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My son will be moving in Sept. to Seattle to attend grad. school. He is looking for an apt. or rental in the area north of the Univ. of Washington. He did email the police to find out the safer areas but has not heard back. What neighborhoods are safer than others? He heard the Greenlake district is pretty good. Does anyone know of a website which is similar to BPN in the Seattle area that lists rentals (something other than Craigslist)? Any advice will be welcome.
Greenlake is nice and if he likes to run or walk, then around the lake is great for it. A nice loop. I think buses are probably pretty good up to Greenlake, too.
Probably lots of rental houses in Montlake area which is south of 'the cut' (south of the canal just on the southside of campus).
East of the U, towards U Village and Sand Point Way there are homes and apartments. Probably also a regular bus. Not sure how many students live out that way. A nice neighborhood, too and Magnuson park is right on Lake Washington.
Lots of apartments along Eastlake Drive, and buses. it is just east of Lake Union, but that is further from the U.
So lots of good neighborhoods.Good farmers markets 3 seasons out of the year. Good coffee. good bus system and good food. Very nice folks. good workout gym for students near U village side of campus. Just remember there is not much day light in the winter due to the short days. If this is somewhat important to him, make sure he does not get a basement apartment.
Congrats to him - I'm sure he'll find a good place. anonymous
I am a work from hom Dad of three (5yr, 3yr and 9 mo)and my wife is being transferred to work in dwntwn seattle. With our oldest starting Kindergarten in the Fall of 09 - I am panicking about figuring out neighborhoods ASAP to rent or buy so I can get her into school. My wife will work downtown and would prefer a shortish communte. I am a Bay area native (Oakland as a kid and college at Cal) and hate leaving Alameda - where we love walking all over the island and taking the ferry or Bart to work. Any suggestions on great neighbrohoods for families with young kids with reasonable access to downtown? Are the islands worth looking into (Mercer, Bainbridge, etc)? I have looked on the archives but most of the posts are several years old and I know the housing climate has changed. Help! Kevin
Here are somethings you probably want to ask yourself:
1) Do you want to live in an urban or suburban area?
2) public, private or parochial schools?
3) Racially diverse (good luck with that) or are you OK being in an
almost entirely caucasian neighborhood?
4) rent or buy? How much can you afford? How much space do you need?
5) will you have two cars or do you need to be near public
transportation?
I'd be happy to have a phone call or email exchange with you to talk about the different options based on your answers to these questions. Or the easy way out - live in Seattle (crossing bridges = bad commute). I've lived in Phinney, Fremont, Ballard, Ravenna and loved them all. I like Columbia City (up and coming, more racially diverse) and wallingford (to crowded but cute).
Or...buy the Seattle Times School Guide and pick your neighborhood based on your school requirements (I don't send my kids to public school so it's tough for me to say). Sharma
''I think the deadline for kindergarten registration is at the end of Feb., so panicking seems perfectly reasonable. I would put Phinney Ridge (the zoo, lots of good restaurants, the phinney neighborhood association) and Ravenna (great parks and third place books, and there is a nice rec center there with kids classes and a drop-in play space) at the top of my list for kid-friendly neighborhoods. I think they both have good bus service to downtown, at least during commuter hours. I really don't think of Mercer Island to downtown as a shortish commute. Anything east of Lake Washington can make for an unpleasant commute regardless of the distance in miles. Bainbridge might be okay if you didn't mind the cost of the ferry and parking. But it seems to me that the islands would make you much more car dependent than you would be in a close-in neighborhood like Ravenna, Greenlake, Fremont or Phinney. So there's my two cents! I wish them good luck!!''
My additional two cents is that Bainbridge and Mercer Island both are much snootier than Alameda. I would not recommend. Magnolia is a small-townish, kid-friendly neighborhood very close to downtown. That's where I spent my high school years. Queen Anne Hill is much hipper and busier, but still great and very walkable - you can even walk to downtown from there (or bus it).
