<p>I am relocating to the area. I lived for many years in south King county, but I’m going to be looking for a place on the eastside which I’m not as familiar with. My new job is on Mercer Island, which as everybody knows is quite lovely…and pricey. I have found a few places there (I’m just talking about rentals) but I’m wanting to explore areas close by: Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, etc.
I don’t care so much about square footage; I’m more concerned about the shortest commute I can find. </p>
<p>So if you had a job on Mercer Island, what areas would you look into?</p>
<p>I used to work on Mercer Island- no place to go for lunch- it may be better now.
Id still look on the Island for someplace to live- good schools and the people are friendly.
I wouldn’t look in Issaquah ( or Kirkland- 405) because I-90 can be heck- I would look at either Leschi/Madrona area of Seattle ( when gas goes to $6 a gal you could just ride your bike across* lake washington* the bridge- there are also lots of condos for rent in South Bellevue)</p>
<p>Do you like a more suburban feel or where you can walk/bike?</p>
<p>barrons, I just looked quickly at craigslist and the only rentals in that area are more than I want to spend. Granted, they are bigger and nice, but I’m more concerned about cheaper/closer…and I don’t need a big place. But I’ll keep that area in mind to see if something comes up.</p>
<p>I have a friend who just moved from Redmond to Lake Sammamish. She said (and I’ve heard from several others) that I-90 is the least bad for commuting since it has more lanes than 405 or 520. </p>
<p>ek, I am not concerned about lunch. I usually bring my own
I’d prefer to be east but have looked a little at the areas in Seattle right near I-90. I’ve just found that parking associated with those rentals is spotty to nonexistant (or costs many dollars extra). That would be a biggie for me, so I guess that would direct me toward suburban. But I’m open to many ideas.</p>
<p>I asuume you are looking for an apartment to rent to start with. I would definitely check Factoria or Crossroads areas of Bellevue, or north Renton or Newcastle (it is a city now ). If you end up renting somewhere slightly South of I-90 and I-405 intersection, be aware that I-405 is undergoing widening and can be a mess at times.
Kirkland got very expensive over the past years - multi-million dollar condos and chichi stores, but some parts of it could be OK. Anything further North than Kingsgate, and you will have one heck of a commute.</p>
<p>I-90 is definitely a better deal for commuting than I-405 or the horrible 520! One summer I had to make an almost daily trek to West Seattle, and I found that my trip up the I-405 from Bothell to I-90 was twice as long as the time it took me to cross the lake via I-90, merge onto I-5 and get off at West Seattle Bridge.</p>
<p>There are no cheap rentals in decent areas of east king county. Any place that looks cheap will have major crime issues including Factoria and Crossroads.</p>
<p>We drove today Snoqualmie to downtown leaving at 7am, 35 minutes in carpool lanes. Not bad but slower than it has been lately.</p>
<p>Of course, barrons, Snoqualmie is the best, but Maltby area is waaay better </p>
<p>You make it sound like armed gangs rule the streets of Factoria :rolleyes: Well, there might be more property crimes in that area than in our necks of the woods because it is more urban, but it is nothing like LA or even Tacoma - I guarantee it.</p>
<p>We lived in Lynnwood for several years and are still alive!</p>
<p>Keep in mind, we lived in Federal Way/Auburn for about 10 years and although people think of that as not-so-desirable, I loved it there :o</p>
<p>I certainly don’t need swanky.
But here’s what I’m comparing and contemplating. I could find a place to rent on M.I. for around $1000-1200/mo. Very small, but I don’t care about s.f.
I’m not finding things are all that much cheaper as I look further east…you just get more space for your dollar. Unless there’s an area I’m not thinking about (which is why I’m posting here ).
