Washington State - best areas near Seattle?

[bowhiker88]

What are some of the better neighborhoods or surrounding cities if work was in Seattle but you didn’t necessarily want to live in a city environment?

Single and approaching 30…sounds weird saying that. So any ideas where might be a good area for someone in my situation? Pretty much have the freedom to go and do as I please as long as work/income opportunities are available and not negatively impacted.

May have an opportunity up in Seattle and while the city life isn’t ideally what I am looking for I am not trying to live in the a rural middle of no where location. Just looking for a suburb near the city that I could reasonably commute to Seattle from and also get the benefits of Washington’s natural beauty.

Any tips or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

[WesternDawg]

I worked in Bellevue from 2017 - 2019 and really liked Issaquah but have since moved to a sunnier climate. No clue how things have changed since then but from what I recall it was best to avoid commuting on I-5 and 405.
- Bellevue is crazy expensive and not worth paying the premium for in my opinion
- Issaquah was more normal then but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s gotten more unaffordable
- Kirkland seemed nice but not sure what that commute looks like
- Snoqualmie and North Bend might be worth checking out as well as the commute didn’t seem to crazy from what I recall

 

[ODB]

Lived in Renton/fairwood for 14 years. Left in 2017. The commute on 5/405 is unreal. Took my wife 90 minutes to get from Renton to Bellevue for work. Luckily I worked in Kent and could just avoid the freeway altogether. We bought our last house for 355, sold it for 450 and now it’s 800k.

You must either make an ass-load of money else you’ll be living in a very small place anywhere around there.

That said I liked it out there and closer to maple valley - but damnation it’s busy.

 

[NateO 77]

I am 45 miles north of Seattle in Stanwood and that’s about as close as I want to be even though I work around Seattle most of the time. Housing prices are really high in Seattle and close areas. Crime is terrible in most areas so really look at the area you are considering closely. Hunting can be decent if you put in the time but is getting harder each year and is under attack by the current WDFW due to opposition of predator management. The economy has been slowing down recently so some prices might come back to reality but that has not happened yet. Good luck and look at the area closely before relocating to it to make sure it’s what you actually want.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I only worked there in 81 for 4 months. I would strongly suggest take less money and go someplace else. I was told by a student from Wenatchee that it has turned to crap from migrants from Seattle. The choices are thin and not worth your life.

 

[bowhiker88]

I am 45 miles north of Seattle in Stanwood and that’s about as close as I want to be even though I work around Seattle most of the time. Housing prices are really high in Seattle and close areas. Crime is terrible in most areas so really look at the area you are considering closely. Hunting can be decent if you put in the time but is getting harder each year and is under attack by the current WDFW due to opposition of predator management. The economy has been slowing down recently so some prices might come back to reality but that has not happened yet. Good luck and look at the area closely before relocating to it to make sure it’s what you actually want.

If you worked remote would Washington even be a consideration? That is an option potentially but not banking on it. However I thought Washington had the advantage of no income tax, economy will be healthy long term forget near term, world class hiking and outdoors, pockets of real estate upside.

 

[NateO 77]

No income tax is good for quick rebound of economy. Political environment is ran by Seattle. Wolves are the most important animal in the state. Deer and elk hunting is poor compared to surrounding states. Bear hunting is good. Saltwater fishing can be great. Hiking is plentiful. Weather is good. As said before crime is terrible in most areas close to Seattle. There are still decent places just do your homework on the area and most of them are on the east side of the state.

 

[northernalpine]

Some of it will depend on budget and your desired quality of life. Like others have said the crime/drugs/homeless/traffic problem is huge. On the upside the schools are good, outdoor life is exceptional, and there is a pile of things to do with two major mountain ranges, the Puget Sound, sand dunes on the east side of the Cascades, Whistler/Blackcomb a few hours north and Mt Bachelor a few more hours to the south.

I’d look at the following areas outside of Seattle proper:

- Bellevue
- Issaquah
- Redmond
- Kirkland
- Duvall
- Carnation
- Woodinville
- Bothell
- Samammish/Plateau area
- Fall City
- Mount Si
- Snoqualmie/North Bend area
- Maple Valley
- Black Diamond
- Ravensdale

I have a few friends that make the commute from Cle Elum, other than a long drive they all own a bit of property and enjoy the fruits and freedom that comes with it.

