What are the safe areas to live in the Seattle area? (Spokane: section 8, apartment complex)

[marcr3774]

Greetings:

I am just curious... Where are the more economical/safe areas to live in the Seattle area? This sounds like a general question and I do understand the two factors don't usually go together but I am so tired of living among the low-income population (think section 8 housing) and having to walk/take public transportation where I am asked every day "Any money for the train/bus/have a cigeratte? so let me be more specific. For argument sake, let's say my budget for an apartment rental would be around $600/month plus car payments of around $220 food, gas... etc.

From what I have been reading the cheaper areas are south/east of Seattle proper. Obviously the further out from downtown the more economical it would be but that also means a better possibility of dealing with the more indigent populations. (I have nothing against this populations-mind you as I am not even close to being wealthy but I am very concerned about my safety.

Here are acouple of cities I have in mind, Bellevue, Port Orchard( where that awesome radio host-Dililah) lives. , Renton and Lynnwood.

I would want to keep the distance from Seattle proper to about 25 miles or roughly 30 min (with little traffic).

Thanks and looking forward to your responses.

[isaackko]

Do you work in Seattle?

I think Bremerton is cheap, and you can get to downtown on the ferry quite easily. Port orchard is also pretty close to the Bremerton ferry.

[Hemlock140]

25 miles does not translate to 30 minutes commute, unless you start work at 3am, but then you'd go home mid-day and have a longer commute time. An apartment in Bellevue for $600 would be a rare find, while Port Orchard is more in that price but doesn't have many apartments, and that would be a good hour and a half without traffic. It's about 20 minutes from Port Orchard to the ferry in Bremerton, then an hour on the water plus a walk or bus from Coleman Dock. You will not find exactly what you want due to your budget, but an improvement might be Federal Way or north to Lynnwood.

[EastMeetsWest7]

$600 a month, seriously? Get a roommate and live in the more affordable, yet nice areas of the city, like Ballard, West Seattle, or even U-District (be aware you will have college kids as neighbors, possibly). You won't even get a box in Seattle or even the suburbs in a safe area of Seattle for $600/month. You're about 15 years too late.

Don't even think about living in a place as far as Port Orchard or Bremerton if you are working in downtown Seattle everyday.. Unless you enjoy a 2 hour commute. Ferries are a real pain.. They are great if you need to go shopping or hang out in the city once in a while, but for a daily commute? It will get old very fast.

Who told you Bellevue was cheap? That is the most expensive suburb (excluding Mercer Island) in the Seattle area. You won't even touch a decent studio for less than $900/mo in Bellevue.

Sad to say, but you really will have to find a shared-housing situation. If you don't like it, then you can probably afford a 1 bedroom apartment in Spokane, Boise or cities with a lower cost of living, yet will also have lower wages, but still a better cost of living index than Seattle.

[RentonGuy]

Realistically, any Seattle area is safer compare to other major cities. You can walk in the middle of night in downtown Seattle or Bellevue or any other area without fear.
As far as rent, around Seattle, you should think $1000.00 at min per month.

Seattle traffic is #4 in nation. 25 mile drive could be 1.5hr drive in the traffic hrs.
Good thing about Seattle is typically wage is higer... so you will end up paying higher rent but at the same time, you will make higher income.

If you like Rain, Coffee, liberals, and Nature, a big city nearby but still with a lot of nature setting - snow capped moutains, livers, lakes, oceans... Welcome to Seattle.

[Ira500]

In Renton, there's an older brick apartment building on the Cedar River, about a mile east of downtown Renton along the Maple Valley Highway. Studio apartments there start at 565, one bedrooms 675, and two bedrooms 850. I've never been inside and can't vouch for their safety, I haven't heard one way or the other. But they look okay enough from the outside.

[tylee]

$600 per month and you don't want to live near poor people?

*snort* Bahahahahahaha! I choked on my coffee reading that.



Did you do any prior research on the cost of rent/housing out here? Where did you pull that $600 value from?

[Freebird2007]

Originally Posted by Ira500

In Renton, there's an older brick apartment building on the Cedar River, about a mile east of downtown Renton along the Maple Valley Highway. Studio apartments there start at 565, one bedrooms 675, and two bedrooms 850. I've never been inside and can't vouch for their safety, I haven't heard one way or the other. But they look okay enough from the outside.

didn't someone just get shot there?

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Freebird2007

didn't someone just get shot there?

Link, please. The only thing I can find is a story from a year ago at the tavern not far from that apartment complex, where a man got shot in the foot late at night. I googled all kinds of things and could find no stories of any shootings at that apartment complex.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Ditch the car, rent for $800