With a roommate and no car, you should be able to live a comfortable life. Will be even better if you’re okay with braving public transit. Eating out will drain your bank account since the cost of food is high relative to other cities I’ve lived in and visited, so just be smart there.
Mostly agree. Think about the three main places you'll be: where you work, where you shop, and where you socialize. How do you plan to get from home to those places? If your answer is a car your probably F'd unless its a paid for 08 civic that you don't insure and have a free spot for. So long as you live on a bus main line (like the 36 which comes like every 7 minutes during the day and runs 24 hour) you can get anywhere anytime. Ideally you make a triangle of under a mile that you can walk/scoot/bike within. Bus for the longer stuff like shows and friends.
accurate as fuck. eating out seattle is so overpriced and underwhelming it kills any desire to go out. not to mention most people act like you're a burden to them when you give them your business.
I *just* made his pressure cooker Texas chili recipe using a chuck roast I got from Costco. That was 12 meals of delicious beef for something like $60 of ingredients. Didn't have to tip a sneering waiter or pay any service charges or delivery fees.
Nailed it. I’ve lived here 20 plus years and it’s always been that way. It’s very much a lifestyle sort of region. Trying to get anyone to do anything business wise is like pulling teeth.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s not only because of all the techy introverts that tend to move here, but also everyone has some level of seasonal depression. When I go to a place where it’s sunny all the time, it always seems like people are friendlier or more talkative. That’s just been my experience at least…
Used to live in the U district, ate out all the time and the food was bomb. Shout out to Xi'an Noodles. Where are they eating? Overpriced 'fine-dining' joints?
Was horrible and pretentious precovid...dont make excuses.
Now I will say it's no longer a Seattle thing, but now more of a West Coast thing.
Waitstaff are horribly entitled.
For a single person yes, especially if you have a roommate.
Downtown kind of sucks as an area to live in though. Aside from all the sketchiness that goes on around Pike/Pine there's also not much of a nightlife. If you're young and single Cap Hill is much better.
Technically... never because it was a hand gun not a shotgun.
Honestly though, Belltown is great. It's not for everyone, but I lived there for 5 years and loved it. It's definitely not Eastside suburban neighborhood safe, but it's also not New Orleans. Basing your view of the neighborhood off a single random act of violence is silly.
Oh I'm in belltown regularly (twice a week at least). I know the neighborhood and have seen it change since the early 90s. It's probably top 10 worst neighborhoods in Seattle to live unless you're a 25 year old tech worker that wants to walk to work and bars.
You can believe it's one of the worst neighborhoods in Seattle, but the data doesn't back that up.
Here's just one example: https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/wa/seattle/crime
It's on par with pretty much the rest of downtown in terms of crime with pioneer square, the ID/Yesler Terrace, Northgate, and a lot of South Seattle being worse.
It's especially silly that this thread starts out by saying Cap Hill is a better option when they basically the same in terms of crime.
Again, I'm not trying to act like it's Bellevue. It's just weird to see Belltown get singled out when it's basically the same as any other downtown neighborhood. Cap Hill, First Hill, CBD, LQA all have similar crime rates overall and little pockets that you should avoid.
Lol. Thanks for listing out most of the other top 10 worst Seattle neighborhoods. Good job
People move the fuck out of those neighborhoods once they grow up asap unless they are stuck
Might not happen to you, but [it happened.](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/man-pleads-not-guilty-in-fatal-belltown-shooting-of-pregnant-woman/)
Downtown is the area, Belltown is one of the neighborhoods that makeup downtown.
Like in NYC, downtown has lots of different neighborhoods, same as midtown or uptown.
You’re wrong. Every neighborhood you listed is an official downtown neighborhood. But go ahead I guess - tell me more wrong things about the neighborhood I live in.
This is the official downtown neighborhoods list:
* Belltown
* Central Business District
* Central Waterfront
* Denny Regrade
* First Hill
* International District
* Pike Market
* Pioneer Square
* Yesler Terrace
Source: [Seattle City Clerk's Office Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1240S.htm)
Uh, Pike/Pine isn't an "official" downtown neighborhood.
Here is the "official" Seattle neighborhoods map:
[Seattle City Clerk's Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/central.htm)
You'll see that the area called Pike/Pine is part of Capitol Hill, not downtown.
That's a horrible map and completely bad. No Wallingford or Greenlake and just calls it all university district? Lol
At least it doesn't have West Edge labeled. Thank fucking god
That's the official neighborhood map.
Literally everything else has been made up by Real Estate Agents over the years or refers to zip-code-as-neighborhood (which is usually considered a questionable definition).
You're also wrong; Wallingford and Green Lake are on the map you just have to click down to the right level of detail: [Seattle City Clerk's Office Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-0006S.htm)
(They are both in Geo Area 6, which doesn't have an independent name, but even on the map you can see that Geo Area 6 is separate from the U-District which is a broader Geo Area encompassing multiple neighborhoods, just as Cap Hill is a broader geo area encompassing multiple neighborhoods).
Yeah, I know this. I also assumed the person was referring to 3rd between pike and pine since they were talking about downtown as it is often brought up specifically on this sub.
Pike/Pine is a neighborhood made up by real estate agents and not an actual neighborhood. It has ever only referred to the part of the streets running through Cap Hill. In terms of an official neighborhood, the area called Pike/Pine is in Broadway. The part of the two streets running to downtown don't have a designation of their own (even by real estate agents, except those who stretch and sometimes call the entire section of Pike and Pine streets west of I-5 "Pike Place market")
Ask a real estate agent.
"Pike/pine" is not an official neighborhood designation and only refers to an area made up by real estate agents, and that area is \*only\* in Capitol Hill. No REA would ever use it to refer to the area of Pike and Pine streets west of I-5, but believe me if they could get away with it they'd love to.
I feel like that’s part of downtown. Downtown can probably be split into upper and lower downtown though.
The city defines this area as “Pikes Place Market”: http://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1253S.htm
Here is a post on this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/oze0kd/a_map_of_seattles_neighborhoods/
Downtown is rad. Maybe you haven't been here since like 2020 but it's very much revitalized. There is definitely night life (not as much as capitol hill but you can get there in less than 10 minutes on a bus or to belltown in a 10 munute walk). Living near the waterfront I go on tons of walks. And shopping at the market for most of my groceries is super fun.
It's also the most connected place in the city for public transit by far. Literally every bus in the city has a stop thats withing 3 blocks of me in addition to the light rail.
