30's and Single Possible move to Allyn/Grapeview (Seattle, Tacoma: rentals, houses)
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I have made it to the 2nd round of interviews for a position in Allyn, WA. From looking at photos of the area to the west of the Sound, it looks like a beautiful area. I really appreciate the combination of mountain, greenery, and water views- especially coming from the brown/orange dust bowl that is Texas.
However, being male, 30's and single, I'm a little worried about my quality of life as far as the social/dating aspect. I'm also very big into the health/fitness scene and would like a high quality gym nearby.
How legitimate of a concern is this? Should I reconsider the opportunity? Any recommendations on what my best bet would be as far as cities to live in? The position pays around 6 figures, so my house budget would be around $250k-$275k. Rental budget would be about $1,200-$1,400 a month.
EDIT: I would like to keep my commute to under 20-25 minutes.
We went there few months ago to check it out, its Beautiful... but there is not much out there at all.. But you are only about 25-30 minutes from tons of stuff in Silverdale and Gig Harbor..
Its still on our list of places to possibly move to..mostly because it is in our prices range as yours ( 250-275k) and I have seen some nice houses on Zillow in the past for that range.. plus we want to be a bit away from big city..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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About half an hour to Silverdale, which has pretty much everything, and the same to Gig Harbor though it's closer in miles. I would definitely live in Silverdale, based on your needs, the extra 5-10 minutes over your desired commute will be well worth it. I'm amazed that Allyn has an employer paying that much.
I agree with other posters. You probably don't want to live in Allyn/Grapeview itself as it caters more towards empty nesters and retirees.
I'd also throw in the Manette neighborhood of Bremerton. It seems to be a little more "singles friendly" than other areas of Kitsap County. Manette is safe and has a "quirky" vibe, but I mean that in a good way. The area around the Manette bridge is fun and walkable. It has good restaurants, boutiques, a brewery, a bakery, and amazing water views in walking distance.
Original poster here. Thanks for the responses so far, it's now down to the final three for interviews and I'm starting to get excited.
Silverdale is an interesting recommendation, I would not have considered it otherwise as from the pictures and info I could find, it seems more family/suburban oriented. Would northern Tacoma be a killer commute? I was told to check out some of the neighborhoods around University of Pugent Sound.
How is the housing market in Kitsap County? I know Seattle is booming, as it is here in Dallas (up 10-15% a year for the last 6 years). We are seeing bidding wars on homes and they typically sell within 3-4 days if the are priced right. Is it similar there?
I've seen these updated, modern houses sell recently for what seem to be very reasonable prices, but I'm not sure if there are any "red flags" (flood zones? questionable neighborhoods?
Housing is booming in Kitsap County, too, especially as people are priced out of the housing market around Seattle and are willing to commute by ferry. Even rentals are hard to come by right now.
If you are willing to increase your commute to around 45-50 minutes one direction, but reverse traffic, and willing to pay a bridge toll (south bound only), the Ruston neighborhood of Tacoma would be a good fit for a single.
I lived in Allyn and worked in Silverdale for a few years. The commute is exactly 30 minutes, and it's easy. Do not live in Allyn. There is no gym and most of the people who live there are much older than you. Tacoma would not be worth the commute, I don't think.
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