Sammamish vs. Woodinville with commute to Redmond (MS main campus) (Seattle: lease, homes)

[simonetwothree]

Hi there,

We are trying to weigh advantages/disadvantages of the two areas we liked best during our recent trip, Sammamish and Woodinville.

We will be relocating from NJ to the Eastside in a month and I wanted to ask for your input with regard to traffic patterns from both areas to Redmond (Microsoft Main Campus, bld. 99) and other advantages/disadvantages. Is either better or worse than the other for any reason?

We are grateful for any information you might have for us.

Thanks.

[shaylahc]

No clue about Sammamish, but my husband commutes to MS main campus in Redmond from Woodinville. I would say it takes a good 30 minutes during "good" traffic, maybe 10-15 minutes more if traffic is heavy. He could make it home in 20 if he was in no traffic at all. HTH.

[Hemlock140]

With the traffic congestion equal Woodinville will take longer. I'm in Sammamish and it's 20 minutes+ depending on the time of day and where you are in Sammamish. For example, if you are along the Lake or in the Inglewood Hill area, it's only about 6 miles, and you can get there without using the freeway. If you are at the north end, such as Timberline, about the same going down Sahalee Way to 202. if you are farther south toward Pine Lake or Beaver lake add 5-10 minutes. In the morning during the school year you can get stuck behind buses, after about 7am, and coming home will always take 5 minutes longer after about 3:30. Some people cut through Marymoor park to Bel-Red Rd though it's posted that it's not allowed, and at times in the afternoon there may be someone in the booth charging you a dollar. At least once a week (including today) I go from my home near Sahalee to visit a relative off of Bel-Red right near the back entrance to MS and with no traffic
(like today) I can make it to that point in 15 minutes. We looked at Woodinville and for us the schools made a big difference, though Woodinville has good schools we decided Sammamish schools were better.

[Seacove]

We live in Woodinville and love it. The commute to Redmond depends on where you are in Woodinville and what route you take, 202 vs. Avondale, etc. Homes are typically on an acre or more giving the town a very country feel and there is very little new development. Because homes are on such large lots, septic is quite common. There is growing wine tourism in the central and southern part of Woodinville Woodinville Wine Country | 30 Miles from Downtown Seattle with includes honey, cider, beer and other local products Guide to Woodinville Wine Country: Wineries, Tasting Rooms & Events. Horseback riding is not uncommon. We are happy with the schools which are all rated as 10s with some 9s.

If you are looking to lease vs. buy, Woodinville might be a little expensive, we saw an average home not too far away leased for $3500. which is probably fairly average.

[shaylahc]

Originally Posted by Seacove

We live in Woodinville and love it. The commute to Redmond depends on where you are in Woodinville and what route you take, 202 vs. Avondale, etc. Homes are typically on an acre or more giving the town a very country feel and there is very little new development. Because homes are on such large lots, septic is quite common. There is growing wine tourism in the central and southern part of Woodinville Woodinville Wine Country | 30 Miles from Downtown Seattle with includes honey, cider, beer and other local products Guide to Woodinville Wine Country: Wineries, Tasting Rooms & Events. Horseback riding is not uncommon. We are happy with the schools which are all rated as 10s with some 9s.

If you are looking to lease vs. buy, Woodinville might be a little expensive, we saw an average home not too far away leased for $3500. which is probably fairly average.

We love Woodinville as well. I love the schools, and the whole atmosphere is just great...it feels like a small town, yet we have the nice downtown area for shopping, etc. When we are planning to buy, we will buy here, an older home on a larger lot. Northshore schools might not be the most competitive or the "best" (although IIRC Woodinville High was voted #18 on the list of top WA high schools), but you can't beat the sense of community. Two of my children have special needs (autism, and dyslexia/dysgraphia) and I can't say enough about how good the schools have been to them. Love it here!

ETA I stand corrected, it was #16

http://www.usnews.com/education/best...ngs?int=c0b4c1