townhouse choices

[NbyNW]

I think West Seattle has the advantage on shorter commute plus convenience to lots of shops & restaurants, plus beach!

Renton is indeed further out, but you might have proximity to good cycling out there.

I think it helps a lot to check out a neighborhood in advance of seeing a house/apartment. You need to be able to picture yourself spending time out and about in your neighborhood.

[ny biker]

I think it helps a lot to check out a neighborhood in advance of seeing a house/apartment. You need to be able to picture yourself spending time out and about in your neighborhood.

Agreed.

I live in a small 1BR condo. I would love to have a larger place, but not as much as I love living in a good neighborhood with a short commute.

[XMcShiftersonX]

We essentially did the same type of looking when we bought our condo. The condos were so tiny in West Seattle though and so expensive, we didn't think it was worth it. Now we live in Renton. We've been here almost 6 years. We love that our condo has enough room (1100 sq. feet. I think the condos in W seattle were like 800), and we're saving to build our own house in the Tiger Mountain area. We have amazing cycling opportunities out here. I currently work in Tacoma and my husband in Seattle, so that also works out (although I may be working in the downtown/capitol hill area soon). It depends if a commute would bother you. During the warmer months you could look into riding your bike to work. My husband does that. Driving wise, West Seattle isn't that bad. Usually traffic slows down after that exit going into Seattle on I-5, but ultimately I would say it's a 20-30 minute drive.

[withm]

Well we can't really put this in perspective without the actual mileage between work and the 2 options. If commute A is 3 miles, and B is 5 miles, that's a lot different than if A is 10 miles and B is 25 miles.....

[bmccasland]

Well we can't really put this in perspective without the actual mileage between work and the 2 options. If commute A is 3 miles, and B is 5 miles, that's a lot different than if A is 10 miles and B is 25 miles.....

15 miles vs 6 or 7 miles depending on which bridge one crosses

[KnottedYet]

I have several friends who live in West Seattle, been there 15-20 years, raising kids, etc.

They talk about how they like the smaller-town feel of it and the strong sense of community. The views are gorgeous, too! Lots of nice parks.

Closer to Seattle than a lot of the suburbs, but it has a strong identity of its own (partially because it is a bit isolated by the water).

I've always had a good time in West Seattle. It's pretty low-key, lots of local artists, easy-going.

[indysteel]

I know nothing about Seattle, but I do understand commutes. How long timewise would it take to commute those 15 miles versus the 6-7? Do both places lend themselves to commuting by bike? How much does it mean to you to be able to ride easily from your home? Does driving stress you out?

I went from being 5 minutes from work to being 45 minutes to an hour. And from a small home of about 1,000 sq. feet plus a garage to a bigger home. I miss the ease of my former life in many ways. Driving and traffic wear me out. On the plus side, I can easily ride from home now, but it doesn't make up for it.

I don't have a strong sense of community at either place, but that would be a huge selling point for me, especially if I were new to an area.