Moving to Seattle -- asking for tips

[etain]

Got a new job, huzzah! Working for a educational non-profit doing study advocacy/college access work in Seattle public high schools. Due to the location(s) of where I will be working, I've narrowed down the places I would like to live to the south downtown/international district/north beacon hill/stadiums area. I don't know if there's a name for that blob of space, but you get the picture. Any thoughts on living in that area? Is it safe? Is it diverse? I'm a young, single, male. I don't party terribly hard but I certainly live a young lifestyle. Would I enjoy it there?

Also, due to location, a lot of coworkers, also young and single, say that Renton isn't bad, particularly the Highlands. I'm a bit wary because it's a suburb, but I really don't know anything about it. Thoughts on this as well?

[nskripchun]

sup etain!

I guess as the resident Seattleite in these parts, I guess I can give you some advice.

Renton is nice, but depending on the area and what place you gotta commute to in Seattle, it might too much of a pain in the ass to live there.

south downtown/international district/north beacon hill/stadiums

This is my particularly favorite part of the city, so I hope I'm not too biased... haha. The southside has traditionally been the enclaves of Seattle's ethnic communities.

International District is a pretty safe area, though it doesn't "look safe" because a disproportionate amount of the city's services for the homeless are located in this area. It's been a long time complaint of the Asian American community, but safety-wise... I've never felt unsafe.

The nearby Central District has undergone some dramatic changes. It used to be home to the large Japanese American population, but during the war, the internment removed them, though some of the communities institutions still remain. The Seattle's African American community has strong roots here too, and it grew dramatically during the war with the employment available in all the wartime industries in Seattle... but as recently as 10 years ago, the CD has undergone another shift and the area has become gentrified. A lot of young (white) professional families live in the area.

Beacon Hill is the heart of Seattle's old Chinese American community, but there's also a strong presence of the Filipino and Vietnamese communities. It also borders the Rainier Valley which has a very diverse population - a lot of east African refugees, Southeast Asian immigrants, and much of the African American community that was displaced by the gentrification of the CD.

But yeah... Seattle's a great place to live. If you have more questions, feel free to post here or send me a PM.

[etain]

Thanks for the help, nskripchun. Looking forward to getting up there!

As far as the commute goes, I'm actually splitting my work time between Kent, Tukwila, and Issaquah, meaning Renton is closer to where I will work than Seattle. I'm only throwing Seattle out there because it seems like it's too early for me to live in a suburb. But you said Renton is a pretty nice place. What do you think about Renton compared to the area I mentioned before?

I guess I'm trying to build a list of stuff I need to do somewhat quickly after I find a place to live. As far as furniture goes, is Ikea the way to go if I'm looking for quick and cheap? What cable/internet provider do you use?

[nskripchun]

As far as the commute goes, I'm actually splitting my work time between Kent, Tukwila, and Issaquah, meaning Renton is closer to where I will work than Seattle. I'm only throwing Seattle out there because it seems like it's too early for me to live in a suburb. But you said Renton is a pretty nice place. What do you think about Renton compared to the area I mentioned before?

Ah, gotcha. Wow, those are some different spots! Kent is sorta south/southwest of Renton - I grew up in unincorporated King County, close to the Kent-Renton border (I had a Renton address, but went to Kent schools). Tukwila is more south/southeast of Renton... and Issaquah is pretty much just straight east.

Renton isn't completely devoid of culture - it may have started out as a bedroom suburb for Boeing, but it's grown more diverse in the past few years. I guess it depends on how highly you rate certain things like commuting choices and access to certain kinds of food/grocery stores. The closer you are to Seattle, the more options you have. Depending on where you live in Renton, you might be limited to just Ranch 99 (which isn't so bad) and driving everywhere by car (which you'd probably have to do anyways).

If I had to pick a part of Renton to live in, I'd probably pick the more northern part (Skyway) area. That way, you'd be closer to the freeway (I-5) and Seattle, but still within commuting distance of Kent, Tukwila, and Issaquah. If you live in the more southern part of Renton, you'd probably have to rely on the Renton S-curve area of 405/167, which is notorious for horrible traffic.

I guess I'm trying to build a list of stuff I need to do somewhat quickly after I find a place to live. As far as furniture goes, is Ikea the way to go if I'm looking for quick and cheap? What cable/internet provider do you use?

There's an IKEA in Tukwila, which (ironically) is also close to Ranch 99. Yeah, it's a good place to pick up some good furniture. If you don't mind used stuff, Craigslist is also a good place to:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/

The local cable/internet provider is Comcast... check to see if they're offering any local installation/service deals before you sign up.

[jaehwan]

Etain,

Glad to hear you'll be in the Pacific Northwest! I can't help you with advice about Seattle, but maybe we can all get together for another podcast (http://www.thefighting44s.com/archives/2008/08/23/olympics-roundtable-podcast/).

[etain]

OK, I'm going to throw one more location into the mix. Columbia City. It's a little farther away from the freeways but I hear there's more "going on" there than in Beacon Hill. Would it be a nice place to live?

[nskripchun]

OK, I'm going to throw one more location into the mix. Columbia City. It's a little farther away from the freeways but I hear there's more "going on" there than in Beacon Hill. Would it be a nice place to live?

"Going On"... LOL.

Actually, Columbia City is a great place to live. It's close to a pretty vibrant community of small shops / restaurants (two of my favorites, Geraldine's and Tutta Bella are there), and there's a lot of mixed-income developments, so besides the ethnic diversity, there's economic diversity too. It's a little bit farther from the freeways, but I-5 and I-90 are still pretty accessible... plus, once the light rail service starts, you'd be close to that too.

I got several friends who live in the area and love it. If you're serious about looking around, maybe I can connect you to them.

[etain]

That might work. I'm probably heading up to Seattle after Thanksgiving, either Sunday or Monday. I'll put you on the spot, if you could live in Beacon Hill or Columbia City, which would you choose?

[nskripchun]

That might work. I'm probably heading up to Seattle after Thanksgiving, either Sunday or Monday. I'll put you on the spot, if you could live in Beacon Hill or Columbia City, which would you choose?

Oooh, tough call... but I'd have to learn toward Beacon Hill. Both have access to light rail, grocery stores, restaurants, etc... but Columbia City's proximity to the Rainier Valley area (high crime, and a recent rash of gang violence) would make me a little uncomfortable. Beacon Hill is a little bit more quieter, and if you want really want to hang out at Columbia City... shoot, just drive 3 minutes there. ;)