relocating (Seattle, Everett, Starbuck: middle-class, crime, neighborhoods)

[YoYo]

Hi,

I will be relocating to Seattle from Boston. How would you compare Seattle to Boston (night life, culture, public transportation, crime, nature)?

Thanks

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by YoYo

I will be relocating to Seattle from Boston. How would you compare Seattle to Boston (night life, culture, public transportation, crime, nature)?

I'm not much for the night life, so I can't help you there.

Public transportation in the Seattle area is a sad, pathetic joke. It's practically non-existent. You can take the bus pretty much anywhere you want to go, but count on it taking 2 hours and having to change buses 5 times.

Crime is bad and getting worse. Street gangs moved into the area in the '90s, catching law enforcement completely off-guard. In my opinion, law enforcement is still fighting a losing battle on that front. In the last five years or so, street gangs have made big headway out of the lower-income areas and into middle-class neighborhoods. We know a guy who works CSI in Seattle. Really scary organized crime, mostly from Russian immigrants, is also a big problem in the area. The worsening crime is the biggest reason we are leaving. We live in a middle-class neighborhood, and we've had drug deals, prostitution, and drive-bys on our street. Usually in broad daylight.

Nature is the area's biggest redeeming quality. Seattle is nestled right between lush, green mountains and the ocean. It is gorgeous. You'll hear Californians whining about the rain, but honestly, it's a good thing. Not only does it keep the area greener than green, but if it ever stops raining for more than a few days, the smog gets so bad that you can take a bite out of the air. You really need the rain to keep from choking.

Really though, the rain's reputation is over-stated. Summers are actually very dry. From early July to mid-September, we get very little rain. *Cough*Cough*

[the dufferz]

Well,

You had the "Big Dig" We have the viaduct (our potential big dig).

Our football team was in the superbowl more recently than your team.

We have crime, just like you, but as a whole Mark S. is giving a pretty dim view of our area. I have lived in this area for all my life (40 plus years) and have yet to see a drug deal on my street, let alone in broad daylight, but then again I don't go around looking for that. If you can afford to live in the burbs away from the city of Seattle, you will have less of an issue.

There are "gangs", Russian in Everett, Chinese in Seattle, but all live in perfect balance because we have a espresso stand on every corner, a Starbuck in every strip mall.

Good luck!

The dufferz

[garliclover44]

dufferz, thats a pretty lightened up view of the area. for me at least. in seattle i have indeed seen crimes in progress, and you will get jumped at night alone wandering the streets in the ghetto. i dont go around looking for it, but have seen it happen. if you move here, people dont usually bother you in the day, but most activity happens in the night, so just be careful.

[the dufferz]

Not trying to "lighten" up the view, just tell what I see from where I live.

Well, I would say that in any city, if you wander around in the "ghetto" at night, especially alone, you are making yourself a pretty large target. I personally avoid that.

I guess, in balance to Mark S. comment:

"We live in a middle-class neighborhood, and we've had drug deals, prostitution, and drive-bys on our street. Usually in broad daylight"

My experience would be the extreme on the other end of the spectum. The choice of areas to live in will make a difference, which is why I recommended that Yoyo look to the Burbs. That was my choice, and based on your comment and Marks, I think I made a good choice.

The dufferz