<p>Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to find rental housing in the Seattle metropolitan area? My son will be moving there after he graduates in May. He will be working in Redmond, but would like to live somewhere with a little more activity that would appeal to a 22 year old. Redmond is a little too quiet for him.</p>
<p>We live in the midwest and will either need to find a place sight unseen or make a trip out there and try and find housing. Are there any apartment agencies that can help with this process. He was thinking about living in Seattle and commuting out to Redmond; however I think the cost and commute time are a little too much. Is downtown Bellevue a good option? Does it have an active nightlife, restaurants, etc?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for any suggestions you have.</p>
<p>We just visited Seattle this summer, and Bellevue seems like the perfect place for a 22 year old. We visited H’s former coworker, a 30 year old who relocated to Seattle a couple years ago. He lives in the Queen Anne area of town & loves it … it’s a bit quieter, but very accessible to everything. He is 30, though … not “old,” but not as young as your S. Judging by the action we saw in Bellevue, that looks like the place to be. However, I think it’s really pricey.</p>
<p>Try the crossroads/ lake hills section of Bellevue, it might be slightly more affordable.
Rentals are springing up in hipster ground zero but I don’t think you want to commute to redmond from there, although I know people who do it by bike.</p>
<p>My eldest son has lived in Seattle for quite some time now (he’s about the same age as kelsmom’s son), and began in an apartment in Bellvue, spent several years on a houseboat (!) and now he and his girlfriend rent half a house with a large yard. The first place he found via Craigslist, the houseboat belonged to a friend of his and they were friends with the guy who lives in the downstairs of the house they’re now in. Networking seems the best way to go. Perhaps he could find a short-term rental or an extended stay hotel and then either find an agent to work with or check around work for someone who needs a housemate or is moving. Rents out there are very expensive no matter where one lives- it’s a popular city and space is at a premium.
If your S will be working for Microsoft, they offer public transportation passes, and although the commutes can be lengthy, taking the bus is better than driving.</p>
<p>Kelsmom - thank you for the information. I haven’t actually been to Bellevue, but mentioned it to him the other day and he thought that might be a good option. He said they went there on the 4th of July this summer and enjoyed it.</p>
<p>The housing prices seem to be very high in the Seattle metro area in general. Of course housing seems expensive almost everywhere compared to where we live. Fortunately my son will be starting at a very generous salary so he should be okay if he gets an apartment with one or two other people. It also helps that there is no state income tax in Washington - a little more money goes to the bottom line.</p>
<p>He will be working at Microsoft and did mention they have their own commuter bus and the public transportation bus passes. I don’t think he has any idea how wearing a commute can be. Where we live you get in your car and you are whereever you need to be within 20 minutes max. He lived in Redmond the last 2 summers. The first summer he was right next to the Microsoft campus and could easily have walked or biked if he had been so compelled. This year he lived a little further away, but could still get to work within 20 minutes. I liked Redmond, but he is worried he would just go home in the evenings and not do anything social because it is pretty quiet there.</p>
<p>Downtown Bellevue is perfect for a 22 year old who has a huge income, enjoys shopping and dining at mainstream venues, and hates anything new, urban or edgy. The downtown is a shopping mall! I grew up there and spend considerable time each year near the shopping district visiting family.
The other folks his age are living in Seattle mostly. The problem is that the 520 bridge is going to be under construction for about the next 700 years. Sothe choice is - live in the city with a bad commute or live in the suburbs without the life someone 22 wants.
My Ds both have the advantge of living in and working in the denser parts of the city.</p>
<p>Edit, I didn’t understand that he had actually lived in Redmond and interned at MS. </p>
<p>I suggest finding a short term rental or share via Craigslist and then connect through friends at work. If he’s outdoors type, something East of Redmond might make ski days and hiking easier. Craigslist has a sketchy rep in parts of the country but is pretty mainstream in Seattle.
Does his company offer help or suggestions?</p>
<p>Dragonmom - your description of Bellevue is exactly what he doesn’t want. He would prefer the new, urban and edgy vibe. He enjoys doing some hiking, but it would certaintly not be a daily or even weekly activity. He did say that the Microsoft buses have Wifi so he could work or surf during the long commutes. Is it reasonable to have a car if you plan to live in Seattle and commute via bus? He was concerned about where he would be able to park it if he decided to live in Seatlle. I did say that if he wanted to try living in a city he should do it now when he is young and unmarried because once he has kids he will probably want a little quieter place to live.</p>
<p>I believe a relocation specialist is going to contact him at some point. He has classmates that will also be working at Microsoft so he can probably find a roommate. We just need to figure out where they should be looking for housing.</p>
<p>Wow, MS busses are a huge plus! He should map out the routes and frequencies and shop those areas. He’s miles ahead of most young employees.
