Hi all!
My husband has gotten a job that takes him to Seattle for 6 weeks beginning this July (mid). The rub is that I will have just given birth to our new baby (1st) a month earlier.He's working right by the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (Pine and 9th). Any recs on good neighborhoods and/or temporary housing for us? I'd like to be someplace where I can walk around (stumble is more like it) with the baby and have shopping, coffee places and some kind of stimulus nearby. It would also be nice to be within walking distance of where he'll be. I'm told Capitol Hill and Belltown are good. Any thoughts?

You will be in Seattle during our best weather--lucky you.

You are correct that Belltown and Capitol Hill are your best choices.

The main advantage of Belltown is that you won't have to deal with a hill walking from downtown to your apartment. It has plenty of coffee shops and restaurants, and it within walking distance of the convention center, department stores, movie houses, theaters, and everything else that the bustling downtown has to offer.

The one big drawback of Belltown is that it does not have a full-service grocery store such as Safeway or Kroger's. If you like to do most of your grocery shopping at a corner grocery and the Pike Place Market, you'll be o.k.

Capitol Hill IMO is more of a neighborhood. It has everything you're looking for and excellent bus service if you sometimes don't want to walk up a hill.

thank you happytrails! I've used this forum quite a bit but I'm mainly on the European boards or i'll occasionally pipe up if a NYC question is asked, because it's where we live. It's an invaluable resource because of people like you! TTess just hit me in my 9th month hormonal spot. Anyway, thanks for the tip about the neighborhoods. I don't mind the grocery situation so much because little corner shops and the Pike Market seem great to me. Someone else had mentioned Queen Anne but I'm afraid it might be a little far from my husband's work. It's an unconventional situation and we'll be able to hang out with him a bit there so we want to be within walking distance. Again-thanks for your tips.

I've lived on Queen Anne and Capitol Hill and much prefer Capitol Hill.

Since a big grocery store isn't important to you, Belltown is probably the best choice. In addition to what I wrote previously, Belltown is near the waterfront, the new Olympic Sculpture Park, and Myrtle-Edwards Park.

Thanks happy!
I think Belltown sounds like our best bet. Now it's just a matter of finding a place to stay! I understand real estate is pretty pricey (although we've been broken in by NY prices!). Do you know of any resources to direct me toward? I'm starting to look at Craigslist and also looking into some corporate housing (but it looks pretty steep).

I know a great place for extended stays in San Francisco, but the only ones I know about in Seattle are nowhere near downtown.

In addition to Craig's List, you may find something at this link to the classified services of our two daily newspapers: http://www.nwsource.com/classifieds/

I'll be interested to know what you find.

Hi Henry,

I Googled "furnished apartments seattle," clicked a few links and came up with an apartment building two blocks from the convention center in which furnished apartments may be available (801 Pine Street).

I called the building and was told that Pacific Guest Suites rents apartments in their building (425 454-7888). I think it's worth investigating.

http://www.pacificguestsuites.com/

I'd actually disagree with Belltown. It's okay, but lacking in things like decent grocery stores or other amenities that might work better for you. Having a ton of trendy restaurants and bars in walking distance may not be as useful for someone who will be up at all hours with a one-month old compared to others.

Capitol Hill might work better, and in fact I'd look first there. Reasons include more commercial facilities and actually faster bus connections to the Convention Center than Belltown has. Plus, and this is just a thought, Capitol Hill and most of neighboring First Hill have the bulk of medical offices and facilities in the city. Not saying that's a concern, just a factor to throw into the pot.

The same things (except for the proximity to the CC) go for the area around University Village, Laurelhurst, and parts of the University District. Lots of rental housing, and probably some decent deals to be had as July is when all the UW students have left and vacancies are running high. You might want to drop a note to the UW housing office and explain your situation. Childrens Hospital, and many, many pediatric MDs are located near the UW, plus there are supermarkets, plenty of nice walks to be had (Magnusen Park for example) and very good bus service downtown and to the CC.

thanks everybody! I'm off to research and I'll report back. I'm getting excited-overwhelmed, but excited!

