Oh, welcome to Seattle! This is a great place to live. I have lived here all my life and in many different parts. I have lived to the south of Seattle and the North of Seattle all on the west side. Each area is special in it's own way. I could tell you a little about each but before I could recommend an area I would want to know a little bit about you and your family. What things do you like to do?
If you have not found an agent you want to work with feel free to give me a call or check out my website. I can send you a book that tells you all about the different areas to live in Seattle.

Hello Movers,

Welcome to Seattle and much more.

Seattle is a great city to live in full of mnay differen types of neighborhoods Lots depends on what you want and your life style. It's all here. don't live to far forom work...it would be a good idea to work with a realtor who has move here from another city. I feel they could be most helpful. Make a list of the most important things of the area you want to live in. If I can help , just check out my webiste for Seattle neighborhoods. Good Luck in you move.

Roger Kinnaman
The Roanoke Group,Inc
Real Estate and Property Management Services
9505 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, Wa. 98115

Direct (206)356-1282
Fax(206)525-9269
E-mail: rogerkinn@comcast.net

I, too, have made two major moves in my adult life, from the Boston area to Columbus, GA in 1986, then to the Seattle area in 1990. I suggest you start by contacting the Chamber of Commerce in Seattle and asking for newcomer information, or contact the relocation department of the company you or your spouse will be employed with. Then I would look through the information provided for activites (recreational, etc.), and services (church, schools, shopping, etc.) that you enjoy to get a feeling for what is available in the area. Then I would look through real estate websites or magazines for homes in your desired price range, and ask a real estate professional for ideas on what neighborhoods have homes in your price range as well. Check out the neighborhoods at different times of the day to see what the activitity and traffic looks like. Finally, I would check out http://www.greatschools.com and the local sheriff's departments for information on school quality and crime statistics for the neighborhoods you are considering. Definitely go with your gut instincts on what feels right for you in terms of home and neighborhood! Good luck with your search!

Although I have completely settled in to my life here in the Northwest, I have been in your situation having done two cross country moves to cities I was completely unfamiliar with I found myself turning to strangers for advice and opinions on where to live. I can tell the most success we had was taking a 3 day trip out and narrowing down communities by visiting local hangouts (i.e. restaurants, parks, shopping areas, etc.) - we all know what we like when we see it , so this gives you a great opportunity to chat up with person a the table next to you about why they like living in the area.

I provided a link below to a portion of my website that allows the user to view/print reports not only on our area schools but also cities. For example the city reports provide you a breakdown of age demographic, crime information, average commute times, wealth breakdown, and more. And if you have children, the school reports are invaluable. I encourage you to check it out.

Best of luck! It's always a challenge to pack up and move thousands of miles away, but I am sure you will simply fall in love with the Great Northwest.

Andrea. I dont know if you have kids but good schools are always indication of good neighborhoods. http://www.schoolmatters.com is s great website. Just stay in the neighborhood of top schools. Let me know if you need any help.
Vera

It's really tough to answer this question without having a price point and work destination. If you will be working in North Seattle vs. South Seattle it changes everything. Seattle and it's suburbs are filled with beautiful neighborhoods. You have a ton of options. With a little more info any agent could put you on the right track.

I would suggest renting and getting to know the different areas before you buy. You cannot tell much by a quick visit. When I moved to Washington State I rented in Mukilteo. It took me about two weeks to realize that I did not want to live there. I did the same thing with my last move I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to live but after a few weeks I was so glad I didn't just buy a house there. It is a VERY expensive mistake to make. You might spend a few months and decide you don't want to live in the northwest at all.

HI Andrea,
I guess this will depend on where you two will be working. With gas prices hitting $4/gallon by summer, I think it would be best for you to consider that. There are many beautiful areas in Seattle and suburbs of Seattle that are 20-30 minutes drive. What style of home do you like, older, charm, contemporary, view?. What is your price range?
Let me know if youd like to meet for an interview. I was born and raised in Seattle and know the area very well. Would love to help...

I grew up in the Bryant Elementary area. There are some very nice neighborhoods in City. City I would look at Viewridge, Bryant, Laurelhurst, Broadview, Greenlake areas. If you want to go to the Eastside we could also have another set of answers although what is the commute to work?

