Fuck that sounds awful. If it's any consolation, it makes me feel slightly better about the prospect that I'll never be able to afford to be a homeowner in the area.
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Seattle-GAF!
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distantmantra
Member
Again, my sincerest condolences. Good luck with your insurance company and their insurance company bickering back and forth about who is responsible for what. Trust me, we filed claims with SDOT, ST and WSDOT. I can't imagine insurance companies being any better. :-(
The water mitigation company is a bonded, giant corporation. They couldn't have been more embarrassed or responsive. Basically they are simply going to take care of it all, including contractors. They have a carpenter coming out Tuesday to look at the baseboards and built-ins that are damaged.
distantmantra
Member
That is fantastic news. I hope everything gets fixed ASAP.
lastflowers
Banned
Ouch Stinkles. That's brutal. But at least it seems to be turning out better than the worst.
Hey Seattle-GAF! Nashville-GAF, here.
Life is short, and I'm not content to rest on my laurels as a freelance contributor for this site, that site, and that site. I've gotten my start in the industry, been getting busier and more productive every single week for the past year, and now I'd like to move to a city where the tech and game scene is a vital part of the economy and local culture. I'm ready to begin my career in earnest.
I'm planning to visit Seattle and Redmond in October and hopefully get my resume in the hands of some senior HR at Nintendo while I'm there, but in the meantime I'd like to learn more about the city. Are there any local magazines that I could get delivered here in Nashville that y'all recommend? Culture, food scene / CSAs, music scene, etc. Video game / tech industry stuff would be a plus, too. Anything come to mind?
Life is short, and I'm not content to rest on my laurels as a freelance contributor for this site, that site, and that site. I've gotten my start in the industry, been getting busier and more productive every single week for the past year, and now I'd like to move to a city where the tech and game scene is a vital part of the economy and local culture. I'm ready to begin my career in earnest.
I'm planning to visit Seattle and Redmond in October and hopefully get my resume in the hands of some senior HR at Nintendo while I'm there, but in the meantime I'd like to learn more about the city. Are there any local magazines that I could get delivered here in Nashville that y'all recommend? Culture, food scene / CSAs, music scene, etc. Video game / tech industry stuff would be a plus, too. Anything come to mind?
tearsofash
Member
There's a magazine my doctors office has that lists all the restaurants and clubs and cool stuff to do in capitol hill. All else, there's a Facebook group for everything.
I just moved here from Nashville, too, actually. Happy to report there is a hot chicken restaurant here as well.
distantmantra
Member
Recently resigned from my old job in education and looking to take the plunge into the corporate/tech world or maybe a university job. Been looking around at jobs that might be a good use of my skillset (10 years experience, Masters in Psychology, etc.), hoping to find something in usability research, learning & development, etc. Wife is super supportive but I'm still kinda freaked out. At least the job market here in Seattle is healthy and we'll be fine until I find something that's a good fit.
www.thestranger.com
www.seattlemag.com
www.seattlemet.com
www.thestranger.com
www.seattlemag.com
www.seattlemet.com
HA! Good to know, and howdy from all of us back home. How has the uh... cost of living been treating you?
Thank you. Checking these out.
We're planning our trip at the beginning of October (2-5).
The AirBnb we're looking at is in Columbia City, so southern Seattle... I don't think we're planning on renting a car while we're there. Our AirBnb listing says that the place is two blocks away from the light rail. Is that something I could take into Redmond, and how easy would that trip be? Could we take the light rail from the airport? Am I just better off with Uber?
The AirBnb we're looking at is in Columbia City, so southern Seattle... I don't think we're planning on renting a car while we're there. Our AirBnb listing says that the place is two blocks away from the light rail. Is that something I could take into Redmond, and how easy would that trip be? Could we take the light rail from the airport? Am I just better off with Uber?
You can take light rail to/from the airport. You can't take it to Redmond. I was going to say skip the car, but if you're going over to the Eastside it might come in handy. Might just want to keep it parked if you're going around Seattle.
