First, THANK YOU HIBERNATOR!
Second, THANK YOU NEWCOMER (for reading the sidebar)!
I wrote this awhile back after searching many neighborhoods to find the perfect place. These are the places I’ve looked and what was there:
Sodo: It’s about as far south of downtown you can live and still be able to walk there. The area is very industrial, so you’d think rent would be cheaper. It’s not. I shared an artist’s loft with another girl in the Bemis building for a couple of months. The building had some character and we had a ton of space. There’s a train that barrels through all hours of the night and blasts a horn because there’s no arm to stop thru traffic. I live more than a mile away from the place now and I can still hear it. Rent: $900
International District: Rent is really cheap, but there is a high concentration of Asians and crackheads here. All of Seattle has quite a few of both, so if either of those bother you, just stay where you are. I looked at renting a room in one of the hourly hotels they turned into apartments a while back. It really is just a room with an adjacent bathroom. To call it a studio would be rather generous. I also knew someone who lived at the top of Yesler. The place was small, but it was walkable and cheap. Rent: $450-650
First Hill: It’s the devil I know. Also referred to as Pill Hill, a majority of Seattle’s hospitals are here. I lived at the bottom of the hill for most of 2008 because of easy access to bus lines. It’s also close to Capitol Hill where all the good bars and restaurants are. Now I live at the top of the hill, further away from downtown and bus lines but in a much nicer place. Rent: $1000
Central District: Oh noes! Black people! Seriously, I don’t know why Seattlites dis this area so much. I walk my dog through here every night and it’s fine. It’s a quiet neighborhood with older-looking houses. My friend has an apartment up on Jackson and 23rd and it’s nice. I don’t know what rent is, but it’s less expensive and you can still catch a bus from here.
Note: It seems the 12th Avenue corridor between First Hill and the Central District considers itself its own neighborhood. That’s technically where I live. It includes Spruce Park and Remington Court, two other tiny, relatively unknown (but quite nice, IMHO) neighborhoods.
Capitol Hill: If you want to live somewhere nice, be ready to share or pay. I also needed a parking space, which was about $100 on top of rent. You’re probably going to have to deal with some noise the further south you live because it’s close to bars and restaurants, but it’s a fun spot! Rent: $1200
Madison Valley: I found a few older, spacious places duplex-style places here, but I would have had to park my car outside. Each place had something kind of weird about it, like the washer/dryer in the kitchen. It’s quiet here, but you can still walk to some fun things along Madison Street. Rent: $1000
Belltown: It’s by the water, close to downtown and bus lines, and full of nightlife. And yet, when I tried to live there, I nearly went insane. It’s quite possibly the sharpest contrast I’ve seen in Seattle—gentrification at its finest. Yuppies from the suburbs graduate school and want a city-dwelling experience, and they get one alongside drug-pushing scum. If a shooting happens in town, it usually happens here. Again, a parking space will run you another $100. Rent: $1200
Queen Anne: It’s a beautiful neighborhood with stunning views and excellent breakfast places. I didn’t look here much because I couldn’t find a rental that would let me have a 22-foot-long car and a dog. I suggest hunting for deals here if you don’t mind getting a small place that is just slightly out of the way. Also keep in mind that hill is steep.
Ballard: Funny thing about Ballard, once you’re there, you don’t leave. Ever. It’s in the contract. This neighborhood rivals Capitol Hill with its excellent restaurants, fun bars, relaxed atmosphere, and community spirit. Like Madison Valley, many of the rentals are rife with character, but usually in an awkward way. One the duplexes I viewed had a cave under it. A f*cking cave. You just have to keep looking until can find a situation you can live with. Buses go to and from Ballard, but you usually have to go downtown to get anywhere else. Rent: $1000
Fremont: Again, it’s kind of like living on an island. A really fun, boozy island. (There are many excellent breweries and neighborhood bars here.) Gasworks Park is here, probably one of the best in the city. But again, a lot of the rentals are pretty run-down. $1000
Denny Triangle: If you don’t mind walking a little more, you can get where you want to go. There is a HUGE disparity in rent here. There are a bunch of new apartments with so-so views and amazing accommodations. I also looked a place near Whole Foods with lower rent, but those units go fast and can be really hit or miss depending on how the previous tenant left it. Rent: $800/$1600
Beacon Hill/Colombia City: I entertained the idea of living down here, south of the city. If you’re close enough to a light rail stop, it can be pretty awesome. However, be ready for the area to shut down at 10pm. It’s a blue-collar bedroom community. Any of the rentals you would want are houses and converted duplexes. The apartment buildings all look terrible.
Northgate: I viewed an apartment in the new complex by the mall. It was as expensive as living in town and next to a damn mall. You can walk around this area, but I don’t know why you’d want to. No character, all chains. A bunch of guys I know rented a house out here. It was decent, but again, you can’t walk to anything. I don’t even think there was a corner store. Anyway, I’d steer clear of this area unless you work really close by. Rent: $1100
Lake City: I found some decent, spacious condos and duplexes here, but they were all older and not close to anything. I like being able to walk places but Lake City Way leaves much to be desired in terms of simple necessities like grocery stores and a few coffee shops. Rent: $800
Shoreline: Much like Lake City, it’s older and most people buy houses out here. The rentals are okay, but you’re going to have to drive anywhere, and no matter what anyone tells you, it’s a good long ride into the city, especially at rush hour and on weekends. Rent: $800.
West Seattle: This area has some great pubs and restaurants, and it has a nice laid-back small town feel. If you can't afford to live by the beautiful waterfront, there are still a plethora of housing options and a few bus lines. Whether you drive or bus, you still need to cross a bridge to access it, which could be more trouble than it's worth depending on your commute.
Redmond: I worked at Microsoft and still didn’t want to live here. I looked at several apartments and condos. Despite attempts to run buses through many of the neighborhoods, it sucks if you don’t have a car, there’s nothing to do, and it’s not even cheaper than living in Seattle.
Bellevue: Yuppie digs for yuppie kids. It’s like someone put Seattle through a filter that washed out everything fun and relaxed and interesting, leaving only expensive restaurants, clothing boutiques, and tech industry worker bees. I like those things too, but … not like this.
Kirkland: Don’t live here. Everyone is f*cking crazy.
Rents are based on single occupancy, where available. No doubt everyone else had their own unique experiences when apartment hunting, and I realize there are going to be some differing opinions based on personal criteria. I hope this provides some useful information, but please be ready to invest a fair amount of time doing some leg-work on your own. Seattle is a diverse city with an abundance of diverse neighborhoods, and finding one where you feel comfortable is worth every moment you spend looking. Good luck!
