me? The apartments I've found already are nice but do you have any tips for finding more? Maybe I'm being too picky and a few are slipping through the cracks? Any information you have on the community colleges in the area would also be helpful, in addition to whatever knowledge you can impart about the neighborhoods I've mentioned or ones that you like yourselves.

Thanks!

Sarksus on
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Posts

  • SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Not really trying to pry, but you don't have any family left in NY at all that would give you a reason to stay a little closer?

    SkyCaptain on
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  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Seattle Central is far better than North Seattle. And despite the perception that it's closer to UW, North Seattle is actually farther away... basically, go to SCCC if you have a choice.

    You can also find some apartments within your budget on the hill. Some of them are within a block or two of SCCC.

    Don't keep your car unless you end up moving out in one of the suburb neighborhoods. If you land a spot downtown-ish (Capitol/First Hill, Belltown, Queen Anne, Ballard/Fremont, maybe Wallingford) it'll be more of a hassle than it's worth.

    Don't live in Belltown. Wedgwood is out in the middle of the sticks. The Central District is a little low-rent, but it's fine. Ballard & Fremont get expensive. Lower Queen Anne is centrally-located and cheap, with access to a lot of buslines and amenities.

    We really do need a sticky for these sorts of things.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • finralfinral Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I lived in Seattle until a couple years ago, and I'll be moving back myself soon. I'd like to recommend looking for housing north of the UW as well. There are some nice areas there, and the bus system will usually get you where you need to go. I lived in Mapleleaf sharing a pretty decent house for 500$ a month including utilities, so cheap is possible if you shop around and are willing to have roomates. It's reasonably close to North Seattle community if you choose to go there. I would also recommend the wallingford, ballard, and freemont areas for being close to the UW but not too close. They are all pretty laid back areas, and easily bussable or bicycleable to the UW or North Seattle. I wouldn't worry about being north of the UW, I never found it to be problematic. The bus system may not be perfect, but it is always easy to get to downtown. Also, avoid belltown, its way too expensive.

    As for looking for apartments, either craigslist or NW classifieds. I would say the non official apartment places are perfectly valid, just ask the landlord to send you some pictures and map out the area with bus routes and such. Avoid school housing like the plague unless you just want to make some quick friends in your first year. It is way more expensive and restrictive than off campus housing.

    Good luck!

    finral on
  • big lbig l Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    North Seattle and Seattle Central are roughly equal in my mind in terms of quality of instruction. Seattle Central has more classes and more students, so it is a bit more like a "real college". It is trivial to transfer between the two. Some discussion of neighborhoods:

    Basic general advice: Buses are going to be your best friend. Generally, it is easier to go North-South than East-West in buses. There are tons of buses that go downtown/Capitol Hill to North Seattle and vice versa. You'll probably commute by bus. I-5 is pretty much the main thing in Seattle, so close to I-5 is also a big plus since more often than not when you drive anywhere in Seattle, you'll get on I-5 at some point.

    Wedgewood/North Seattle: I recommend. Wedgewood in particular is a nice residential area. I bet the rent there is a little overpriced, though. If you think North Seattle is the general area you are interested in, consider Roosevelt, Maple Leaf, or Northgate. With the car, Green Lake, Ballard, and Wallingford are possibilities, with Fremont also a possibility if you a party kind of dogg who wants to live close to party spots and is willing to pay a premium for it. The University District is a special candidate. Rent will be really cheap, every kind of store you need to go to is in walking distance, excellent restaurants, excellent bars, and tons of buses, not to mention that you may be attending UW soon and would want to be within walking distance. On the other hand, it is kind of a dangerous neighborhood (compared to the rest of the city, it is still Candyland compared to the bad parts of Baltimore or something) and some people just don't click with the U District - I would regularly hear drunks carousing outside my apartment at 2AM on a Tuesday, sirens, occasional gun shots, there's not enough parking, etc. 15th Ave NE is the most important street in North Seattle. The closer you are to that, the closer you are to buses, which are the best way to get from North Seattle to downtown.

    Belltown: No, too expensive and kind of lame anyways.