Good luck! Seattle is great. The only caveat is that it's a bit harder to meet people there. But maybe with kids it'll be easier? Alexandra
If you are buying a home I highly recommend Gratzi Anderson and her husband Ken. We used them for hunting for a house to buy and in selling our house when we moved back to Alameda. They are a husband and wife duo and are FANTASTIC. I really wish they could have helped us out here. They are located in the Magnolia Windermere office too.
http://www.windermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=agentOffice.AgentDetail&agentMetauser_ID=2899
I really miss it but love where we are now. Good Luck! Dreaming of Seattle
My husband is getting a job at Microsoft, so we are looking to relocate from San Leandro in the next month or so. We have been told that the commute from the west side to Microsoft is pretty bad and that it makes most sense to live on the east side. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on nice neighborhoods near parks or running trails etc... We have a 3 year old boy and a big dog who both need to get a lot of exercise! Also, I don't like new homes or housing communities and I see a lot of those in that area. Our idea is rent initially until we find an area that really appeals to us. Any information on the best school districts would also be useful. Thanks for any advice you have for us!
I guess it depends on how much $ they have to spend on housing. Also, depends on which campus they will be on for Msoft. For good schools and a 1/2 way point they might try Mercer Island. And yes, the commute is awful from Seattle to Redmond. They could also try Kirkland although I don't know much about the schools there. The Lake Washington school district is supposed to be a good one as well. Boundaries in that area are tricky so they would need to talk to someone who knows the district well to be sure to get a house in the right area. The Issaqauah school district and Redmond districts would be next as far as quality. Housing in those areas is a mixed bag of older neighborhoods and developments. They'll just need to drive around and see what they like. Former Seattle resident too
My husband has just received a job offer in the Seattle area (Bellevue)and is fairly certain he is going to take it. This will be a big move for our family. While I have visited once, I honestly don't know anything about the Seattle area. My husband is taking a trip in two weeks in order to look for a place for us to live (the company wants him to start in June). We will have only one car, and have a 2 1/2 year-old son. From what I've seen, Bellevue is more expensive than some of the other nearby communities. We have also started looking at Issaquah and Bothell. Since we'll only have one car, I guess what I would like to know is if anyone knows what public transportation is like in that area. I don't mind moving farther out from Bellevue and letting my husband have the car, as long as I can get on the bus and go places with my son. We currently have a very unique living situation and pay almost no rent, and I would like to go where rent will be on the cheaper side. Any suggestions for neighborhoods to look in? Places to avoid? I'm not too worried about schools, since I'm sure we'll either buy a house or move again by the time my son goes to school. Just don't want to feel stuck. I'm also in the middle of quitting my job to become a stay at home mom, so there are going to be lots of adjustments. Any advice would be appreciated. seattle or bust
We too have made the move from the East Bay (Oakland) to the Puget Sound area (Kirkland). Like the Bay Area, it's hard to generalize the PS area as a whole, other than to say the weather is mild but wet, and getting around is quite difficult. Public transportation consists only of buses.
We lived in downtown Bellevue for 6 months. I would liken it to Walnut Creek or Santa Clara, a formerly upscale suburb with excellent schools that is growing rapidly with increasing density. Shopping and restaurants would be a walk or easy bus ride, although most businesses are chains.
Depending on where you are moving from, you may want to try to live in Seattle proper. More diverse, with distinct neighborhoods & character missing on the East Side. The trouble will be your husband's commute, as morning traffic across Lake Washington is worse than anything in the Bay Area (coming from someone who lived in the Macarthur Maze). Depending on where in Bellevue, it may be under 30 minutes most days, though.
I don't believe you can function in Bothell or Issaquah with one car. While they are growing, those communities are far enough out that the commute will be a chore and you will feel isolated.
