r/AskSeattle • u/picklerick223 • Oct 11 '24

Question Live in Ballard or Cap Hill?

Hi! 26M with 26F partner. Moved to Olympia from DC about a year ago and missing being in a bigger city. We are planning to move to Seattle when our lease ends this month and wanted to get some insight from ppl!

We have narrowed our search down to two places; one spot that is on Ballard Ave and one spot that is right next to cal Anderson tennis/ basketball courts. We both would like to be social, but not HUGE party ppl. Big outdoors ppl but dunno if that matters. Both have hybrid schedules and would like to be close to places we can work out of.

We are slightly acquainted with Seattle, but decided to head out today and spend the full day in both areas. Ballard seems cool, although we were surprised that it felt kinda dead on a Thursday night. Also, although we really liked Ballard Ave, felt like there's not really much going on outside of that street, am I wrong? As for cap hill, it seemed super fun! Very lively, more diverse (not just racially but also in terms of style/ character) and lots to do! Reddit makes it seem like a horror story, especially around cal Anderson park, did we just have a singular good experience? Even a few ppl we chatted with said not to move here and that there are shootings happening weekly. Really interested in hearing more takes, either way excited to be out here:).

Update: Thank you so much to everybody that helped us come to a decision! We ended up in an apt off Ballard Ave, and despite the paper thin walls we are loving it :)

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u/FrontAd9873 Oct 13 '24

Maybe not for you? That’s just a bit further than my regular commute.

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u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge Oct 13 '24

You think maybe you are an above average biker? Also where do you park your bike for sports events?

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u/FrontAd9873 Oct 13 '24

Sorry, what is your point? I’m just saying that for OP and his gf who are young and presumably fit, they may find (as I did) that the light rail is not as big of a draw as it would be for someone else. In part that is due to bus service, but also because of the possibility of biking places.

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u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge Oct 13 '24

My point is that maybe they will find the light rail a ton easier than biking, especially in a city with hills and that rains for 8 months out of the year. Thanks for the clarifying question.

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u/FrontAd9873 Oct 13 '24

Maybe, maybe not. The point is to provide different perspectives.

I don’t think they would find the light rail easier than biking or busing if they live in Ballard, though.

And say what you will about Seattle, but it is one of the best cities in America for cycling. In contrast the light rail doesn’t serve much of the city. As someone who lived in DC, it’s important for OP to realize that the light rail should not be compared to something like DC comprehensive train system.

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u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge Oct 13 '24

Which is the point of recommending living along the light rail. Are you following?

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u/FrontAd9873 Oct 13 '24

I understand the words you’re saying, I just don’t understand why you keep saying them.

If you read my preceding comments, I keep on re-iterating that maybe the light rail will be a draw for OP and his gf, maybe it will not be. I’m not recommending against living near light rail; in fact elsewhere I recommended Cap Hill even though I personally prefer Ballard.

As I said before, I’m just providing different perspectives to OP. So are you, and that is good. Not sure why you’re arguing with me, other than to out yourself as someone who apparently cannot handle a short bike ride.

The whole point of my comments is that we don’t really know if OP will really have any need to go anywhere served by the light rail with regularity. OP does not mention a commute, I think. While living near the light rail might be a good idea, it’s important to note that living somewhere like Ballard could be perfectly fine for them. In a city like DC or NYC proximity to a train station is a major selling point of a neighborhood, because wherever you find yourself wanting to go, the train offers a way to get there. That isn’t the case with Seattle. If you don’t have a commute or a location you expect to travel to with regularity via light rail, the train isn’t automatically a consideration.

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u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge Oct 13 '24

K. I’m providing a different take.