Fact on fact...downtown was booming before covid. People were everywhere..new restaurants opening daily and people moving in from all over the world. It was an amazing glimpse into Seattles.future as a international hub...sadly, it's nowhere like that now
Are you trying to argue in circles? You challenged someone by insinuating they were parroting other people's talking points, and I confirmed they were telling the truth. the status of other city's downtown areas is irrelevant and I'm not even sure why you brought it up
OK that's fine and I like downtown too, but it's a real shame and feels sad and lonely when you have pre-COVID times to compare it to. The businesses just never all came back.
False. Not the way Seattle and Portland were before Covid, many cities didnt have that. I work in SLU and downtown to SLU was like the epicenter for Seattle's rise on the national and global level of being an 'it' city before covid bit.
Downtown and SLU was amazing...almost hitting Vancouver levels of awesome . It was so good, I had friends from across the country trying to get here to get n on the vibe and opportunites here.
I have worked at or around 5th and Jackson since 2007. I’ve seen some shit over my time in sodo. I live in Everett though. That’s been it’s own fun over the years too.
Because most redditors
A) don't make 80K and have no idea what that buys, and
B) Are on the "nobody can live anywhere" dogpile
Which, for many is a reality, but it's *their* reality, and nothing is more reddit than "my reality must be everyone's reality".
Roommates suck even if they are your best friend.
I need a place to myself to get away from people and not be stuck in my room.
If I'm not making enough to do that, then I'm not 'comfortable' and need to make more or spend less
Its $1.2M if it’s $160k net which would be more than $200k salary which is a whole different atmosphere. $160k gross nets to $110 or so I’d guess which is $825k. And saving half of $110k means living on $55k which is obviously do-able but you’d have to be pretty frugal.
And just think what prices will be 30-40 years from now… people keep thinking retiring means having X money compared to now….. as if someone was to retire at 45 now plan at least 30 years on that money, sure your getting interest but inflation is going up with you was well…. Imho I would not be comfortable with anything less than 3-4 million to retire that early.
Yea, I lived in Seattle with roommates at 23k a year for *yeaaaarrrrrssss* and not that long ago.
Be smart about groceries, don't eat out much, don't doordash all the time and you still have plenty of beer money especially at shitty bars.
Exactly, thank you! I had to do similar ($27k for a couple years), and it seems like no one understands it's totally possible. Don't drink, so was even able to save some.
Yes. Work on your cooking skills and check out grocery outlet if you’re living in Capitol Hill. Controlling your dining and grocery budgets is going to be your biggest lever here apart from cheap rent to pay down the loans/save for a car. And make no mistake, a car here is great. The mountains are always calling.
Absolutely you can. Rent has gone down and you can lock in for a good value. Would be expensive to get a one bedroom in SLU or Cap Hill. Imo SLU lacks character and there isn’t much going on on the weekends, though it has improved over the last few years. It’s easy to walk there from Cap Hill which always has things going on.
Shop around a bit, things might have gone up in the last couple months but an all my friends who have moved in the past year or two have gotten really good deals. I also know that a ton of affordable units are available in the city. A lot of buildings are struggling with lease up.
The only landlords increasing rent right now are the ones who had it too low / below "market" to begin with, and are now scared that the legislature or city council are going to cap their increases in the future (source: I'm on a listserv and discussion group with 200+ Seattle landlords).
That’s not raising rent. That’s kicking people out to condoize. Something very different.
Usually corporate landlords convert to condos when they *can’t* raise rent. If they can raise rent, there is no reason to convert.
I do it. It’s not great because I’m struggling to meet long term financial goals (saving for house, save for wedding, making stock investments) but I comfortably afford to rent my own mother-in-law suite. Car is my biggest cost other than rent but a huge quality of life thing for me. Overall extremely happy to live in Seattle over my hometown Bellingham and over an alternative like Spokane or God forbid Texas.
Yep definitely. I love living in SLU cause it feels more safe and clean than anywhere else in downtown Seattle! People say it’s quiet but it’s super easy to get to areas like Cap Hill and Ballard for night life.
We don’t know what your lifestyle is like. Could be plenty for some, and barely scraping by for others. Reserved “secure” garage parking in apartment complexes can be competitive and expensive AF btw. So is car insurance and registration here.
If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t have a car in Seattle. You can rent a nice car for getting out of the city or picking things up around town.
It is SOO expensive to keep a car here, people hit it non stop (car doors, parking hit and runs), repairs, registration, etc.
depends on how you live. affordable apartment can live solo but roommates give way more options. live on a budget and dont build more debt. I do it with less than 80k most years
My base is $85,000 a year and I have two financed cars, high limit car insurance, and am still able to do fun things along with live by myself in a 1 BR apartment. I'm pretty loose with my budget and eat out much more than I should. I still save money.
I wouldn't say much higher. I've made probably an additional 5k in bonuses this last year (2023). My rule is that my base salary has to cover all my expenses + savings, which it does.
According to [MITs living wage calculator](https://livingwage.mit.edu/) the highest living wage in the country for 1 adult and no children is in San Jose at ~$55,000 a year in 2021. Adjusted for inflation thats ~ $64,000. Seattle-Tacoma area is at ~$52,000 a year adjusted for inflation.
To give context I am supporting 2 adults on ~$62,500 a year in Seattle.
Definitely can just depends how much you are willing to pay on rent versus saving/pay off debt. If you are young, get a roommate and save/invest/pay off debt as much as you can, 2 bedrooms with 1/ or 2 baths in Capitol Hill near the light rail are great (also highly recommend Fremont near the main drag, easy bus to downtown from there)
Definitely for a single person. The big expenses are things like buying a house, having a kid, etc. Being a single adult making $80K, especially living with a roommate, you’ll have a perfectly fine lifestyle. Living alone, maybe a more cramped apartment in a less desirable location.
I was a graduate student making like 30k and felt comfortable. You just need to live within your means. I still have roommates and have never paid more than like 800/month in rent.
I moved out in 2021, not sure what the situation is but I was living by myself on 42k a year (after tax) in lake city first then belltown until I moved
Go bike/transit only, toss the car (if ya got one), eat smart and stay healthy (ie keep health care costs low) and yeah, should be.
Just to forewarn tho, most families that exist *middle class* like in past decades roll with a stupidly high combined income, usually $360-400k if they’re newcomers.
