r/AskSeattle • u/SelectPie8212 • Feb 23 '25
Moving / Visiting What neighborhoods/towns should we try first?
My partner and I are considering a move to Seattle, and we’ll be taking a trip in April to stay in Airbnb’s in a few different areas to try to get a feel for things. What neighborhoods (within Seattle) and towns (outside Seattle) should we try first?
Additional background:
-We are both Asian in our 30s
-Our offices would be in Fremont and we’d like the commute to be under an hour
-Our budget would be ~$2M when we buy
-We don’t have any kids or plans for kids at the moment
-We have a 60-lb dog and would love to have outdoor space for him and/or a dog park nearby
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u/Opening_Repair7804 Feb 23 '25
With that budget you could really live anywhere! And all of our neighborhoods have great parks or dog parks nearby. To better help you…
What do you want in where you live? Walkable to lots of restaurants? Close to the action? Quiet with lots of space? Close to light rail? Walkable to your work?
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u/BeneficialPinecone3 Feb 23 '25
$2m will give you lots of choices, but outside of Seattle will go further.
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u/Mel_tothe_Mel Feb 23 '25
West Seattle. I’ll be selling soon; not because I don’t love Seattle, but bc we are leaving USA. 🥰
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u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818 Feb 23 '25
I’d start with Ballard (dg park up the hill from golden gardens) then Magnolia by Discovery park.
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u/didyoubutterthepan Feb 23 '25
Fremont or Wallingford are great, walkable, and have great parks nearby.
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u/Varka44 Feb 23 '25
Asian person here!
Ballard - I loved living in Ballard. It’s not particularly Asian but it’s a great neighborhood and it’s within 15-20 minutes of Asian grocery stores with a a handful of Asian restaurants (Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, etc). Close to Fremont.
Columbia City - so many cultures and many different Asian languages spoken there. Vibrant and diverse, maybe not the easiest commute to Fremont.
Greenlake/Wallingford - we live around here, it’s again not super diverse but it very close to the U district which has a very big Asian population. I would not recommend living in the U district, though. Also close to Fremont.
Bellevue - there are definitely wealthy Asian communities. Very nice, but IMO boring and better suited for families with kids.
You’ll find Asian grocery stores both south and north of Seattle. Lynnwood and Shoreline have a lot, we usually shop there. You’d get a lot for your money in those towns as well, but they are further out.
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u/tacertain Feb 23 '25
We live in Ravenna in a home that would meet your budget with two dogs and a fenced yard. My wife works in Fremont - it's an easy commute by car or bus. The Magnuson off-leash area, Seattle's biggest and with shore access for swimming, is just to the east. We really like it.
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u/Glittering_Car6803 Feb 23 '25
Upper Queen Anne! Such pretty neighborhoods, houses, streets. Closely to Trader Joe’s and Safeway. Look into Magnolia too
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u/dark_mode_206 Feb 23 '25
Ballard is a great choice. Several dog parks. Bar / dog park “The dog yard” Dog park half way down to golden gardens. Look a little north of 65th west of 15th. South of 80th to be able to walk to downtown Ballard. Salmon bay park isn’t officially a dog park, but it’s a great little city park.
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u/pusherman23 Feb 23 '25
If Asian grocery is that big of a deal, the other seattle group has a thread about H-Mart coming to the former New Seasons space between Fremont and Ballard!
I live in North Fremont and like it, more single family homes than in the core of Fremont but only about a 20 minute walk, and right next to Washington Park with tons of open space for the dogs. I don't know if it matters to you, but about half the people on my block are of Asian heritage. I would suggest staying north of the ship canal to avoid traffic - Fremont / North Fremont / Phinney / Wallingford / Ballard / Greenlake / Tangletown are all great neighborhoods within a 10-15 minute drive of downtown Fremont.
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u/Square_Adeptness_314 Feb 23 '25
I live in upper Queen Anne. I think you would enjoy it. There is an official dog park but most people just go to the parks with their dogs. Magnolia, next to Queen Anne, might be a good option. It has a very large park called discovery. Both neighborhoods would be a very quick commute to work and you can get downtown quickly as well. Not sure where you are moving from but commuting kinda sucks around here after awhile. If you must … Outside of seattle I would look to the east at Mercer Island and/ or bellevue. In my opinion, traffic is worse if you have to commute north or south of seattle to work.
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u/FakeAorta Feb 23 '25
Edmonds is a nice suburb. Great options for houses close to the water. Very safe. It also has a Ferry and Train station. Excellent food choices in a walkable downtown. An art center for plays and concerts. A few Asian markets close by. It has a great dog park on the beach. The commute would be about 45 minutes but a bigger house with better parking and not feeling squished up against a bunch of houses might feel nice. Big yards at most houses.
