Back from the scouting trip.
Fremont was hands down my favorite area, although for one reason or another, the apartments in that area aren't working out, which is a shame. I may just be blind renting whatever I can find online now. I walked all over, went to Paseo's again, tried the Brewing company, and went on in to Wallingford to check out Gasworks. It's a good thing it's super walkable too, as when we came back to eat later at night, I couldn't find parking anywhere near where I actually wanted to be.
Wallingford itself was alright, but didn't really have the same walkable destinations that Fremont or even Ballard had. Wasn't a big fan of the eastern part of the area near U-District and I-5, as it felt really congested the entire time I was around and there wasn't anything in the area that really drew my interest in the same way Fremont did.
Speaking of the driving situation, the residential areas were a bit of a shock. 2 lane roads are effectively 1 lane everywhere, since both sides of the road are occupied by parked cars. Had to do a full reverse down a lane because a car wouldn't let me out and there was no way for us to pass. Combine that with crazy hills, 4 way intersections with no traffic lights or even stop signs, and no visibility thanks to said park cars, and I hated driving around some parts of Wallingford more than the crowded interstates. The west side next to Fremont is pretty nice, though.
Went around a bunch of other neighborhoods as well, but they were bit too claustrophobic feeling for me, as I suspected. Eastlake, Downtown, Capitol Hill- I guess I'm just not that much of a city person. Ravenna seemed nice from the brief time I was there and the park was very nice for an inner city park, but it was all homes as far as I could tell, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the neighboring U-District. Did not get a chance to see Madison Park in person.
The Eastside was a, largely pleasant, surprise. Sure, downtown Bellevue was every bit as characterless and sterile as I had envisioned and glimpsed on previous trips, but west Bellevue is actually pretty nice. Tons of nice homes around Clyde Hill and Enatai, some great parks, and beautiful views of the city. The dining in Bellevue seems pretty diverse and high quality as well. (Ate at the old Kukai, not the new one you guys were just talking about, and both my brother and I came away impressed.) Not really walkable, unless you are in the more outdoor mall feeling city center and not the areas I actually liked, but at least there's stuff around and parking isn't a gigantic pain as it was in Seattle. Also, the only unit I saw the entire time that had AC (!!!) was in Bellevue, so it's got that going for it at least.
Downtown Kirkland felt pretty similar to a beach town, although it's not quite the same being on a lake with a city ending your ocean horizon. Both it and Bellevue definitely felt richer than the areas I'm accustomed to living. Did not get to eat there and I don't really know what the dining, night life, and activity scenes are like, if there's even much in the way of those things, but it had a pleasant vibe at least.
Not sure where I'll land at the moment, but it looks like it'll be between a spot in Fremont/west Wallingford, Kirkland, or Bellevue. My hands down favorite apartment of the ones I toured was in Ballard and won't open until mid September, so I'm afraid it's out, despite being the clear choice otherwise from a personal standpoint.
