Alaska to Federal Way (Seattle, Tacoma: section 8, apartment complex, to rent)

[aspmg5]

My fiancee and I are going to be getting married early next year and we're going to be moving down to Federal Way so he can go to school. Neither of us have ever rented before. We're also blind to the area completely. I have good credit...he has none of yet. I should probably also state that we're just shy of 20. We both have jobs that will allow us to live in a decent place and that are transferable pretty much anywhere in the world. According to the apartment finder the max we should be spending on rent is about $900.
I'm really just looking for some advice or even a direction to look into. We are going to be driving down in April or May to look at apartments and it would be great if someone could let us know some places that might fit us. I'm really worried, myself, about safety and living in a "bad" neighborhood.

[SeattleTaz]

You might be happier looking a bit further east to Auburn or Enumclaw rather than Federal Way. Both of these towns have been incorporated for a long time (cf Federal Way in 1990) and so don't have the 'out in the county' problems of the unincorporated areas of King and Pierce Counties, where their big cities' problems hit the countryside in search of fewer laws and even fewer law enforcers.

Though you may be thrilled at the thought that Sanjay Malakar is from Federal Way, it's other headliner is more characteristic:
"Federal Way made national headlines on January 9, 2007, when its School Board voted to temporarily block the showing of Al Gore's global warming film, An Inconvenient Truth, in its schools, without also providing an 'opposing view.' The board came to this decision after a parent complained about the film. After two weeks of being derided in the national and local press, the moratorium was repealed at the subsequent meeting on January 23."

Federal Way (between Seattle and Tacoma on Hwy 99) is named after its problem, Hwy 99, which used to be the *federal way* Federal Highway 99 that ran from Canada to Mexico. Designated in 1926 and built on variously over the next 30 years, US 99 quickly became an over-the-road truckers', smugglers', hitchhikers' and vagrants' strip of truck mechanics, prostitutes, taverns, cheap motels, and greasy spoons which still characterize parts of it.

To the west of Federal Way lies the high-dollar waterfront properties, to the east the Great Zone of Death known as Interstate 5. North is industrial Seattle, to the south is Tacoma.

[aspmg5]

I don't really understand. "Out of country"? And I really don't care who is from Federal Way. We wouldn't be moving there because some kid lived there. We're moving so my fiancee can go to school there. However, I don't want to live in an area with a high crime rate. I would prefer to stay up here, but he can't get the degree he needs up here.

[scirocco22]

*laughs* Difficult to sort through all of Taz's comments, isn't it, aspmg?

I don't know what was meant by "out of the county" problems that were referred to because it's contradictory to the concept being mentioned.

The Sanjay Malakar reference is from American Idol.

Anyway, Taz's post, albeit intresting, is a bit off topic and really didn't answer your questions.

You'll find apartments in Federal Way which should meet your requirements. My advice would be to stay as far away from the Pac highway corridor as possible as the crime rate in that area seems to be increasing.

Hopefully, those living in the area can give you further advice.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by aspmg5

I don't really understand. "Out of country"? And I really don't care who is from Federal Way. We wouldn't be moving there because some kid lived there. We're moving so my fiancee can go to school there. However, I don't want to live in an area with a high crime rate. I would prefer to stay up here, but he can't get the degree he needs up here.

I would avoid any of the apartment complexes around the mall and any on 320th street -- especially the St. Croix Apartments. Last I heard, the St. Croix had a healthy population of Crips move in.

The Greystone Apts. had a reputation for being a high crime area for a while.

The apartments north of 312th along Pacific Highway (highway 99) have a bit of a reputation for housing local gangbangers. It's a shame, because many of them have a spectacular view of the Sound.

I would recommend you shop around a bit before moving in. Definitely check out not only the apartment complex, but insist on seeing the apartment you will be renting, and check out the immediate neighbors if you can. You might even run by the local police department and ask them which apartment complexes tend to have the most problems. The local PD has been more than willing to help out on the few occasions I've had to contact them.

Re: Federal Way in general. Crime got REALLY bad here for a while. A few unfortunate things precipitated this. A few years ago, local voters voted down bond issue after bond issue. City funds dropped, and because police officers won't work for free, some were fired and many quit. Local PD was VERY understaffed for a while. At this same time, Seattle Police really cracked down on the gangs. Rather than fight the police, gangbangers simply moved south into the suburbs, infecting Burien, Des Moines, and Federal Way. So in Federal Way, drug use, burglaries, robberies, etc. saw a sudden increase. This was also about the time that lots of locals -- mostly employees of Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon.com, and other local companies -- did really well. They bought more expensive, nicer homes in Seattle, Redmond, or Bellevue. But many did not sell their homes in Federal Way, choosing instead to rent. Some of these houses -- even in what would appear to be decent, working-class neighborhoods -- became Section 8 housing, and in came the gangs.

The good news is that more recent bond issues have passed, the police have been hiring, and crime has gone down for the past two years. Things are looking up, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Federal Way isn't Compton by any means, but you definitely don't go walking alone at night. You keep your doors and windows locked. You lock your car. A little common sense goes a long way.

[scrapylady]

Boy, I live in Federal Way and I am confused by the answers your are getting so you may be also. Yes there are definite areas of Federal Way that I am no longer comfortable in. I have lived here 37 years. If your finance is going to school I am guessing maybe Devry since I think it is currently the only higher education facility here right now? If so I my house is a block away.

Right now there are actually even houses to rent at a reasonable price around and a lot of apartments. I believe the out of country comments refer to the fact we have a large percentage of immigrents in the area now and we have gang related problems because of ethnic adversities.

If I am right about the school, there is a large apartment complex on S.360 that would be the closest one that seems nice; it is off Enchanted Parkway, the road to Puyallup from Federal Way. But Auburn is also a really good choice if you will each have your own vehicle, it is a straight drive up Hwy 18 the Federal Way, with an exit by Devry if he is going there..

I think that the apartments north of 320th (so street numbers would be lower than 320) and a lot with SW street numbers are not too good. There are some nice ones on 1st Ave S between 336th and 320th. Do not go to ones between 336th and 348, bad news!

If you have any other questions or need any actual local help let me know. I was raised in the military and I remember how hard it was to move to a new area!

[Suburbmom]

Federal Way is a city that has become one of the most diverse cities in King County and it has become one of the most populated cities as well. My husband and I live in Federal Way with our two young children and we have recently entered into the public schools. So far, our experience living in this city has been positive. The city has it's share of crime. Any big city does. It's important to choose an area that is safe. There are certain pockets that are not. Most criminal activity takes place on Pacific Highway and there are certain apartment complexes and unkept neighborhoods that are also prone to crime. Most of the areas in Federal Way consist of good community minded individuals. We live in a working class neighborhood close to the downtown area and we have a great sense of community here. I am posting a link to a youtube video of our recent neighborhood bbq to put a face to our city.
YouTube - Federal Way Neighborhood BBQ

You will find some excellent schools in Federal Way. The teachers and other staff do an excellent job teaching such a diverse population of children. Check out GreatSchools.net

Overall, we have an excellent community here in Federal Way with alot to offer. Check out our new community center.
City of Federal Way - Aquatics Visual Tour

The shopping areas are a bit dated as are some of the homes. The area was at it best in the 80s and the city has many plans to revitalize and get up to speed. The traffic is heavy, but you can get around pretty well if you utilize the back roads. If you want to find out more about the city, go to the city web site at City of Federal Way - Home

By the way, my daughter attends one of the public schools found in an un-incorporated part of Federal Way because the school has one of the best ratings. The un-incorporated areas are safe. They are also somewhat rural.