Pros and Cons of living in the International District? (Seattle: for sale, apartments)

[Anders15]

I always see that people love living in Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Ballard and such but I never read about the International District. Is it as good as an experience as I'm thinking? Having all the culture around you? Constantly meeting new people, new foods, different languages and all over different cultures. Or is it kinda a pain, because I read that is where the monorail is based, so heavy traffic and it is near the airport? It would be expensive right.. more so than downtown?

Well anyway what are your opinions on the area?

[Ira500]

Pros:
Interesting area with all kinds of fun shopping and restaurants.
Really great location for transit, such as light rail and buses ( not the monorail, and not near the airport)).

Cons:
High crime area.
Winos, panhandlers, bums, gangstas, etc are well represented.
Dirty and rundown area.
There are very few middle class folks living in the ID. Maybe more than there were a few years ago, but it has a long way to go.

I wouldn't live there. I think it's one of the least safe areas in Seattle to live. But it's a great area to visit. I'd happily live close to the International District, like North Beacon Hill or on the east side of Rainier Avenue, within walking distance to the ID but quieter and safer.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Pros:
Interesting area with all kinds of fun shopping and restaurants.
Really great location for transit, such as light rail and buses ( not the monorail, and not near the airport)).

Cons:
High crime area.
Winos, panhandlers, bums, gangstas, etc are well represented.
Dirty and rundown area.
There are very few middle class folks living in the ID. Maybe more than there were a few years ago, but it has a long way to go.

I wouldn't live there. I think it's one of the least safe areas in Seattle to live. But it's a great area to visit. I'd happily live close to the International District, like North Beacon Hill or on the east side of Rainier Avenue, within walking distance to the ID but quieter and safer.

In 6 months I didn't have a problem living in the ID but I did witness some violence and saw lots of prostitution. Drug trafficking and panhandling is excessive there.

I wouldn't live there again unless I had to.

Edited for pros: Great food available late night at Honey Court and Purple Dot Cafe and others, one of the best bars in town IMHO Bush Garden, in the "Ride Free" transit area, quick walk to ID transit tunnel, Amtrak, Sounder, or stadium complex. Cheap rent. Uwajamya grocery store right there. Living in the ID is an unusual experience like no other.

[southking500]

I'm guessing you haven't been there yet. The monorail is not there and it's not near the airport but there is a bus tunnel station. The International District is another name for Seattle's Chinatown which is a small neighborhood in downtown Seattle which is about 8 blocks long and 6 blocks wide.
A lot of the rentals are old and rundown buildings, more single rooms than apartments housing elderly Chinese and various other down and out Seattlites. There are a few new buildings as well offering rentals and condos for sale.
Overall the area isn't overly dangerous but there are some dive bars and drug dealers can be seen on the street openly doing business. You will see a lot of homeless people from the shelters in the area. Parking is hard to find on the street.
I think it could be a fun place to live but only if you can find a decent apartment or condo. There are probably 100+ restaurants and many interesting stores.

[JesseJB]

It would be worth it just for the rents down there. Ive seen signs advertizing $450 studios.

International District sounds similar to Pioneer Square with the pros and cons for living there.
Overall, it seems worth it for someone, especially for the relatively cheap rents. Im surprised I dont see more middle/upper class people living in those places and seeing crime decreased there.

Minus the crime and negative things like those neighborhoods are so much cooler/interesting/better than the Magnolia, Maple Leaf, Madrona type neighborhoods in Seattle...

I wish Seattle had more Capital Hill, University District type neighborhoods in it instead of the Maple Leaf/Madrona/ Magnolia types, but at least neighborhoods like Capital Hill and U District exist here in the first place which is good.

[eskercurve]

The Wah Mee massacre probably scared off a lot of otherwise well-meaning people and developers. Wah Mee massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That building used to be a swinging place, and later, a place where high-stakes gambling occurred. Cops were paid off to overlook the illegal gambling that went on there, and if you went there, typically lost or gained thousands of dollars, rumor has it someone got 100k in one night there. But then a Triad affiliate group just went in and shot up the place.

Crime is a problem there, most of it concentrated near the bus station. Panhandling is excessive, especially during football, soccer, and baseball games. Transients live in nearby highway overpasses and abandoned lots south of Uwajimaya and around the public gardens.

I, for one, could do without the "U district like" neighborhoods if it means fewer run down areas with annoying, disrespectful people.

To eskercurve:

Would you really rather have boring dull places with a lack of character like Maple Leaf or most of Magnolia to exist instead of trendy hip urban neighborhoods like Capital Hill and University District? A trendy hip urban neighborhood can be safe, and plenty of neighborhoods like that exist,
just like a boring dull soulless neighborhood can be sketchy/dangerous, and there are plenty of neighborhoods like that which exist too.

I never experienced anything sketchy in Capital Hill or University District, but then again Im never there later than 10pm or earlier than 7 am.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by

To eskercurve:

Would you really rather have boring dull places with a lack of character like Maple Leaf or most of Magnolia to exist instead of trendy hip urban neighborhoods like Capital Hill and University District? A trendy hip urban neighborhood can be safe, and plenty of neighborhoods like that exist,
just like a boring dull soulless neighborhood can be sketchy/dangerous, and there are plenty of neighborhoods like that which exist too.

I never experienced anything sketchy in Capital Hill or University District, but then again Im never there later than 10pm or earlier than 7 am.

It all depends on where you're coming from. I'm fifty something. I don't want to live in a neighborhood like the U District or Capitol Hill. I could care less about hip and trendy. If I have a neighborhood with a couple of places to get a decent meal, a microbrew, an espresso, and a place to get nice produce, i'm happy. Having clubs around and lots of noisy young people around doesn't float my boat. But because a neighborhood is not hip or trendy and full of noisy young people doesn't make it characterless or boring.
For instance, Madrona is one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods, with cool old houses and interesting stores, nice restaurants,Lake Washington and amazing views of the downtown Bellevue skyline. I don't happen to like being in downtown Bellevue. Too sterile, too new, too rich. strikes me as being boring and lacking character. But I like looking at it from Madrona.

[sekhmet1974]

I agree with both of you, I think Madrona and Magnolia are nice, and I love the diversity of the few neighborhoods like Capital Hill and Fremont, etc. That said, at 35 years old I would NEVER want to live in the U District. Visit it, fine, live there, no thank you. When I'm at home, I want some peace and quiet, not listening to disrespectful people having parties at all hours of the night. That's why Seattle is so great in that regard--there are neighborhoods to suit all individuals.

On the OP's original question, I can't think of anything would be positive about living in the ID. Cheap rent isn't a good enough trade off for me.