Does Seattle have Soul?

One of the first things that someone told me about Bellevue vs Seattle itself is that Bellevue 'has no soul' and Seattle does.  Over the past three years I've found for myself the truth of that statement.  Bellevue is shiny, for my SD friends, Bellevue is La Jolla.  Bellevue is very clean and relatively safe, they tear down the old building and build new ones, everything is shiny and really over the top expensive.  I've enjoyed my 3+ years living here very much.

Why am I moving?  It's time I think to try something new.  If I had stayed in SD I think I would have ended up in the general North Park area.  Totes is moored a bit further north and west than would have been my first choice, but the marinas on the other side of Lake Union are super expensive and I can't even think about Portage Bay unless I win the lottery or something.  The whole  general area has soul.

What does that mean?  I was in Capital Hill last Thursday and we walked by hole in the wall restaurants that have been there forever.  When a friend was visiting I took him to the Seattle Underground Tour, the fact that this tour is possible speaks to soul.  I've found the few times I've spent time in Cap Hill I've loved the atmosphere, the painted cross walks, the old firehouse that is now condos, all of it. 

Bellevue also has a rich history, but it is as a small town that now has tall buildings and expensive parking.  Seattle has a longer history and while I've learned they've buried some of it, a lot of it is still there to see.  I will still be working in Bellevue so I'm adding a potentially substantial commute, but right now I'm saying it's totally worth it.  It's time to live somewhere with soul.

Liveaboard

When researching into Houseboats I quickly found that I would be considered a 'liveaboard' and that isn't a thing all marinas want.  While some define it a bit differently, from what I can tell a liveaboard is someone who spends more than a few weeks out of a year living on the boat.  Since Totes was build to actually be lived in, this is something that effects me.

Living aboard a boat is different than living aboard a houseboat or floating home, for obvious reasons.  Living on a boat can be a huge money saver, there are a lot of boats that aren't terribly expensive and even with the extra liveaboard fees, slip rental is a lot cheaper than rent.  I'm not in that situation.

I will have a mortgage, the houseboat was less than getting a comparable house, but it wasn't something I could buy with cash.  I will also be paying a liveaboard fee, which I'm fine with, but it's not like its super cheap.  I'm fine with the extra fee since they don't meter the water and I will be using it and the area itself much more frequently than someone who did not liveaboard their boat.

Many marinas don't allow any liveaboards, I haven't found anything on Lake Washington that will allow a houseboat liveaboard situation.  I'd love to tie up in Bellevue, it would make my commute a hell of a lot easier, but that isn't an option.  Lake Union is great and I'm looking forward to it, but I am dreading the commute.