All told, the area is great for families--there are many opportunities here, crime is low, public schools are valued. Please feel free to email me with more specific questions. Casey
We are moving to Seattle. We have a 1.5 year old baby and are looking forward to purchasing our first home. We would like advice/recommendations about good neighborhoods with good public schools (please give names of schools), a good pediatrician for our baby, and a good OBGYN since webRelocating to Seattle - Bainbridge Island?re probably going to have another baby. Any other information you can think of would be helpful as well. Thank you Seattle, here we come!
And here's contact info (also on link): Address: Pediatric Associates Pine Lake 22717 SE 29th St Sammamish, WA 98075 Location: Eastside - King County Phone: (425) 391-7337 Anon.
In the end, I think we made the right decision. We go into Seattle pretty often (it's no more than 25 minutes to the zoo and to most of the areas we want to get to), so in many ways we get the best of both worlds.
I can't give specific school names in Seattle, but some of the neighborhoods you might want to consider are Laurelhurst (pricy), Wallingford, and Ballard.
We have a pediatrician but aren't sure how much we like the office yet, and we don't have an ob-gyn, since we're done having kids (ours are nearly 5 and 2.5).
Feel free to email me if you have any follow-up questions of want to get in touch after your move Michael
Pediatrician: Dr. Matthew Allen at Ballard Pediatrics, Dr. Drew Fillipo at North Seattle Pediatrics OB/GYN: Anna Daniel @ Seattle Ob/Gyn Neighborhoods (in Seattle proper) with good schools: Questionable. I've heard some good things about Madison Park Elementary in Madison Park, as well as Laurelhurst Elementary in Laurelhurst. Personally, I recommend skipping the public schools in Seattle and going private. There are some good schools, and some good teachers at schools, but principals tend to be switched out often, and good schools don't always stay good schools. As far as private schools, we like Evergreen, of course, and lots of people like UCDS. If you want really good public schools, you'll need to move to the Eastside - Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland or Redmond (the last two are both Lake Washington School District). However, having tried living on the Eastside, I don't recommend it. Neighborhoods otherwise: West Seattle, Ballard, Phinney Ridge (our favorite, of course, since we live there), Wedgewood, Wallingford, Ravenna
I just reviewed the wonderful information in the archives about Seattle. Our family may have an opportunity to relocate to that area, and we are curious about living on Bainbridge Island. In particular, I'd love to hear from families with small children about what it is like to live there. What kinds of parks and activities are available for children? Preschools? Are you happy with the public schools there (I've heard they're top notch, but would love to hear from someone whose children go there). How is the commute to Seattle? Are there natural grocery stores, produce markets with organic produce? What are the different areas of Bainbridge like? Other than artists, what kinds of people live there? Basically, I'm interested in any information about what it is like to live there. Thanks so much.
On the other hand, a great grocery store is Town & Country, which is right on the main drag after you get off the ferry.
Before my parents moved there, my mom was sick, and made my dad go ahead to all the grocery stores and take pictures of the organic produce to see if she liked it and could SURVIVE living there. She was cranky at first and it barely passed muster (I attribute that to being sick) but now she's a fanatic for it.
There are also great coffee shops (of course) and a superb bakery on the main drag that's very popular. There's a movie theater right near that main drag, too. I don't eat out much when there (I'd love to try the sushi place) but my mom is a such a food freak that we can't. But when she was sick, we did try some restaurants. They're not all that special. Go to Seattle for fine dining.
Take note of my previous mention of the ferry. Getting to Seattle isn't hard, but it's a 30 min ferry ride and if you're in your car, sometimes they fill up and it takes planning ahead, leaving early, etc., at busy times to make sure you get on. You can also walk on the ferry if you don't need a car on the other end.
There are a lot of families there - the schools are very good as I understand it and if you go on the ferry, it's like an intervention for having kids if you don't have any. Everyone has a baby, a toddler, a grade school kid, teens are on it on their own, etc.
The weather, naturally, is just like Seattle's, which can be a downer. Summers are nice, generally, but come Oct 1 it's gray dreary and drizzly. I don't mind it as a visitor - but I think it might wear on you. It's not so much that it outright rains, but there's always some dripping going on and it's rather cold.