You could just take the bus over to the Eastside but I dunno if there are any that go directly to Redmond from Seattle. Might have to transfer a few times.
tearsofash
Member
Cool, no worries. Thanks for the reply anyway - I took you as a good omen. =]I'm probably not the best person to ask that.
I'm willing to deal with that. I just booked our flights and we're emptying about a third of our checking account to make this trip happen, so once we get there we have to be frugal. I'm a little nervous because this is all for me to chase my dreams. I'm confident and excited, but I'm also afraid to let my wife down who believes in me.
*shakes off nerves* Now to make final arrangements with an Airbnb.
You can take the light rail to Westlake Station (or other downtown locations) and then catch the 545 bus into Redmond from a nearby stop. There are other buses that go from downtown Seattle to the Eastside but if Redmond is your destination you probably want the 545; the 268 for example will overshoot downtown Redmond and drop you off in the northeast, and other buses only run to Bellevue or Kirkland.
I recommend buying an ORCA pass since that will handle transfers for you automatically. (Actually, it might be required to ride the light rail period, now that I think about it.)
I know you can ask bus drivers to charge a double but I don't know if that's doable with light rail, since for light rail you tap your card at an unmanned payment point in the station well before you board. You'll probably need two.
It looks like you can buy tickets for Link by cash if need be, but I'd recommend getting the cards if the $10 for two cards isn't too much.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
How much is the room in Columbia City? There are a handful of available spaces in and around downtown or First Hill that look to be comparably priced to Columbia City Airbnb (only a bit higher), and will save you a huge amount of commute time to Redmond; direct bus routes from downtown to Redmond that will get over there in a third of the time.
Alternately, why not stay in Bellevue or Redmond to begin with? I don't know that there's a lot of gaming-related companies immediately in the city other than some app developers.
Well *my* reason for visiting will be to shake hands with someone in HR at Nintendo / Treehouse - to drop off my resume personally and make an impression. We're also going to make sure my wife and I would be happy in that part of the country if I can land an opportunity. Monday the 3rd I plan on being in Redmond early to drop off my resume at Nintendo, but a lot of our time Sun-Wed will also be exploring Seattle and getting a feel for it.
I will also be looking up some indie studios and possibly Microsoft and Valve as well. Will be selling myself as a community liaison / PR / QA / writer / video editor. Willing to be a workhorse and work my way up. Been in games journalism for a while but I want to be a *part* of the industry. Pardon the digression.
To answer your question, we'd be paying about $80 a night for the airbnb, and honestly man I don't think we can afford more than that. This trip is already a financial risk I'll be working very hard to justify.
tearsofash
Member
There's a kiosk to buy your own ORCA card on the way out of the airport towards the monorail. That's what I did.
No, but you can buy two and register them on the same account online them and have them auto-load from the same bank account.
These are the units we've been considering. Currently we're thinking about going with that bottom left join in Columbia City because it's closer to the airport and located 2 blocks away from the Light Rail. We figure if we have to walk with our luggage in the rain, we want to be as close as possible once we get off. Multiple reviewers stated that it's about a 10 minute ride into downtown Seattle, so that doesn't sound too bad. I'd just have to figure out getting into Redmond.
Do any of these jump out to you natives as a much better option?
Edit: Booked the Capitol Hill location. Y'all are no longer allowed to suggest better options. I'm pumped!
Nothing, really. Just that it's 5 blocks away from the Light Rail. I guess we can suck that up, we'll just be carrying all of our luggage.
Edit: booked the Capitol Hill location.
Pfft five blocks is nothing
You'll be right in the thick of it too there, if you wanted to "experience the city". Just make sure you check out the other neighborhoods too.
Sounds great, I'm so excited. Now I just have to figure out how to get Nintendo HR senpai to notice me. I've been a LinkedIn ninja the past few nights but if that doesn't work out I'll need a backup. I need to compile a list of all the great indie studios around town and start tailoring my resume accordingly.
Professor Beef
Banned
Are you trying to work in the Nintendo building, or at Nintendo in general? Because we just got done with a hiring wave in Consumer Support, but you can always check their career site to see if the NOA building has openings.
I check the site about once a week, but I'm not content to have my information sit in a database. I want to go shake someone's hand and make an impression. I'd like to work at the Redmond headquarters.