    Central/Capitol Hill: Close to Seattle Central if that's what you are into. Ditch the car, there is no parking and as with North Seattle, buses abound. Rent will probably be a little bit higher. It might be a little more dangerous, but no more so than the U District and really not very dangerous. I'm not as familiar with specific points in the neighborhood as in North Seattle.

    If you have any questions about particular locations, particularly in North Seattle, PM me. I lived in North Seattle for the first 22 years of my life and I can probably give you bits of advice like "That place is good, there's a grocery store 2 blocks away" kind of stuff.

    big l on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Getting rid of my car seems to be a popular choice. I'm told that I could get to UW from the Capitol Hill area in about 20 minutes which is actually shorter than the commute to my CC now. If I lived south of UW I think I'd stay in the area most of the time except to go up to UW, not much else up north that interests me. And if I'm in Capitol Hill/Central/Queen Anne I should be able to walk to loads of places.

    If I did keep the car I'd stick with places in north Seattle like Wedgewood, I've heard good things about Green Lake. What about Lake City? In the past threads I've dug up Lake City wasn't recommended but I found a complex that looks alright.

    More thoughts on apartment finding and the neighborhoods would be appreciated, thank you all for your help! I was also wondering about how to move. One of the biggest reasons to get rid of my car would be so I didn't have to drive it all the way across the country. For what little I do want sent to my apartment I could hire a moving company I'd guess? I don't know much about that. How is this usually done? I'm also wondering how I'll move large pieces of furniture into my apartment. Do most complexes have freight elevators? One of the complexes is pretty tall, whereas the others are more mid-rises but they would still be difficult to haul things into. I guess an advantage of living in the north is there's more room to spread out and the apartments are more accessible?

    Thanks everyone.

    Sarksus on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I live in East Green Lake. It's very convenient for commuter hours, somewhat less so on the weekends (30-40 minutes to get to Cap Hill or Downtown via bus). However, there are a ton of different bus lines to get to where you're going from where I am, including many that run to UW, and a couple that run to Cap Hill. It's not a bad neighborhood, and within your price range (I think you could actually get a one-bedroom in my building for that, and our apartments are huge).

    Lake City is pretty out of the way; it's on the east side, though it does have bus service. Some complexes have elevators, some have freight elevators, and some just have stairs (mine just has stairs, but it's only about a dozen apartments, and four flours).

    I found my apartment by choosing a few neighborhoods I wanted to live in (U-District, Wallingford, Fremont, and Green Lake in my case), set a price range, then set up appointments to tour as many apartments as I could. I flew out for a weekend, looked at 15 apartments on Saturday (right after arriving), then one apartment on Sunday (since that's the one I ended up taking). Saturday was a rough day, and my roommate and I split up a couple of times to check out different apartments, though it doesn't sound like you could do that.

    If you want to fly out for a weekend on the cheap, there is a youth hostel downtown, or, depending on the weekend, you could probably crash on my couch.

    You may want to consider getting a friend to move with you; I know that helped me a ton my first year here. Much like Upstate, it's very easy to just lock yourself in your room and never come out and see anyone. In addition, it makes rent way cheaper (I'm splitting a huge two-bedroom with a roommate for $1120, water/sewer/garbage included).

    As far as neighborhoods go, north Seattle neighborhoods (Wedgewood, Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, Greenwood) are going to have cheaper, nicer apartments than Belltown or Cap Hill. On the other hand, Cap Hill is pretty much where the action is. There are some neighborhoods that are awesome, but less accessible (Ballard comes to mind). I tend to agree with Makershot that Belltown should be avoided.

    Thanatos on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Awesome, was waiting for Thanatos to post. Thanks!

    The reason why I'm hesitant to try apartments owned by smaller companies or individuals is because with bigger complexes I can find reviews from people who have lived there for awhile. If I don't have reviews I'm not sure how I'd decide, even by touring the apartment, if there will be any problems with the apartment or the management. Any tips on how to critique a place when you only have 30-60 minutes?

    I don't know anyone who I could room with in Seattle and I definitely don't want to find a stranger to live with just yet.

