Seattle & UW

“I know other threads exist about this - but I don't remember the titles.

If one were to move to Seattle without a car - how easy or difficult is it to get by without one? Also, what areas of the city are best suited for an apartment dweller going to UW?

Any TT'ers from out there?”

“Twinkle - aussie lives in Seattle. You might drop her an email.

I think the only city in the US liveable without a car is NYC.”

“Not true SS. It all depends on what part of town.

In the south it's next to impossible to get around without a car.”

“Seattle is easy to get around, especially by the U. I've spent a lot of time there and you can just hop the bus to downtown. Once you're downtown eevrything is pretty close.
It seems like there are a lot of apartments and rental houses by the U.”

“HPM's right; south Seattle isn't pedestrian-friendly, but the U and the Queen Anne areas are.”

“HPM - That was my opinion. For me, no city would be liveable without a car. How could I get to the trailheads? ;)”

“Can you take buses or trains to certain trailheads out there?”

“I would think if you had an apartment in any sized town (unless your in the middle of TPM home state where he is prob is the only one that lives there) and they have a bus system, then I would think you would be able to get around.

getting that itch again twinks :(”

“Trailheads?


I reckon ya might find all kindsa heads roamin' around the U.”

“If I've read humanpackmule's Sierra trip report right so far, there are a lot of "trail heads" there...”

“Nah Maple - I'm feeling more and more beat down by this place.

School is really screwing with me - you know - its the most important thing going on right now - and I feel like all odds are against me...see the other thread - and you know about the other stuff going on....

A part of me thinks I should pack up and head out this winter...but its far from everything I know...and that is daunting...”

“I went to the U and never had a car the whole 4 years. The transit system is excellent. When I was there, the U encouraged this by selling an unlimited bus pass for the quarter for 30 bucks. It was included with your tuition. There are numerous apartments or rooms for rent in the U district. Other nearby areas with lots of housing are Wallingford and Green Lake. The U District is very pedestrian friendly. I would walk most days.”

“I suggest that you subscribe to there local news paper and start looking into there want ads-apartments for rent..

I have a friend that did it when she wanted to move to Co. It worked!”

“What about work? What's the market like out there?”

“As far as my experience with buses, it's pretty easy to catch a metro bus to the UW if you live north of the campus. I currently live about 3 miles north of the campus and have found bus service pretty navigable all the way through town.

A person can get around pretty easily on a bike too, but there are a fair number of hills to ride.

As far as bus service to trail heads--you're better off hooking up with someone who has a ride. Trains are pretty much out of the question/non-existent.

Best of luck!”

“"I think the only city in the US liveable without a car is NYC."
StoveStomper
02:59:52 PM
08/05/03

Actually, San Francisco is quite liveable without a car - just ask my wife, who moved there about 20 years ago specifically because one didn't need a car. The whole city is only 7x7 miles, and there's transit everywhere. Not true for the Bay Area 'burbs. Oakland is also potentially liveable sans car, depending on the location (and is generally a lot cheaper than SF).”

“What are the neighborhoods close to UW like? Are they University District, Capitol Hill and ???”

“Sorry I don't have much time right now, but here are a couple of links that might be helpful...

University District

Central District Info”

“Thanks!

Does it really rain all the dang time there?”

“Well, when I was a little boy I lived in Bremerton across the bay and it rained pretty often but I wouldn't say it was ALL the time.

One thing TT, Seattle is right in the middle of some of the most beautiful country in the US and there are lots of folks out love to get out in it. Even if you don't have a car to get you to the trailhead it should be easy to find like minded folks to go with. I'd also be VERY suprised if there was an outdoor club of some variety at the U. Heck, if there isn't then start one yourself.”

“make that "wasn't an outtdoor club"”

“Are the people nice? All my friends who are from Seattle are awesome.

If I were to visit...what is a good and affordable hotel/hostel/campsite??”

“Well TT, beyond what I just posted. My info on that part of the country is now about 24 years old.

Yikes! I'm getting old!”

“I've stayed near the University a few times in the last 5-6 years and it's what you'd expect in any u district; apartments, rental houses, frat houses. University Way has a mix of just about everything. it gets a little seedy as you head west of University towards I-5. There's a bunch of college apartments between 3-5 blocks west of the univ. and a coffee shop on every corner. There are also a bunch of apts. along University Way.”

“Two Words: Marbletop Creamery

They make their own ice cream and they have a water-cooled mabletop counter where they mix in anything you want. It's on Univ. Way”

“You can join The Mountaineers in Seattle, lots of folks to go hiking with. They have a website, too.”

“Twinkle,
I'm headed there on Tues for work. Do you want me to check out anything for ya? Aussie & others gave me a couple of suggestions for things to do while I'm in town.
(see TT'ers in Seattle).”

“UW probably has a hiking/backpacking club too.”

“Greyhound bus can get you close to many trailheads.”

“Spike - can you get me a bus map of the city? LOL

How long does it take to drive from NYC to Seattle with a moving truck?”