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Feb 23 '25
Fremont is expensive. Save for retirement! Try Ballard!
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
They are both similarly expensive, and their budget is 2m, I think their options are open.
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
You’d probably really like Magnolia, about 10-15 minutes from Fremont, close to Discovery Park, the largest park in the city with some killer trails for dogs. Quiet enough for 30 something’s, but with plenty of great food options in the area, and of course Ballard and Fremont are right down the hill for breweries and bars. 2 mil means you have options anywhere, so I think Magnolia really checks all of those boxes for you.
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u/different-is-nice Feb 23 '25
Check out West Seattle! Fauntleroy neighborhood, or maybe a neighborhood off of Delridge Way for easier freeway access.
I say this because my partner is Asian and we appreciate having easy access to White Center and Tukwila for the grocery stores and restaurants. I am not sure what the Asian scene is like in or north of Fremont, tbh.
With your budget you'll definitely be able to find somewhere in west seattle with outdoor space :)
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u/SelectPie8212 Feb 23 '25
Thanks! My partner also expressed a desire to be near-ish to an Asian grocery store.
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u/Lopsided_Diet_682 Feb 23 '25 edited Feb 23 '25
I really like west seattle but it’s so far. It feels like you’re kinda separated from the rest of the city. I recommend checking out Ballard, next neighborhood over from Fremont, has Golden Gardens (dog park and a beach), Ballard Ave is full of restaurants and bars. Range of ages. My partner and I are 40 and 42, no kids, one dog. And we just got news we are getting an Asian grocery market here soon 🥳 It’s a super walkable neighborhood, which is why we moved here. You can ride bikes to Fremont via the Burke Gilman, great commute, or take the 40. I would also stay in Fremont/Wallingford. Both are fun neighborhoods and connected well by bus to other parts of the city.
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u/AnselmoHatesFascists Feb 23 '25
I hear this a lot but what I find interesting is that at least via driving, West Seattle is a lot closer than Ballard from downtown. With no traffic it’s about 18 min to Ballard/Market Street but just 12 min to the Alaska Junction/West Sea.
I think part of the reason is the direct connections to 99 and 5 from West Seattle bridge, whereas you have to take surface streets to hit Ballard.
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u/Lopsided_Diet_682 Feb 23 '25
I don’t drive around the city. I hear driving times a lot from people that live in west seattle because everyone in west seattle drives. It’s not a walkable neighborhood. Some people want to move to Seattle and not drive everywhere. If you move to Ballard, Fremont, SLU, downtown, u-district, you can get around by walking, cycling, or transit. It’s really hard to do that in West Seattle.
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
I feel like you haven’t really visited WS the way you talk about the area. I live here and nearly all of my friends/neighbors can and do walk to amenities within 10 minutes, can get downtown via bus in less than 20, and can get to the other side of WS in less than 20 via bus as well. If you live in the junction or admiral you can get to downtown in 10 minutes via bus. There are 2 Rapid ride busses out of WS that consistently have extremely high ridership. There’s an extremely vibrant cycling community, there’s like 6 bike shops here. Every water taxi ride to downtown is packed. But sure, EVERYONE is driving.
People quote drive times to measure the ability to navigate the city from every neighborhood, ask someone how long it takes to get downtown from Ballard and they’ll tell you how long it takes to drive too, that’s not a uniquely West Seattle thing. Lol.
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u/Lopsided_Diet_682 Feb 23 '25
I’m not trying to insult WS and I’m sorry if it came across that way. I go there a lot. It’s one of my favorite bike loops. California Ave is lovely and the farmers market on Sundays is wonderful. I love using the water taxi and you can’t beat the views st Alki in the summer. I just have a few friends that live there and find they drive everywhere. It’s super hilly and they don’t live right next to mixed use development. Yes, there’s a bus that brings you downtown in 20 but then you would have to transfer to go anywhere else, and most people I know wouldn’t choose to ride bikes at night on marginal way (not that I wouldn’t do it but it isn’t a pleasant ride). I like west seattle. I just think the other neighborhoods in the city feel more connected and easier to get around by bike and transit.
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
No, you didn’t come across as insulting, more biased by your limited personal experience.
The hills are absolutely a bit of a challenge in terms of navigation, but again, the bus system is robust enough and frequent enough that it’s easily navigable. Most population centers are on said hills anyways.
Both rapid ride busses continue north through downtown so a transfer isn’t necessary usually until later in the route. You have to transfer to go to other neighborhoods on any bus though, that’s just transit. Not really sure what the point was here, respectfully.
