Capitol Hill is the absolute trendiest part of town. A lot of people live on the north or west sides of town. Some friends of mine split a house for $500 a piece about a single 30-45 minute bus ride from their office downtown.

This isn't low compared to much of the country, but is pretty good for the relative quality of life and high salary that we are talking about. This is within walking distance of Pike Place and Melrose Market, music venues (Neumo's, Crocodile, numerous jazz clubs), theaters (Paramount, Moore), light rail to the airport, retail, high paying employment (Amazon, Redfin, Facebook, etc), and some great food/drink options.

Not to me, but perhaps in Capitol Hill it is and that's what the parent meant.

Much less expensive than San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Those are in the $3,000-$5,000 range if you don't want to commute.