It has it's pros and it's cons, right!?! But don't go into the City of Seattle. Once you cross 145th, it's a different story....

I live in Lakewood WA. My rent is $675 a month. I live close to the I-5, I'm 20 minute walking distance to three different bus/train stations as well as shopping, cinema and live theater. My job at Amazon is so close my car doesn't have time to warm up in the winter or A/C to cool off in the summer, and the cigarette I started when I left home is still curling smoke when I park at work. I can see My Rainier AND Mt. St. Helens as well as all the military aircraft flying in and out of JBLM not far from my 2nd story porch. There is SHAG (senior housing assistance group) here as well as a lot of other support systems.

@@e1ochai Thank you so much for the information. I'll look further.

That is a great story! Thank you for sharing. Wow- It's hard to believe people living there would be on unemployment, but I guess layoffs can happen even in well-paying industries. I think social security goes to everyone of a certain age, even if you're rich! We certainly pay in enough to SS over the years! Would have been fun to see Bob Hope in town! Definitely a great place to be!

Wow! That sounds intense! Thank you for sharing your experience! What is going on over there?

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

RIGHT!?!?

@GeorgiaHamilton4346 - Yes! I do have a Mercer Island video you can check out!

Hi @LindaP9079 - there is definitely more to it. What should I highlight next time, when I have more time to do it?

The city of Seattle definitely has some room for improvement in law enforcement and cleanliness. It's not the same as it was when I grew up. However, there is a lot of money here and I have to think the pendulum will shift back into the direction of vibrancy.

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA I hope you're right, I really do!

Awesome, glad you liked it!

Thanks so much for letting me know!

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA you are welcome

What do you mean "Subs"?

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA suburbs. As in it is easy and quicker to commute to….if you live downtowm.

Thanks for bringing that up. I am hearing that the tech boom in the South Lake Union area has created a lot of traffic problems getting there from Magnolia.

Thanks MrMilo92. I appreciate your kind words.

Thanks for your comments @SterlingHawk_g20. Curious what you experienced in that area... ;-)

Hello @salahuddinnoorzad, Thanks for writing. For a large family with simple employment, I think you'll find more housing options south of Seattle. South King County, and Pierce County where Tacoma is tends to be more affordable and still offer plenty of employment opportunities. Feel free to call if I can help you in your home search. - Emily

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA Thank you so much for the direction. I appreciate your kindness. Absolutely I will call you as we take the final decision to move Seattle. With respects

Hi @IanBradley1772, Minimum wage in Seattle is about $20 per hour. That is pretty high compared to the rest of the country, from what I understand. However, our real estate is also really expensive compared to the rest of the country. Most people can't afford to buy a house if they make minimum wage. At $20/hour, your gross monthly income would be about $3500 per month and lenders will typically let you use about 30-40% of that for your monthly housing payment. If you want to live close to the city, I would look at a condo or co-op. I see a co-op available for $210K right now, and the payment would be around $1835/month if you were able to put 10% down. This would get you a 500 sq ft 1-bedroom home. You could also buy a small boat, for $150K and then you'd have to pay to park the boat - but you could get a prime downtown location: Slip $644+$300 live aboard fee. Other alternatives include renting an apartment or living further away. Manufactured housing is another more affordable alternative in this area and may allow you to have roommates to split the cost with. Let me know if something like that would be appealing. I'm happy to help you no matter what your price point. You're welcome to call or text and discuss your options with me.

Hi @akitabull, Thank you for your comments. You certainly raise valid points and the Seattle lifestyle isn't for everyone. Many people who live here are concerned about the things we see every day including homelessness, drug use, poverty, etc. Depending on each person's employment situation and lifestyle preferences, living in or around Seattle may or may not be a good fit. However, for a percentage of people working downtown, living downtown can be a great fit - you can walk to work as well as concerts, sports, etc. Take the light rail or the sounder train into the suburbs, etc. The urban life isn't bucolic, but there are reasons that some people choose to live here. I'm hopeful that as people get "back to work" and the many luxury condo buildings in this area start to fill up with people, we'll see even more fun, vibrancy, and shopping in the downtown core.

You're so welcome! Thanks for letting me know.

The highlands would be great - with a guard and a $1000/month HOA to keep out the riff-raff. ;-). For the rest... I guess Ridgecrest! I went to that school in first great and my cousin lived nearby. I wouldn't have thought it was number one on safety, but glad to hear that it is. We had always heard the area over by Briarcrest/ Lake City way was sort of sketchy/dangerous.

@Reverend11-dmeow89 - I agree they're not necessarily in it for the planet. Helping the people and businesses in the city would be great progress!