If you are going to be working in the literal downtown Seattle area for 20-30 minutes I would consider the Magnolia neighborhood. It has a very quaint retail core and some incredible views, also convient access to parks & recreation. West Seattle is another nice area with quiet neighborhoods, convienent retail and again some beautiful views. Traffic is one of Seattle's least attractive features, so 20-30 mins doesn't get you very far geographically during rush hour from the downtown core.

HI!
This is an exciting question and the answer really is going to depend on your price range. Looking at a moderate price range, I would have to say that I really like the Green Lake, Ballard, and Wallingford neighborhoods.
Maple Leaf is also a fabulous neighborhood and just a little further North. The city of Lake Forest Park is a great city just North of Seattle and offers a combination of great schools, lakeside living, and moderately priced homes combined with a very easy commute.
There are a lot of choices in the Suburbs as well - Seattle really has something for everyone! It will have a lot to do with what kinds of things you are looking for in addition to the commute time.
Good luck!

Andrea,

You have a lot of options in the 20-30 minute commute range. Can you narrow the question down for us a little? Do you have a price range in mind? Would you prefer a more sleepy suburb or a more cosmopolitan, "hip" neighborhood? Condo, townhome, single family home?

Dear Andrea,
You are smart to do your research early, Cindy & I specialize in working with re-location clients and often they are blind sided by the many great neighborhood choices available in the Seattle area, within the commute time you mention of 20 to 30 minutes.
There are a couple of questions that you need to ask yourself to help narrow down your choices. Are schools a primary factor? Rank your commute time against your need for great schools or other interests. Are you an avid Skier? Profiling your interests and determining what is most important to you is key, as others hinted at.
In the meantime visit this site and search the map. http://www.seattleshomesearch.com/ for home prices, commute times, quality of schools and movers.
Now, lets get real about that commute time.
During the rush hours of 7 am to 9:30 am traffic on the I-5 and I- 405 freeways, both north and south, can be trying.
East and west on the I-90 ( the area Cindy & I specalize in) is a bit more commuter friendly, unless you are riding alone in your car, in which case it isn’t much better than the I-5 commute. I shoud interject here that bus service east and west is very good and there is bus and train service north and south.
The 520 freeway north of the I90 and near Redmond, running east and west is pretty bad at commute time and new construction of the 520 bridge is on its way in the next 24 months, so it will get worse before it gets better.
For more insider scoops drop me a line at RichHamman@remax.net

Good Morning,

This is a broad question, but here are some answers. First of all bang for your buck is going to be found south of Seattle in cities like DesMoines, Federal Way, Kent, and the like. This will put you within your driving timelines. Clearly this will depend on where in Seattle you will be working. East of Seattle in the Bellevue area is very nice but it is much more costly and can often create a longer commute out of a shorter distance. Finally north of the city can be great somewhere in the middle in relationship to pricing. Shoreline, parts of Northgate and others have some very desirable communities. Let's talk in terms of the following and it will help you to narrow your options: Price, Schools, Churches, Shopping, and here is a big one population density. Let me know if I can help any further. I couldn't help but notice that you are from St Petersburg. Are we talking Russia or Florida. I was only curious because I am from St Pete Fl. I have been here nearly twenty years and love it. Thanks for the question.

Danny Altizer
Windermere RE South Inc
253.250.6474
dannya@windermere.com

Dear Andrea,

The Seattle area offers a wide range of prices and amenities. If you go to my website and click on Area Information you can learn more. Also, on my Search For Homes link, you can see every home listed in the MLS! Very convenient and easy to use. Feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Good Luck!

-Joel

There are many great neighborhoods in the Seattle area. It would help significantly to know what price range you are looking for, what neighborhood amenities are important to you (like nearby trails ? schools ? recreational opportunities ? etc. )

Depending on where your thinking of living in seattle I have a excellent resource for comunity reports. I live and work on the Eastside. Sammamish was ranked #11 in the country last year. (Not sure where we rank this year) I would be happy to show you around the area if and when you decide to take a look. Have a great week.

Well first of all welcome to one of America's great cities! I think you'll find Seattle to be a fun and unique place to be with a myriad of activities to do. I am based in West Seattle and really like the proximity to downtown in addition to still being relatively affordable when compared to other Seattle neighborhoods. I recommend that you give it a look. Thanks and good luck with your move!

Can you be more specific on what you would like in a neighborhood? Seattle is a great place, with a lot to offer--schools, shopping, restaurants, organics, arts, music--what do YOU want?