Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Seattle

Free Parking

Blazecock Pileon — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:42:19 -0800

What would be involved in building a driveway / basement-level garage for a house in Seattle, WA with respect to zoning, estimated costs, etc.? Specifically, it would be for a house that currently has on-street, city-zoned parking only.

Are there any soft/plush hotel beds in Seattle?

Leenie — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:32:15 -0800

Just had an uncomfortable stay in Seattle on a firm hotel bed. Heading back in two weeks and need a better bed. My wife and I just returned from a stay in Seattle. We stayed at a nice hotel with a firm bed. I had the worst night of sleep in my life. (No exaggeration). The longest stretch I was able to sleep for was 90 minutes or so. I was normally waking up every 10 to 30 minutes.

She likes a firm bed and slept ok on it.

At home she has her side of our sleep number bed set to 75, my side is set to 40. I think the hotel bed was a 80-90 setting.

The sleep number beds at the Radisson hotel chain are not very comfortable. I think they are a much lower end model than the one we have. The Temprapedic beds are not comfortable at all. Everypart of my body that is in the material when I sleep, sweats. That is not an option.

We will be going back in two weeks and I would like to sleep better. Most hotels we stay at have firm or very firm beds. Does anybody know of a hotel in the Seattle area that has soft/plush beds? Are there any chains that have some in some rooms in their hotels?

Two good reasons to break a lease

beefetish — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:27:51 -0800

My lease expires May 15. I need to be in another city the first week of March. My housemate and I want to move out ASAP because our neighborhood sucks. Please advise. More details inside. I plan on breaking my lease anyway because of a job offer in another city- housemate would also be moving at this time, so there's no roommate drama.

However, two attempted break-ins and one suspicious guy loitering in our alleyway last night have tipped our feelings about the neighborhood from "rough but not a clear and present danger" to "why do these people want to break into our house so badly" -- it looked like the same guys trying to get into our house each time. Called the cops each time, cops said, oh yeah, high school students have been breaking into houses all over the place for drug money, nothing we can do. Being hit three times in one week is pretty fucked up so we want to move. Ordinarily I'd find some folks to replace us on the lease but i don't want any of my friends getting their shit jacked. There has been an uptick in violence in the neighborhood the last couple months and it has officially become old.

Dad advises finding a new place, eating the damage deposit, and moving, but not paying the rent on the old place. This strikes me as potentially foolhardy. Is there any way of prematurely terminating our lease without being on the hook for two rents until May?

How to split 7-8 nights between Seattle and Vancouver?

greendress — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:24:01 -0800

With 7 or 8 nights to spend in Seattle and Vancouver, how should we divide our time? My husband and I, along with my in-laws, may be going to Seattle/Vancouver next June. The total trip will likely be either 7 or 8 nights. None of us have never been to either city and I haven't done much research on either yet. I'll buy some Eyewitness guides, but it's sometimes hard to get a good feel from guidebooks for how much time you'll need/want in an area. But in the interest of possibly trying to firm up vacation rentals further in advance than my in-laws usually do (we try to rent houses/apartments most of the time rather than stay in hotels), I'm wondering how to split our time.

So, for those who are familiar with both cities, how would you suggest splitting the time? Half the time in each city? The bulk in one with only a couple of days in the other?

We typically would visit most or all of any given city's major tourist destinations -- e.g., most of the stuff you'd see in an Eyewitness Top 10 guide. Other than that, when we visit a city, we tend to just spend a lot of time walking around, eating and drinking, and sometimes even catching a movie. None of us are outdoorsy -- no hiking or bike-riding will be on the agenda. If one city is vastly more expensive than the other, that could make a difference.

I ♥ cukes.

halogen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:36:48 -0800

Seattle indoor gardening: are there any reasons why I shouldn't grow cucumbers in my bedroom this winter? I just moved to an apartment with a large-ish balcony, and can't wait to acquire some planters with herbs and vegetables. However, considering that winter hasn't even started yet, they wouldn't get much of a survival chance outside.

My bedroom has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that face West. No-one spends time there during the day. The temperature is usually at 65°F/18°C during the day and overnight and 69°F/20°F in the evening when we are home. I've been thinking of picking up a couple of Earthboxes and then planting Persian cucumber seeds in them (as well as some herbs). Then, in the spring, I would presumably be setting the planters outside on the balcony and growing, well, whatever.

