I'm moving to Seattle for grad school in the fall and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on finding housing. I'd like to live within ~20 minute commute to UW. Also, I have a medium sized (55lb) dog that will be coming with me.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on affordable apartment complexes or websites other than craigslist that might help me find an apartment and/or roommates.

Thanks!

I live on the south end, so I'm not sure about apartments in the U District... Generally, I would say look into the following areas:

The U District - Closest to "The U," but sort of hit and miss... Most places seem run down...

Montlake - Close, quiet, upscale, pricey. You might be able to rent a room or somebody's garage apartment.

Magnuson / Sand Point - less options, but probably the most affordable.

Greenlake - Trendy. I would live here if you have the budget.

Ravenna / Northgate - Sketchy...high(er) crime...

Wallingford - Can be sketchy in some areas, but just across I-5 from the U. Eat at Dick's Hamburgers.

Capital Hill - Across I-5 from downtown. Lots of students live here. Known for the gay community in one small part, but 60-70% is normal people.

Ballard/Magnolia - Starting to push the 20min commute requirement, but definitely one of the more fun parts of town. LOTS of bar and restaurant options. Can be sketchy in some areas...

Leschi - Very scenic, but I'm not sure about apartments out there.

Hope that at least gets you started. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Pierce County Ag (edited 4/19/2010 3:17p).]

Thanks for the info! Very helpful for making the search more manageable.

You're welcome.

I noticed I left Fremont off of my list. I'd say Fremont is the hippie part of town. Also hit and miss, but can be pretty cool. Fremont is fairly close to UW as well...

HTH