    I found this place: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/1759025941.html

    800 a month, utilities included, no deposit for the cat I'd like to bring, and it's extremely close to Seattle Central CC and there's a bus stop right outside. It kind of seems too good to be true. I've put it on my list to check out but is this place actually possible or must there be some kind of catch?

    Edit: Hahaha, I found the complex's website. This place doesn't have stairs. It's all ramps! Should make moving in a snap!

    Sarksus on
  • RiemannLivesRiemannLives Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sarksus wrote: »
    Awesome, was waiting for Thanatos to post. Thanks!

    The reason why I'm hesitant to try apartments owned by smaller companies or individuals is because with bigger complexes I can find reviews from people who have lived there for awhile. If I don't have reviews I'm not sure how I'd decide, even by touring the apartment, if there will be any problems with the apartment or the management. Any tips on how to critique a place when you only have 30-60 minutes?

    I don't know anyone who I could room with in Seattle and I definitely don't want to find a stranger to live with just yet.

    I found this place: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/1759025941.html

    800 a month, utilities included, no deposit for the cat I'd like to bring, and it's extremely close to Seattle Central CC and there's a bus stop right outside. It kind of seems too good to be true. I've put it on my list to check out but is this place actually possible or must there be some kind of catch?

    Edit: Hahaha, I found the complex's website. This place doesn't have stairs. It's all ramps! Should make moving in a snap!

    There is nothing about that posting which seems like a scam to me (eg: price etc...). What those pictures don't show is that is right near the freeway so it will be a bit noisy from traffic. Also, It's a very good bet that none of the electical outlets in the building are grounded (eg: all 2 prong sockets).

    Overall it seems like a nice place. I have friends who live a couple blocks from there.

    btw: The only advice I have is to avoid any buildings owned / managed by a company called Coho. They mostly do apartment slums in the U-District.

    RiemannLives on
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  • JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    One thing to keep in mind if you're planning on ditching the car - how close your apartment is to school means jack all compared to how direct the bus route is. I lived in Greenlake and then way up in Lake City and even though it was maybe half again as far to school once I moved up north it was a block away from an express bus route and took me maybe 2/3 of the time to get to class. It'll be a different story if you're going to SCCC though; you're pretty much dead sure to need a transfer to get there from north of UW or the neighborhoods right around it, which can be up to 10-15 minutes of dead time.

    JihadJesus on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll likely get a place in the Capitol Hill area. I've checked bus routes from there to UW, for when I transfer, and I can get to UW in about twenty minutes from that one apartment I found.

    Sarksus on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    That place is right across the street from Clever Dunne's--expect traffic noise during the day, and bar-crowd noise at night.

    On the plus side--hey, right across the street from Clever Dunne's.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Is there anywhere in Capitol Hill that is quiet? I'd figure the neighborhood would be pretty busy in general.

    Maybe I'll just have to get over it by being a part of the bar crowd every night ;)

    Sarksus on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Yeah, Cap Hill is the wrong neighborhood if you want quiet.

    Thanatos on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    It's not a deal breaker, especially if the entire neighborhood is like that.

    Sarksus on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Than lies, but you have to get away from Broadway. And that apartment is right near Olive and Denny, which is a major intersection. Get a couple of blocks east and it's a lot quieter.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • PasserbyePasserbye I am much older than you. in Beach CityRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Thanatos wrote: »
    Yeah, Cap Hill is the wrong neighborhood if you want quiet.

    I've lived in the Cap Hill area for about a year and a half now, only the area immediately around Broadway tends to be noisy, the rest is pretty calm.

    Passerbye on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    So I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out the residency thing.
    Essentially, students have 3 options:

    Not attend school for the first year, obtain all of their legal ties, and be physically present for 12 consecutive months.
    Attend school during their first year, but, only take 6 credits or less each quarter, obtain all of their legal ties, and be physically present for 12 consecutive months.
    Attend school during their first year, take more than 6 credits, obtain all of their legal ties, be physically present for 12 consecutive, and work at least 30 hours a week for however long they are taking more than 6 credits.

