Coming from Manhattan, we are stuck in our ways of the apartment. We do not want the maintenance (or cost) of keeping up an entire house. We are having difficulty finding an apartment in our price range. I also thought that since I will be working downtown- it could be a very easy commute for me to live downtown as well. Is it common for families to live downtown or is it more left to the professional/retiree singles and couples?

Is it common for families to live downtown or is it more left to the professional/retiree singles and couples?

The latter, but "downtown" is a far different term in Seattle than it is in NYC (aside from the specific definition of "downtown" in Manhattan.) A number of residential-kids-welcome areas are within a 10-15 min. bus ride of the downtown office core.

g7115, one of my nearest and dearest has lived on Queen Anne for 7 or 8 years now; I'll ask her for her impressions of the places on 3rd and 2nd.

Gardyloo- Good to know since we have young ones. A kid friendly environment is definitely a priority.

Dsquared- I would appreciate any local insights as I am having to do so much of this legwork online from NY.

Kids makes a big difference. For a combination of kids-friendly plus condo-style accommodations, I probably would be looking at N. Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont, or Madison Park. There are multifamily properties of various sorts in most areas ofthe city, but some, like First Hill or Belltown/Regrade IMO really don't have facilities or amenities that are supportive of young families.

Seattle is overwhelmingly a city of single-family-detached neighborhoods; while there are plenty of apartments and condos, they're much more geared to singles and couples than families.

You really ought to spend a weekend driving around with a realtor to get a first-person sense of what's what.

Have you tried craigslist.org? Take a look there, you can enter in your price range. I wasn't suggesting not looking for an apartment, rather, not looking for one in a high-rise.

With kids, I don't think I'd want to be in Belltown. It's a hipper crowd, more singles/young couples. The restaurants are also bars, and later in the evening turn exclusively into bars. You won't get as much space for your money and there aren't as many kid friendly amentities (parks).

I wouldn't hesitate to look into some of eastside neighborhoods of Bellevue, Mercer Island or Kirkland. It may be too suburban for you, and the pricing won't necessarily be any better, but the schools are some of the best in the state/country. And, mass transit can get you across the pond *fairly* efficiently.

I would not want to live downtown or Belltown with a family. I don't think many people do. It is most definitely geared toward and being marketed for professionals, singles or couples w/out children.

You really do need to come spend some time here!! After hearing your situation, I'd consider those homes on Queen Anne (and hire a gardener -lol!).

Seattle is a city of neighborhoods, each with a very distinct personality. People are very loyal and identify with the different areas. I might move condo but would never leave "the Hill" for example.

I disagree about biking with someone above. Several people at my office commute that way. Certainly you need a city-level of skill to be safe, but it can easily be done.

Thanks for letting us know you have kids. There are no schools downtown or in Belltown. You are not going to find a desirable condo for a family in the city because most of them aren't big enough for a family. There are loads of studios and one-bedrooms, but two-bedroom condos are much harder to find, and I've never seen a three-bedroom condo (but there must be one somewhere).

The mayor and city council have expressed that they WANT to make downtown a better place for families, but right now there's just not the parks, playgrounds, schools, etc, that families like. Neighborhoods like Queen Anne or Capitol Hill (esp. near Volunteer Park, with it's wading pool, big playground and grassy areas) would be better for kids, IMO.

I work downtown and tons of my collegues bike. You might decide the bus is better for going up steep hills, but lots of people do it.

This is the most confusing mess I've read on Fodor's in a long time. I think g7115 should get a real estate agent and leave us alone.

Good advice.

A bit disjointed but I think confusing mess is a bit harsh there magiccarpet.

Part of the "problem" was I assumed this was for a working couple no kids when they asked about downtown high rises, walking distance to bars, etc. Didn't realize children were involved until on down the thread. Obviously that changed some of our replies.

Interestingly enough there aren't any conflicting opinions (like usually happens) just loads of information on options.

Magiccarpet, if you want to be "left alone" just disable the left button on your mouse.

Mercer Island is very family-friendly, and they are building apartments and condos there like crazy. Not exactly high-rise, but 4 stories or so. These are right in the "downtown" area of Mercer island, with shops and a few restaurants, but nothing fancy (although the Bistro coming to the Mercer should be very nice). There are very good bus connections to downtown during commute hours; it takes about 15 minutes. I sometimes ride my bike (there is a bike lane) but that takes about 45 minutes.

The schools there are considered the best in the state (along with Bellevue). And there are nice parks with playfields, swimming beaches, etc.

If you're looking online by zipcode, it is 98040.

Gardyloo,old boy,

Gee whizz, I don't want to be left alone. What gave you that idea? I just find it annoying when a poster keeps moving the goal posts and isn't realistic. You know--like those who want to visit the Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, the Olympic National Park, and the San Juan Islands during a 7-day (6-night) vacation.

Having looked up those houses g7115 described as "nice," I think that he/she really needs to come to Seattle and tour properties with a good real estate agent to gain a stronger grip on reality.

If you find this post fun, keep writing--I always enjoying readying what you have to so.

I have a fare; I must be off.

Magiccarpet

Magic Carpet- Naturally, we will be visiting the city before we buy. You mentioned that you looked up the properties that I posted earlier and that a good real estate agent would help us get a stronger grip on reality. In YOUR opinion, are these places not “nice”? Bear in mind- I am going by 1 carefully cropped photograph on the internet. These are shots in the dark and, as I mentioned before, I appreciate any and all information.

Excellent.

Use this website (most user friendly one I have found) and you'll get more than one photo for most properties. You're right, it does appear there are loads of smaller single-family houses in that price range.
www.seattle-realestate.com