Where is the diversity? (Seattle, Tacoma: to rent, neighborhoods, incomes)

[Rcsligar]

I am curious to see if there are some truly ethnically diverse neighborhoods in seattle besides the intl district and little Saigon. Through my limited experience exploring seattle I have found that while there are a lot of cool, eclectic neighborhoods, there aren't many that I noticed with different ethnic groups. Also, what neighborhoods haven't been gentrified? I heard Columbia city hasn't. Any info is appreciated.

[Ira500]

I'll answer the second question first. Some south end neighborhoods have not been gentrified. Columbia City certainly has been gentrified to a degree, but it's still pretty diverse. Just south of Columbia City, Hillman City is next. They're opening a coffee roaster, it has a brewery, and a hipster bar is opening up soon.
Othello, by the light rail station, has not gentrified, and is very ethnically diverse, with restaurants ranging from Vietnamese to Mexican to Somali...Further south, nobody has ever accused Rainier Beach of having been gentrified.
They say the 98118 zip code is one of the most diverse in the United States, that includes the Rainier Valley/Rainier Beach and Columbia City. Further south, the 98178, which is partly in the city of Seattle, is also quite diverse, includes Skyway. South Park is pretty diverse, and ungentrified. The east side of West Seattle is diverse and ungentrified. White Center is out of the city limits, but it's a vibrant neighborhood full of many ethnicities and hipsters.

[eskercurve]

Statistically speaking, ethnic diversity happens when there's opportunity to sustain diversity economically. Seattle is such a high cost area of living and doing business that you basically have to have two incomes at much-higher than average salaries relative to the rest of the USA that minorities who don't earn as much as whites and asians are basically left out and have to move elsewhere.

South Seattle used to be much more diverse actually. Most of the black folks left when property taxes and values got too high following the dot-com boom and the rise of Starbucks, and the SE Asian folks stick to their own in the ID and other areas in S Seattle.

Regardless of what you think of today's educational and economic potential (which by some measures have improved but in many others has not), in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s at least the ability for minorities to move ahead and get well educated is much less than that of whites and asians. Thus you have a city politic today that reflects the past's inadequacies.

That's why we don't have diversity anywhere else in Seattle. And I'm sure we'd like to change that, but it will be much more difficult. It will force a sea change in the mentality of folks. There's been progress for sure. But not enough, yet. Perhaps in 30 years or so things will be different.

[Rcsligar]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I'll answer the second question first. Some south end neighborhoods have not been gentrified. Columbia City certainly has been gentrified to a degree, but it's still pretty diverse. Just south of Columbia City, Hillman City is next. They're opening a coffee roaster, it has a brewery, and a hipster bar is opening up soon.
Othello, by the light rail station, has not gentrified, and is very ethnically diverse, with restaurants ranging from Vietnamese to Mexican to Somali...Further south, nobody has ever accused Rainier Beach of having been gentrified.
They say the 98118 zip code is one of the most diverse in the United States, that includes the Rainier Valley/Rainier Beach and Columbia City. Further south, the 98178, which is partly in the city of Seattle, is also quite diverse, includes Skyway. South Park is pretty diverse, and ungentrified. The east side of West Seattle is diverse and ungentrified. White Center is out of the city limits, but it's a vibrant neighborhood full of many ethnicities and hipsters.

Which of these neighborhoods would you consider desirable from the standpoint of having a lot of different ethnic restaurants/shops, being fairly walkable, and not too sketchy? Unfortunately many areas that have not experienced the influx of yuppies and hipsters in recent years have had that lack of development for a reason. I really enjoy unpretentious and working class neighborhoods but at the same time I realize that I have no business in some of them.

[Hemlock140]

Take the light rail from anywhere in the downtown bus tunnel to the airport and you will see most of those neighborhoods out the window, except for Skyway, White Center and South Park which are all farther off of the I5 corridor.

[RunTheDistance476]

Originally Posted by Rcsligar

I am curious to see if there are some truly ethnically diverse neighborhoods in seattle besides the intl district and little Saigon. Through my limited experience exploring seattle I have found that while there are a lot of cool, eclectic neighborhoods, there aren't many that I noticed with different ethnic groups. Also, what neighborhoods haven't been gentrified? I heard Columbia city hasn't. Any info is appreciated.

Sounds like you are suffering from a pre-conceived notion. If you come to a city like Seattle expecting it to be all white, you'll see what you want.

If you go to a city like STL expecting it to be all run down and ganged out, it will appear that way. There is PLENTY of diversity in this region. Why dont you go walk around MLK Way (at your own risk, I will not be held responsible for your actions and experience) or Tukwila, Renton, Federal Way, etc.

Go walk around Bellevue, lots of Asian and Middle-Eastern influence. What are you even talking about?

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by wlw2009

Sounds like you are suffering from a pre-conceived notion. If you come to a city like Seattle expecting it to be all white, you'll see what you want.

If you go to a city like STL expecting it to be all run down and ganged out, it will appear that way. There is PLENTY of diversity in this region. Why dont you go walk around MLK Way (at your own risk, I will not be held responsible for your actions and experience) or Tukwila, Renton, Federal Way, etc.

Go walk around Bellevue, lots of Asian and Middle-Eastern influence. What are you even talking about?

Except he is asking about Seattle neighborhoods. MLK Way does go into Seattle Proper, but Tukwila, Renton, Fed. Way and Bellevue are not Seattle neighborhoods.

[RunTheDistance476]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Except he is asking about Seattle neighborhoods. MLK Way does go into Seattle Proper, but Tukwila, Renton, Fed. Way and Bellevue are not Seattle neighborhoods.

I think MLK Way (from downtown to Renton border) should more than suffice. Or here is another thought...get on the bus in Renton, stop by Garfield HS, Othello Playground and Franklin HS. Come back on the forum and thank me for making it easy.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Rcsligar

Which of these neighborhoods would you consider desirable from the standpoint of having a lot of different ethnic restaurants/shops, being fairly walkable, and not too sketchy? Unfortunately many areas that have not experienced the influx of yuppies and hipsters in recent years have had that lack of development for a reason. I really enjoy unpretentious and working class neighborhoods but at the same time I realize that I have no business in some of them.

The "not too sketchy" part is highly subjective. You see that on here, where people will talk about a particular neighborhood as if you're guaranteed to get mugged just be entering it, but others will say it's perfectly safe.
Othello has become nicer since the light rail started running, but still a bit sketchy, same with Hillman City. If you're willing to be outside of the city limits, Burien and Renton are both unpretentious, working class, mostly not sketchy, and have great ethnic restaurants. Renton has a new Afghani place that's awesome. Burien has a Peruvian place and a Oaxacan place that serves deep fried grasshoppers.

[ctr88]

I actually find Seattle is A LOT more diverse then its perceived national rep. People think it's a white area and it just is not any more at all. It's a very diverse place. Just go to Census Bureau Homepage for the facts. Seattle and most of the larger cities in the Seattle Metro area have very mixed populations.

-the city of Seattle is only 66% white (and that will keep falling)
-Renton is 49% white
-Bellevue is 59% white
-Redmond is 61% white
-Kent is 49% white
-Lynwood is 58% white
-Tacoma is 60% white
-Federal Way 51% white