I'd say overall though, it's a wonderful place to live. I'd love living there. Anon
We are considering moving to Seattle so that I can attend graduate school at UW. It's a difficult decision for us because we love the Bay Area and we don't know much about Seattle. What neighborhoods are good, particularly if one person is working downtown and the other attending UW and you have an infant? Is it possible to commute without driving? Does anyone know of an online network of parents similar to this one for parents in Seattle? How good are the public schools? Recommendations regarding preschools would also be useful. For those of you have lived in Seattle did the weather drive you crazy? what did you like most? least? Any other thoughts or advice are welcome. trying to learn more about seattle
The public transportation in Seattle is excellent too- safe, clean, inexpensive and wide-reaching.
The weather is abysmal. Take trips away in Jan or Feb to alleviate depression! Or just invest in good rain gear and play. The easy hiking, skiing, camping, water access in Seattle make it all worthwhile. And the food scene is amazing, if that's your thing.
I can put you in touch with other families with young children if it helps, or if you have specific questions that don't get answered here. Hilary
If you're attending UW and don't have a car, I'd recommend Wallingford, Eastlake, Ravenna, Fremont, Montlake, and some parts of Capital Hill. All of them are bus friendly to campus and parts of all have easy bus commutes to both campus and downtown. It is possible to commute without driving, particularly from those areas. (We lived in Eastlake right on Lake Union and neither of us ever needed a car.)
I can't comment on having a child in Seattle, as we weren't parents then, but I would think it's similar to the Bay Area in terms of resources. Some friends of ours there aren't too happy with the public schools, but I have heard lots of positive about the schools in Laurelhurst. The closest bus friendly neighborhoods to Laurelhurst are Ravenna and Montlake.
As for the weather, well, it's not the rain that's the problem, it's the gray/dark skies. Winters are dreary more than wet. Summers are glorious, which was the one thing that made waiting through the winters bearable. Even given that, I'd move back there without hesitation. We loved it. Lori
The good stuff:
1. it is beautiful (when not raining)
2. there are a lot of places to explore outside of Seattle:
Vancover, BC, the Olympic Mtns., Mt. Ranier, the Cascades, there
are a lot of islands that are fun to go to on the ferry. The
Arboretum is a fantastic place, and there is a lot of bike
riding opportunities as well.
3. it is a pretty liberal place and you are likely to find a lot
of like minded people within Seattle proper. Outside Seattle
proper tends to be redneckish.
4. there are great coffee shops (Cafe Vita is one of the best),
resturants (Cafe Flora, The Asteroid Cafe, lots of fantastic
Thai food, seafood, etc.), music (indie stuff and well as jazz),
beer (there are a lot of great brew pubs: the 6 Arms, the
Elysian, more)
5.As for kids, I never had any when living there, but a couple
of friends of mine did. There are things to do in Seattle Center-
ferris wheel, science museum, that kind of stuff. I would
definitely suggest joining a Y or something along those lines,
because you will be spending a lot of time indoors due to
weather.
6. I loved going to school at UW. It is a beautiful campus and I
had a great learning experience there.
7. When the weather is nice, it is the most beautiful place I
have been. It is green, lots of Mountains to look at, etc.
7. Seattle is a pretty small city, so it is easy to get around
by bus.
8. Areas that are fun to live in: Wallingford (the astroid cafe
is there a great Itlian resturant), Fremont, Greenlake. Those
areas are more family oriented. Capital Hill is a fun place to
live, but more single oriented. Queen Anne is a great area near
downtown, but if you live on upper Queen Anne there is less
public transportation, and Lower Queen Anne is pretty busy and
might not be a great place with kids. Ballard is a great area as
well. It is a little farther out, but there are lots of families
there, and you can get to downtown and the UW by bus.
Cons:
1. the weather can get to you. It rains a lot. I remember one
summer where is was nice for about two weeks and the rest of the
time it rained. That is really what drove me to leave, the
weather. Every winter I was depressed. Sun lamps might be a good
investment. The year before I moved here it rained every day for
3 months!!