    So none of these options are very good! I'd like to start school as soon as possible, I don't think 6 credits a semester will be enough to boost my transcript so I can get into UW, and if I took a regular 15 credit workload I wouldn't enjoy working 30 hours a week very much. In addition it's not clear if I have to work this just the first year or if I have to continue working 30 hours a week the entire time I'm attending school. Once I start UW I want to be able to concentrate on school exclusively so I'd either not work or get only 10 hours at the most for spending money.

    If, however, I were able to obtain residency and get the in-state tuition, I'd save almost 17,000 a year in tuition! I'm shooting for a PhD and I'm looking for ways to cut down on as much debt as possible. Should I forget about residency and just suck it up and pay or should I take an additional year off (it's been a year since I've attended college) and try to obtain residency?

    And once I obtain residency the first time is that it or do I have to keep to these guidelines the entire time I'm attending school? If I only had to work 30 hours a week for the one year while taking on a full courseload I would be willing to do that if I could drop the job once I've obtained residency but like I said it's not clear if this is the case.

    Sarksus on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I'd give the Seattle Central information helpline a call: (206) 587-3800

    Honestly, I doubt anyone here is gonna be able to answer that

    Seattle Thread on
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  • finralfinral Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I have a friend who went through this process to go to the UW. I'm pretty sure you have to live in Seattle while not attending school for 12 months while working full time, register to vote locally, and get a drivers license or state ID for Washington. I wouldn't advise working 30+ hours a week while doing school, your grades can't help but suffer.

    Personally, I would say you should get residency if it's going to save you that much money. A year off school vs crippling debt (unless you are rolling in dough, then all bets are off) seems like an easy choice to me.

    finral on
  • SkyCaptainSkyCaptain IndianaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    You could also use the year to work two jobs and save up some cash for the school years.

    SkyCaptain on
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  • big lbig l Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    And in-state tuition at UW is a fucking steal. I would think that the second option (take fewer than 6 credits) seems like the best - you can work and get residency, but the fact that you are taking at least some class keeps you in "school mode" somewhat and will make the transition to full-time school feel more natural.

    big l on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    My roommate did exactly this.

    Once you establish residency for Washington per the guidelines of the school (for purposes of the state it's much easier), unless you establish residency somewhere else, it's yours, and you can become a full-time student.

    Make sure that when you move out here, you get at least one utility put in your name, because they won't accept any other sort of mail as proof of residency.

    Thanatos on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I didn't see this mentioned, but I know NYS in particular has a "1 year living resident with proof of ID" clause for community and SUNY colleges for the reduced tuition. Does Washington have a similar issue, rather than the 30 hours a week? You may consider moving there and living for a year before continuing your education.

    bowen on
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  • DelzhandDelzhand Hard to miss. Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    As someone who just spent 3 days apartment hunting in a place I've never been, let me say that online apartment ratings are almost useless. The places with fantastic ratings usually only have 2 or 3 reviews, at least one of which will be from shills. The places with middling reviews suffer from the problem of vocal minorities (happy customers are less likely to report their experiences). However, the websites are useful for reducing the number of places to check out yourself - crossing off the places with sub 10% approval rating is usually a good idea, but you'll still probably end up visiting total dives with 40% (which, as these sites go, is pretty good).

    To illustrate, my wife and I will be moving in to a place with brand new gym, pool, and tennis courts, a gated community located a few blocks from the highway and right next to a grocery store, 1045 square feet with recent model GE appliances for $525 a month - and it's still only rated at 44%.

    Delzhand on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Yeah, I mostly used Craigslist for my apartment hunting. There were a lot of dives, but I really wouldn't trust anything I hadn't seen personally.

    Then again, when I was hunting, it was really hard to find a place; now, not so much.

    Thanatos on
  • ParadisoParadiso Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sarksus wrote: »
    Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll likely get a place in the Capitol Hill area. I've checked bus routes from there to UW, for when I transfer, and I can get to UW in about twenty minutes from that one apartment I found.

