I picked Seattle, now where should I live? Any apartment communities/complexes/neighborhoods to recommend for me?? (Tacoma: real estate, apartment complexes)

[Blue1Roses]

I made a decision, I am going to do it! I am moving from Atlanta to Seattle next year (Feb 2012). I figure that the rain and gloom won't bother me. It rains in Atlanta, and I can buy rainboots, rain jacket and rain gear! Maybe I will grow to love the rain, and if not, I will move again in a few years! I am 32 years old, African American female. I can live around anyone (race, culture) as long as they are nice, clean and quiet! I get along with all races, so don't feel like you have to recommend a predominately AA neighborhood. I value and like diversity! I work from home so I need enough space for an office. I would love to hear your suggestions of any apartment complexes or neighborhoods to move to! I am looking for the following:

- Close to parks, walking trails
- Near public transport (not very important, but would be nice, I do have a car)
- Near yoga studios
- Near Whole Foods or Organic Food Store
- Near the culture (plays, theater, museums, opera) of the city (or drivable distance)
- Near movie theater
- Laid back people
- Near the airport (I travel often)
- Low crime rate
- Quiet!
- Reasonable cost of living

Thanks so much!

[The Siobhan]

How do you define "near the airport"?

I think the South Lake Union area is quite nice. There is a Whole Foods in the area, a few yoga studios (including hot yoga), some nice restaurants, banking institutions, easy access to I-5, and there is a nice park in the area.

[FantasyFootballGuy]

The Metropolitan Tower apartments in Downtown Seattle are great. You should seriously look into living there. When I moved to Seattle from San Francisco that is where I lived and I loved living there.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by Blue1Roses

I get along with all races, so don't feel like you have to recommend a predominately AA neighborhood.

LOL What "predominantly AA neighborhood"? African Americans don't predominate anything in Seattle!

Originally Posted by Blue1Roses

I value and like diversity! I work from home so I need enough space for an office. I would love to hear your suggestions of any apartment complexes or neighborhoods to move to! I am looking for the following:

- Close to parks, walking trails
- Near public transport (not very important, but would be nice, I do have a car)
- Near yoga studios
- Near Whole Foods or Organic Food Store
- Near the culture (plays, theater, museums, opera) of the city (or drivable distance)
- Near movie theater
- Laid back people
- Near the airport (I travel often)
- Low crime rate
- Quiet!
- Reasonable cost of living

Thanks so much!

If you live in Seattle you won't be near the airport. The airport is in SeaTac which is its own city between Seattle and Tacoma.

Pretty much everywhere you will find laid back people. As far as a quiet area, the further you get from downtown, the quieter it will be. Less crime north of downtown and Belltown. Try Queen Anne or University District. Cascade fits your description too but it's a little bit busier.

[HuskyDawg]

West Seattle could be good and there's new apartments in the Alaska junction area. I grew up in Atlanta, have lived here 11 years. It will be a big change for you, and as you mentioned if you don't like it you could always move again. Some love it and stay, others go. Good luck!

[SitoUK]

You could have a look at the Columbia City/Seward Park area. The Park is great for walking and like a little djungle in the city (it's got old-grwoth forest). You've got the light rail to SEATAC in one direction and downtown in the other. Along Rainier Avenue there are lots of little shops, bars, restaurants etc but if you go into the side roads it looks very quiet and pretty much suburban. It's a relatively short drive to both SEATAC airport and downtown and the other areas with things going on.

[eskercurve]

You will get along quite well in Seattle. This city is one of the few in this country that I believe is very colorblind. Yes it is predominantly white (~70%) but that doesn't mean a thing. But then again I'm a white guy so maybe I'm just putting rose colored glasses on (haven't witnessed anything bad, if that means anything).

You will find multiple neighborhoods that meet your criteria. I recommend checking out Eastlake and Capitol Hill, and downtown for the light rail link to the airport. I would not recommend living in Tukwila or White Center or any of those places. Beacon Hill has the most diverse zip code of the USA (according to the Census Bureau, there's something like 15 different primary languages used at home in one of their zip codes), but it also has higher crime. Those are the only areas I'd recommend doing the light rail thing near. Yeah there's SODO and Georgetown but those areas are pretty much catering to what remains of the bohemian artistic scene here and are pretty industrial. Great to visit. Not so much to live there (at least for me, whatever floats your boat).

Bellevue on the eastside is also a great place to live and has all the amenities you want, the flip side is it is a longer distance from the airport (if traffic is good though you can still drive there and park in under 40 minutes, or take a taxi).

Crime here is a joke, relatively speaking. Within the city limits, there's been 4 murders this year total. 4. Philly's had over 300. Chicago has had more.

Violent crime is much rarer here, but petty crime, like breaking into cars, etc. is more endemic.

[E Roy Slade]

lots of nice areas in Seattle i think except maybe southpark whitecenter georgetown

well did you move there?

[Blue1Roses]

Is Normandy Park a good area? I hear its about 12 miles or so from Seattle. I don't mind living outside of the city since I have a car. Are there any other nearby neighborhoods/cities that are no more than 10 - 15 miles from Seattle? I was looking at apartments in the Normandy Park area and they seem reasonable price-wise. How would you describe Normandy Park? How about Des Moines and Burien? How are those cities?

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by Blue1Roses

Is Normandy Park a good area? I hear its about 12 miles or so from Seattle. I don't mind living outside of the city since I have a car. Are there any other nearby neighborhoods/cities that are no more than 10 - 15 miles from Seattle? I was looking at apartments in the Normandy Park area and they seem reasonable price-wise. How would you describe Normandy Park? How about Des Moines and Burien? How are those cities?

Its a clean, quiet suburb with very easy access to Des Moines (for the beach) and Burien (for some of the shopping). Very hidden away, so it's got that remote/ a world away feel. Has lots of buses going to Seattle (which, according to my friend, is a lot faster than using Light Rail). I've lived there for 2 years and it's been a positive experience.

Real Estate | Normandy Park: Close location, distant feel | Seattle Times Newspaper

Des Moines can be nice... but some of the apartments you gotta beware because there's always something going down.

Burien is definitely very accessible to Seattle downtown and has lots of apartments, they are slowly revitalizing the downtown area so it's neat. Great beach access, the most popular being Seahurst.