Issaquah neighborhoods

[AK47bp]

Barely any wind or lightning in the dry summer months helps too.

A freak late summer lightning / windstorm would have me puckered though……



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[Cisco Kid]

More likely that a 200' tall tree falling will take out your house than a wild fire from my experience here. I've seen a couple. The local Elk herd, dirt bike track and climbing wall are plusses. Bike trail goes east to the Columbia river.

[carlh]

What about up Mitchell hill outside Preston? In snoqualmie valley schools and quite a bit cheaper than Sammamish and exit 22 isn’t a clusterfuck like exit 25.

[californiagrown]

What about up Mitchell hill outside Preston?

Besides the fun unsanctioned recreational opportunities there, it is a very quiet area with nice houses on big forested lots, but i also get a distinct vibe that youll want a gate on your driveway and/or be dealing with visits from nearby tweakers. Something that keeps our family from moving somewhere like that is that travel time to school, and activities, and friends houses is something that has to be planned for. Living in the City or suburbia means your kids schools/friends/activities are in the neighborhood and they can bike/walk to most things. Doesnt seem very family friendly. YMMV on how important that is to you though.

[chaka]

What about up Mitchell hill outside Preston? In snoqualmie valley schools and quite a bit cheaper than Sammamish and exit 22 isn’t a clusterfuck like exit 25.

When we chose to live in Sammamish, we debated the very real added cost to be in Lake Washington SD compared to Snoqualmie SD. There are numerous neighborhoods in Sammamish on the Snoq SD side of the boundary. At the time we decided it was worth the investment to be on the Lake Washington side, but of course the equation has likely shifted in 13 years, and is different for everyone. Generally speaking, all nearby SDs seem pretty darn good comparatively to other places in the country.

[puma]

I don't see that any time soon at least for Issaquah. There have been very few wildfires (if any) on the west side of the pass. Those companies back out due to high claims or the threat of high claims. There's been nothing to show NB or Issy is in any danger of forest fires. Those places losing coverage receive a fraction of the rain we do. We don't have the dry underbrush which drives much of the fires. It's not something I lose sleep over at all.

I doubt insurance becomes an issue, but a fire is definitely possible. Westside fires are much less frequent than on the eastside, but it is something to consider in North Bend, especially, with our potential for major wind events. Perhaps I am a little paranoid, but it was absolutely something I thought of when we bought out here. There are neighborhoods in the area that would be very difficult to protect should it occur during extreme conditions.

This is an interesting read:

https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/lib...CWPPAssess.pdf

[concretejungle]

Bump because this is the most relevant recent thread.

I've got a job opportunity that has three locations I'd need to visit (not sure of the schedule). There's a location in Ballard, one in Tacoma and one in Belluvue. How much would it suck to have to commute to these three areas and where should I look for housing to be centrally located? Thanks.

[Garbowski]

I think you should make piece with the idea of being in traffic with terrible drivers. Not sure what your other priorities are- family etc. but there's no cheat code. The big secret is the traffic is much worse outside of the city. Getting to Tacoma and back is always terrible though (just like going up to Everett). 405/520 always a nightmare. Reverse commute to Bellevue is not that bad, so I'd find somewhere near I-5 like Wallingford/Green Lake that you can get to Ballard easyish and take the L on Tacoma- surface streets suck in general so for general sanity be within a few minutes of the highway. Otherwise get more for your money on the East side somewhere and resign to hating heading to Ballard/Tacoma.

[Toadman]

Bump because this is the most relevant recent thread.

I've got a job opportunity that has three locations I'd need to visit (not sure of the schedule). There's a location in Ballard, one in Tacoma and one in Belluvue. How much would it suck to have to commute to these three areas and where should I look for housing to be centrally located? Thanks.

It would suck a lot depening on time of day. Housing would be cheaper in the Tacoma area. Anything on the Eastside will give you high blood pressure. Ballards not much better. Tell them you need a $1k/ month car allownce, so you can lease a nice vehicle to sit in all day.

[carlh]

Do you have kids that will go to public schools? Do you space and quiet or walkable amenities?