Another option is to look at the islands. Most of the San Juan Islands are part of the “Northwest Banana Belt” and weather is milder with a bit more sun than further south. Worth a look:
- Whidbey Island
- Oak Harbor

Another thing to consider, which applies to the entire I-5 corridor, is that Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia make decisions for the rest of the state. 80% of Washington is agricultural land, but 80% of the population lives in cities. Most of the decisions are not favorable for non-city dwellers, but I see things turning around in the next few years. Rant complete

 

[Andrew12gauge]

I wouldn’t live anywhere west of the Idaho state line in Washington


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[IDVortex]

I wouldn’t live anywhere west of the Idaho state line in Washington


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Please don't say this, I'd like to eventually own a home and wanting the market to calm down a but. Thanks.

 

[Kyle C]

Issaquah area is a good bet. I live further south in the South Hill area and commute to Bellevue. Being up off of I90 or Highway 18 would make for easy commutes compared to using I5 or 405 to travel. Lots of guys on a jobsites actually live in the cle elum area and drive over the mountain everyday for work.

Definitely get out and about while you're here. Lots of gorgeous areas and while the hunting isn't to great for most people the steelhead and salmon fishing is very good.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Lots of dramatization and embellishment. Also some good advice in the previous post.

 

[KNOPHISH]

Just too many people in Pugetropolis. traffic, crime, taxes and more. I have seen quite a few more houses for sale in the last year or so but expensive.

 

[IDVortex]

I like Carnation area, Duvall, North Bend wouldnt be bad either. Enumclaw and Buckley was also nice. Edmonds for " in Seattle ". Have you thought of the islands, grandet most are expensive. I also second Cle Elum. I also liked Goldbar.

Id avoid anything south of 90 if you have to travell into Seattle, traffic is a nightmare. Especially 167/512/405.

Haven't been in the area for about 5 years, but all of W. Washington I've seen and worked in. Don't move to Tacoma or Lakehood. Steilacoom is nice.

 

[IDVortex]

When I almost moved permanently to that shithole I actually looked south. Liked Graham and Eatonville. But my commute was to 512/I5.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I lived In Lynnwood and Everett working in Bellevue 2005-2012, the commute sucked badly. I still technically work for my manager there, I work remotely and visit periodically. The traffic has only gotten worse, prices are up (my 2bed house in Everett is valued the same as my 4 bed house here outside Denver). My manager is looking to move now, he has an aging house north of Seattle in proximity to I5 (that is $900k-1M range and too small for a family of 4). They routinely have homeless wandering and stealing, someone got shot in the grocery store parking lot a month or so ago minutes before he got there with his kid. Etc.

If all that wasn’t a mess, imho the gray overcast eventually wears on ya some.

There are cool things around there to visit and experience but I was very happy to leave in terms of daily life.

 

[Hoh Down]

Been here since birth 40 some years ago. For sure lots of dramatization on this one... Everything east of Seattle is super expensive that is true. Unless you're a very well compensated places like Bellevue, Issaquah, etc will not be affordable. If I were you I'd look west. Bremerton, Silverdale, maybe Port Orchard and fast ferry into the city and enjoy your commute.

Don't let folks scare you it really isn't that bad. Although I don't fit in politically I will say that the downtown business corridor has cleaned up a lot over the last two years.

I can fish darn near year round and we tangle with coastal rosies, blacktail and bear yearly. Eastside has white tails, sleeper mulies and turkey of that's your thing.

 

[bowhiker88]

I wouldn’t live anywhere west of the Idaho state line in Washington


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Well there’s a price for everything in almost all cases.

 

[SWOHTR]

Lots of good advice. I am a current WA resident. In the last 3 years I’ve lived in Everett, Bellevue, and Arlington. Had to commute to Seattle daily for all - Harbor Island area.

Of the commutes, Bellevue and I-90 were the least stressful.

QOL, Arlington wins. (I live here at present).

Commute - anything that is the I-5 or a derivative (405) simply sucks, especially at night. Seattle-Everett is not a far distance but rush hour makes it take 1-3 hours, with the average being an hour and a half. Worst time to leave Seattle in the afternoon is any time between 2-6pm.

If you want to retain a decent commute and have ready access to a lot the state has to offer, look along I-90.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Commute - anything that is the I-5 or a derivative (405) simply sucks, especially at night. Seattle-Everett is not a far distance but rush hour makes it take 1-3 hours, with the average being an hour and a half. Worst time to leave Seattle in the afternoon is any time between 2-6pm.

Its been a decade so I am sure its only gotten worse but when I left in 2012 if I left home in south Everett to Bellevue around 6am it was a 40min drive in, if I left at 7am it was a 90min drive in. If I left work at 3:45 it was a 50min drive home, if I left just 15min later at 4pm it was a 60-80min, if leaving around 5pm it was 90-120min. Mind you while the time sucked every day it would have been FAR more pleasant to be driving steady state for 2hrs every day vs 90min of that traffic. The stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, stop and go... is infuriating, day after day. If one never had to commute there its a whole different ballgame on quality of life.