Potential problems that I can picture are raised humidity in the bedroom (which should be fine, my skin could certainly benefit from it) and the plants being too cold.

Have you attempted anything like this? Could I count on a harvest in a couple of months?

What's it like to work at Big Fish Games in Seattle?

Cool Papa Bell — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:05:47 -0800

What's it like to work at Big Fish Games in Seattle? I've heard both good and bad things. I'm looking for more opinions and anecdotes.

Getting a Job in Capitol Hill Seattle, Where To Live

Gideon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:44:07 -0800

I might be getting a job in Seattle soon, the job being located near Lakeview Cemetery. I'm going to be apartment hunting from a distance so I won't be able to really check things out in advance. Help me find a place to live. Here's the thing:
-I'd like to not spend too much more than around 800 a month in rent.
-I'd like to be in a fairly safe place.
-I don't need much space, I'm thinking a studio in the 600sq ft realm.
-I'd like to live someplace 'interesting' with grocery stores, restaurants within walking distance, fun stuff.. (I'm a single 30 year old)
-I'd like to be able to walk to work. This is a "would be nice, not necessary" the other things are more important assuming I can get there fairly quickly via public transportation.

What parts of town should I be looking? Places to avoid? What sort of things should I be looking for (both good and bad) when looking at apartments? I'm in the midwest so all of our apartments are about 10 years old, most the ones I've seen in Seattle tend to be around 100 - I'm just not sure what I need to be wary of. Any good sources to get the lowdown about a potential place?

Thanks for the help!

Ideas for Seattle, WA and Richmond, VA-specific gifts?

Maarika — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:34:51 -0800

Looking for info/tips/leads on local gifts for my Seattle- and Richmond, VA-residing brothers My two younger brothers moved to opposite sides of the country: Seattle, WA, and Richmond, VA. For Christmas I want to give them "experience" gifts like gift certificates, tickets, etc. to cool stuff in their respective cities. Cool stuff includes but is not limited to: restaurants, bars, interesting stores, awesome museums, etc -- anything that gets them out and about and experiencing their new cities in a fun way. I'm located in the Midwest, so I will need to order stuff online or over the phone. I would LOVE your suggestions and leads here!

Some basic info on the brothers (who are in their early/mid-20s):

Seattle brother:
* grad student
* likes the outdoors and offbeat sports
* loves weird restaurants/bars - the weirder, the better

Richmond brother:
* "young professional"
* more standard, conventional interests (i.e. no dive bars, weird clothing stores)
* has a very classy girlfriend who will likely also partake in the chosen experience
* hidden nerd-tendencies

Á mis hermanos: apologies in advance if you somehow find this and thus have your Christmas surprise ruined

Will a condo be built in front of me?

nyc_consultant — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:13:53 -0800

If I buy a condo in Seattle with a great view, will that view be blocked by new condo construction in the near future? There is a condo for sale that I am interested in which has a great view. Currently there are 2 small commercial buildings in front of the condo, which do not obstruct the view.

I'm going to be devastated if I buy this place, and then either one gets torn down and someone builds a shiny new building which will block my view.

How can I figure out if this is likely, possible, or planned?

[Side note: I asked a question 6 months ago on how to convince my wife to move to Seattle. Thanks folks, she agreed to the move, and now she loves it!]

Looking for affordable 9-month housing near Kirkland, WA

dcruzin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:55:02 -0800

Looking for recommendations for an affordable apartment/studio complex within 20min of the Bungie offices in Kirkland, WA for a 9 month lease. I'm looking for whatever might be cheaper, be it in Redmond or maybe further to the East. The workplace, from last I heard, is in Kirkland, but a ten to twenty minute commute isn't too big a problem. Of course, I would prefer to live in Kirkland, but I'm thinking with rates as high as $900 a month, I'm not sure if I could afford much else. Do you think there might be anything around the $600-700 range for a studio or maybe even a sublet? Craigslist can only do so much in terms of finding vacant apartments, whereas subletters are much easier on the wallet but only for temporary housing solutions. I'm going to be there for 9 months.