2. In my opinion Seattle has become a little sterile in the past
few years. I have visited a few times and there were a lot of
mom and pop places that I loved to go to that are not longer
there. They have gotten bought and converted to these bright,
shiny places without much character. Seattle is a much cleaner
city though and I did like that. Not a lot of garbage, etc. SF
can seem pretty down and dirty at times. Seattle does not have
that feel.
3. Leave Seattle proper and you are in redneck land. there are a
couple of areas that aren't like that such as Bellevue, and some
of it's surrounding areas, but there is definitely a more
conservative bent to beliefs and goings on outside of Seattle.
Definitely not like the Bay Area.
4. There is not a whole lot of diversity. It has gotten better
over the years I think, but it is still pretty white bread. A
very good friend of mine had some unsavory things said to her
while living there (she is bi-racial). I think it is getting
progressively better, but definitely not like here.
5. the local gov't did things that drove me insane. For example
they built a football stadium and a baseball stadium across the
street from each other, but there is no real parking available
and limited public transportation. Also building the baseball
stadium was contenious to begin with. It was voted down twice by
the voters to build it, but they went ahead and built it anyway.
Paul Allen has purchased a lot of property in Downtown Seattle
and it changing it to suit his vision. Some think this is good,
I am think it's not. This is most evident in Seattle Center.
They need to improve the availablity of public transportation.
Basically all the transportation is along the North-South
corridor. If anyone lives East or West, it gets more difficult.
6. Traffic can be as bad as here.
Overall I had a great time living in Seattle for the time I was there, but I was ready to leave when I did. Good luck on your decision!! lisa
After living in the Bay Area for 10 years, my husband and I, due to a career opportunity that has arisen for him, are moving our family back to Seattle where we both grew up. We have a 17 month old son and are expecting a new baby in the fall. Though we grew up there, we feel like we will be starting over in a new city since many of our friends have left and we are out of touch with the Seattle scene. Our child is bi-racial (Asian and Caucasian), and it is important for us to find a neighborhood that is fairly diverse and where there are lots of young families. We have been so happy with Oakland (in particular, our neighborhood in the Crocker Highlands), and are hoping to find a similar situation. Schools are also a consideration and we'd like to find an area where there are decent public elementary schools. We would appreciate any insights and recommendations on diverse, child-centric neighborhoods with decent public schools within Seattle.
Secondly, we are looking for recommendations on good OBGYNs and Pediatricians. Third, does anyone know of a community group similar to the Berkeley Parents Network (preferably email based)? Also, once I'm up there, I'd like to join a mother's group as a way to make new friends. I would love any referrals to groups similar to East Bay Moms or Sherry Reinhart's groups.
Lastly, I am a little freaked out about dealing with the weather up there, especially with a highly active toddler that loves the outdoors. We will miss the weather here and our daily walks! Does anyone have ideas on how parents with young children cope with all of the rain? Thanks so much!
I loved my pediatrician, Gary Spector. He is high energy, up to date, funny, responsive. Not so much the warm and fuzzy nurturing type, more the kind who entertains your child while giving you good info. Seattle Community College has a very good parent/child playgroup- moderated- that would be a good way to meet people.
As for rain, you take your kids out whenever you can. It doesn't often rain hard enough to keep people indoors. Bring a towel to the playground and wipe off the equipment- that's a must. There are indoor playgrounds and play areas as well- there is one at Green Lake tht we used to go to. The science and children's museums are good destinations. Go ride a ferry- that's always fun for little ones.
We lived in Mount Baker, which is southwest of downtown. It's a diverse neighborhood next to Lake Washington- we liked it a lot. Capitol Hill is great although more expensive.