    If getting to and from UW is a primary concern then I'd check out Wallingford and Ravenna as two other neighborhoods to consider. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorites spots are in Capitol Hill, but it wouldn't be my first or second choice for location to live.

    Paradiso on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Paradiso wrote: »
    Sarksus wrote: »
    Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll likely get a place in the Capitol Hill area. I've checked bus routes from there to UW, for when I transfer, and I can get to UW in about twenty minutes from that one apartment I found.

    If getting to and from UW is a primary concern then I'd check out Wallingford and Ravenna as two other neighborhoods to consider. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorites spots are in Capitol Hill, but it wouldn't be my first or second choice for location to live.

    Buses don't run all night, right? At least initially I'll probably be out late and I'd like to live someplace where I can walk to my destination and walk back home. 20 minutes isn't very far for a commute, either. My commute to the community college in my area now takes 30 minutes and I have to drive.

    What don't you like about Capitol Hill as a place to live?

    Sarksus on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Too gay.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • finralfinral Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    If I recall, most buses run to about 2am or thereabouts. As for not liking capital hill, it has a very particular kind of scene I think. If you always want to hang out around "edgy" hipster types or the gay and lesbian scene, then its not a bad place to be. I love to walk through the area in the day, but its not my personal night time fun spot. I would really recommend taking a trip to check out the nightlife there to see if it fits what you want. It is easy to walk downtown from there, but its easy to get downtown on the bus from almost anywhere. All this being said, I think that the northern part of capital hill is a lot more quiet and relaxed if that's what you want.

    finral on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Oh yeah, buses... most of them begin anytime between 5:00 - 6:00 am, and cease anytime between midnight 1:30 am at the end of the day. There are a handful of night-owl buses that connect major neighborhoods together from 1:30 - 5:00 am. It's not easy getting around late at night, but it's still possible.

    Seattle Thread on
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  • big lbig l Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Makershot wrote: »
    Too gay.

    In all seriousness, the Capitol Hill party scene does get a little hipster and/or gay at times. I didn't mind the gays so much as the hipsters, but it wasn't my thing. Maybe it's because I'm young and I can ignore frat guys with ease, but I preferred the U district bar scene better.

    big l on
  • RiemannLivesRiemannLives Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sarksus wrote: »
    Paradiso wrote: »
    Sarksus wrote: »
    Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll likely get a place in the Capitol Hill area. I've checked bus routes from there to UW, for when I transfer, and I can get to UW in about twenty minutes from that one apartment I found.

    If getting to and from UW is a primary concern then I'd check out Wallingford and Ravenna as two other neighborhoods to consider. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorites spots are in Capitol Hill, but it wouldn't be my first or second choice for location to live.

    Buses don't run all night, right? At least initially I'll probably be out late and I'd like to live someplace where I can walk to my destination and walk back home. 20 minutes isn't very far for a commute, either. My commute to the community college in my area now takes 30 minutes and I have to drive.

    What don't you like about Capitol Hill as a place to live?

    Keep in mind Seattle is not that big in terms of area. Even without a bus, its usually no more than 2 miles to anywhere (though there are a lot of hills).

    RiemannLives on
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  • BackstopBackstop Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sarksus wrote: »
    One of the biggest reasons to get rid of my car would be so I didn't have to drive it all the way across the country. For what little I do want sent to my apartment I could hire a moving company I'd guess? I don't know much about that. How is this usually done? I'm also wondering how I'll move large pieces of furniture into my apartment. Do most complexes have freight elevators? One of the complexes is pretty tall, whereas the others are more mid-rises but they would still be difficult to haul things into. I guess an advantage of living in the north is there's more room to spread out and the apartments are more accessible?

    Thanks everyone.

    How much would a moving company cost?

    It would be an adventure, in both senses of the word,but you could rent a U-haul truck* and drive over there yourself for roughly $3K including gas. U-haul has a section of the sign-up process that lets you hire a couple of guys for a certain number of hours to help you move the big stuff. You can hire people for loading and unloading if you need, just have it all packed and ready to rock when they show up. They usually charge something like $30-75 per man-hour (e.g. $170 for two people for two hours) to help but they don;t pack for you.