Need recs for IT training in Seattle.

valannc — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:35:39 -0800

In the Seattle/Snohomish area. Which schools provide good training in beginning SQL, or database design, or IT project management? Needs:
- School should be well-regarded by hiring managers and look good on my resume
- Training should be rigorous. Prefer a fast-paced class.
- Location: North or central Seattle are good. Or Everett/Lynnwood area. I live in Shoreline/Edmonds.
- Hoping to start training asap. I am unemployed and have time to study. Don't want to wait until Winter semester.

Here is a listing of Seattle computer training schools. Which ones have a good rep and do a good job?

Help me find the blackberry delicousness, please.

lorrer — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:23:12 -0800

Help me get Seattle-quality blackberries in the NYC area. Is there anywhere in Manhattan, the outer boroughs, or even Long Island where I can get really great blackberries? I have never found them, in the last ten years, at any store (not even Kirkland and Issaquah-based Costco!). Nothing has come close to the taste off the vine - not tart at all, almost overripe tasting compared to most fruits, somewhat sweet, and very rich & earthy.

I was back in Seattle a couple of months ago and gorged myself on them off the vine, and for the first time made pie with them on my own - and the pies were incredible. I'm hoping to find a source so that I can share the joy of ripe blackberries with my friends and family, and so that I can make delicious pies for fall and winter festivities.

How to inexpensively hang posters?

grouse — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:12:48 -0800

I have some posters that I would like to hang up, but they have been damaged through poor handling in the past. Are there inexpensive yet non-tacky (no pun intended) ways of hanging them up? It seems like a shame to spend a lot of money to frame posters which are themselves damaged. And they'll probably get damaged further next time I move. On the other hand, I'd rather not turn my apartment into an overgrown dorm room by using thumb tacks or Blu-Tack to hang them up (which would, of course damage the artwork further). And I'm also tired at staring at bare walls.

One of the posters is 20 in × 27 in, and the other is 11 in × 17 in.

I would prefer to avoid solutions that require the use of fine motor control in a way that will result in irreversible damage if done incorrectly (such as gluing or cutting), or purchasing new tools. On the other hand, I guess this stuff is already damaged so it can't be that bad.

Another solution would be to simply cut off the damaged areas of the posters or place matting over them. If I went this route I would want to have a professional do it—does this make sense?

I live in Seattle. I would need to rent a car to get to Ikea, greatly increasing the cost of any Ikea options. I live conveniently near a Museum-Quality Framing store.

Bonus question: How I can quickly, inexpensively, and easily add some more decoration to the place? There are about a zillion options out there and trying to decide the optimal solution results in paralysis. I could start buying posters to support the small bands whose shows I see but it seems weird to have posters from bands I'm not fanatical about adorning the place.

Where to take a vegan friend without "punishing" the carnivores in the party

dorgla — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:17:51 -0800

Where in Seattle has good vegan lunch options? Don't want a strictly vegan venue, as the rest of us are omnivores, and we'd like to wash our lunch down with beer, if possible.

Another 'Moving to Seattle' AskMe!

kzin602 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:08:01 -0800

Twenty-Something Gay couple making the leap to a new city with no connections and potentially limited job opportunities, in a down economy too! The man I'm in love with has fallen in love with Seattle, and after visiting and experiencing the mild climate, nice people, great public transit and relaxed attitude, I've grown partial to the city also. Random point: We currently live in Tempe, AZ.

I currently work in the tech industry for 'The world's largest domain registrar' in a specialty position... Think of it as tech support for tech support, and any other job that no other department exists (or has the capacity) to handle. While I've established myself here pretty well, and am actually proud of what I've achieved considering the mistakes I made in my educational past. I know that because I don't have a useful degree and no certifications It's going to be a hard climb back up in a new environment.

My partner works in retail, management, but still retail. For a well known coffee company that is from Seattle. (and can transfer to

Our two incomes combine to about 70-80k after taxes, and this is a comfortable living for a couple with a small apartment and a couple cats. As long as we can find a decent apartment with rent + utilities that comes to less than $1500 / month, we can make it.