Seattle is lots of fun with little kids- you'll enjoy it! gbuckles
That being said, let me answer some of your questions. We live in Ballard, which is a family-oriented and diverse neighborhood in Seattle. It's still pretty white compared to the Bay Area, but we've seen the demographic breakdowns of many neighborhoods, and it's among the more diverse. People also seem to like Queen Anne, although it's more hilly and not as easy for the kids to ride bikes or walk places. Maple Leaf is supposed to be family friendly too, but it's further from downtown. (Ballard is a 10-15 minute drive.) You can find out a lot of info about all of this stuff by going to this website: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/webtowns/index.asp?from=jumptoHP
There is great information about the public schools online -- not just test scores, but also surveys of the students and the teachers to give you a sense of people's happiness at the various schools. http://www.seattleschools.org
I haven't needed an OBGYN yet, but we love our pediatrician and think they run a great practice. They're over by the university. Our doctor is Dr. Kathy Risse at Sand Point Pediatrics: (206) 525-8000. We've heard good things about other doctors in the practice as well.
Haven't found a group like this up here -- I'll be interested to see if others know of one!
And finally, the weather. A friend who lived in the South of England and has visited Seattle commented: ''The climate is similar, only in Seattle, they acknowledge that it rains a lot and build things accordingly.'' There are indoor pools open year round, community centers with tot playrooms, lots of good places for small children to run around when it's cloudy or rainy. Another thought: people complain about SAD -- the seasonal affective disorder that comes when there are strings of dark days. My friends and colleagues tell me if you make one trip to the sunshine during the dark months, it's bearable. And it makes you very grateful for the sun when it is here. Personally, I think SAD has it's California counterpart: SES -- sunshine entitlement syndrome. I've lived in a couple of sunny good-weather places in my life, and for certain people there is a kind of constant dissatisfaction that comes from expecting it to be ''nice'' out all the time. It's kind of an existential thing: like, if I'm paying all this money to live in this beautiful place, why am I not a more fulfilled person? The sunny days are taken for granted and the not-nice ones are a betrayal by the universe. I think a lot of it comes down to attitude and expectations.
Anyway, good luck in all your moving. You didn't ask, but we also had a great realtor who was able to help us with our long-distance move. Her name is Cindy Oneal.
Things to do with young children:
- Seattle Center: has several great museums that have
areas devoted to kids, including the Pacific Science Center
and the Seattle Children’s Museum. Plus huge outdoor
fountain with music and coordinated spurting, lots of
festivals on holidays. Also an amusement park that runs
every day during the summer and early fall.
- Woodland Park Zoo great fun and lots of beautiful
gardens nearby.
- WA State Ferries take the Bainbridge Island ferry or just
about any of the other ferries for a fun ride to see the water,
skyline, birds, occasional sea life.
- Parks there are lots of nice parks, but a few are our
favorites. Carkeek Park in northern Seattle is right on the
Puget Sound, with great tidepooling on low tides, plus huge
grassy field for soccer, etc. Large and varied playground
and lots of trails through the woods. Discovery Park is also
on the water near Ballard. It’s really big, has an interpretive
center and lots of kid’s activities that run throughout the year.
Seattle Parks and Recreation has a website that lists all
this. Plus each neighborhood in Seattle has its own
community center, almost all with a pool and swimming
programs. They also have ''tot rooms'' that are open various
hours each day during the fall, winter and spring filled with
age appropriate toys for kids 0-4 years. Great place to head
to if it’s raining.
- Waterfront Pike Place market is a tourist mecca, but also
a fun place to take kids, especially during the week in the
winter when there aren’t that many people around. The
whole waterfront area is pretty cool. There’s the Seattle
Aquarium, and the Maritime Museum that are nice, plus
shops and boats, etc.
Neighborhoods, schools, etc.:
- We have family in Seattle, so we were tuned in right from
the start. We lived in the Ravenna neighborhood just north
of the University of Washington. Nearby are Wedgewood,
Green Lake, Maple Leaf, View Ridge all nice places. The
schools are good here (my neice is in the gifted program at
the local middle school (Eckstein Middle School) and is
thriving. I’m not sure which elementary school she went to.
You might also consider West Seattle, where a good friend
with kids the same age as ours lives. She loves it.
