Renton potential place to call home? (Seattle, Bellevue: low income, apartments, rental)

[VirtualErik]

I'm going to be in Seattle this weekend for some testing for a potential job. The job would be in downtown, but even though I'd make decent money I don't want to work just to pay rent. I'm sure Renton isn't much better in terms of house payments or rent but I'd hope in comparison to downtown not quite as bad.

-I like Renton, its convenient as far as location in terms of commuting to downtown and easy access to the airport as I like to travel.

-that being said is Renton a recommended place to settle and feel overall safe? I'd like to avoid any "ghetto" or dangerous area.

-a little details on my situation, i'm unmarried, no kids and no pets so its a pretty straight forward relocation.

[mkarch]

It's more a matter of whether you like living in Renton. I know a lot of people that live there and it's... I guess the best way of putting it is "it's not that bad" but its not a place most are enthusiastic to live or stay in either. A lot of it feels like a big strip mall suburb, and the newer parts like the landing almost have a pretentious feel of "hey, see we're all modern and classy now, not like before".

It's definitely cheaper than downtown, but not necessarily cheaper than other neighborhoods closer to downtown that don't require the same commute time or expense.

Parts of Renton are a little sketchy, but most of it is boring, relatively safe suburban sprawl.

[Blondebaerde]

There are sketchy parts of Renton. LOL: just like the last guy said. Subjectively-sketchy. May wish to consult crime stats for non-subjective info, though. Like mkarch said, too, it's no picnic but there are worse places in the U.S. to live. Seems like the kind of place where you live because you have to, or grew up there and somehow can't vault into something better.

There is a to-die-for Indian restaurant downtown, whose name escapes me. Not sure if there are other distinguishing characteristics, other than "it's close to Boeing, and relatively 'affordable' (in comparison to elsewhere)."

If it works for you, within your budget and other constraints, have at it. If you have time this weekend, use mass transit from parts of Renton to your potential employment location. Anything to avoid driving during commute hours to the city. A weekend will have nothing to do with traffic during genuine commute-hours, but might illustrate at least how to do so. Spending hours on freeways every day makes null and void most rent savings by living far from the workplace.

I lived in some mildly-sketchy places as a single guy, years ago, and rarely if-ever had to fight my way out of situations. Not saying it couldn't happen, but walking away (or running) and other deescalation seemed to work well enough. How it had to be, given my budget constraints. Carpooled or rode my motorcycle when I had to go downtown for work (San Francisco, in that case).

[Ira500]

I live in Renton. I'm one of those people who likes it a lot. There's a lot of good things about Renton. Downtown Renton has some fantastic places to drink beer, and good, cheap places to eat. A 24 hr diner is about to open in downtown Renton. There's good pizza, and a library built right over the river. There's big trees, and a trail along the Cedar River, which has one of the largest Sockeye Salmon runs in the continental US. Is there sketch? Sure. There are parts of downtown Renton that are especially run down, and the transit center is definitely not a place to hang out at late at night.Along Martin Luther King there are some low income apartments coming into town, and the Western part of the Renton Highlands has "the projects". But they're being torn down and replaced with market rate housing. I consider the vast majority of Renton to be safe.
The eastern part of the Renton Highlands is a lot of newer houses, accurately described as suburban sprawl. There's a great produce stand/meat market in that part of Renton, and a great donut shop.

[Adrian71]

There's no such thing as a ghetto, in the East Coast/Midwest inner-city sense, anywhere around Seattle. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't sketchy areas where you shouldn't take crazy risks, but that's just common sense anywhere you go.

Renton gets a bad rap sometimes for being one of the south suburbs, which are considered less desirable than other parts of the metro area. I live in the Cascade area of Renton, and our neighborhood is safe, diverse, quiet, and all-around terrific. And yes, housing is relatively more affordable here. Not cheap, but cheaper than Seattle. We bought here because we were able to get more house for the money than if we lived closer in.

Admittedly, I don't feel much of a connection to Renton, as we moved to this area to be close to Seattle, but I also can't really say anything bad about Renton. We have a quaint downtown with a nice mix of mom-and-pop and chain stores and restaurants to pick from, and we're roughly an equal distance from Seattle and Bellevue -- just a quick drive up either 5 or 405. And you're right about the trip out to the airport -- it's a breeze from here.

[homesinseattle]

There are some perfectly nice parts of Renton. For my money, it has one of the best values for homes in the area, in terms of price versus proximity to most everything. What would be your price range if you buy a home?

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

There is a to-die-for Indian restaurant downtown, whose name escapes me.

You're probably thinking of Naan -n- Curry. The food is outstanding, and the service is very quick.

[MaikeerinWA]

That is a very nice restaurant, but we've also become fond of the tasty but significantly less expensive fare at Spice King, on Lind.

As for Renton as a place to live, I was a resident for almost a decade (and no, I certainly don't feel like I "vaulted" to something better ). I lived in the East Highlands and liked it there. As others have said, Renton has some advantages in terms of location and as a value proposition for homeownership. And by and large it is quite safe, with the possible exception of the areas that Ira noted. Keep in mind that it has become a quite large city (approaching 100,000 I believe) and so there is naturally going to be a wide variety of neighborhoods.

If I were a young person renting, though, I might consider something a little closer to downtown Seattle, in addition to taking a look at Renton. I like Columbia City, but I'm not familiar with the rental housing stock or pricing there. Maybe Georgetown? Good luck with your trip.

Originally Posted by Adrian71

You're probably thinking of Naan -n- Curry. The food is outstanding, and the service is very quick.