Shiny new digs!

Exciting news! Paul and I paid a deposit for a new place this weekend and it was not a moment too soon.  Our temporary housing runs out next week and we have to move this weekend.  Luckily the application process is fairly short.
It’s fairly different here, the majority of place we looked at were in apartment complexes.  Here, most of the complexes are owned by corporations and each building will have it’s own leasing office.  Properties that are rented by owners through third party agencies like real estate agencies are call condominiums.   Anyway the building is called Avalon Meydenbauer.   It’s located in downtown Bellevue.   Click here to see the location on Google maps.


I don’t have any photos to upload as we won’t pick up the keys til next week but I have included a floor plan below.  I know it is small but it was the only one I could find.  The amenities are good, there is a fitness centre located in our building as well as a business room and entertainment room.  Also, the ground floor level of our building is actually a shop level and right smack bang in the middle is a grocery store called Safeway. Funnily enough I do most of our shopping at Safeway here in Redmond. What a happy coincidence!  This could also be a very bad thing, I mean a grocery store in our building? Talk about late night snacking opportunities. :P  Also, I don’t know if you noticed on the map link but we live across the street from a take-out joint called ‘Fat Burger’.  Paul says we should try it but I’m holding out!

Brrr….it is very cold here

When we first arrived in Seattle it was cold.  Cold enough that the first thing I did was go out and buy a tri-lined winter jacket. However, it just got colder. The forecast for yesterday was a top of 3C to a min of –5 and instead of rain we got snow! I was pretty excited, if you are going to live in a freezing city there should be some perks right? :P

 

I took a video and uploaded it below.

Welcome to Seattle

So it has been almost two months since we have arrived here in Redmond.  It has taken me a bit of time to set up this blog because I waited for my digital camera to before I started blogging.  It didn’t feel right to blog and not included photo’s or videos.

So Paul and I are currently staying in an apartment in Redmond right next to Microsoft which makes Paul’s commute fairly short.  Redmond is called a city but to me it feels like we are living in a suburb.  Why? Well in Australia when you have finally left a city you know it. It’ s not that hard to figure out because suddenly there are no more houses, building or streets.  It’s not like that here in the states and many other countries I’ve visited. For example, we are right next to a city called Bellevue and I have no idea where Redmond ends or Bellevue begins.

There isn’t much here in Redmond except Microsoft. That shouldn’t surprise you because the main campus is here and there are over 30,000 people spread across the main campus and a few other buildings in Washington. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone told me that 90% of the people who lived in Redmond worked at Microsoft.

Aside from checking out downtown Seattle and Bellevue as possible places to live we haven’t done that much yet.  We are still getting settled and Paul is still adjusting to his new job.

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We did go see an ice hockey game.  Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Spokan Chiefs.  Seattle lost unfortunately but it wasn’t that expensive to go to and there was a fairly large crowd which always makes for a good experience. 

 

My friend Denise recently visited and we went and explored Seattle, which only took two days.  There isn’t much here in terms of tourism, however, it is a nice place to live.  Paul and I are considering living in Downtown Seattle if the rent is affordable.  My favourite place in Seattle would be Pike Place Markets.  While they aren’t as big as Brick Lane Markets or Camden Markets in London it’s still fun to visit. They are lots of food stores and tasty things to try! 

That’s it for now.  I’ll upload some photo’s of Redmond as soon as I have taken them. 

Paul and I are going to Boston in March and I’m making plans to go to Cuba in April….I’ll keep you posted!

Zoe