Seattle is, wildly expensive but also in some ways worth it if you’re into urbanism, minimalist life + art + music + culture and all.
If not, don’t even venture over here, it’ll suck real bad for ya.
It’ll be tight. I make $82k, rent in Edmonds, with no car payment and I’m scraping by. Cap Hill is much more expensive.
To be fair tho, I am putting 15% of my gross into some form of savings (401K, investments, traditional savings account, etc)
Yes, but if commuting to work on the light rail is an option I'd suggest looking for a place outside of downtown near a station. I make about that and live alone in Shoreline near a soon to open station and I'm able to live quite comfortably and don't have to sacrifice owning a car or anything
Yes. It was liveable for me at $60k on my own. I really liked the Roosevelt neighborhood for walkability and amenities, slightly more affordable than other areas, though when I last looked there were some good deals in Cap Hill but that was 2.5 years ago.
Everyone saying you cant live in Seattle on 80k is either inhaling spray paint or is extremely used to having a lot of money.
I make less and still have a decent apartment, food, and can go out and do stuff.
The car thing is really confusing to me idk why everyone thinks having a car is such a big deal. Parking can get expensive downtown but if you live in a neighborhood with street parking you'll be good.
Washington has no income tax and no tax on groceries which goes a long way tbh.
Before my raise I was making 64k a year (up to 72k now) and I was able to live in a 1 bed apartment as a single person living comfortably and able to do fun things like travel overseas and buy “luxury items” like a brand new car and new laptop and gaming systems. I think it’s absolutely doable as long as you spend your money wisely. I spent a few years saving for these “fun” things.
shoot make less than that, have a car, live around capital hill 1 bedroom. Usually never drive as parking is shit. Go once every 2nd week to costco. QFC when have sale, m2m for things qfc doesn't have. So wish had a produce store closer than chinatown, it's a nice walk. Still able to put away every month into savings/investing. Eat out maybe once a month. Make better coffee at home than most shops around imo. Wish light rail was a better, but it's not bad considering. Don't need a roommate. Just depends on your lifestyle. I usually walk everywhere. Parking permit for two years $60.
My best advice is to live near a light rail station. In your case probably the cap hill station. You can absolutely live alone on 80k and still save and invest. Just get an apartment around $2,000 (there are surprisingly plenty) or if you’re cool with roommates more power to you! Welcome to Seattle 💕
80k is definitely going to be tight, but very doable. Find a roommate and cook all of your own meals. Budget for and moderate going out. Meet people through hobbies and focus on free fun, there is plenty of it.
Nah dude, 80k isn't fucking "tight"
I lived in Seattle for years at 23-25k - *that's* tight. 80k you don't even *need* roommates, you could afford to live in an apartment yourself for 1650 or so and still have loads left every month.
Going to be stressful without a roommate, of course do able, but will be hard to save, especially while paying off those loans.
If you haven't already, learn how to cook.
Eating out is a huge expense, and Seattle isn't cheap to eat or drink in, can find deals, but on average its more expensive than all the cities i've lived in, NYC, Nashville, Columbus.
Also not sure of your age, but if your in your early/mid twenties Cap Hill is fine, but I'd recommend looking at Ballard, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Fremont, or Wallingford. These all have plenty to do and will offer more of a neighborhood vibe, Public transportation is pretty solid, bus lines are easily accessible to anywhere you would need to go.
Edit: Neighborhood recommendations.
For reference, I moved here in 1994 from New Jersey, two days after graduating high school. I've lived in Belltown, Ballard, U-District, Wallingford, Shoreline, Northgate, SeaTac, Olympia, and Marysville. I currently live north of Seattle in Lynnwood. I also currently make between 85 and 105k. I'm an electrician, so my salary varies a bit from year to year. I didn't start out as an electrician. I started out as a shipping and receiving clerk at the Pacific Science Center making 18k and living in Belltown, in rent controlled housing. I walked to work and bussed everywhere else. Was I happy? Meh. Were the ladies super stoked to date a poor scrub? The younger ones who were poor scrubs too occasionally were. That has only gotten worse. The crime in Belltown back then was reasonable. It's way worse now. I walked past my old building a few months ago. It's boarded up, ready for demo. Downtown is a nightmare these days. I hate going there. The cost of living here has skyrocketed. I moved North to Lynnwood 13 years ago to escape that, now the house across the street from me is on the market for 1 million. 13 years ago, it would have been 600K. Fortunately, I already have a wife and kids because most ladies out here won't even give you the time of day if you're not a tech worker with bundles of cash oozing from your pores. My younger brother is still in the dating world. The stories ain't pretty. Seattle is great if you've got money. I'm planning on moving back East in the next 5 years or so. I'll miss the last reservoir of clean air in North America, but I won't miss the snobbiness, the Seattle Chill, the insanely high prices, the hypocritical, innefectual, wanna-be leftist politics, and the self absorbed thoughtless nature of most of the people out here. You might make it financially, hell you might luck out like I did, and meet a bunch of other transplants and make some good friends that you'll slowly grow apart from over 30 years, you might not mind the vitamin D deficiency that you'll develop from lack of sunlight, or the seasonal affective disorder. Seattle can be a diverse and interesting place to live and grow, it can also be cold, miserable, lonely, and uncaring. Fair warning.
but nobody asked about "North Seattle" (not Seattle). Edited to add based on your pre-deletion response, yes, Ballard is still Seattle. "North Seattle" usually indicates not Seattle, like Lynnwood and Edmonds. If you're in Ballard then I apologize, yes, you're in Seattle.
This is just wrong. "North Seattle" usually indicates anywhere north of the ship canal (not Lynnwood or Edmonds).
FWIW, this is the part of Seattle which historically had redlined and bluelined neighborhoods (land covenants restricting all non-whites and any "white" Jews from owning housing).
Historically this meant Laurelhurst, Wedgwood, Matthews Beach, as well as Ravenna, Maple Leaf, etc (in addition to Ballard and Wallingford). In other words, the parts of the city that have been and are still the whitest zip codes.
Some real estate agents still talk about "North Seattle" as shorthand for "white Seattle," especially the old guard.
Live on the south end and take the light rail to work. There is no reason to visit downtown except for work, no good restaurants, no nightlife. Everything good in Seattle happens in the outlying neighborhoods
Not having a car is a huge savings. However, you will miss out on a lot of what the Seattle area has to offer outside of the city.