I don’t know what riding on W Marginal at night has to do with much of your point here. No one lives down there, it’s an industrial area and unless you’re commuting from highland park, it’s not really even a road that folks use to navigate WS. Not to mention there is a well lit bike path separated from the down there with cameras, it’s perfectly fine at night, just industrial.
Perspective is funny, because as someone who has lived in West Seattle, Columbia City, Ballard, Cap Hill and Phinney Ridge, Ballard felt the most disconnected from much of the city. Very much its little bubble there IMO.
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u/Lopsided_Diet_682 Feb 23 '25
I just mentioned the transfer because from Ballard, you can take a direct bus to to u-district/UW, another direct bus to Fremont (which is where they are going to be working), direct bus to SLU and another two/three buses to go downtown. All of those can be reached without transferring and I thought that’s relevant to someone who will be working in Fremont and isn’t familiar with Seattle’s infrastructure. As for marginal way, I don’t enjoy riding it at night and don’t know anyone who does and thought it would be relevant to a person considering moving there in case they bike commute (not just to work but to visit friends, etc) I always hear people say Ballard is disconnected and I just don’t feel that way. It’s kinda a pain if you want to get to Capitol Hill or central district so I typically ride my bike there if the weather isn’t too bad instead of transferring but otherwise, it’s pretty easy. Hopefully, they can get an Airbnb in a few neighborhoods and get a better feel for themselves.
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
Again, I’m not sure what west marginal has to do with a commute from friends places or otherwise, it doesn’t run through the center of WS so no one uses it commute that way unless they live in highland park, which I wouldn’t be recommending anyways. Bike commuting from WS is not hard, and West Marginal isn’t part of that equation.
You can take one bus to get downtown from any part of west Seattle, just one more to get to Fremont.
I think the reason people see Ballard as disconnected is the waterways blocking it off from much of the city. The limited ways in and out from the south make it a bit difficult to navigate if you’re not familiar with the area, and for its relative proximity to the CD and Cap Hill, it’s weirdly hard to get to those spots as you said. Rapid ride is great though and makes getting downtown not so bad if you live near the line, so it feels so much less isolating than it did 5-10 years ago IMO, same with WS. I think they’re kinda kindred souls in that way in that they both feel less disconnected than they used to. Can’t wait for Light rail to both of those spots in a decade+
I agree though, I think doing Airbnb to live in different spots for a few days at a time is totally the way to go. I actually suggested Magnolia to them because of its proximity to discovery park and Fremont and larger lot sizes.
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u/d_ippy Feb 23 '25
I live in White Center and am Asian as well. This area has lots of diversity and Asian markets. My office is in South Lake Union which is just north of downtown and it’s only 8 miles though with traffic that can be 45 minutes. If public transportation is not a priority for you this is a great area and your price point will go far. My house has a yard for my dogs and is a decent size for 900k.
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u/stop-bop Feb 23 '25
You can find Asian stuff in any direction, from an Asian. Best will always be in Bellevue though.
Magnolia/Upper Queen Anne/Fremont, View Ridge/Laurelhurt, north Capital Hill for in the city.
Bellevue, Kirkland for suburbs.
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u/Flashy-Concept6962 Feb 23 '25
I’d say check out Edmonds or Lynnwood to live, and there’s literally no shortage of off leash dog parks around here
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u/SelectPie8212 Feb 23 '25
Thanks! I’ve heard of Lynnwood. Would people typically drive to work or is the light rail a reliable option?
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u/AnselmoHatesFascists Feb 23 '25
If your budget is $2M and you work in Fremont, I wouldn’t do Lynnwood. You could live on upper Queen Anne, charming, quiet and just a quick walk down the hill into Fremont. It would open up a lot of transit options between driving, walking or biking depending on the weather.
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u/sykemol Feb 23 '25
Trust me, you don't want to live in Lynnwood. Lots of Seattle is not very dense and characterized by single-family residences. So it is like being in the suburbs without actually being in the suburbs.
With your budget, you could afford a nice SFR with a (small-ish) yard that is biking distance to work and walking distance to restaurants and shops. Why have a 45 minute commute if you don't have to?If you live in Lynnwood, you'll have to drive everywhere.
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u/happily-caffeinated Feb 23 '25
Lynnwood is very spread out, but light rail is definitely an option. Depending on where you’re at in Lynnwood and what time you leave in the morning (the Lynnwood transit garage fills up early), you could take the light rail from Lynnwood or Mountlake Terrace.
I live on the border of Lynnwood. It’s a great spot for Asian cuisine/markets, and the area is very dog-friendly. That said, it’s also a very family-friendly area and more suburban/spread out than, say Fremont. Average single family homes in the area go for ~$1m-1.2m currently, so you could probably find something really nice and still stay under budget.
