Location, Location, Location

[akirlu]

In Seattle, $300,000 will now buy you:

(a) A 450 sq. ft. 1bd condo courtyard bungalow on First Hill
(b) A 840 sq. ft. 2bd Craftsman in the Rainier Valley
(c) A 900(?) sq. ft. 3bd townhouse in Lake City
(d) None of the above


Yah-huh, that would be (d).

No, in Seattle $300,000 appears to buy (maybe) either a fixer next to the freeway or a fixer directly under the flight path of Sea-Tac international. Or possibly a fixer with a view of Boeing field, but that one seemed a lot like the contractors were falling all over each other to see who could put a total of 3 new townhouses on the "oversize" lot.

In Everett, the same $300,000 will buy you 1500 sq. ft. of turn of the century Builder's Cottage in a cool, mostly well-maintained old neighborhood, with a view of the Sound.

So I'm now pondering whether I could endure a 30 mile commute and the death of social life as I know it. It's probably that or going condo, which I would mind less if the condo options looked better.

In other news, we saw a pair of bald eagles on Saturday, the mature bird trailed by a full-grown juvenile. Same day also spotted a nesting flicker, and a nesting osprey. Also a pair of nesting Canada geese harrassing a pedestrian. And the turtles have started coming out on Lake Washington.

Also, I am developing a deep and abiding hatred of vinyl siding.

Comments

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

Aww, it's always nice to know I'm thought of on occasion. :-)

You're looking down in Kent? Wow. That seems like a suck ass commute for both of you or has public transportation improved since I left?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I don't remember knowing what the transit options were back when you were in Kent, but these days there's a big old Sounder train stop in the old downtown that runs up to Seattle in 30 minutes, and supposedly there's an express bus to the U District that takes about 45 minutes -- which, really, is no worse off than I am now, and probably slightly better. Certainly for a straight car commute Kent is closer than Everett, so I don't imagine it's any suckier.

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

Sounder train didn't exist when I left (just an idea). Well, shoot, having an hour and 10 minute or so one way commute on the train/T myself, 45 minutes doesn't seem too bad to me and if that's no worse off than you are now....Kent's a nice location.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yes, we just went down last night to look at some of our possibles. I like the feel of Kent, especially that central bit. There's a bit of development that's all new since you were there -- the Regional Justice Center is in Kent -- big ol' courthouse complex -- and they just got done putting in a fairly upscale, and nicely done, mall, eponymously called Kent Station, right by the Sounder station. Kent also has what looks to be a really big regional library, and it looks like a good candidate for getting us some bikes and biking around town.

And as Hal points out, once the light rail comes through to Tukwila, there will be another fairly close commuter transit option. So, I dunno, but it all looks pretty promising to me.

Oh, and on our way home we decided to have dinner at The Keg. It's gotten more upscale than I remember -- I don't remember them doing a tempura pea pods and asparagus appetizer before -- but the food and the service were all pretty excellent, if pricy. You may, or may not, recall that the last time Hal & I were at the Keg was with you and a bunch of your FAA pals, in years of yore.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Here's the listing for the house in Kent. We haven't had a tour, yet, but for once the place looks as good in person as it looks in pictures -- in fact, in some ways it looks better...