Deadlights13 wrote:corvid wrote:Ballard = ghetto
Wallingford is pretty decent
Capitol Hill is expensive and nice depending where you go
Stay away from South seattle, especially white center
Also there are other cities that aren't far, and like Bellevue, Mercer Island, Bothell, and Renton which could be pretty worth the drive if you snag a good place.
I live on Fort Lewis, the Army post just outside of Tacoma and plan on commuting until we can move closer. We are a family of 7, so my choices are slim for housing and affordability. I just want to find good schools for my kids to attend. I've heard Bellevue is nice and I have found a few rentals that are big enough. Do you know anything about the schools or neighborhoods around there? Specifically High School and Middle School. My son plays football and the extent of his knowledge is that the Bellevue Football team is #1 in Washington. lol
Indeed I do. Bellevue has an excellent school system, much higher quality and safer than the big cities for the most part, at least in public schools. Private is another story, but $$$$ like Holy Names.
Ok for Bellevue, here goes:
Middle Schools: Tyee, Tillacum, Odle are all fine choices. its middle school, so as long as there isnt a rampant drug or crime problem, and the teachers arent half-wits, itll be fine.
High Schools: Sammamish, Bellevue, Newport and Interlake are all extremely modern and high tech schools. All have been renovated in the last ~5 years (maybe not BHS). Bellevue football is FAR more than the best in Bellevue. A couple years ago it was #1 or 2 in the country if I recall correctly. Still a fine program. Bellevue football is the result of a lot of money combined with talent. Newport would be after BHS, the others who cares. If he is decent but not a superstar he could make a good name for himself for college with the others, or just be a part of a kickass team at BHS or NHS. If he is a superstar, or could be, then these schools will probably bring him to his potential. Either way, all of these schools are surrounded by varying incomes. Very little low income/ghettoness in bellevue, but dont get me wrong, it is definitely around. Bellevue is a higher class city, so $$$ follows. High cost of living but so many high end jobs around and neat stuff to do safely, and no bums. Little street crime.
As a side note, if you are worried about the drug problems in high schools, dont. There will always be drug problems, its just with the variance of income brings different drugs. When i was in high school, there were a few problems with cocaine and meth in the more wealthy schools and the usual stuff in the others. Gangs are still somewhat around, but its absurd how stupid they are, thinking they are "hood" when they grew up in Bellevue LOL. Dont get me wrong, neither are legitimate problems but parents still have concerns, and for good reason.
Seriously, if I went to SU (and I have my doubts but I dont want to post publicly) I would either live close to SU or on Mercer Island or Bellevue. Its expensive but I think its worth it.
If you want more help, I would be more than glad to lend a helping hand to military. Family of 7 is a hurdle, but there are a lot of options for housing. Ill try to set some in terms of what I have seen:
Lake Hills: Middle to FAR upper class area. Mansions on one side of the street, low end apartments on the other. Kind of a theme in Bellevue to an extent. Easy interstate access, amenities, etc. Possibly expensive, but snag a nice place and youll have a great situation. Odle, Sammamish/Interlake.
Somerset: Ideal family area. For a family, I would rate this number 1, and it is where I would want to raise mine. Groceries close, Factoria with minimal shopping options close, and I90. Tyee, Newport. Insane amount of houses and apartments to choose from, in varying areas.
Factoria: Similar to somerset, varying places, really nice apartments close to the freeway. Probably cheaper because of that, not sure though.
Newport/Newport Shores: Middle to mega bucks. Similar to somerset.
Coal Creek: Similar to Somerset
Bridle Trails: between bellevue/redmond/kirkland (kirkland and redmond are great places to live as well btw). Very nice housing, very expensive.
Interlake area/Lake Sammamish: Close to the water, nice area overall. Interlake schooling, which is meh. Nothing special in any sport really.
Crossroads: between interlake and lake hills: Not all that great, bad traffic. Some really nice houses and parks.
Downtown Bellevue: $$$, traffic. Bellevue high school, and middle school depends.
Medina: Technically a city, but really just snobs with money. Zero tolerance traffic policing. High cost area, for no real reason since you get stuck in traffic going ANYWHERE and there is very little for amenities. Not my thing, even if I were loaded.
Thats really the main neighborhoods. You can always find a park, as there are only about 4 every square mile. Baseball fields, tennis courts, palygrounds, outdoor exercise areas like South Bellevue Community Center, blah blah blah. West coast armory is great for a shooting range and gun shop, as they wont gouge prices on anything unlike the other shop in the area, if thats your thing...obviously I am into it.
The area is just as vulnerable to lock down due to 2 inches of snow as seattle, since there is one snow plow for the county. However, it snows like one time per year in the whole area. I dont know what else there is about bellevue. Microsoft traffic can get terrible, there is construction somewhere all the time, though not as bad as Seattle (which isnt bad really).
Downtown Bellevue is turning into Seattle #2, which I hate with a passion. However, that means more high end jobs, shopping (like the ultra high end "Bravern") and things to do. Lots of bars, and lincoln square has a nice range of things to do like the adult arcade (alcohol served) and nice movie theatre (which to take your woman on a date will be at least $30 yeesh).
So if theres anything else ask away. There are other nice cities like I said...Kirkland and Redmond win national awards for their livability, however their school system isnt as good. But lets be real, we arent talking about Uganda.
