Another Commute Question.. (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue: real estate, rent, condo)

[guylocke]

Could anyone tell me, realistically, how long a commute would be from each of Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue to Puyallup? I believe I'm being transferred to the Puyallup area. Is this area itself an okay area to work? Would a bus ride be fastest?

If the commute is over an hour, could you recommend any other very nice suburb of Seattle that might have a more convenient and swifter commute?

Thanks Seattle

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by boylocke

Could anyone tell me, realistically, how long a commute would be from each of Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue to Puyallup? I believe I'm being transferred to the Puyallup area. Is this area itself an okay area to work? Would a bus ride be fastest?

If the commute is over an hour, could you recommend any other very nice suburb of Seattle that might have a more convenient and swifter commute?

Thanks Seattle

Let's just say that the commute is TOO long. Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue are all on the other side of the floating bridge (520) from Seattle, and all three cities have a nasty commute into Seattle ... Puyallup is another 50 minutes down I-5 added on to that commute!

You could take I-405 to 167 all the way to Puyallup, but 405 is a mess in the mornings (especially through Bellevue and Renton) and 167 is a crapshoot -- when things go well, they go very well. When one accident happens, the whole thing turns into a parking lot. Bad, bad, bad!

In recommending another suburb, it would help to know what type of lifestyle you are looking for ... pricewise, you have many options, but the commute could nullify the quality of life that you have if you live too far from where you work.

[guylocke]

In recommending another suburb, it would help to know what type of lifestyle you are looking for ... pricewise, you have many options, but the commute could nullify the quality of life that you have if you live too far from where you work.

Good point, and I thank you for your help on this post and the last. We are just two young guys that will have a fairly large combined income. We may rent a bit to save money for a down payment, but we are looking for a condo probably, either downtown or along the water. We really liked east Seattle along Lake Washington, but can be flexible. We want something newer, trendy, and youthful - but doesn't have to be outrageously expensive. We aren't looking for a place over 500k at least starting out.

You could take I-405 to 167 all the way to Puyallup

If I did this, would I essentially be bypassing the bridges and downtown Seattle? My job is not a normal 9 to 5 job. Some days I will be working mid-shifts starting at 11am or noon, some shifts will be evenings starting at 1 or 2 pm, and I will have to work some weekends each month which means I will often have days off during the week. I imagine that would mean I would only be truly commuting during "rush hour" about 2 to 3 times per week (which I would consider either 8am to 4pm or 9am to 5pm). Does that help at all, too?

[SeattlitefromNC]

If you dig the urban lifestyle of Seattle, then by all means, live downtown! I don't think that you would be happy living anywhere else, except maybe Cap Hill.

Madrona (the area along Lake Washington) is nice as well.

If you lived downtown, you would just take I-5 straight down south to Puyallup.

As for traffic on I-5, it is unpredictable ... however, the odd hours that you work will help, especially getting to work. The only caveat is that rush hour can last a while, and I-5 gets a bit skinny and sometimes clogged around Tacoma (near Puyallup), so that might affect your trip back to Seattle. Plus, there is a lot of real estate between you and Seattle and on days when there is a lot going on (baseball games, basketball games, Sea Fair, etc.), I-5 gets nasty.

If you don't mind the drive, it should be fine.

[guylocke]

If you don't mind the drive, it should be fine.

If I lived downtown, could you give me what you may predict to be an "average" commute? 45 minutes? I'm really hoping not to go beyond the 45 minute mark. lol. Would taking the bus help?

And if I lived in the Madrona area you mentioned, what would you also predict as an "average" commute. I realize, like you said, many things can factor in.

[guylocke]

Cap Hill

Meh, we looked into Capital Hill. It SOUNDS like it should be a good fit for us, but we like a bit "nicer". A lot seemed a tad run-down.