Columbia City

When we began planning to start travel nursing we had no doubts that we would take our two kittens, WallE and Eva with us wherever we went. I even ordered them a car seat carrier that would be roomy enough for long drives. But after many days searching for cat-friendly apartments in Seattle, I realized that I would either have to pay over $3,000 a month for rent or commute about an hour to work if I wanted the cats to travel with us. After a lot of tears, I reluctantly decided to leave the cats with my mom where the have free range of a whole house and a grandma who spoils them. Even though we miss their shenanigans, they are definitely happier there than they would be living in a one bedroom apartment and suffering through a multi-day road trip every few months. After making that tough decision we found a one-bedroom airBnb in the south Seattle neighborhood of Columbia City. We didn't know much about Seattle before moving, but we totally lucked out when we decided to live in Columbia City. Our apartment is a block away from the Link light rail, which is easy and convenient for taking to and from downtown and the hospital where we work. Rainier Ave is only a few blocks from our apartment and has a ton of restaurants, bars, and shops. My favorites so far have been the Columbia City Bakery (amazing coffee, breakfast, and baked goods), the Flying Lion Brewery (great beers and a fun trivia night), Super Six (Vietnamese/Hawaiian with a yummy happy hour), and the number one absolute best ice cream shop I have ever been to: Molly Moon's. Their snickerdoodle cookie dough is to die for, and all of the other flavors are definitely worth a try..even the vegan flavors are good! Andrew and I go way more than I care to admit. There is also a small cinema that plays newish releases in theaters with comfy armchairs and couches rather than your standard theater seating. My other favorite part about where we live is its proximity to Seward Park. I discovered the park on my first run in our neighborhood and fell in love. After leaving a quaint neighborhood of Seattle dream-homes, you find yourself  in a 300 acre forested park that juts out into Lake Washington with views of the North Cascades on one side and Mount Rainier at the other.  The 2 mile trek there from our apartment (which is all up and down steep hills...seriously, why does no one talk about how hilly Seattle is??) is definitely worth it for the views.