Moving to Seattle

Below are some resources our out-of-state students found helpful in moving to the Seattle area. Also, check out our story on "What's Really the Deal with Seattle Weather."

Housing

• Consider the convenience of Bastyr's Student Village.
• Search our Housing Board of rooms and rentals available off campus.
• Review our housing tips and local neighborhood descriptions.
• Seattle Apartment Finder provides rental-finding assistance and other relocation services.
• Ask people who know the area — or contact Bastyr Admissions to connect you with someone who does.

Shipping

• Amtrak offers affordable shipping rates for non-furniture items you may want to bring with you.

Transportation

• The Bastyr Shuttle runs several times a day between the Kenmore campus and Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle's Wallingford/Fremont neighborhood. It makes stops at riders' request anywhere within its coverage area. See its coverage area [PDF] and schedule [PDF].
• King County Metro operates the regional bus system. Its Trip Planner Tool can help you plan trips to campus and elsewhere. Or use Google Transit.
• Onebusaway.org provides real-time arrival and departure info for Metro buses.
• Sound Transit Link Light Rail connects Sea-Tac Airport and downtown Seattle, with expansion through North Seattle under construction.
• BoltBus offers affordable rides to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Zipcar offers affordable short-term car sharing.

Driving, Voting, and Licensing

• Find driver license and vehicle registration information from the Washington State Department of Licensing.
• The Department of Licensing also has information on registering to vote and transferring a professional license.

Health Insurance and Medical Care

• All students are enrolled in a student health plan that covers unlimited visits to the University’s teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Please be aware that this is a health plan, not health insurance.
• Students can also purchase a health insurance plan that covers major medical expenses and partial reimbursements for doctor visits, lab work, and other basic medical expenses through WashingtonHealthPlanFinder.org. 
• Health.usnews.com includes a searchable listing of hospitals and urgent care centers in the Seattle area.

Child Care

• See our Parenting at Bastyr page for info on our on-campus care center and other resources.
• Care.com and Child Care Aware are popular sites for finding nannies and other daycare options.

Schools

• Washington State Report Card provides standardized test results and demographic info school by school.
• Greatschools.org provides school performance data, including parent ratings and reviews.

Libraries

• Well-stocked public libraries in the area provide a trove of books, e-books, DVDs, CDs and other media along with classes and events. Seattle, nearby towns and King County all have library systems.
• And don't forget Bastyr's own library.

Groceries

• In addition to many chain and local groceries, PCC Natural Markets offers responsibly-sourced produced, meat, seafood and groceries in line with Bastyr's whole food philosophy.
• The area's many farmers markets link eaters with local farmers. Puget Sound Fresh has a farmers market finder tool.

Recreation, Fitness, and Yoga

• Search the area's many, many parks at Kidsplayparks.com.
• Love to hike? Discover the miles of trails throughout the state at www.wta.org.

Meeting People

• Several students recommend Meetup.com for meeting people with shared interests.

Other Questions?

• Our admissions staff is happy to answer a question or put you in touch with student peer advisors. Contact them at (425) 602-3330 or admissions@bastyr.edu.
• Also, see Not For Tourists - Seattle for information about moving to the city.