We took a trip to the city to scout neighborhoods recently, explored: South Lake Union, The area along Madison St. between downtown and Capitol Hill (OMG Hipsters!), North Downtown (Queen Anne ish) and Denny Triangle / First Hill.

I've also been exploring (via internet) areas like Greenwood, Green Lake and Phinney Ridge.

It seems like there are plenty of apartments that meet out needs and our current income levels.

1.Do the mefis have any suggestions for a place to rent/lease that is doable on an entry level salary, where the crime isn't bad and public transit to downtown/places to work isn't too bad? (I have a reliable car but usually prefer to bus around if I have the time)

2.Am I going to end up on the street? With my experience am I going to be able to find a comparable salary in Seattle? I'm willing to go back to technical support, entry level IT/support type jobs.

3.Any suggestions for places to look for such jobs? I would think that places like Microsoft are probably already overstaffed with overqualified people in those types of positions.

The fear:
I move to Seattle, fail to find a livable job, burn out my savings and end up on the streets. I'm too old to be a street punk, my boyish charms are all burned out.

Going native with Seattle plants: R U doing it wrong?

Cool Papa Bell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:10:38 -0800

Seattle gardening and native plants: How hard should I be trying to stay native? If not native, what's good for this climate? Hi there ... I have a large-ish swath of yard that I'd like to re-plant, and I've been focusing on native plants with mixed success. How hard should I be trying in my efforts to "go native?" If not native, what plants are good for this environment? Maybe some that are not native, but not invasive, either?

For example, sedum is being used by local "green" projects, but the ones most commonly used are native to Europe and are considered "naturalized" to North America.

Stipulations: I've already been to Molbak's and have raided their native plant section.

Seattle company that provides temporary internet for events?

kables — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:31:21 -0800

Where can I find a Seattle company that provides temporary internet connections for conferences & events? My Google-fu is failing me.

I'm part of a group organizing an unconference in Seattle in October. Our location is a public high school.... and it is looking like we might need to get internet access from a separate vendor (connectivity issues asides, public-school-mandated content filters might be a real issue if we use the school's connection).

Does anyone know of any companies in Seattle that provide temporary internet drops for conferences and events? We expect around 300 attendees.

Experience with Sprint / Nextel MiFi?

bamassippi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:04:59 -0800

Experience with Sprint / Nextel MiFi? Moving into an area of Seattle with a cable/Internet provider with a poor reputation and performance. My wife and I are considering the MiFi 2200. We both work from home and I wanted to ask the MeFi-ers first to see if anyone has had any experience with this device/service.

We need something that can handle everything from running reports through VPNs, to watching videos, to downloading large files. What should we need to know (or be concerned) about? How does it compare to a top-of-the-line high-speed broadband service?

Zwack Unicum in Seattle?

jellywerker — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:15:56 -0800

Zwack Unicum in Seattle? I am trying to find it for a Hungarian friend. Anyone know where to find this liquor?

I'm moving to Beacon Hill in Seattle -- need assistance getting adjusted.

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:42:07 -0800

I'm moving to Beacon Hill in Seattle -- need assistance getting adjusted. Been living in Queen Anne for my 3 years in Seattle. I'll be about 2 blocks south of Amazon's building. Quite the different neighborhood.

Looking for insight and suggestions from others who've made the transition into this neighborhood that everyone keeps claiming is the "next big thing!". I'm not quite convinced, though my rent is $650 less, and I've tripled in rooms and storage.

- Who are the cable/Internet options in the area? (Your reviews of said service.)
- Bars/restaurant suggestions.
- General "things you should know" before moving to Beacon Hill.

It can't be an oil derrick, this is Seattle after all

dw — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:03:31 -0800

What is the thing that looks like an oil derrick in this picture? My daughter is starting kindergarten at Daniel Bagley school here in Seattle. It's unusual among Seattle school buildings in that it's somewhat art deco, as the district's architect experimented with art deco design flourishes in this building (built 1930) and then abandoned them for later school designs. The building is decorated with these stone ornaments over all the doors (including a number of "modern inventions" over one door, such as a late 1920s vintage movie camera).