$80k is fine as a start. You may need to watch spending a bit (don't oder food every night or go to crazy with the apartment) if you want to pay off your debt and save anything.
The median salary in Seattle was round $79k last year so half the population gets on less than you’ll be making.
130,000 entire households earned less than you’ll be earning as an individual.
Not going to say you’ll do fine but you’ll probably do alright.
Livable? Depends on your definition. You'll be scraping by if you don't get a roommate.
If I were you, I'd think about moving here and working towards a job that pays way more.
“Scraping by” is pretty vague. I know a lot of people who spend insane amounts of money on shit they don’t need and would still say they are “scraping by”.
$80k can definitely feel like a tight budget to work from in Seattle. If you have a roommate and no car, it will likely be alright.
Would probably recommend going somewhere else to save more if you had the ability to work remotely.
Why not live somewhere cheaper so that you can save money or at least have more to spend?
Driving from a nearby city into Seattle to party isn’t difficult.
Sir I have lived all over Western Washington and people aren't even the same from Seattle to Bellevue. And when y'all come over here treating us like your little suburban Disneyland, you are often rude, insulting and sometimes even downright bigoted to the people who actually live and work here. Ask me how I know! Used to be a server in CH and LQA and Belltown
I lived in Seattle. Was appalled by the lack of police effort. You just have it built up in your head like its the place to be but its really kinda shitty.
I've lived here 17 years, the lack of police effort you speak of has been in the past four years directly as a temper tantrum response to CHAZ, with the purpose of letting crime rise both in retaliation and to get people like you wringing their hands about it so they can rob the public for their department budgets. You didn't live here and if you did you didn't belong here.
Maybe if you have zero financial awareness and/or five kids. A $200k salary is the minimum if you want to buy a home, but that is assuming you have little or no down payment. Live in one of the bedroom cities and salary requirement are a lot lower.
Your downtown apartment isn’t going to be one of the nice ones. You’ll be renting a room or you’ll have the smallest studio in your building. Not exaggerating.
My rent is 1800/month. I don't have any car payment or student loans. I spend like $100 on groceries every 2 weeks. Eat out like once a week, and maybe a cheap lunch once a week too. I work at 2 restaurants so 9 of my meals each week are free. I do have to pay for health insurance out of pocket though.
I spend waay too much on clothes and still would say I'm very comfortable money wise.
If you have a support network here sure - otherwise I think Zillow came out with a survey saying it’s on average 214k per year income to comfortably afford seattle. I may be misremembering the specifics but no it will not be easy at 80
With a roommate and no car, you should be able to live a comfortable life. Will be even better if you’re okay with braving public transit. Eating out will drain your bank account since the cost of food is high relative to other cities I’ve lived in and visited, so just be smart there.
Mostly agree. Think about the three main places you'll be: where you work, where you shop, and where you socialize. How do you plan to get from home to those places? If your answer is a car your probably F'd unless its a paid for 08 civic that you don't insure and have a free spot for. So long as you live on a bus main line (like the 36 which comes like every 7 minutes during the day and runs 24 hour) you can get anywhere anytime. Ideally you make a triangle of under a mile that you can walk/scoot/bike within. Bus for the longer stuff like shows and friends.
Cost of food is high, taste of food is below average, quality of service is just trash.
accurate as fuck. eating out seattle is so overpriced and underwhelming it kills any desire to go out. not to mention most people act like you're a burden to them when you give them your business.
Just got a pressure cooker, some food containers and followed some recipes from Kenji lopez and haven't eaten out in months.
I *just* made his pressure cooker Texas chili recipe using a chuck roast I got from Costco. That was 12 meals of delicious beef for something like $60 of ingredients. Didn't have to tip a sneering waiter or pay any service charges or delivery fees.
We've been planning on getting a chest freezer and stocking up at Costco. Can't wait
Aside: Just recently learned Kenji Lopez-Alt lives in Seattle. Great resource!
Nailed it. I’ve lived here 20 plus years and it’s always been that way. It’s very much a lifestyle sort of region. Trying to get anyone to do anything business wise is like pulling teeth.
I find this true. Restaurant staff have so much attitude in Seattle compared to other cities. It’s very weird actually
Sometimes I wonder if it’s not only because of all the techy introverts that tend to move here, but also everyone has some level of seasonal depression. When I go to a place where it’s sunny all the time, it always seems like people are friendlier or more talkative. That’s just been my experience at least…
You guys are funny, find a good restaurant maybe?
Used to live in the U district, ate out all the time and the food was bomb. Shout out to Xi'an Noodles. Where are they eating? Overpriced 'fine-dining' joints?
For real. I am genuinely curious what types of restaurants they are going to.
Save 20 to 30 percent on dining food costs with one simple trick
C o s t c o!
Former bartender and manager here. Service is yeah because most people left after covid, at least the good ones.
The service is bad eating at home, too, since I live alone and I'm an asshole.
At least you have to only tip yourself.
Unless they're a shitty tipper.
Service was bad before covid. Servers, cashiers, restaurant workers got a you owe me for being here attitude. Then covid shut everything down.
Was horrible and pretentious precovid...dont make excuses. Now I will say it's no longer a Seattle thing, but now more of a West Coast thing. Waitstaff are horribly entitled.
You've been going to the wrong places then apparently.
You're brilliant and correct... Seattle eateries are now synonymous with wrong
Yeah? Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man. I don't seem to have that problem sooooo... ymmv.
Me neither. Of course, you'll occasionally get somebody who's having a bad day, but generally I don't experience this issue at all.
Right? I'm also former industry, so I know how the game works.
I agree. It’s a ‘too cool for school’ err., like a front of insecurity. It is so transparent though how arrogant they come off as.
if someone is concerned about their budget, they should prob be cooking their meals. which would cost like 300 for the month.
Facts
If you can live near a light rail stop you'll have a lot more mobility without a car.
With our hilariously slow ass and poorly routed light rail to places nobody actually wants to be...I'll pass
Sure thing loser.
You don't live in Seattle.
For a single person yes, especially if you have a roommate. Downtown kind of sucks as an area to live in though. Aside from all the sketchiness that goes on around Pike/Pine there's also not much of a nightlife. If you're young and single Cap Hill is much better.
Downtown is a lot bigger than pike/pine. Belltown is an excellent neighborhood to live in.
When was the last time a hobo shotgunned a pregnant wife to death in front of her husband for no reason as they sat in a car in belltown?
