<p>My son will be attending UW this fall to start a PhD program and he’ll be heading up to Seattle next month to try to secure an apartment. There appears to be a lot of conflicting info online as to neighborhoods to look at that are safe and have easy access via public transportation to UW. He’s hoping to find a studio or 1 bedroom. Any thoughts/info are appreciated.</p>
<p>He has a car but is thinking about selling it if he can find a place with good public transportation.</p>
<p>The Uw is a hub for public transportation. Fairly good access from any where in Seattle with exception of magnolia which is just northwest of downtown and west Seattle as bridge dependent access to those neighborhoods can in limited in bad weather because of (mudslides/Magnolia& accidents on west Seattle bridge)
It would be easiest if he was east of I-5 but lots of students and profs live in Wallingford( west of I-5) as well as in the Ravenna/Roosevelt, Madison park neighborhoods. I would also look a little north, maple leaf & birthdate victory heights area, but truthfully with the condo glut it is a renters market and the Uw is fairly easy to get to. Even a stop at the montlake cut off of the 520 bridge for bus riders from the eastside although they are rebuilding the bridge soon so I wouldn’t recommend moving to Bellevue.</p>
<p>I also would say that Seattle is a very safe city. Even though my D2 attended an “inner city” high school in Seattle I didn’t have a problem with her taking public transportation to/from, or having lunch in the neighborhood.</p>
<p>Parking on campus is expensive, so it’s a great idea to live where he can ride the bus or bike to UW. There’s a major bike trail that runs right through campus, so if he’s at all interested in cycling, have him look for ads that mention access to the “Burke Gilman Trail.” There are some quiet neighborhoods north and east of campus that are great, but low on nightlife/action (Bryant, Ravenna, Sandpoint, Wedgwood, Meadowbrook, Mathews Beach). I would recommend all of those if he doesn’t need a big bar and restaurant scene. There’s student housing at Sandpoint, called Radford Court. It’s not cheap but is new and in a great location very close to Lake Washington and a huge park. </p>
<p>There are a couple neighborhoods that students love, but they run a bit more expensive than other parts of the city: Capitol Hill, Eastlake, Wallingford and Greenlake. They feel more urban, with lots of eateries and bars, and are close to UW by bus, and some places on foot. You really feel like you live in Seattle in these areas, but at a premium price and with more congestion (parking can be difficult, and noise can be an issue if you live too close to I-5 or Aurora, a big arterial that runs near Greenlake). Of these neighborhoods, Capitol Hill and Eastlake are the most hipster/urban, while Wallingford and Greenlake feel more residential, with sort of a hippie granola flavor to them.</p>
<p>Your son might want to hang onto the car so that he can enjoy Seattle and environs on the weekends. Transit options to UW are good from all the places mentioned, but it’s tough to get out of town to the mountains or islands if you don’t have a car.</p>
<p>edited to add: I wouldn’t recommend looking for housing right in the U-District. It has more crime at night than other areas, and little charm. I forgot to mention Northgate. Similarly lacking in charm, but a major transit hub with tons of condos, apartments right next to a big mall. It would be convenient and cheap, I think.</p>
<p>UW is served by the public transportation system like no other place around here. UPass is a universal transit pass that allows students and faculty to ride any of the major transit providers, including the light rail. The fees for the pass are ridiculously low. He can live as far as Lake Forest Park or even Kenmore or Lynnwood and be able to get home late at night by bus. The incidents on buses in Seattle that you might read about in the papers happen on the buses serving the downtown area where anyone can ride the bus for free. I’ve been riding public transportation here for many years and have yet experience a problem.</p>
<p>Your son should look up bus maps for Metro 372 and Sound Transit 520 buses that travel through Ravenna (where our kids live) and take Lake City Way further north. Our SIL bikes to the U on Burke-Gilman trail. The trail meanders along Lake Washington and the Lake City Way and goes all the way from the U to the Microsoft’s main campus in Redmond. I run on this trail every weekend.</p>
<p>[Seattle</a> Parks & Recreation: Burke-Gilman Trail](<a href=“http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/BurkeGilman/bgtrail.htm]Seattle”>http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/BurkeGilman/bgtrail.htm)</p>
<p>Pretty much any neighborhood along the trail would be a good choice. I do not recommend looking along Hwy 99/Aurora Avenue, south Seattle, or in the neighborhoods immediately adjacent to the U.</p>
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<p>More on this.</p>
<p>[SR-520</a> Tolling - King County Metro Transit](<a href=“http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/get-you-there/520-tolling/index.html]SR-520”>Info for Travelers - SR-520 Tolling - King County Metro Transit)</p>
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<p><a href=“http://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/commuterservices/u-pass[/url]”>Getting to UW | Transportation Services;
<p>“… I wouldn’t recommend moving to Bellevue.”</p>
<p>No matter what is going to happen to the 520-bridge, Eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland) is a pretty expensive place to live, becuse Microsofties can afford to pay top rents and still be able to shop at the Bravern Collection. 
Some areas of Seattle are also pricy and are out of reach for a graduate student: Queen Anne, Fremont, Ballard, etc. His best bets would be the neighborhoods to the north of the U District.</p>
<p>BTW UW student newspaper- for class ads.
[The</a> Daily of the University of Washington](<a href=“http://dailyuw.com/]The”>http://dailyuw.com/)</p>
<p>and an app
[m.UW</a> - Our Mobile Commitment](<a href=“http://www.washington.edu/mobile/]m.UW”>http://www.washington.edu/mobile/)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! This is great help.</p>
<p>^^^Not to derail, but what is going to study in grad school?</p>
<p>I would also recommend not selling the car. There are some beautiful places a few hours drive from the city that he should try to go out and enjoy on the weekends.</p>
<p>We fell in love with Washington on a graduation trip, so I’m bookmarking this thread, as I really hope son either goes to grad school there, or better yet, settles there.</p>
<p>The drive through Whidbey Island is beautiful, and I would highly recommend that he take that trip during his time there.</p>
<p>Congratulations and good luck to your son!</p>