Last year my wife believed in me as I started a fresh career in games journalism. Every single month I've made more connections, added on clients, made more money, and developed a more mature appreciation for the industry as a whole. I've made it all happen so I can become a part of that industry (and not just write about it). I want to be part of someone's creative vision, and I think Nintendo has the best vision and software development teams in the world. So I want to be there.
I also just want to be in a city that's been shaped by the industry. I want to be where the startups and studios are, and where conventions happen. Things are dry out here in Nashville, and I can't stand another year apart from the goings on; the movers and shakers. So working IN Seattle / Redmond is part of my dream and vision for my wife and myself.
Professor Beef
Banned
Got it. Yeah, you would have to keep checking NOA's career page and see if they have any relevant openings. They straight up say that you shouldn't apply to the NOA building if you're looking for development, since most of it is in Japan. Just a warning.
I'm not a programmer. I'd be PR / QA / video production / marketing / localization help (not bilingual). I'd be a Treehouse bulldog. Believe me, though, I'll keep an eye on the career page.
More power to you for trying what most people probably don't, but as someone who's worked for Microsoft for nearly a decade and has helped with a lot of interviewing and recruiting, you're probably not going to get far with a big multinational corporation by trying to do this.
Smaller companies will have different policies of course, but large multinational corporations have standardized hiring practices through resumes submitted through their site, career fairs, referrals, etc. for reasons other than simply because of beaucracy. There are also compliance laws they need to adhere to for fairness and access reasons. It's not necessarily looked highly upon to give preferential treatment to people who happen to have access to buildings in person, since it could be considered unfair to people with disabilities or other circumstances which could make it impossible to apply in person.
Smaller companies will have different policies of course, but large multinational corporations have standardized hiring practices through resumes submitted through their site, career fairs, referrals, etc. for reasons other than simply because of beaucracy. There are also compliance laws they need to adhere to for fairness and access reasons. It's not necessarily looked highly upon to give preferential treatment to people who happen to have access to buildings in person, since it could be considered unfair to people with disabilities or other circumstances which could make it impossible to apply in person.
Thanks so much for your input. I'm being completely honest when I say that I'm not expecting to walk out with a job just because I showed up. Rather, my spirit is such that I simply am not content to apply online and wait. The online applications will still be submitted, make no mistake, but I have to be more proactive.
"You are whatever your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny." That's from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
I don't want to do anything else but break into this industry - it's my deep, driving desire. I don't care if I start out as a janitor or front desk clerk in order to do it. I'll do that and continue writing freelance for my gaming websites on the side. Whatever it takes, I'm going to do what I love and enrich the world because of it. I feel very strongly about this visit. I don't think Nintendo or Microsoft or Valve or Harebrained Schemes or anyone else would or should treat me as a special case because I made the trip, but I have to make the trip.
That's incredibly considerate, thank you. I'm not too caught up in having a "glamorous" position or title. I just want to become laser-focused on their vision and drive that vision forward however I can. Literally my favorite thing in life - what turns me on the most - is getting inspired and invested in a vision and then rendering that passion communicable and contagious; taking something I love and know a lot about, and getting other people to the same level of understanding and excitement.
When I was in fifth grade I contributed an article about the Dreamcast to our class magazine. I was obsessed with Sega's vision for that little white box. I remember my teacher approaching me afterward and telling me that even though she didn't understand electronics or video games, my article got her excited about the launch of the Dreamcast and she felt like she understood why it was such a step forward from older consoles. I've never looked back, dude. I want to recreate that feeling again and again for the rest of my life.
Professor Beef
Banned
I know it's not the most glamorous, but if you're still looking when it happens, then I'll see what I can do for you during the next CS hiring wave.
Won't be for another couple months most likely tbh, just saying
Won't be for another couple months most likely tbh, just saying
Hypertrooper
Member
random post,
So I have been in this town for my 5th time and I finally did some exploring outside PAX and downtown. Climbed the Space Needle for the first time. Found many great places, great stores. I ate at a pizza place and my girlfriend finally wants to visit this beautiful place. (The picture of the pizza put the nail in the coffin of her reluctance.) And I had some Ezell's famous chicken! As a German, those chicken pieces and tenders were so damn good.
