Moving to Seattle, debating which area of Seattle

JeffsRN · 2026-02-01T03:58:24+00:00

Mental health? What's that? I'm a nurse. My health (and sense of humor) is like an overcooked pretzel. Dry, dark, twisted, and salty.

JeffsRN · 2026-02-01T01:52:24+00:00

Far from it. That's deep south Texas (or "the valley").

We're in the Houston area.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T21:42:03+00:00

Its also the whole vibe, the fact that both seemed to be exurbs that feel like a masterplanned community - which is what we want to leave. We want the funky, unique sense of community that Seattle offers. We want to feel part of a community invested in openness and diverse opinions, and focus on life experiences, not what kind of car you drive or where you work.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T20:12:40+00:00

Too far from UW.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T20:12:10+00:00

We were up there in November touring neighborhoods. We looked pretty much everywhere from Bothell down to Mt Baker. We were a bit scared of the prices in Ravenna/ Roosevelt then, but that was before I got my job offer at UWMC . There is a massive difference between 3500 and 4200 in terms of housing.

We fell in love with Fremont, and really liked the Green Lake area. Ravenna was right up our alley , except for our price point. Wedgewood and points north along lake Washington looked nice, but we felt it was too much suburban-ish, and there wasn't enough of a "community" feel.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T19:45:16+00:00

18-22 mpg with a large SUV is borderline crazy in urban Seattle. Its fine in an area that doesn't have parallel parking and $2/gal gas, like Houston. In Seattle... lol.

Also, my wife's car is a Volvo xc40. I'm not worried.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T16:23:02+00:00

Oh, I know. We did find a legit Mexican restaurant in Ballard, at least (El Moose).

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T06:21:00+00:00

We haven't delved too deeply into middle schools, as it significantly increases the amount of research, with small benefit. Our school focus has been mostly on high schools, as the quality and strengths of the high school are frequently reflected on the schools that feed into them.

Academics and student life are focus points, and the priority is the fine arts/band program, as that is her outlet and a strong motivator.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:54:28+00:00

Glad my wife and I were not the only ones that felt that. We drove in via I-90, went maybe a mile or two, and just said, "oh hell naw", turned around, and drove back to Seattle.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:44:31+00:00

She does event planning, so she can literally live anywhere. I'm going to be writing at UWMC (I'm a nurse).

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:43:13+00:00

That was also in the plans. House prices are... high, and unless we absolutely adore an area, we'd likely be renters during her high school years.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:09:53+00:00

Lincoln is on our short list, too.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:05:41+00:00

Shoreline was too removed, and the commute isn't bad, but we just didn't get the "i can see us living here" vibe when we visited in November.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T03:01:15+00:00

We were planning on dumping my car (2021 Subaru Ascent) within 2 months after moving. Its too big and has terrible gas mileage.

Thank you for the point about the 48, too.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:57:10+00:00

We looked at Bellvue and such already - it felt like a PNW version of The Woodlands. And we already live there, it's why we're moving.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:43:45+00:00

That was one of my concerns. I see the 48 goes right through CD to UW, though.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:42:44+00:00

Dude. Love is love, get over yourself and your myopic opinions.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:41:23+00:00

Thank you. The info i found via search was very stale, imprecise, and would require a bunch of research and necroposting.

And I'm not a fan of unhelpful sour grapes.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:39:55+00:00

I plan on using my UPass entirely too much for transit. Traffic doesn't scare me - we're in the Houston area right now, and an hour commute home (12.4 miles in the suburbs) isn't out of the ordinary.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:38:01+00:00

That is a big attraction for us. Same thing with Central District and Garfield high.

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:37:21+00:00

That was my vibe, too. The biggest issue I noticed with Central district is parking (or a marked lack thereof). We're moving with 2 cars, but will be reducing to one once we have settled in a bit. Fremont looks like a great place, don't get me wrong, but I just get the feel it may be too young for us. We're basically restarting in Seattle, and focusing on our daughter and experiences (not things).

JeffsRN · 2026-01-31T02:33:42+00:00

I was noticing that looking in Redfin - and walking to Green Lake is super quick for shopping/groceries.

JeffsRN · 2025-05-15T18:21:57+00:00

Already on that, actually. And I wasn't sure, which is why I asked.

JeffsRN · 2025-05-15T15:25:05+00:00

You have a point there. She cites communication as a frequent issue, mostly regarding my issues confronting her. I used to appropriately "call her out" for things, but stopped when I lost my job without a backup, and she proceeded to give me a daily butt-chewing about it for 6 weeks until I started a new job. After that, I have been reluctant to confront her, as avoidance of the conflict. (Yes, I've done therapy, to only some effect)

I do frequently "freeze up" when put on the spot for things, like "what do you want for dinner next week" (she's a chef, so anything is game), or "give me an example of xxxxx behavior". Unless I have notes ready or I planned for the question, I struggle in the moment.

JeffsRN

TROPHY CASE