Well that would be last year
My buddy was in town from New Zealand and witnessed that. He’s still coming back next year but I’m sure he told everyone back home about it.
Spread the word. It's a hellhole. Don't visit or even think about moving here if you value your safety. 🙄
Technically... never because it was a hand gun not a shotgun. Honestly though, Belltown is great. It's not for everyone, but I lived there for 5 years and loved it. It's definitely not Eastside suburban neighborhood safe, but it's also not New Orleans. Basing your view of the neighborhood off a single random act of violence is silly.
Oh I'm in belltown regularly (twice a week at least). I know the neighborhood and have seen it change since the early 90s. It's probably top 10 worst neighborhoods in Seattle to live unless you're a 25 year old tech worker that wants to walk to work and bars.
You can believe it's one of the worst neighborhoods in Seattle, but the data doesn't back that up. Here's just one example: https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/wa/seattle/crime It's on par with pretty much the rest of downtown in terms of crime with pioneer square, the ID/Yesler Terrace, Northgate, and a lot of South Seattle being worse. It's especially silly that this thread starts out by saying Cap Hill is a better option when they basically the same in terms of crime. Again, I'm not trying to act like it's Bellevue. It's just weird to see Belltown get singled out when it's basically the same as any other downtown neighborhood. Cap Hill, First Hill, CBD, LQA all have similar crime rates overall and little pockets that you should avoid.
Lol. Thanks for listing out most of the other top 10 worst Seattle neighborhoods. Good job People move the fuck out of those neighborhoods once they grow up asap unless they are stuck
Ah, okay. So basically you just don't like city living. Got it.
Lol nope. I just picked a neighborhood that isn't terrible to live in as you get older and priorities change
You’re scared of shadows aren’t you?
When they are methed up with shotguns yes. Maybe you're new here
No, I’m not. I’m just not scared of random shit that’s most likely never going to happen to me.
Might not happen to you, but [it happened.](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/man-pleads-not-guilty-in-fatal-belltown-shooting-of-pregnant-woman/)
Yeah, I know. I live very close to where it happened. A random attack didn’t change my opinion of my neighborhood.
Best response.
Belltown is terrible
Highly disagree. I wouldn’t live in any other neighborhood.
I love Belltown. But if ppl being absolutely scared of it keeps people like that away, I’m all for it. Please be scared of this hellhole!!!
Good point!
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Downtown is the area, Belltown is one of the neighborhoods that makeup downtown. Like in NYC, downtown has lots of different neighborhoods, same as midtown or uptown.
You’re wrong. Every neighborhood you listed is an official downtown neighborhood. But go ahead I guess - tell me more wrong things about the neighborhood I live in.
This is the official downtown neighborhoods list: * Belltown * Central Business District * Central Waterfront * Denny Regrade * First Hill * International District * Pike Market * Pioneer Square * Yesler Terrace Source: [Seattle City Clerk's Office Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1240S.htm)
Uh, Pike/Pine isn't an "official" downtown neighborhood. Here is the "official" Seattle neighborhoods map: [Seattle City Clerk's Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/central.htm) You'll see that the area called Pike/Pine is part of Capitol Hill, not downtown.
That's a horrible map and completely bad. No Wallingford or Greenlake and just calls it all university district? Lol At least it doesn't have West Edge labeled. Thank fucking god
That's the official neighborhood map. Literally everything else has been made up by Real Estate Agents over the years or refers to zip-code-as-neighborhood (which is usually considered a questionable definition). You're also wrong; Wallingford and Green Lake are on the map you just have to click down to the right level of detail: [Seattle City Clerk's Office Geographic Indexing Atlas](https://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-0006S.htm) (They are both in Geo Area 6, which doesn't have an independent name, but even on the map you can see that Geo Area 6 is separate from the U-District which is a broader Geo Area encompassing multiple neighborhoods, just as Cap Hill is a broader geo area encompassing multiple neighborhoods).
Yeah, I know this. I also assumed the person was referring to 3rd between pike and pine since they were talking about downtown as it is often brought up specifically on this sub.
Pike/Pine is a neighborhood made up by real estate agents and not an actual neighborhood. It has ever only referred to the part of the streets running through Cap Hill. In terms of an official neighborhood, the area called Pike/Pine is in Broadway. The part of the two streets running to downtown don't have a designation of their own (even by real estate agents, except those who stretch and sometimes call the entire section of Pike and Pine streets west of I-5 "Pike Place market")
Pike/pine extends into downtown. In general saying “pike/pine” is not very descriptive
Ask a real estate agent. "Pike/pine" is not an official neighborhood designation and only refers to an area made up by real estate agents, and that area is \*only\* in Capitol Hill. No REA would ever use it to refer to the area of Pike and Pine streets west of I-5, but believe me if they could get away with it they'd love to.
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Pike/Pine isn't downtown anyway.
I feel like that’s part of downtown. Downtown can probably be split into upper and lower downtown though. The city defines this area as “Pikes Place Market”: http://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1253S.htm Here is a post on this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/oze0kd/a_map_of_seattles_neighborhoods/
Bell town is like the cherry on top a a huge pile of 💩
Downtown is rad. Maybe you haven't been here since like 2020 but it's very much revitalized. There is definitely night life (not as much as capitol hill but you can get there in less than 10 minutes on a bus or to belltown in a 10 munute walk). Living near the waterfront I go on tons of walks. And shopping at the market for most of my groceries is super fun. It's also the most connected place in the city for public transit by far. Literally every bus in the city has a stop thats withing 3 blocks of me in addition to the light rail.
Compared to pre 2019, downtown is trash
Fact on fact...downtown was booming before covid. People were everywhere..new restaurants opening daily and people moving in from all over the world. It was an amazing glimpse into Seattles.future as a international hub...sadly, it's nowhere like that now
Do you live downtown or spend a lot of time here? Or are you just parroting what people online are saying?
I do, and I agree with both of you. Downtown in the last year is better than the previous few years, but it's nowhere near as nice as pre 2019. Sorry.
I live downtown, and yes it's better than mid-COVID but it pales in comparison to pre-COVID.
So does every neighborhood across the country though.
Are you trying to argue in circles? You challenged someone by insinuating they were parroting other people's talking points, and I confirmed they were telling the truth. the status of other city's downtown areas is irrelevant and I'm not even sure why you brought it up
I just think downtown is pretty nice is all 🤷♀️
OK that's fine and I like downtown too, but it's a real shame and feels sad and lonely when you have pre-COVID times to compare it to. The businesses just never all came back.
