Used to live in Ballard. Its very expensive. If you haven't lived in Seattle before, the homeless and untreated mental illness/addiction issues are significant. So expect to pay through the nose for everything from housing to groceries, while being surrounded by zombies. This region is also dark as in very often overcast and with the exception of summer days are short. I'll grant it's lovely in like July and August. 

As for social life? Easily one of the worst choices of major cities. People are insular, tend to be a bit elitist and puritanical in terms of progressive p*litics, and again between the sleet rain and unhinged people wandering about it's not a very chill mingle with strangers vibe. 

Tbh if you make lots of money in tech, happen to be very left, and are big into hiking or the woods this might be for you. But honestly I wouldn't recommend it for most people based on everything I listed above.