- Preschools: We HIGHLY recommend the Perkins
Preschool on Ravenna Ave and 65th St. NE. Our 4 year old
was there for this whole year and absolutely loved it. It’s
fairly academic for the 4 and 5 year olds, pretty traditional for
the 3 year olds (I’m not sure how young they are to start).
The staff is terrific, the facilities very good, great families.
You can The director is Candi Schneider, phone is
206-524-1132.
Doctors:
- We highly recommend Dr. David Springer, pediatrician.
Office 4005 Wallingford N. Seattle, WA 98103, phone:
206-632-0542. He is a really warm and sort of Santa-like
guy (don’t tell him I said that!!). He’s very experienced in
traditional pediactrics, but also inclusive of homeopathic
approaches. His staff of nurses and practitioners is
wonderful. I think he’s taking new patients, but probably
best to call. If he’s not, I’m sure he could refer you to other
pediatricians.
- Dentist: We didn’t establish our kids with a dentist, since
we were only up here a year and have a great dentist at
home, but our younger daughter hit her head on the coffee
table when she was 12 months old and knocked out one of
her front teeth. We took her to the emergency room where
they did the extraction, but then referred us to a pediatric
dentist for after care. We were able to get an appointment
with one of her colleagues in the office, but not her.
However, we were extremely impressed with the office, the
staff and how quickly they accommodated us. The dentist is
Dr. Camille Sata, 7900 E. Greenlake Drive N. Suite 210,
Seattle, WA 98103, 206-522-1565. I think her practice may
be closed at the moment, but worth looking into.
- Hospitals: Seattle Children’s Hospital is affiliated with the
UW Hospitals and is located not far from the campus. Top
notch place.
Mothers groups:
- I never joined one since we moved right in to my family’s
neighborhood, but I noticed that many of the neighborhood
community centers had programs for families, including
moms. I’m sure there are other resources available. I
found Seattle to be very much like the Bay area in the
diversity of programs and resources around, but at a more
human scale.
Weather: Like you, I was ambivalent about spending even one winter up here, but we were lucky and got a very dry and mild winter. On the whole Seattle is set up with things to do that are weather-independent. Plus, the mountains and ocean around here are so beautiful that I’d even go out in the rain. And when we say it rains up in Seattle, it’s not like the rain in San Francisco. It’s more of a drizzly rain and often gray and overcast, not the driving rain we get the Bay Area. So even if it’s wet, it’s still pretty easy to get around outside. It can be a pain with kids, however, since the park is no fun when everything is wet. But I was very pleasantly surprised. Plus, the summers help make up for it.
Hope this helps. Have a great move and I guarantee you will like Seattle. We loved it!! Gretchen
Neighborhoods: Ballard's becoming more diverse, has a couple of very good elementary schools (Whittier, Loyal Heights) & lots of families w/young kids. Columbia City is very diverse, and has families w/young kids, but schools in South Seattle aren't the best. The less diverse north end of Seattle tends to have the better schools.
Doctors Love Dr. Rhonda Levitt's practice at NW Peds near Northgate.
Community For support, try the MOMS Club of Seattle (look online at the momsclub.org for contact info) or PEPS if you have kids under 3 (pepsgroup.org) To my knowledge, Seattle doesn't have something comparable to BPN.
Weather Visit the indoor playgrounds at community centers around Seattle; visit storytimes and active museums like the Children's Museum & indoor toddler playspace at Pacific Science Center; go to the library and play in the childrens' area (libaries in the King County Library System are especially kid- friendly); if all else fails, head to Bellevue Square and the indoor playspaces there. Joanna
We are seriously considering moving to the Seattle area as a work opportunity has arisen there. We have been up for a trip and like what we see (apart from the weather - yuk). Does anyone have any advice on good places to live that is similar to Albany/Berkeley which I love. I am looking for a community that is very young family oriented - especially in good school districts. If anyone has any advice I would appreciate it. Thanks Julie
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