Would it really be worth it to get a place that would give me a 30-45 minute commute and save me ~$200/month? That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
Another big factor is that my days off would be Mon/Tues. Last Saturday morning I drove from Federal Way to my new job location on M.I. and it took me 35 minutes. So I’m only looking at Wed/Thur/Fri as “bad traffic” days, if that makes a difference in your recs. </p>
<p>DrDrewsmom, the traffic going to Federal Way on Fridays can be A NIGHTMARE. I-405 S-curves is the biggest mess on this planet even after the recent redesign. Rush hour starts at 2 pm and lasts well past 7 pm. I would go for the place on MI if you do not need to entertain a crowd. And with the current gas prices at $4.15/gallon and rising, your $200 savings will be eaten up by the gas you burn during your commute plus the wear and tear on your car.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know 405 is horrible. Actually Sat morning I drove up I-5 and then took I-90. It was smooth sailing the whole way, and I timed it for about the same time I’d be working. </p>
<p>But you are right; I am thinking the exact same thing about do I want to spend X number of dollars on a more expensive place with basically no commute, or do I want to spend those dollars (and time!) on driving? I have to figure out what the break-even point is. If my rent was $300 cheaper would it be worth it? 400? I don’t know yet!!!</p>
<p>A Corolla driven 1000-1200 miles per month in a mix of stop-and-go and good traffic will consume $150-170 worth of gas/month at the current gas prices in my personal experience.</p>
<p>Hey, I drive to Maltby twice a week. While I don’t worry about car prowls there (my car WAS broken into at Marymoor Park, though), they did have those fires at the street of dreams. It’s not crime free.</p>
<p>The south end of the Plateau–Issaquah/Sammamish–has some good values for houses and there are regular buses across 90 that I’d bet actually STOP at Mercer Island, even if the MI people would prefer they not…</p>
<p>I want to know more details of what you’re looking for… Do you want a house? Apartment? Garden? Space for big dogs? Decent restaurants? Good farmers’ market? Good NPR reception? Nice place to walk in the evening? Good parking?</p>
<p>A few years back I drove regularly to Tacoma from the east side. On multiple occasions it took more than TWO HOURS to get from Tukwila (where 405 meets 5 on the south end) to Federal Way. One accident on a summer Friday afternoon–when the entire city of Seattle drives to Portland, I think–can take hours to clear.</p>
<p>Crime may be relative but I guarantee you if you had your house robbed or your car broken into multiple times you would be dreaming ways to catch and maim the culprit.</p>
<p>I live on MI and if you’re looking for short commutes, then be wary of anything east or north of Bellevue. Many of the people who work with me live in Beacon Hill or West Seattle which can be more reasonbly priced. Also Eastgate isn’t as pricey (if you’re not choosy) as some other Bellevue neighborhoods. Avoid anything that makes you get on 405.</p>
<p>If you want to get acclimated, Shorewood is a pretty nice apartment complex right on MI and my experience is that they can be flexible with lease arrangements. Almost everyone on MI who has needed short term housing (moving, remodeling, divorce) ends up at Shorewood.</p>
<p>Seattle native and I spend time there every year:
Newport hills ? Only houses for rent showing up on craigslist but there are apartments there. Or maybe the Coal Creek area?
Frankly I’d stay on Mercer Island if you can stand the size of what you can get there. You’ll be driving more for shopping and entertainment but you don’t have to do that at rush hour.</p>
<p>dmd: I am looking at apts since I don’t need a house. No pets coming with.
coolay: I toured Shorewood. They are nice and at this point would probably be my first choice. Have you ever lived there?</p>
<p>DrDrewsmom - keep in mind that there are many “cottages” for lease on Mercer Island. These cottages are usually like a small guesthouse on larger properties. A good place to look is on the message boards at the grocery stores - QFC and Albertsons. Once you are working on Mercer Island you may make some local contacts. Few are advertised and most are found through word of mouth. There is also a local paper - the Mercer Island Reporter. The classifieds link does not work so you might have to pick up the paper - it’s available at many businesses and has classifieds for local rentals.</p>
<p>As for the Factoria area - it’s upgraded considerably in the past five years. Factoria Square is under new ownership. There is a DSW Shoes that opened within the last year at this mall. There is also a Target, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy and some locally owned shops. Don’t be afraid to look for housing in this area. Somerset Hill is also an area that you might want to look in and around for housing.</p>
<p>Shorewood is a long time complex (Obama’s grandparents lived there!). I know of one family that lived there while they remodeled their waterfront home. They thought it reasonable and convenient. They also had a dog so wanted a complex that would accept pets and was also close enough so they could supervise construction during the day without getting stuck on the freeways.</p>
<p>Downtown Mercer Island has changed drastically over the past few years. Four story apartment buildings with storefronts on the first floor are very common. Lots of construction in downtown Mercer Island and the city is considering putting in stop lights where there are currently four way stops.</p>
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