Just becuase I'm curious. And if you live there what's your favorite as far living there? I realize that a great place to live may not be a fun place to visit and vice versa. And becuase I may move there after graduation ( 2 more years so who knows) which is the best affordable neighborhood? Like I said I"m just curious.
I'll start. The last time I was there I really like the U-District. Like I've said in another post it's like it's own little city. Lots of cool places to go shopping on the street but the mall is nice too. There was a real hustle and bustle about the place that I liked. I also liked shopping in Capital Hill. My hometown has a Broadway but not one as interesting as Capitol Hill's. A few more homeless than I'm used to at home but they weren't bothersome. Capitol Hill seemed to be more lively at night which I like becuase I'm a night owl.
But the thing I liked about Seattle was it has like little downtowns not just one. I think there's 6 downtown, U-District, capitol Hill, ballard, Queen Anne, and Fremont that I know of. Are there other little "downtowns" that I might have missed last time I was there? I did go to Bellevue but I was there at night so I just saw lots of tall buildings and empty streets needless to say I wasn't impressed. And I heard Kirkland has a nice one.

Used to live in (and really like) the U-District - but that was many, many years ago and it's really gone downhill. Lots of street people now, and many of the shops are having a really hard time staying in business. It's been getting lots of press over the last couple of years as they are trying hard to rejuvinate the area, but so far the results are a bit mixed.

Really like downtown Kirkland, but it's not cheap.

Ballard is pretty cool. Kind'a like its' own little city. You might consider there.

Another place to investigate is Columbia City. It used to be a really bad section of town, but it's my understanding that it's moving towards redevelopment and may well have a bright future. Haven't been there in a while so I can't say for sure what it is like now, but you might want to check into it and see for yourself.

Ken

You said best "affordable" neighborhood. That makes it very tough. Probably, as Lord Balfour says, something south of the ship canal, like Columbia City or Georgetown near Boeing Field - formerly derelict now making a Soho-type comeback (well, not really Soho...) with artsy types and multiple espresso and tattoo places.

West Seattle, like Ballard, is also very much an independent and trendi-fying area. (Both were independent cities before Seattle engulfed them.) Alki is not affordable (in my book) but up on top has affordable areas.

The City is spending millions to make the U District more hygenic and palatable - street improvements, more police, flower baskets - but the Ave is still full of vacant storefronts waiting to become bubble tea shops. Patience, I guess...

I like Queen Anne and Seward Park.

Now, I must defend my Bellevue as I live just north of it in Redmond, an even more boring city. Bellevue and the Eastside in general is essentially for people who have settled down with families and/or people who want a quieter lifestyle. If one is a night person who likes city hustle and bustle, then odds are they would find the Eastside incredibly dull. It's not that Bellevue doesn't have a nightlife, it's just a different kind of nightlife than one would find in Seattle. You're far more likely to find a restaurant offering an intimate jazz concert than you will a hopping club. Bellevue does have nightclubs, but they are few and far between because it's a family dominated suburb.

It is all taste however. I'm single and in my 20s, but I prefer quiet evenings at home as opposed to nightlife, so I prefer a quieter living environment. As you said, a great place to live is not necessarily a great place to visit. If someone lives on the Eastside and wants "city" excitement at night, then that's what I-90 and 520 were made for. Seattle may be a million miles away in ideaology when compared to the Eastside, but not distance

BTW, I second Lord Balfor. Even if a place like Kirkland was to your liking, it's very expensive to live east of the lake.

I live in the north U District and although there are things I love (farmers market, walk to movies, shops, etc) I miss living on Queen Anne! My favorite area to play is Beltown (dt) and I like Fremont too!

I have lived in Bellevue and Kirkland and they are just too quiet for me. I always say that eastsiders are soft cause they don't have to fight or pay for parking!

Even in the spendy areas you can always find a good deal on an apartment if the timing is right! I lived on QA for 5 years and had a 2 bed/2 bath apartment for $900 a month! With free parking!!

One area I haven't seen mentioned which I think is really nice (I lived there years ago when I was a student) is Greenlake. I still like to go and walk around the lake sometime--I think it has a great feel. I also lived in Alki, which I loved (and at the time was not pricey) and the U-district,which is a fun place with lots of good, inexpensive restaurants.

I live in north Bellevue now near the state park, but I'm older and not into "night-life," but love having a huge yard so I can have a big dog and garden and be near the best dogpark in the world (Marymoor). Different priorities now. We go into Seattle when we want nightlife or to see the opera or ballet.

Thanks for the replies. I had heard mixed reviews about Columbia City. But I'll check it out next time I'm in the city. I also want to go to Alki beach. If I was to move to Seattle which I'd like to do I'd probaly move to Ballard or Northgate in the city or Kent or Renton for the suburbs.

We visited Alki Beach in August when we went to Salty's for dinner. The views of Seattle from the restaurant were just beautiful. ***kim***

Speaking of Salty's - they have a GREAT Sunday brunch. Not cheap mind you, but great food and a really nice view. Get there early though, the lines are long to get in.

Ken

Keri, is this a buffet or can you order off of the menu, also? I'm imagining all the wonderful seafood if it is a buffet. ***kim***

I think you can also order off the menu, but mostly the Sunday brunch is famous for the buffet.

Here's a link:

http://www.saltys.com/alki/brunch.htm

Ken