Our impression of the visit to Bellingham/Marysville/Lake Stevens area. Need your feedback. (Seattle: real estate, new house)

[chewy7th]

My wife and I visited Bellingham/Everett/Seattle area last week to scope out the area, mainly for housing. I'm transferring to a job located in Mount Vernon and my wife will be looking for an architect job anywhere b/t Bellingham to Seattle. We're not sure where to concentrate our search yet; that's the reason for the wide range of our visit.

We are in our late 20s with no kids. Looking for a suburb area with good shopping, restaurants, grocery stores - we like convenience. We want our home to be 1600-2100 sq ft and around 5-15 years old. The budget is $250-300k. We are moving from Charleston, SC

Here is our impression from the long weekend:

Overall:
We loved the easy access to biking/walking trails. There were a lots people/dogs on the trails. The views are incredible when you can see it. Once we got outside of Lynnwood on I5, the traffic was not crazy. People drive slower - typically 3 mph over the limit. It was something I had to get use to.

Bellingham:
It snowed 3-4" the first morning! It's a beautiful city. It's a decent sized city - has everything you need without all the crowded feeling. The housing development has pockets of new houses mixed with the old. I'm guessing the terrain prevents the developers from "mass producing" neighborhoods.

Marysville/Lake Stevens area:
This was our favorite area; however, the commute to Mt Vernon going to be long. The shopping around I5 (Marysville exits) is great. There are great homes in the area and somewhat affordable. They not your cookie-cutter homes. Lake Stevens has one major shopping center with pretty much what you need. These two "suburbs" are smaller than what we're used to, but have the amenities we need.

Questions/Feedback: Can you help me?

• My biggest concern is the commute. What is the traffic around Marysville/Lake Stevens during rush hrs to get on/off I5?
• My wife may work in Seattle. How is the lite rail in Everett to/from Seattle?
• Any tips on the neighborhoods in Marysville/Lake Stevens area?
• Are there any "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants in Marysville/Lake Stevens or is it all franchises and chains?

[CarlB328]

Traffic around Marysville would be fairly heavy much of the time, while Bellingham to Mt Vernon shouldn't be a problem. There aren't very many people between those two cities.

[scirocco22]

The train from Everett to Seattle is actually commuter rail (heavy rail) and not light rail. It takes about an hour and there are four commuter trips in each direction during the weekdays.

However, the ST express bus service between Seattle and Everett usually takes under an hour and I believe there are over 20 trips in each direction during the extended commuter hours.

[chewy7th]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

The train from Everett to Seattle is actually commuter rail (heavy rail) and not light rail. It takes about an hour and there are four commuter trips in each direction during the weekdays.

However, the ST express bus service between Seattle and Everett usually takes under an hour and I believe there are over 20 trips in each direction during the extended commuter hours.

Thanks for the response. Sounds like the bus commute is a better option than the commuter rail.

[Bill Loney]

Originally Posted by chewy7th

Thanks for the response. Sounds like the bus commute is a better option than the commuter rail.

Well except for the part about having to take the bus. Trains are more comfortable. On the other hand, do they get you close to your work?

[pw72]

In general, freeway traffic is a bit calmer than the rest of the US in NW Washington. Parts of the Seattle metro can be a bit more frantic, especially 405. But you will find the areas north of Arlington still quite rural in character, although I sense this is changing. Frankly, I think this general area will be the next big thing in the NW, so any real estate purchase could pay off handsomely, if you are patient.

To answer your specific questions, not sure. This is an area that you just need to experience to get a real feel. Your instincts seem to be on target, though.

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by Bill Loney

Well except for the part about having to take the bus. Trains are more comfortable. On the other hand, do they get you close to your work?

Generally, yes, trains are more comfortable.

However, Sound Transit has taken the effort to make their buses more comfortable than a regular city bus. They use padded cloth seats, some with arm rests and foot rests and reclining seatbacks; all coaches are air conditioned; many have wifi; most have overhead luggage racks; and they have more sound insulation than the normal city bus.

Also, ST has bought heavier over-the-road-type coaches to put on longer routes coming into downtown Seattle from Pierce and Snohomish counties. These are similar to Greyhounds and are heavier and have better suspension components than ordinary city buses.

[chewy7th]

Thank you all for the replies. I'm on my way to WA today for work and to revisit Marysville and Lake Stevens. Meeting with a real estate agent on Friday.

My wife will be looking for an architecture job b/t Seattle and Mount Vernon. I hope she is able to find a job within 6 months of moving.

I'm glad to hear the commute options to get into Seattle. I would hate for her to drive an hr+ every day in traffic.

[chewy7th]

My wife and I are headed back to Lake Stevens area early next year. We are looking at south of the lake, around HWY2 & 20th St SE. Does anyone have any feedback?

[zztopo2]

I'm moving to Arlington on Christmas Day. Just me and my goldens. I'll contribute whatever I can to this thread once I get the "picture." In the meantime, I hope more people chime in with impressions.