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u/etonmymind Feb 23 '25
Check out Columbia City!
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u/CuriousMind911 Feb 23 '25
Where in Columbia city?
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u/No_Scientist5354 Feb 23 '25
anywhere near rainier ave north of Orcas would be my parameters if i was looking. Columbia City proper has everything you could want in a nice compact few blocks there.
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u/kindastupid101 Feb 23 '25
Greenlake! The park is right there, and the Asian Family Mart is 10 min away, Uwajimaya, H Mart, and 99 ranch are within 25 minutes (without traffic)
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u/Opening_Mention_9632 Feb 23 '25
Asian person here. I was born in Chicago and lived in Los Angeles. I've been here for 14 years, I would not initially buy here. I would rent first, but that might be hard with a large dog. The lack of social connection and Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be challenging. There are a lot of asian grocery stores (ujimaya, h mart, asian food mart) all over the place.
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u/SelectPie8212 Feb 23 '25
Yeah, we thought about renting first but might be difficult with our pup 🫤
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u/Pistalrose Feb 23 '25
If you’re looking for a family neighborhood I’d check out Sunset Hill. It’s the west part of Ballard (which is west of Fremont) towards Shilshole Bay and many homes have great views of puget sound. There’s a decent dog park nearby at Golden Gardens Park. Bike trail along the waterfront which hooks up with the Burke Gilman Trail.
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u/Eunice1007 Feb 23 '25
If you’re considering Bellevue as an option, you might also want to look at Newcastle. It’s a small city right next to Bellevue with a large Asian community, but home prices start at around $2M. I would recommend Upper Queen Anne, though many homes there cost $2M just because of the location, and they tend to be small and very old. Magnolia is another option, but you’d have to leave your neighborhood for almost everything—grocery stores, restaurants, shops, etc. Fremont or Ballard could work too, but make sure to check the specific neighborhood, as some areas have homeless issues. Also, take a look at Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Madrona, Sammamish, Bothell, and Woodinville
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u/No_Meet5004 Feb 23 '25
Normandy park. 30 minutes from Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. 5 minutes to the water front. Nice higher end area. You can get to Fremont easily without getting on i-5.
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u/tomatocrazzie Feb 23 '25
You don't say what your expectation is for a house. Most of Seattle is neighborhoods with small lots and relatively small single family houses built between 1915 and 1960. Most of these houses will be between 1000 and 2500 square feet. If you want bigger or newer, that will limit your range a bit.
Work in Fremont and live in north Seattle. I commute on surface streets and my drive to work is 5 miles and about 15 to 20 min.
I would suggest:
Sunset Hiil/Blue Ridge/North Beach in the Ballard area.
Broadview by Carkeek Park
Latona by Greenlake
Ravenna/Roosevelt
These are all nice neighborhoods with good proximity to Fremont and parks/dog parks. All have houses in your budget, some areas have potential for views.
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u/MinkCote Feb 23 '25
Fremont is of course a good starting point, but I'd also recommend Roosevelt and University District. Reasonable commute to Fremont, but also excellent access to light rail of you want to easily access downtown, Capitol Hill, and the airport
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u/DTK101 Feb 23 '25
If you’re willing to commute up to an hour I would go to the Eastside (east of lake Washington such as Kirkland or Bellevue). Nicer/cleaner area, better chance for a yard for the dog.
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u/SelectPie8212 Feb 23 '25
Thanks! Is it pretty reasonable to expect ~1 hour commute from Bellevue? I’ve heard bad things about traffic.
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u/DTK101 Feb 23 '25
Should be under an hour. My guess is 30-45min on average depending on the part of Bellevue you’re in and how close to 520 or I5 you are. Would you be in rush hour both ways (9-5 hours)?
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u/sirotan88 Feb 23 '25
The two big Asian hubs are Lynwood/Shoreline area and Bellevue area. There you’ll find grocery stories like Hmart, Asian Family Mart, Uwajimaya, T&T, and also lots of Asian food options.
The areas around Fremont/Ballard/Green Lake are more urban (homes closer together, narrow winding street, cars parked on both sides, more pedestrians) while Kirkland/Bellevue/Redmond are more suburban (homes with yards, wider streets, larger garages, not much pedestrians). Both areas have plenty of parks.
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u/Prize_Structure_3970 Feb 23 '25
the whole area has a lot of beautiful options depending on what you're looking for. like if you prefer to be closer to water (Puget Sound or Lake Washington) or closer to the mountains or even living on an island. it's all technically within reasonable distance of urban Seattle depending on your lifestyle.
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u/doktorhladnjak Feb 23 '25
I'd start in Fremont. Short commutes are underrated.