Hi there - Congrats on your upcoming arrival - such an exciting time This is going in a completely different direction - but - I wanted to throw Bainbridge Island in the mix. I live on the island - and my best friend - who lives in the Chicago area - came here a couple of summers ago and rented a place for 8 weeks while her husband was working on a temporary project. She had 2 young babies with her at the time - and she loved it. Bainbridge is a small town - but what I think might be fun about it for you:

Rent a furnished condo in Winslow and you can walk to shops / good restaurants / parks / grocery store / library.

The commute for your husband would no doubt be longer - but it is beautiful to ride the ferry in the summer and he could walk onto the boat from your place in Winslow - and then jump a bus up the hill to the WSCTC.

Finally, there are a lot of activities geared towards moms and babies - weekly "play dates" set up at local beaches and parks, etc. - so you could likely make some friends while in town.

If you are seeking museums and theater - we are lacking - we have a children's museum and a local performing arts center - but - again - small town

Just though I would throw that out. Best of luck - take care of yourself and enjoy a beautiful Seattle summer.

thank you courteney I'll look into it. Happytrails i checked out the nwsource classifieds and they didn't have any listings that fit the bill today but I'll keep checking back. Pacificguest suites could be good but I'm leaning toward an apartment and not something so corporate. I'll keep you posted!

I *strongly* recommend Capitol Hill (where I live) for what you describe. Or possibly First Hill, which would be even closer to the convention center. There are shops, restaurants, parks, tree-lined streets.

Belltown (where I work) is just a part of downtown Seattle... it is all highrises and cement, not anywhere I would ever want to live. Not appealing at all imo.

Henry,

I believe if you investigate some of the Pacificguestsuites.com's buildings you will find they are regular apartment buildings--no more "corporate" than an other apartment buildings.

HTTY

What kinds of "services" must a grocery store offer to be considered suitable?

The fact is that it is eight-tenths of a mile from Pike Place Market to Whole Foods. If someone got temporary housing right at one edge of that stretch, she would then arrange her life to make use of one more than the other.

Pure randomness suggests that a spot would be more easily had somewhere in the middle. This would allow a grocery store when one is needed, and the walking around, shopping, and coffee places (along with considerable "stimulus") when they are desired.

There is nothing wrong with shooting for Belltown, and if she really needed grocery selection on short notice, she could take the monorail to Seattle Center and make use of the nearby grocery stores in that area.

Capitol Hill might be fun, and heavy on the "stimulus", but when you're with a tiny baby all day, seeing a teenager pushing a grocery cart for several blocks down a city street with another teenager STANDING in the cart, isn't as good as it would be when your child is eight or twelve.

I would try for Belltown, as the best locale for "mom".

Hubby could easily walk home every day too.

If you want to push a baby carriage from Belltown to Whole Foods, go ahead. But I wouldn't recommend it to henryandcasper who has already stated that the presence of a full-service grocery isn't important to her.

happytrails', wake up ~~~ you were the one who brought up a "full-service grocery store" to begin with.

I'm merely pointing out to the original poster the error in your statements. Take the heart of Belltown, at, say, "3rd and Bell", and you're less than a half mile from a large, new grocery store.

Now unless you can come up with something unique and specific that a newborn might need at what you call a "full-service grocery store", which is not available at Whole Foods, then you're simply wrong.

Which brings us right back to what I asked previously:

"What kinds of "services" must a grocery store offer to be considered suitable?"

Whole Foods has it all, but it isn't in Belltown. I don't know what to say. I'm speechless--for once.

My friends in Belltown shop in Lower Queen Anne at Safeway and Metropolitan Market, and they are disappointed that the QFC by the Seattle Rep has closed its doors.

An associate at the QFC where I shop told me that the new QFC in the basement of a new condo on Mercer Street isn't doing very good business.

All this discussion of neighborhoods may be moot unless there are apartments available there for short-term rental.

I thought the 8th & Madison area might be nice---very close to the Convention Center (2 blooks from the Freeway Park entrance)), tree-lined streets, and a new market, the M Street Market. I was thinking of the new building on the SE corner, but found a sublease across the street on Craig's List:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/sub/345919699.html

This is in the One Thousand Eighth Avenue building:

http://tinyurl.com/3c8bxg

This corner is a short walk (3 blocks) from the Seattle Library; like anywhere in Seattle it's close to Starbucks, etc. I find this neighborhood much more pleasant for walking than Belltown.

Plus, it has an outdoor swimming pool.