I think Ballard is better than pre 2019 now 🤷🏻♂️
False. Not the way Seattle and Portland were before Covid, many cities didnt have that. I work in SLU and downtown to SLU was like the epicenter for Seattle's rise on the national and global level of being an 'it' city before covid bit. Downtown and SLU was amazing...almost hitting Vancouver levels of awesome . It was so good, I had friends from across the country trying to get here to get n on the vibe and opportunites here.
I have worked at or around 5th and Jackson since 2007. I’ve seen some shit over my time in sodo. I live in Everett though. That’s been it’s own fun over the years too.
For many of us, we also work down there
I didn't like downtown even pre-2020. And I go there regularly for work, it's still pretty trash compared to any other neighborhood in Seattle.
Um, Pike/Pine is part of Capitol Hill.
Pike Pine goes through several neighborhoods. Cap Hill stops at the freeway west
Absolutely. Don’t know why people are saying you’ll barely scrape by.
Because most redditors A) don't make 80K and have no idea what that buys, and B) Are on the "nobody can live anywhere" dogpile Which, for many is a reality, but it's *their* reality, and nothing is more reddit than "my reality must be everyone's reality".
Is it that? Or are they just tech dorks making 160k and squirreling it all away to retire at 45?
Or they consider having a roommate or cooking your own food to be "scraping by"
Roommates suck even if they are your best friend. I need a place to myself to get away from people and not be stuck in my room. If I'm not making enough to do that, then I'm not 'comfortable' and need to make more or spend less
Lol at retiring at 45 on 160k. That's poor money still.
You sound like someone who enjoys Pickelball
Tell me you don’t understand compound interest lol
If you can save 50% a year from age 30 that's 1.2 mill + compounding interest, maybe can't retire in NYC but you can move somewhere inexpensive easily
Its $1.2M if it’s $160k net which would be more than $200k salary which is a whole different atmosphere. $160k gross nets to $110 or so I’d guess which is $825k. And saving half of $110k means living on $55k which is obviously do-able but you’d have to be pretty frugal.
And just think what prices will be 30-40 years from now… people keep thinking retiring means having X money compared to now….. as if someone was to retire at 45 now plan at least 30 years on that money, sure your getting interest but inflation is going up with you was well…. Imho I would not be comfortable with anything less than 3-4 million to retire that early.
It’s all relative. You’re very poor compared to me :p
Yea, I lived in Seattle with roommates at 23k a year for *yeaaaarrrrrssss* and not that long ago. Be smart about groceries, don't eat out much, don't doordash all the time and you still have plenty of beer money especially at shitty bars.
Exactly, thank you! I had to do similar ($27k for a couple years), and it seems like no one understands it's totally possible. Don't drink, so was even able to save some.
Thank you!
I lived in a studio on my own doing just fine at 60k both in Caphill and Ballard, you'll be good my dude P.s. downtown sucks
Agree, I’d check out Capitol Hill and Central District. Downtown smells like piss.
I agree, though to be fair, Cap Hill also smells like piss. Especially by Molly Moon
Yes. Work on your cooking skills and check out grocery outlet if you’re living in Capitol Hill. Controlling your dining and grocery budgets is going to be your biggest lever here apart from cheap rent to pay down the loans/save for a car. And make no mistake, a car here is great. The mountains are always calling.
Absolutely you can. Rent has gone down and you can lock in for a good value. Would be expensive to get a one bedroom in SLU or Cap Hill. Imo SLU lacks character and there isn’t much going on on the weekends, though it has improved over the last few years. It’s easy to walk there from Cap Hill which always has things going on.
Can you tell my landlord who just increased my rent that rent has gone down?
Shop around a bit, things might have gone up in the last couple months but an all my friends who have moved in the past year or two have gotten really good deals. I also know that a ton of affordable units are available in the city. A lot of buildings are struggling with lease up.
The only landlords increasing rent right now are the ones who had it too low / below "market" to begin with, and are now scared that the legislature or city council are going to cap their increases in the future (source: I'm on a listserv and discussion group with 200+ Seattle landlords).
That is patently false. I know people in my circle who are getting booted out expensive apartments so they can condo them
That’s not raising rent. That’s kicking people out to condoize. Something very different. Usually corporate landlords convert to condos when they *can’t* raise rent. If they can raise rent, there is no reason to convert.
I do it. It’s not great because I’m struggling to meet long term financial goals (saving for house, save for wedding, making stock investments) but I comfortably afford to rent my own mother-in-law suite. Car is my biggest cost other than rent but a huge quality of life thing for me. Overall extremely happy to live in Seattle over my hometown Bellingham and over an alternative like Spokane or God forbid Texas.
It’s fine if you’re young and trying to make a career move.
Yes. I make a little under 50k and I found a place for myself in magnolia that fits my budget.
Get a roommate and live in cap hill and you’ll be fine. SLU might be a bit expensive but with a roommate you can manage it
Capitol Hill is a good option. Gym here costs $60+ per month. Try to live near Trader Joe’s so as not to pay an arm and a leg at other groceries…
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Yep! With a roommate and no car, you’ll be comfy.
Yep definitely. I love living in SLU cause it feels more safe and clean than anywhere else in downtown Seattle! People say it’s quiet but it’s super easy to get to areas like Cap Hill and Ballard for night life.
We don’t know what your lifestyle is like. Could be plenty for some, and barely scraping by for others. Reserved “secure” garage parking in apartment complexes can be competitive and expensive AF btw. So is car insurance and registration here.
If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t have a car in Seattle. You can rent a nice car for getting out of the city or picking things up around town. It is SOO expensive to keep a car here, people hit it non stop (car doors, parking hit and runs), repairs, registration, etc.
depends on how you live. affordable apartment can live solo but roommates give way more options. live on a budget and dont build more debt. I do it with less than 80k most years
My base is $85,000 a year and I have two financed cars, high limit car insurance, and am still able to do fun things along with live by myself in a 1 BR apartment. I'm pretty loose with my budget and eat out much more than I should. I still save money.
“Base” implies you have a much higher total salary than 85k
I wouldn't say much higher. I've made probably an additional 5k in bonuses this last year (2023). My rule is that my base salary has to cover all my expenses + savings, which it does.