“ok twinks, we NYr's took a vote

YOU ARE NOT MOVING SO FAR AWAY FROM US!!!







ps, only if we get to crash at your new place for free!!”

“I'll be happy to get you a map. I'm flying from PA so ... cant help ya with the driving time. : )”

“How long to drive.....?

Its over 3,000 miles!

Get yourself a Beverly Hillbillies truck.....with a rockin' chair for your pal mapleleaf~~~~%^]”

“The first place you want to hike is Sahale Arm in North Cascades Nat'l Park. The higher up you go, the better it gets. The view will hook you on Washington forever.”

“Can I get to it via public transportation?

Does it snow in Seattle? How hot/cold does it get there?

How lond does it take to get to Alaska? Is there a train?”

“I know you can do the last 1/4 stretch on I-90 from Billings, MT to Seattle in 12 hrs. (if you don't stop for potty breaks).”

“I was out there last summer and while the rest of the country was cookin' Seattle was having highs of about 70*.

At night it was actually COOL!

I don't think it snows in Seattle but you can get to snow in under 100 miles in winter.

No road salt in Seattle.....the place is crawlin' with Bugs and Busses......old ones.”

“Also, clear blue sky with low humidity, sfter the morning fog burned off.

Hot in the sun and cool in the shade.”

“Twinkle,

You'll have a great time in Seattle. Bring or buy a good bike. There's an old railroad grade that runs thru the North end of town. It goes right thru the U district and it's been converted into a walking/biking trail. Called the Burke-Gillman Trail, it's paved and many, many miles long, runs from the shore of Puget Sound out to the NE, as far as Lake Samammish.... very popular with the bike set.

Lessee, other questions. There's a good hostel right downtown, near the Pike Place Market. I don't recall the address but I'm sure you can websearch it. I don't know if there's a hostel in the U district proper, but busses from downtown will run you right out there.

The bus system is perfectly fine for getting around town, I used it extensively when I went to the U (my gawd, almost 30 years ago!). It's a large university, there's endless opportunities for housing near campus, so I expect you will have lots of places, and price ranges, to choose from.

Most of the 'first edition' Trailtalkers from PNW don't spend much time chatting on TT these days, but we do manage to get on trails together periodically. I was wondering if some of you newbies (at least newbies to me) would be joining the Goat Rocks trip that ChinaChas has set up for next week, but It looks like mostly oldtimers. Even so, once you're here and settled, it wouldn't be hard for you to get into the loop with hikes, probably most anytime you wanted to. There's enuf of us, and someone's always heading for some trail or other..... so finding opportunities to get to trailheads should be easy. I live on the West side of Puget Sound, across from Seattle, and the busses run to all of the Seattle-side the ferry docks. On my side, the ferry docks aren't far away, so it would be simple for you to join in on hikes on this side, even without a car.

Alaska, no real convenient train to get there, although the train between Anchorage and Fairbanks transits thru McKinly Nat Park, in the shadow of Denali. Train ride worth doing, that one. You should look into the Alaska Hiway System ferries while you're here. Lots of folks buy foot-passenger tickets and 'camp out' on deck. There's a lively cruse ship business running the Inland Passage up to SE Alaska, starting from either Seattle or Vancouver BC. You can do the same trip from the deck of a ferry for a fraction of the cost. It would be a perfect spring break getaway.

Lessee, what else did you ask about..... North side of campus is probably the handiest busride into campus. Another option would be Wallingford to the West. The Sand Point neighborhood is East, but that's pretth upscale, lots of money out there and the rents might be a bit steep - that's my recollection from several decades ago anyway. Capitol Hill is South, and all traffic going N to the U has to funnel across one of two bridges, but if you do choose to live S of the campus, try for the Montlake area rather than Capitol Hill. A bit closer, and a bit nicer area, but again, perhaps a bit pricier.

Hope this helps,
strider”

“$2,000 to move from here to there

:(


too bad I like my stuff”

“Go for the old Hillbilly truck.

Or, find one of those services that drives people's cars to wherever they are moving.”

“I can get work there. The company I'm working for now has offices in Seattle.

Which district is the corporate district?”

“One of my sisters moved out there and back in the '80s.

She had a good time on the way back car camping and road tripping with yet another sister.”

“why did she leave seattle? was the rain too much?”

“you're not moving out there for goretex are you?”

“Her future husband was interning as an E.R. physician in Jacksonville, Florida.

I mean, Jacksonville.....YUCK!

They are back in D.C. now.

He had to deal with a $h!tload of gunshot wounds and knife wounds there.

D.C. is tamer, believe it or not!

She did nursing in Seattle for two years.

I too asked, "Why leave Seattle, its beautiful there!?!?"”

“Buddha, they sell goretex everywhere, man!”

“Buddha,

Have you gone and lost your sanity?

No.

I have been discussing moving out there for almost 2 years.

That would be one reason to not move out there. I am hoping he will fall into a crevass and rot before I, if I, head west.”