Pupsiecola

Hi everyone,

We are hoping to make a move to the US in the next year or two. We're torn between Seattle and SF and would very probably have the option of either. This would be a move for the long haul. We have visited San Fran about 15 years ago, pre kids. DH has visited Seattle many times as the company he works for is headquartered there (no, not MS!). I am going on a trip there with him in January to see what I think.

Here are some of the important factors to consider:-

Two boys, ages 10 and 8 so would need to find schools (would happily consider state schools and private schools)
Salary around 200 to 250k usd (but would like to save some!)
We like:- the outdoors, wide open spaces (not to live in, but a feeling of, generally, in the surrounding area), smallish cities, ocean, mountains, exploring, weather not too extreme in either direction, walking, cycling, feeling safe.

We'd be looking for a 4 bedroomed home with a reasonable amount of space and a garden. Not too remote but not in the city centre either. We'd also consider condo living I think, if the location made sense. In Seattle my DH's head office would be downtown Seattle and he'd not want a commute of more than around 40 minutes.

We are thinking about perhaps Bellevue or Redmond if Seattle.

Sorry for the vagueness of this post. I just really wanted some opinions of people with experience in either or both of the places. We have lived in South East Asia for a year so not unused to relocating to distant shores.

Thanks for all and any advice.

md95065

If it were San Francisco do you know where exactly where he would be working? That, and the desire for a relatively short 40 minute commute, would help to narrow down the areas where you could live.

kimilseung

Why Bellevue/Redmond? A compromise between Seattle and the mountains?

I would think it best to go one way or the other. Bellevue will probably be the worst of both options.

North Bend or Issaquah, are getting more out of the city (Bellevue is a city now, its not a Seattle dormitory) and will add little to the commute.

Or why not Seattle itself ? Queen Anne for example. almost downtown, but quick to get out to the Cascades. Lots of houses on the Sound in places like West Seattle.

I can only comment on Seattle but it ticks all your outdoor wants, hiking, ocean all close by and a mild climate.

One problem that I do have with the region is the lack of that wide open spaces feeling in the mountains, there are just too many damn trees on those mountains.

Michael

At that salary, either place will be affordable but you'd probably get more for your money when renting a house in Seattle. However the San Francisco Bay area has a mild climate (except San Francisco) year round.

If he is working directly in San Francisco, I'd look at possibly living in Marin County which is across the Golden Gate bridge in Sausalito, Mill Valley, or Tiburon if you can find affordable accommodations. There is plenty of open space with hills in Marine County. Also there are regularly scheduled ferries from Marin County to SF if he doesn't want to commute the bridge.

Public schools that your children will attend is based upon your address. The following is a school performance map of schools in the area. Blue is good and red is bad. Click on a symbol for more information. The school district web site should have area maps of the different schools showing which addresses are for which schools.

http://schoolperformancemaps.com/ca/...39694%2C11%2C1

Pupsiecola

Thanks so much for the swift replies! Re San Fran, we don't know where he would be based. We are going on a family holiday there at Easter.

Re wide open space, trees on mountains would be fab. We lived in Singapore before and the lack of horizon (maybe that's what I mean rather than wide open spaces) becomes very claustrophobic after a while. The idea of seeing the ocean in one direction and (tree lined) mountains in the other just takes my breath away! I guess I worry about the rain in that can you get out and enjoy that outdoorsy lifestyle. But I guess it's not cold and raining like it often is here in the UK (or sweltering and raining like it was in SE Asia!).

Hotscot

Just curious. Line of work, type of visa?

Pupsiecola

Very senior techie. Quite niche. Large US but global company. Household name. No idea about visa. I do know they will want to keep him though.

Michael

Marine County near Sausalito and Mill Valley have Muir Woods National park(redwoods) and from Sausalito or Tiburon, you have views of San Francisco, the Gold Gate bridge, and Angel Island. North of there is wine country (Napa Valley), the Russian River for white water rafting, and you are not too far from the delta for summer water sports. You may not want to get too close to the ocean since the fog bank is there all summer but the fog bank pulls into the bay cooling your home overnight. The main disadvantage of Marine County is that during the winter, it rains significantly more than 50 miles to the south and the summers tend to be slightly hotter but the humidity is low.

kimilseung

For Seattle. Just in case it is Adobe or Google, they have offices that are not downtown but in the Fremont neighbourhood and a house boat would be an option.

Pupsiecola

Thank you. It's not one of those, but I do like the sound of a houseboat lol.

Bluegrass Lass

We just moved from Seattle to Edinburgh. We weren't in Seattle for very long, perhaps around 8months. We lived in the Fremont neighborhood for most of that time, and then in the Bothell/Woodinville area for a little while.

If you want to keep under a 40minute commute, I think you would be pushing it to live in Bellevue or Redmond. For the salary you mention, I would look at the Queen Anne area. And I think the Magnolia area is supposed to be ok. I can't speak about the schools in either area since we don't have kids.

Personally, we found the Fremont area just too built up for our tastes. We've come to a realization that we don't want to live in too urban of an area. We didn't have enough of nature around us, or a great view.

Money-wise, it'll probably go further in Seattle than SF. But the cost of living and rental prices are going up rather quickly in Seattle too. Good luck with your decision.

Michael

Marin City and Sausalito also have a lot of houseboats.

SalopianFunk

If you want the kids to grow up cool, SF.

More seriously though, whilst SF isn't really directly connected to large unrestrained views - apart from the ocean - there are lots of places proximal to the city.

kins

I found all of the commutable bits of Seattle too built up for my tastes, but a good friend lives in West Seattle and is happy with the schools there.

I loved the skiing at Steven's Pass, and you have Whistler 2ish hours north which is IMO as much fun in summer as in winter.

It was a long time ago I lived there but it was a fun place especially if you have a bit of money.

naomi

I live in north Seattle with my family (Ballard area) and love it. We are just a few minutes drive from Golden Gardens, the Locks, etc, or a 30 minute walk. I've never been a fan of the Eastside (Bellevue etc.,) but that's definitely personal choice. Have plenty of friends who live over there and love it. I work downtown, and it takes around 20 minutes on the bus. There are some lovely houses around here with amazing views of the water and mountains. My husband loves to ski, and he can be at the pass in 80 minutes or less.
Naomi.