Interships: Living In Seattle

Beyond the Workplace

About Seattle
Rent
Fun Factoids
Links

About Seattle:

"The city [Seattle] is one of the youngest and most vibrant in the nation, and a nearly epidemic fascination with coffee has also made it one of the most caffeinated." - Paulo M. Raymundo

Nestled between two mountain ranges, the Olympics and the Cascades, with Mount Rainier to the south and the Puget Sound hugging its shores, Seattle (population 3,190,000) is a city that is constantly reminded of the beauty of the Northwest. It is in close proximity to beaches, skiing, lakes, hiking, and a variety of other outdoor activities.

Seattle Repertory Theatre is located on the Seattle Center Campus, a space that includes the Space Needle, Monorail, KeyArena for professional sports and popular events, the Experience Music Project designed by Frank Gehry, Seattle Opera in McCaw Hall, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Children's Theatre, Intiman Theatre, The Children's Museum, Pacific Science Center, Fun Forest Amusement Park, International Fountain, and many festivals including Northwest Folklife, Seattle International Children's Festival, Bumbershoot, Bite of Seattle, Winterfest, Whirligig, Juneteenth, and Festál representing 13 ethnic festivals.

Seattle Center is at the foot of Queen Anne hill, close to downtown with plenty of semi-affordable housing along with a bevy of restaurants, bars, grocery stores, bookstores, and other attractions. Within a short bus ride's range from the theatre you can find plenty of affordable apartments, rental houses, and unique neighborhoods.

Rent:

Seattle real estate is currently a renter’s market, so finding an affordable apartment is not hard. Many landlords are already offering move-in specials like first month’s rent free and may be willing to negotiate further.

Average rental rates for King County are available through Dupre + Scott (www.dsaa.com).

• Lower Queen Anne: 2 Bedroom, $1050/month
• Lower Queen Anne: Studio, $1000/month
• Upper Queen Anne: Basement, $460/month
• West Seattle: 2 Bedroom, $1200 (fully furnished)
• U-District: 3 Bedroom, $1300/month
• Greenwood: Basement - 1 Bedroom, $600 (all utilities included)

Smaller apartments are also plentiful. Less expensive apartments are available in less central areas of the city.

Your best bet for finding an apartment may be walking around looking for vacancy signs. For online apartment hunting options, check out: http://classifieds.nwsource.com/rent/findit.cfm, http://seattle.craigslist.org/apa/ and other similar websites.

What You Always Wanted to Know About the Area, the Rep, and the Interns:

The Area

• Average yearly rainfall in Seattle is 36.2 inches (92 cm), almost twice as much as Chicago but actually less precipitation than in Washington D.C. or New York City.
• King County, the largest county in Washington, changed its name in 1986—originally named for William R. King, Vice President under Franklin Pierce, it is now named for civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• High temperatures in July average about 75° F (24° C), while temperatures in winter drop below freezing for an average of only 15 days per year.
• The world's first soft-serve ice cream machine was located in an Olympia Dairy Queen.
• Before it became a state, the territory was called Columbia (for the river). When it was granted statehood, the name was changed to Washington, supposedly so people wouldn't confuse it with The District of Columbia.

The Seattle Repertory Theatre

• There are two Starbucks, two Seattle’s Best Coffees, and at least three other espresso bars within a two-minute walk of the Rep.
• We produce at least nine shows yearly in two mainstage theatres.
• Richard Gere, Kevin Spacey, Richard Chamberlin (his Richard II was wildly successful and extended many times), Kate Mulgrew, Lily Tomlin, Faith Prince, and many other familiar names have appeared onstage here.
• The Costume Shop once created a dress for a pregnant actress that grew as she did.
• A rabbi, a minister, and a Native American shaman all blessed the Leo K. theatre before it opened.

Interns

• Three-fourths of the 2008-09 Interns did not live in Seattle before starting their internships.
• Ten past interns are currently employed as Rep staff members.
• Each year, the Seattle Repertory Organization donates approximately $1,000 worth of cash, food, and household supplies to the interns.
• At least four Seattle fringe theatre companies have been started in the last five years by people who met while interns at the Rep.

Helpful city links:

About the city-
www.seattle.net
Finding a place to live-
www.seattletimes.com
www.thestranger.com
www.placefinders.com
Public Transit -
www.metrokc.gov
Arts and Entertainment in Seattle
www.cityofseattle.net/visitor/arts.htm