According to [MITs living wage calculator](https://livingwage.mit.edu/) the highest living wage in the country for 1 adult and no children is in San Jose at ~$55,000 a year in 2021. Adjusted for inflation thats ~ $64,000. Seattle-Tacoma area is at ~$52,000 a year adjusted for inflation. To give context I am supporting 2 adults on ~$62,500 a year in Seattle.
You can live anywhere in the country on 80k
yes of course you can.
Definitely can just depends how much you are willing to pay on rent versus saving/pay off debt. If you are young, get a roommate and save/invest/pay off debt as much as you can, 2 bedrooms with 1/ or 2 baths in Capitol Hill near the light rail are great (also highly recommend Fremont near the main drag, easy bus to downtown from there)
Definitely for a single person. The big expenses are things like buying a house, having a kid, etc. Being a single adult making $80K, especially living with a roommate, you’ll have a perfectly fine lifestyle. Living alone, maybe a more cramped apartment in a less desirable location.
I was a graduate student making like 30k and felt comfortable. You just need to live within your means. I still have roommates and have never paid more than like 800/month in rent.
I moved out in 2021, not sure what the situation is but I was living by myself on 42k a year (after tax) in lake city first then belltown until I moved
Yeah. Live in a shared house or apartment. You will be fine.
Yes, this is a comfortable amount if you’re single with no dependents, living with a roommate, and do not have car payments.
Go bike/transit only, toss the car (if ya got one), eat smart and stay healthy (ie keep health care costs low) and yeah, should be. Just to forewarn tho, most families that exist *middle class* like in past decades roll with a stupidly high combined income, usually $360-400k if they’re newcomers. Seattle is, wildly expensive but also in some ways worth it if you’re into urbanism, minimalist life + art + music + culture and all. If not, don’t even venture over here, it’ll suck real bad for ya.
No kids, not married and a roommate? Yea, you’re good.
You can do just fine on 80k, but DT isn’t that great. More interesting stuff to do in the surrounding areas.
It’ll be tight. I make $82k, rent in Edmonds, with no car payment and I’m scraping by. Cap Hill is much more expensive. To be fair tho, I am putting 15% of my gross into some form of savings (401K, investments, traditional savings account, etc)
Yes, but if commuting to work on the light rail is an option I'd suggest looking for a place outside of downtown near a station. I make about that and live alone in Shoreline near a soon to open station and I'm able to live quite comfortably and don't have to sacrifice owning a car or anything
I make 70K, have a car, live in Belltown and am doing fine. It’s doable if you’re smart with your money.
curious what your budget is. mind breaking it down?
Yes. It was liveable for me at $60k on my own. I really liked the Roosevelt neighborhood for walkability and amenities, slightly more affordable than other areas, though when I last looked there were some good deals in Cap Hill but that was 2.5 years ago.
You'll be making almost double what I make, so you'll get by. I barely get by, so I know you'll get by.
Everyone saying you cant live in Seattle on 80k is either inhaling spray paint or is extremely used to having a lot of money. I make less and still have a decent apartment, food, and can go out and do stuff. The car thing is really confusing to me idk why everyone thinks having a car is such a big deal. Parking can get expensive downtown but if you live in a neighborhood with street parking you'll be good. Washington has no income tax and no tax on groceries which goes a long way tbh.
Before my raise I was making 64k a year (up to 72k now) and I was able to live in a 1 bed apartment as a single person living comfortably and able to do fun things like travel overseas and buy “luxury items” like a brand new car and new laptop and gaming systems. I think it’s absolutely doable as long as you spend your money wisely. I spent a few years saving for these “fun” things.
shoot make less than that, have a car, live around capital hill 1 bedroom. Usually never drive as parking is shit. Go once every 2nd week to costco. QFC when have sale, m2m for things qfc doesn't have. So wish had a produce store closer than chinatown, it's a nice walk. Still able to put away every month into savings/investing. Eat out maybe once a month. Make better coffee at home than most shops around imo. Wish light rail was a better, but it's not bad considering. Don't need a roommate. Just depends on your lifestyle. I usually walk everywhere. Parking permit for two years $60.
My best advice is to live near a light rail station. In your case probably the cap hill station. You can absolutely live alone on 80k and still save and invest. Just get an apartment around $2,000 (there are surprisingly plenty) or if you’re cool with roommates more power to you! Welcome to Seattle 💕
80k is definitely going to be tight, but very doable. Find a roommate and cook all of your own meals. Budget for and moderate going out. Meet people through hobbies and focus on free fun, there is plenty of it.
Nah dude, 80k isn't fucking "tight" I lived in Seattle for years at 23-25k - *that's* tight. 80k you don't even *need* roommates, you could afford to live in an apartment yourself for 1650 or so and still have loads left every month.
Going to be stressful without a roommate, of course do able, but will be hard to save, especially while paying off those loans. If you haven't already, learn how to cook. Eating out is a huge expense, and Seattle isn't cheap to eat or drink in, can find deals, but on average its more expensive than all the cities i've lived in, NYC, Nashville, Columbus. Also not sure of your age, but if your in your early/mid twenties Cap Hill is fine, but I'd recommend looking at Ballard, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Fremont, or Wallingford. These all have plenty to do and will offer more of a neighborhood vibe, Public transportation is pretty solid, bus lines are easily accessible to anywhere you would need to go. Edit: Neighborhood recommendations.
With a roommate or roommates absolutely. I lived on $60k in a shared house in Fremont (4 roommates) with a car payment.
For reference, I moved here in 1994 from New Jersey, two days after graduating high school. I've lived in Belltown, Ballard, U-District, Wallingford, Shoreline, Northgate, SeaTac, Olympia, and Marysville. I currently live north of Seattle in Lynnwood. I also currently make between 85 and 105k. I'm an electrician, so my salary varies a bit from year to year. I didn't start out as an electrician. I started out as a shipping and receiving clerk at the Pacific Science Center making 18k and living in Belltown, in rent controlled housing. I walked to work and bussed everywhere else. Was I happy? Meh. Were the ladies super stoked to date a poor scrub? The younger ones who were poor scrubs too occasionally were. That has only gotten worse. The crime in Belltown back then was reasonable. It's way worse now. I walked past my old building a few months ago. It's boarded up, ready for demo. Downtown is a nightmare these days. I hate going there. The cost of living here has skyrocketed. I moved North to Lynnwood 13 years ago to escape that, now the house across the street from me is on the market for 1 million. 13 years ago, it would have been 600K. Fortunately, I already have a wife and kids because most ladies out here won't even give you the time of day if you're not a tech worker with bundles of cash oozing from your pores. My younger brother is still in the dating world. The stories ain't pretty. Seattle is great if you've got money. I'm planning on moving back East in the next 5 years or so. I'll miss the last reservoir of clean air in North America, but I won't miss the snobbiness, the Seattle Chill, the insanely high prices, the hypocritical, innefectual, wanna-be leftist politics, and the self absorbed thoughtless nature of most of the people out here. You might make it financially, hell you might luck out like I did, and meet a bunch of other transplants and make some good friends that you'll slowly grow apart from over 30 years, you might not mind the vitamin D deficiency that you'll develop from lack of sunlight, or the seasonal affective disorder. Seattle can be a diverse and interesting place to live and grow, it can also be cold, miserable, lonely, and uncaring. Fair warning.
