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Old 01-22-2013, 08:59 PM
 
Location: Near Graham WA
1,278 posts, read 2,917,479 times
Reputation: 1734

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88 View Post
Thanks I just arrived in Seattle today after a beautiful drive from San Diego. Many snow capped peaks along the way. Mount Shasta was amazing in very northern CA. I had never been up there in the winter.
My arrival in Seattle area got off to a rough start though. I was coming up 5 fairly late and tired so I pulled off an exit in Tacoma and parked my car full of my stuff in a well lit hotel and checked in. Then I get a call at 5am from the front desk that my car window has been smashed and someone broke into my car. Luckily they didn't steal much. Ugh!
So I got that fixed and I found a sublet 1 bed condo in Capital Hill for 2.5 mos I will probably take. Capital Hill seems central and a good into to Seattle for a newbie. After that I'll probably find another sublet and check out another neighborhood. A friend who used to live in Seattle told me she felt Ballard was too far out. She did like West Seattle but did say the downside it's a bit to get into the city if you want to.
Yikes! So sorry this happened to you.
I guess it's true what people say about property theft in the area.
I hope everything from here on out is a positive experience!
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Old 01-22-2013, 09:05 PM
 
9,618 posts, read 27,289,641 times
Reputation: 5382
Quote:
Originally Posted by PollyGlott View Post
Yikes! So sorry this happened to you.
I guess it's true what people say about property theft in the area.
I hope everything from here on out is a positive experience!
Yeah, that's a horrible way to be welcomed to Washington.
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:47 PM
 
5,075 posts, read 11,041,925 times
Reputation: 4664
You got a bad initiation, but theft is a problem you constantly avoid in the high traffic areas.

Ballard is a little bit remote. The saving grace is it is relatively self contained with good entertainment and retail shopping. It's more of a city suburb, an urban neighborhood center that is being developed with future mass transit options. At least we hope so given all the density that is being packed in to the area below 65th.
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Old 01-22-2013, 11:31 PM
 
Location: Florida
2,011 posts, read 3,544,753 times
Reputation: 2747
Quote:
Originally Posted by PollyGlott View Post
Yikes! So sorry this happened to you.
I guess it's true what people say about property theft in the area.
I hope everything from here on out is a positive experience!
Another thread here today got me to compare property crime rates between Seattle and Oakland, CA. I went to a few different sites. Although the specifics vary a bit from site to site, Seattle has about the same rate of property crime as Oakland, CA. Burglary is a tad better in Seattle, but theft is significantly higher. Of course, Oakland makes Seattle look like Pleasantville in other types of crime. Still, I bet many Seattle residents would be surprised to know that their city equates to Oakland in ANY crime stat. Sounds like Seattle needs a pit bull mayor to clean this up. I've never had to empty my car anywhere else I have lived. This will be an adjustment for me.
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Old 01-23-2013, 03:15 PM
 
Location: Nashville, TN
1,584 posts, read 2,078,014 times
Reputation: 2134
I didn't want to start a new thread so I'm adding onto this one. Is there any neighborhood in Seattle city proper that meets (or may possibly meet) these criteria:

- $1100 range for a decent 2BR that isn't crawling in bugs n' drugs.
- Relatively safe area. I know every city has its issues, but maybe an area without a glaring number of them.
- Neighborhood bars and pubs nearby
- Public transit to things like bars and/or Safeco Field area. Definitely going to be going to some Mariners and Sounders games after I get there. (And hopefully Sonics!) Would be nice to not have to drive and be able to not worry about parking.
- Views would be nice, but with a budget comes compromise

I'm currently weighing options between some of the southern suburbs and seeing if I could manage a way into a decent place in Seattle. I doubt I can, just a thought worth exploring. Thanks.
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Old 01-23-2013, 03:26 PM
 
2,174 posts, read 4,392,327 times
Reputation: 3547
I've been in Capital Hill for a few a few days now in a weekly furnished rental. I have not explored all of it yet as I have had to work a lot during the day. I do like it, but I'm not sure it's the exact place for me. It seems a little younger and heavily concentrated on the younger alternative scene. Which is cool, I like that, I lived close to the Haight & Mission in San Fran in my 20's. But now that I'm 42, I'm kind of looking for a neighborhood that has a mix of 30+ professionals as well, and is not a 100% concentrate of the twenty something purple hair, tatts and piercings crew Any neighborhood more fit that bill with a mix of 30-50's professional crowd too?

Also, Capital Hill is close to downtown, but I'm not sure how much that will help me or how much stuff I will be doing downtown. As I'm new to the area I'm not sure what I will be wanting to do with my free time and what stuff I'll want to be closest to.
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Old 01-23-2013, 04:44 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
50 posts, read 114,757 times
Reputation: 23
Sorry to hear about the break-in to your car. My husband and I just moved from Seattle to Madison...and every hotel stop along the way we lugged everything that could be visible from the car (and anything of value from the trunk) to the hotel. It was annoying, but worth the trouble.

Regarding Capitol Hill, I had the same feelings as you as I moved out of my 20's. If you go farther back in capitol hill..it tends to skew a slightly older age demographic. The apartments from 15th ave e to 23rd ave e. (St. John's Court apartments at 205 18th ave e seems to fit the bill for what you're looking for - not many units, older but in good shape). If you want to live in a different area all together and stay in Seattle proper I would suggest Fremont ..older then capitol hill and easy access to the freeway.
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Old 01-23-2013, 06:12 PM
 
2,174 posts, read 4,392,327 times
Reputation: 3547
Hi Marionberry....thanks for the suggestion. I will check out Fremont too. I think I'm going to do a 2 mos condo sublet around 14th and Pine in Cap Hill for 2.5 mos. I like that there's a coop and Trader Joe's like a half a block away that will help. But I have a feeling a might not want to live in that area when I go for a permanent unfurnished rental.

How do you like Madison? That was smart to take all your stuff out. For me it would have taken like half the day to fully unload my car as it is stuffed to ceiling! When I stopped in Redding CA to sleep, the front desk lady let me park directly in front of the front entrance where people usually drop their baggage. But no such luck in Tacoma.
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Old 01-23-2013, 07:00 PM
fnh
 
2,888 posts, read 3,899,754 times
Reputation: 4219
Just south of Capitol Hill is the Central District. It is not as hip (read: young) as Capitol Hill with its very mixed population but still urban and close to everything. There is a branch library at 23rd and Yesler. It may be too transitional for some but you should at least check it out.

Sorry to hear about your car break-in in Tacoma.

p.s. I lived around the corner from the St. John's Court apts long ago and always thought it would be nice to live there. Fremont is also a nice, funky place to be.
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Old 01-23-2013, 09:19 PM
 
Location: Madison, WI
50 posts, read 114,757 times
Reputation: 23
ctr88: I love Madison. In a lot of ways it's like Seattle - only smaller (but still mid-sized) w/less traffic

I feel that the age of people on 14th & Pine and 15th ave e - 23rd ave e & e john st area to have a slightly older feel. Walk around and see.

fnh: I lived at St. John's years ago so perhaps we passed walking to/from safeway! And yeah, it's a good place to live. No frills but comfortable and safe with friendly neighbors
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