Anyway the reason why I am posting is this lovely book store/cafe:
Tomorrow I will head to Redmond and check out the Microsoft campus and bring stuff to friends. I guess there is nothing worthy checking out, or am I wrong? Anyway, I only plan to visit the Campus because I want to do some stuff downtown. Then I will head over to Wellington Ford, eat some mexican food, visit a friend for the last time and check out a farmer market which is directly next to his house. Last but not least, I will grab dinner before heading back to Germany.
I am pretty happy that I have so many things to explore which, on the other hand, is kind of sad since I have been here four times already. Well. More to explore for me and my girl-friend!
So I have been in this town for my 5th time and I finally did some exploring outside PAX and downtown. Climbed the Space Needle for the first time. Found many great places, great stores. I ate at a pizza place and my girlfriend finally wants to visit this beautiful place. (The picture of the pizza put the nail in the coffin of her reluctance.) And I had some Ezell's famous chicken! As a German, those chicken pieces and tenders were so damn good.
Anyway the reason why I am posting is this lovely book store/cafe:
Since I am doing two bachelor degrees in Math and Computer Science, this cafe screams to be loved. It has many scientific book. Maybe too few math books, but I can understand. The interior looks fantastic. I thought I could find some geeky jewellery for my girlfriend, but all they had was for computer scientist, chemist or biologist. Goddamnit she is becoming an engineer/mathematician! Well. She gets a marble machine now. Anyway. I will definitely check out with her on our first trip together!
Tomorrow I will head to Redmond and check out the Microsoft campus and bring stuff to friends. I guess there is nothing worthy checking out, or am I wrong? Anyway, I only plan to visit the Campus because I want to do some stuff downtown. Then I will head over to Wellington Ford, eat some mexican food, visit a friend for the last time and check out a farmer market which is directly next to his house. Last but not least, I will grab dinner before heading back to Germany.
I am pretty happy that I have so many things to explore which, on the other hand, is kind of sad since I have been here four times already. Well. More to explore for me and my girl-friend!
tearsofash
Member
Went to Northgate Mall for the first time and saw a movie. It's really cool they have an anime store there. They said they custom make cosplay outfits for me as well.
Ada's is really cool! Glad you found it
On Microsoft's campus there's a visitor center and a publicly-accessible section of the Company Store. Just look for Building 92.
tearsofash
Member
Last I looked, they are looking for localization help, but I think it stated you'd need to be bilingual.
distantmantra
Member
They're looking for lots of bilingual people right now. Not sure why but Nintendo positions always come up in my job searches for things quite different.
pantsattack
Member
I go to Hardware on Cap Hill for a regular short sides guy cut. My old buddy, JT, cuts at Rudy's on Greenwood, if you're in the area.
Necromanti
Member
I'd think at that point, you're going to be pretty much 100% dependent on networking and not much else.
distantmantra
Member
I've seen some jobs at Nintendo that meet my non-CS background (Masters of Educational Psychology, experience with research and psychometrics), so it's possible but definitely more limited in scope.
I did get in touch with a few people. Got a call from NoA and sent them a pretty neat resume. Fingers crossed, fam.
You ever study any of Rudolf Steiner's work?
Edit: Making an edit here to ask another question instead of posting again - I feel like I've unintentionally hijacked this page of the thread and I don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to hog attention.
What are companies like Nintendo and Microsoft's policy on marijuana? I'm asking because I know that you can legally purchase and use it recreationally in Washington. Do they still test for THC, and does that disqualify you for employment? I'm not a big smoker at all. A half-eighth of bud can last me about 3-4 months which, if you smoke at all, you know is *incredibly* conservative. I'd say I kick back and enjoy it about two or three times a month, and in strict moderation (like drinking a glass of wine). Would this be a habit I have to eliminate working and living in Seattle / Redmond?
I live around the corner, it was certainly damn close a couple of days ago, so I wouldn't be surprised.
I'm gun die.
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