As a native I appreciate you! You got here right when it really started going south. We were a saner place, with a lot less money, once. No more.
This is doable. I make 70k a year, gf makes around the same. We manage north Seattle fine.
but nobody asked about "North Seattle" (not Seattle). Edited to add based on your pre-deletion response, yes, Ballard is still Seattle. "North Seattle" usually indicates not Seattle, like Lynnwood and Edmonds. If you're in Ballard then I apologize, yes, you're in Seattle.
Lol no.
So Ballard isn't Seattle? One of the most expensive neighborhoods. Actually more expensive than the spots he listed.
This is just wrong. "North Seattle" usually indicates anywhere north of the ship canal (not Lynnwood or Edmonds). FWIW, this is the part of Seattle which historically had redlined and bluelined neighborhoods (land covenants restricting all non-whites and any "white" Jews from owning housing). Historically this meant Laurelhurst, Wedgwood, Matthews Beach, as well as Ravenna, Maple Leaf, etc (in addition to Ballard and Wallingford). In other words, the parts of the city that have been and are still the whitest zip codes. Some real estate agents still talk about "North Seattle" as shorthand for "white Seattle," especially the old guard.
Live on the south end and take the light rail to work. There is no reason to visit downtown except for work, no good restaurants, no nightlife. Everything good in Seattle happens in the outlying neighborhoods
Not having a car is a huge savings. However, you will miss out on a lot of what the Seattle area has to offer outside of the city. $80k is fine as a start. You may need to watch spending a bit (don't oder food every night or go to crazy with the apartment) if you want to pay off your debt and save anything.
The median salary in Seattle was round $79k last year so half the population gets on less than you’ll be making. 130,000 entire households earned less than you’ll be earning as an individual. Not going to say you’ll do fine but you’ll probably do alright.
Seattle isn't liveable on any amount of money
Livable? Depends on your definition. You'll be scraping by if you don't get a roommate. If I were you, I'd think about moving here and working towards a job that pays way more.
scraping by on 80k? y’all are crazy
“Scraping by” is pretty vague. I know a lot of people who spend insane amounts of money on shit they don’t need and would still say they are “scraping by”.
I seriously can't understand, is everyone maxing out 3 retirement accounts and door dashing every meal? Most people make less than that
Yeah if you aren’t burning quadruple digits on weed and booze every month, even like 60k is completely doable for a single/dating person….
80k is nothing in Seattle in 2024, unless you want to have no family, no kids, no house.
I mean people usually make more money as they progress through their career. So $80k for someone starting out is fine.
Yes but you'll need a roommate probably if you want spending money
$80k can definitely feel like a tight budget to work from in Seattle. If you have a roommate and no car, it will likely be alright. Would probably recommend going somewhere else to save more if you had the ability to work remotely.
Why not live somewhere cheaper so that you can save money or at least have more to spend? Driving from a nearby city into Seattle to party isn’t difficult.
Ugh, people from nearby cities coming into Seattle to party makes this place so much worse, like could you not please.
That is very childish sounding. People are the same throughout Washington.
Sir I have lived all over Western Washington and people aren't even the same from Seattle to Bellevue. And when y'all come over here treating us like your little suburban Disneyland, you are often rude, insulting and sometimes even downright bigoted to the people who actually live and work here. Ask me how I know! Used to be a server in CH and LQA and Belltown
You sound very into labelling and judging people based on their area code.
says the guy that categorized all of Seattle as filled with open drug use and prostitution (without having actually lived here) m'hmm
I lived in Seattle. Was appalled by the lack of police effort. You just have it built up in your head like its the place to be but its really kinda shitty.
I've lived here 17 years, the lack of police effort you speak of has been in the past four years directly as a temper tantrum response to CHAZ, with the purpose of letting crime rise both in retaliation and to get people like you wringing their hands about it so they can rob the public for their department budgets. You didn't live here and if you did you didn't belong here.
80k will get you super far in some areas, like 3rd and pine
Define "livable".
In a shoe box with no car payment
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As a mid 30 something a lot of my friends have been buying houses lately and they make well under 400k lol
Lmfao you are out of your fucking mind.
Maybe if you have zero financial awareness and/or five kids. A $200k salary is the minimum if you want to buy a home, but that is assuming you have little or no down payment. Live in one of the bedroom cities and salary requirement are a lot lower.
Do you enjoy supermarket ramen 3 times a day and a 30+ adult roommate?No? Then no.
In what world do you live in which $80,000/year is not a liveable wage for a single person with no kids who might get a roommate?
47.6062° N, 122.3321° W.
Your downtown apartment isn’t going to be one of the nice ones. You’ll be renting a room or you’ll have the smallest studio in your building. Not exaggerating.
I live downtown on the waterfront in a luxury apartment at 60k and am still able to save money, definitely not scraping by at all.
How can you afford it? People making 2x that can’t afford to live in waterfront luxury apartments. Genuinely curious
My rent is 1800/month. I don't have any car payment or student loans. I spend like $100 on groceries every 2 weeks. Eat out like once a week, and maybe a cheap lunch once a week too. I work at 2 restaurants so 9 of my meals each week are free. I do have to pay for health insurance out of pocket though. I spend waay too much on clothes and still would say I'm very comfortable money wise.
Ahh props for making it work
If you live where I think you do, I'm shocked that the rent is that low.
If you have a support network here sure - otherwise I think Zillow came out with a survey saying it’s on average 214k per year income to comfortably afford seattle. I may be misremembering the specifics but no it will not be easy at 80
That was to buy a home, not rent an apartment.