If you have kids I would avoid Seattle and go east side. Eastide is also better mountain access.
If not the second question is more important. Beacon hill or Columbia city would be a reasonable center spot that is cool and less crazy prices.

Bump because this is the most relevant recent thread.

I've got a job opportunity that has three locations I'd need to visit (not sure of the schedule). There's a location in Ballard, one in Tacoma and one in Belluvue. How much would it suck to have to commute to these three areas and where should I look for housing to be centrally located? Thanks.

[Cisco Kid]

I've run the NB to Tacoma and back 8 times a month for a decade. "Move to where you work" is still good advice. No mater how you slice it you'll have a 1 hour + commute if there are no wrecks. My daughter and SIL live in Univ. Place and he'll take the bus or train to Seattle when not WFH. If you opt to live near where you work you eliminate 1 commute.

[AK47bp]

Factoria, Newcastle, Newport Hills.

Easy access to 90 / 405 / 5


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[PNWbrit]

not sure of the schedule

You need to get that nailed down before making a decision about where with those three possible commutes. At least whereabouts is your primary venue.

[abraham]

I'm guessing that you're looking at working nearly to the Tacoma narrows bridge. That adds a fair amount of time to the travel time. Recently during the week I've found Bellevue to Tacoma to be 45 - 2:30 depending on the time I leave. North Bend > Tacoma isn't really relevant

I agree that getting a sense of the schedule is important.

[Cisco Kid]

NB to TAC is how I roll. Using Google Maps for travel times for the OP's point to point commutes within that zone is how to got the numbers.

[AK47bp]

NB to TAC is how I roll. Using Google Maps for travel times for the OP's point to point commutes within that zone is how to got the numbers.

You take 18?

Fuck that road.


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[Cisco Kid]

Weekends and mid day is usually ok over the mountain. Unless I90W exit to 18 is backed up for miles. Nobody's died on that stretch going on 4 weeks now I think, so there's that.

[AK47bp]

Weekends and mid day is usually ok over the mountain. Unless I90W exit to 18 is backed up for miles. Nobody's died on that stretch going on 4 weeks now I think, so there's that.

A whole month! Wow.


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[PNWbrit]

You take 18?

Fuck that road.

Unless I90W exit to 18 is backed up for miles.

I drove west over the pass and back to Issaquah yesterday in perhaps the heaviest rainstorm I've ever driven through.

The exit for 18 was backed up with stopped traffic for about a mile.

Folks were driving up to the head of the line in lane two and coming to a stand still and trying to "zipper merge".

Saw one 18 wheeler fully locked up and get a tank slapper on trying to avoid one of these clowns.

State Patrol should be allowed to pistol whip people who do this.

[Going Coastal]

Weekends and mid day is usually ok over the mountain. Unless I90W exit to 18 is backed up for miles. Nobody's died on that stretch going on 4 weeks now I think, so there's that.

Going by that exit when it's backed up makes me irrationally angry. When I first moved here I made the mistake of taking the NB Way on ramp and had to try to merge on 90 without dying. I really don't understand why people do 70 in the lane next to 2 miles of stopped traffic, just move over to the left two lanes for fucks sake! They should change that "Seattle traffic keep left" to "All thru traffic left 2 lanes only" or something.

And I only mention that to say if I had to take 18 with any regularity I would be ready to murder people within a month.

[Cisco Kid]

That happens on 18 too. But not in a couple of years.

[Yonder_River]

I'm in the Wallingford/Green lake area. If you're commuting equally to those three locations I would consider this neighborhood if you can swing it. Ballard is 10 minutes, Bellevue 20 to 30. Tacoma could be 50 or 90, just depends.

I have kids in elementary, middle and high school in the local public schools. Speaking for just these schools, they are more than fine for our needs. Yes, SPS is hellbent on whatever their vision of equity is, but our high schooler still has tons of opportunities for AP and honors classes. I think they're being set up just fine for college.

Issaquah and a few other Eastside locales would seem like a nice location if you wanted a bigger space and weren't as concerned with walkable amenities, but driving to Ballard and Tacoma wouldn't be very fun.