    I recently helped my Dad move from NH to OH, and if everything is packed in boxes already you could probably load an apartment's worth of stuff in an hour. He had a 30-foot storage unit of furniture, boxes, and cast-iron railroad paraphernalia (plus another unit with 10-feet of stuff and a 41 Ford Coupe). We hired 3 guys and we were done with all that in 2.5 hours.

    *which could tow your car if you want to take it.

    Backstop on
  • ParadisoParadiso Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    big l wrote: »
    In all seriousness, the Capitol Hill party scene does get a little hipster and/or gay at times. I didn't mind the gays so much as the hipsters, but it wasn't my thing. Maybe it's because I'm young and I can ignore frat guys with ease, but I preferred the U district bar scene better.

    Some neighborhoods have a more distinct feel than others. Capitol Hill is definitely hipster. I don't mean to suggest you're going to drown in a sea of skinny jeans--and as I said, it's got some of my favorite spots. I just wanted to make sure you knew the vibe your new neighborhood was going to have before moving there. If that's your thing, then awesome. Enjoy.

    Paradiso on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Paradiso wrote: »
    big l wrote: »
    In all seriousness, the Capitol Hill party scene does get a little hipster and/or gay at times. I didn't mind the gays so much as the hipsters, but it wasn't my thing. Maybe it's because I'm young and I can ignore frat guys with ease, but I preferred the U district bar scene better.
    Some neighborhoods have a more distinct feel than others. Capitol Hill is definitely hipster. I don't mean to suggest you're going to drown in a sea of skinny jeans--and as I said, it's got some of my favorite spots. I just wanted to make sure you knew the vibe your new neighborhood was going to have before moving there. If that's your thing, then awesome. Enjoy.
    No, you could definitely drown in a sea of skinny jeans in Cap Hill.

    I mean, I love it, too, but it's basically a little piece of Portland transplanted to the middle of Seattle.

    Thanatos on
  • ParadisoParadiso Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    ITT: we discover why Seattlites don't live in Portland.

    Paradiso on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Paradiso wrote: »
    ITT: we discover why Seattlites don't live in Portland.
    Right, because I can just take a bus home from Cap Hill. :P

    Thanatos on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Hey you guys, that actually sounds good to me! My jeans are a little skinny to begin with! Portland was another city I was considering so Capitol Hill seems perfect.

    As for moving, I've had the idea of renting out one of those PODS, stuffing all of my crap in them (mostly books, computer equipment, a few other things), having them ship it to my new apartment (a service they do provide) and have it meet me there at my apartment. As for furniture, I think I've settled on IKEA to furnish the place for the most part and they'll deliver everything right to my apartment door.

    Thanks everyone for the advice so far, it's been ridiculously helpful.

    I've been keeping the area that cheap apartment (with utilities included) was in in mind, looking for other places nearby, but I've also been checking out the Pine/Pike triangle. There are three places I've found that I liked, though they're a little more expensive (much more modern and they're managed by companies), and one of them is actually above a Trader Joe's which would be pretty damn convenient for me. I imagine this area is probably kind of noisy? I've heard mixed things.

    Sarksus on
  • ParadisoParadiso Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sarksus wrote: »
    As for furniture, I think I've settled on IKEA to furnish the place for the most part and they'll deliver everything right to my apartment door.

    I'd check the actual shipping costs on that. It tends to be prohibitively expensive particularly when Ikea is just a 20 minute drive south. If you're contemplating buying anything bigger than a plate I'd recommend making friends with someone that has a pick-up truck.

    Paradiso on
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Paradiso wrote: »
    Sarksus wrote: »
    As for furniture, I think I've settled on IKEA to furnish the place for the most part and they'll deliver everything right to my apartment door.

    I'd check the actual shipping costs on that. It tends to be prohibitively expensive particularly when Ikea is just a 20 minute drive south. If you're contemplating buying anything bigger than a plate I'd recommend making friends with someone that has a pick-up truck.

    Good point. If I can't find anyone I can probably get a truck from Zipcars too I think?

    Sarksus on
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