I think he’s going to love it!</p>
<p>Edited to add: although I have family members who live in downtown Bellevue, I may be missing that there is a younger scene at night…I don’t want to totally dismiss it from your search.</p>
<p>Having access to the Microsoft Connector bus service is a big plus, though King County Metro operates many buses to the Redmond campus.</p>
<p>The first place that comes to mind as a good location for young people to live is Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Known for being Seattle’s main LGBT neighborhood, it’s one of Seattle’s more densely populated neighborhoods and has a lot of cool shops, restaurants, and nightlife for all types of young people. The First Hill neighborhood is next door and shares the same Microsoft Connector route.</p>
<p>I know a lot of young people who enjoy living in Mill Creek or Lynnwood, but they seem to work in either Seattle or Everett. The nearest Microsoft Connector route goes to Mill Creek and Bothell, though Community Transit and metro offer a 1 connection route to Microsoft’s Redmond campus. Snohomish County often has lower rents and property taxes than King County, but young people tend to be drawn more to activities in King County.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how the commute would be, but I really liked the Landing in Renton. It’s a new lifestyle center with apartments built near the Boeing factory. </p>
<p>Sound Transit commuter buses also offer complementary WiFi.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I’d recommend having a car in Seattle unless one lives in north or west Seattle. Groceries are generally inexpensive in Seattle compared to other parts of the country provided one shops the sales and tries to buy what’s in season, so he should be fine shopping at the neighborhood Safeway, QFC (Kroger), etc.</p>
<p>I thought of Capitol Hill too, SEA-tide. I lived there for the 10 years before I got married, and it’s just the best if you want the edgy urban lifestyle. But yeah… that commute. And parking is a *****. But, mom2010, I think that’s going to be the tradeoff, closer in but sleepy suburban neighborhood, versus exciting neighborhood but farther out. Personally, if I were young and single again, I’d once again go with the exciting neighborhood.</p>
<p>I currently live in Bellevue so if you have specific questions or want more insight on what it is like here and areas around here feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>My 22 year old son is living in Seattle for an internship following graduation and now for the indeterminate future. He is living in Capitol Hill and it seems to be the place for urban and edgy and he would like to stay there if in Seattle. Having a generous salary will have many advantages in finding a place to live. So far, all places he found are through Craig’s list, but he doesn’t have the generous salary [fortunately better than his minimum wage internship]. But, there are many short term executive housing options that he can take advantage of located in Cap Hill that he can try for a month to see if it works living there. Just google executive housing Cap Hill and you will find a ton of options.</p>
<p>S prefers sharing an apartment or house with others and it seems for that, Craig’s list is the best option.</p>
<p>Capitol Hill does have Seattle U & SCCC to attract young people as well as several divey bars, but several businesses, including long timers are relocating in the wake of the tunnel project & it isn’t what it used to be.
[CHS</a> Capitol Hill Seattle | Community News For All the Hill](<a href=“http://www.capitolhillseattle.com%5DCHS”>http://www.capitolhillseattle.com)
Does anyone recommending Capitol Hill live in Seattle? ( although if he has a large paycheck & doesn’t mind shopping at Whole Foods he might like it)
Young adults are flocking to West Seattle & Georgetown, although that will add to the commute.
Cap hill does have easy access to downtown & the lake union neighborhood.
[Seattle</a> Magazine | Shopping/Home and Garden/Real Estate | 15 Best Neighborhoods in Seattle](<a href=“http://www.seattlemag.com/article/15-best-neighborhoods-seattle]Seattle”>15 Best Neighborhoods in Seattle - Seattle magazine)</p>
<p>I think msft will put him in temporary housing for a while when he arrives. He should ask if that can be on capitol Hill so he can see how he likes the area and the commute. I agree that it sounds like the place for him. The Microsoft connector has wifi and the employees all work on the bus so it’s not your old style commute. </p>
<p>Also agree that craigslist is a legit way to find housing here as well as networking.</p>
<p>He has mentioned the Capital Hill area. Does anyone have any idea how long the commute to Microsoft’s Redmond campus via public transit? Are we talking 30 minutes or 2 hours? If he is on a bus with Wifi he probably won’t even realize how long he is commuting since he tends to get very absored in whatever he is reading or doing. That being said I still think long commutes would start to effect your quality of life.</p>
<p>His girlfriend is in grad school working on her masters in engineering. She will likely apply to work at Boeing (assuming they are still together), but won’t be there until the summer after he moves. I may suggest he look in the location noted in a prior post.</p>
<p>Thank you for all of the great suggestions.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son on already having lined up employment for after he graduates, Mom2010grad, btw. Very cool! Lots going on in this area (greater Seattle). So many spots for him to explore!</p>
Very cool! Lots going on in this area (greater Seattle). So many spots for him to explore!</p>