In this picture, you see two of the three shields that are over the front door. The middle one is a book with "1930" written in it (as seen in the photo). The one on the right (not pictured) is of an owl, which obviously symbolizes learning. And that leaves the one at the left, and I'm stumped at what it could be. I'm assuming it's some symbol of learning, but I can't figure out what it is. Any ideas?

Apologies for the blurry; it was taken with an iPhone around dusk.

Gotta dance!

mgrichmond — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:02:18 -0800

Where can a 300+ pound, 39 year-old geek go dancing in Seattle without feeling *too* self-conscious? This past weekend, I participated in an "80s Prom" charity event here in Seattle. Everybody was dressed in their finest Wedding Singer drag, and having a great time dancing to the songs we remembered from high school.

I realized that night that even though I'm 39 years old, over 300 pounds, and as uncool as they come, I still love to go dancing. Despite my Wookiee-like appearance and complete lack of grace, as long as I stay hydrated I can go for hours. Not to mention that I could use the cardio benefits.

I'd like to go dancing more often, but I have no interest in being the creepy guy hanging out with the twentysomething beautiful people. Anyone know of some places in Seattle where people go to get their groove on, rather than to be seen?

Tell a Seattle virgin cool things to do while going to Bumbershoot.

Lutoslawski — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:24:01 -0800

Whattodoin[insert city]filter: What are the absolutely must do/see things in Seattle while visiting for Bumbershoot? So here's the deal. I've never been to Seattle. I'm going to Bumbershoot this weekend. My SO is performing in the festival, and while I'll be spending a lot of time at Bumbershoot, I'm also hoping to have some free time to myself to explore a little, go see something cool, eat/drink somewhere awesome, etc. I will have a car and I'm staying in a house that's apparently not far from the festival. I've seen this thread, which is really helpful, but given this specific situation, etc. So my questions are:

1) What are important things I should know about Bumbershoot?
2) What things should I do/see that will be manageable (i.e. time-wise, and not too far from the festival)?
3) Good vegan/vegan-friendly eating establishments?
4) Quirky bars with good, local beer/wine not readily available in pdx?

Where is a good spot to take pictures of a car in Seattle?

-harlequin- — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:39 -0800

What's a good place in or near the greater Seattle area, to park and photograph a car? I'm looking for somewhere which is a nice area or has a nice backdrop, has space to stop a car, and which is generally fairly deserted (so that camera etc. can be set up without constantly being the path of people/cars, and pictures can be taken without having to wait for people to leave the frame, etc). To make things harder, this would most convenient during the day on a weekend, but if a good place is most empty during office hours (or whatever), it might be worth the inconvenience.

Appealing a Property Tax Assessment - need advice in King County WA

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:45:20 -0800

Property Tax filter: In August I bought a house in King County WA. The county's assessment of the property is very high. I would like to appeal for a review of the assessment. The desired result is a lower tax bill. I would be grateful for any strategy or advice. Details:
- The house is in the City of Shoreline, WA (north of Seattle).

- The August 2009 sale price of the property was over $200k less than the 2009 assessed value, and $40k less than the 2010 assessed value.

- The bank's appraisal, done prior to sale, estimated the value as just slightly higher than the actual sale price.

- House and yard are in good clean condition.

- The County's "parcel viewer" assessor information database states that the house has 4 bathrooms. Not true. It has 2 full baths, 1 half bath, and 1 water closet without sink. There is also a "roughed in" bathroom without any fixtures.

- The assessor database states that we have half a finished basement. Not really true. The basement has four small rooms. Three rooms are unfinished with concrete floors and no finishing over the wall and ceiling framework. The fourth room has ancient carpeting, a couple sheets of old wood paneling, one wall covered in old wallboard, no finish on the ceiling.

QUESTIONS:

If I understand it right, I can appeal either to the King County Dept of Assessments or to the Board of Equalization . Which one is likely to give me better results?

Apparently I just missed a July 31st deadline for 2010 appeals with the board of equalization. Is there any lee-way for me to get an appeal in, since I didn't own the house until August?

Would it help my appeal to remove the old carpet in the basement and expose the concrete floor? Should I take down the wood paneling?

Is there an easy way to measure the square footage of my house?

Any other tips on get them to re-evaluate in my favor? Is there a way to get it done quickly? TIA.