@Reverend11-dmeow89 - Thank you for your comments. I can't say I love our politicians, but I am hopeful they will try to make the city better. We'll have to see what they do - the proof is in the pudding!

@LindaP9079 - Haha! You may be right! Child of Seattle... football and baseball will perhaps always take place in my memory at the now-demolished Kingdome stadium. I can't keep up with those business-branded stadium names! You can tell I'm not much of a "sportsball" fan, but I will try to keep a little sharper on those stadium monikers!

@FlashGordo9485 - Sounds like you had a chance to visit the Emerald City and did not enjoy it! I would love to hear more about where you visited and where you're from. How was it similar or different from what you expected?

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA Too much to write down. You won't believe some of it. It boils down to the jobs, the economy, and the quality of character in some people. I would only live in that area if I were rich enough to buy an Island and live in a fortified castle.

@@flashgordo9485 Yes - there are definitely good areas and bad. I think people who live here are kind of "resigned" to the problems of the city and build their life around it... maybe they don't go to the certain parts of town where they don't feel comfortable. I pretty much am always on "high alert" in Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle, and keep my wits about me on 3rd when I go with my mother from her office's parking garage down to the Pike Place Market. There are other areas in Seattle where I double-check that I've locked my car, and seem homeless on many corners, but would not expect my windows to get smashed and don't see all that crime we hear about in San Fransisco. Further out by my house, in the suburbs, we will occasionally see pan handlers outside the grocery store, but don't have a lot of traffic and can leave bags in the vehicle without fear of a smash and grab. No needles in the parks, etc. I think what you see as a tourist - if you're mostly in the downtown and "city" areas is a lot different than if you're out in the suburbs where you would never probably go if you were just visiting the area.

@Platinum907 - Thanks so much!

Thanks Dennis!

Thank you! I will pass on your comments to my editor.

Thank you! - Where do you plan to work? I would consider Federal Way or Kent if you are planning to work in Seattle. You also will have many options in Tacoma.

@@EmilyCressey-LivingInSeattleWA Thank you very much for your guide. Do these 3 options have public transportation and are affordable places to live? Regards

Thank you!

@LionegleGriffin - Yes! It's very common that there are similar written agreements as you describe. The question is... what to do if things aren't being handled, if people aren't taking responsibility, don't have the money to pay, etc. Some documents have legal teeth, and some don't. But it can be a hassle if there's no HOA management company to handle enforcement. Otherwise, it helps to have responsible neighbors. Good luck on your offer! Excited for you!

@GregoryParkes1589 - Yes, I have seen all of what you're describing downtown and the historical area has some lovely homes and some "dumps" in need of tear down, or being used as boarding houses. However, there are also some lovely homes with Everett addresses, so I try to get people to look at it on a case-by-case basis and not just rule out the whole place entirely. It seems like they really try with their parades, the imagine children's museum, the downtown businesses, etc. It seems like there's potential there, I'm just not sure why it's not clicking for them...

@hkk3656 thanks! Do you live there? I live pretty close, but don't go there very often.

@MaryVigil5109 - Oh yes! I need to watch that one! A Classic!

@Daniellow655 - My daughter just finished some tennis lessons here with the rec center, and we got to see them setting up for Terrace Days all week. I liked how people were putting out their lawn chairs days in advance to save their places for the parade. Rides and food trucks were arriving at the play field. Car show signs were going up. I think it's so great to see communities coming together, creating culture, and having fun!

@GeorgiaHamilton4346 - Yes! It's a classy place! Thank you for your comment!

Things certainly have changed, haven't they!

Hi @Astar1625. What part of Renton did you live in? Your comments are certainly reflective of my experience growing up here, but going down there more recently and seeing all the work at the Renton Landing and all the expensive "Bellevue Money" making its way south into new homes, I think that we are going to see a continued improvement in the Renton area for the next few decades!

Thank you! Will do!

@LuxuryBuzz3681 - We actually had a family friend who knew Patty Murray on the school board "back in the day" and he said she was awful. She didn't even know what was going on, someone just told her what to do and she did it... maybe that's how you get to the top in politics these days. All of these concerns are a big problem within the Seattle city limits, but the farther out you get, the fewer problems there seem to be --- some cities are run better than others.

@TableMyCat - Yes - these are valid concerns. Thank you for sharing your observations!

The problem I see it is that prices have gotten so high, that you basically need over half a million to buy a "normal" 3/2 ranch house for basic family needs. Buying a 2-3 million home will get you away from a lot of the "problems" in Seattle like crime, but you're not going to get a small house for that price range. Because there's such a strata of income and housing levels here now, in order to get some of the factors that may be important - like safety - you may need to get a nicer/bigger house to go with it.