Seattle safe for women? (Rainier: condo, crime, neighborhood)

[homesinseattle]

The area I mentioned (Pine/Pine) is easily accessible to the following museums:

Seattle Art Museum: SAM - Seattle Art Museum, Asian Art Museum & Olympic Sculpture Park
Frye Art Museum: Frye Art Museum
Seattle Asian Art Museum: Asian Art Museum
MOHAI (History and Industry), not too far South Lake Union: MOHAI
Wing Luke, close in the International District, great Asian American museum: Home > Wing Luke Museum
Burke Museum, just one light rail stop at UW, history, culture, dinosaurs: Burke Museum
MOPOP, near the Space Needle: Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Holocaust Center for Humanity, Belltown: https://www.holocaustcenterseattle.org/museum
Northwest African American Museum, Mount Baker area: Northwest African American Museum | Art, History, Culture

[cmswazey]

No place is safe for women.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by 509

My daughter lived in Capitol Hill. She moved back to eastern Washington about two years ago. Her comment was over the decade it had become less and less safe.

She did have to work late and wanted to get a concealed gun permit for her safety. I managed to talk her out of it, and proposed bear spray instead. The last thing you want to do in Seattle is shoot somebody in self-defence. You become the victim!!

She ended up carrying pepper spray. Which in my opinion is pretty much useless. I would carry bear spray, buy two cans and use ONE so you are comfortable with using it.

She got more and more uncomfortable being out there by herself as a mid-twenties female at night.

My own personal experience, was that my wife had all day surgery at Harbor View and I stayed three blocks from the hospital. AFTER DARK, the hospital staff would NOT let walk the three blocks back to the hotel. As I was waiting for the security guard escort the whole area lit up like Christmas with law enforcement flashing lights. At that point, I said thanks but it looks like plenty of escorts out there right now and left.

Bear spray. Don't leave home without it.

How long ago was that, in the vicinity of Harborview? There used to be a few certain parts of town where one knew not to walk around late at night. Some of those areas have gentrified now, and local residents insist they're safe. In any case, Seattle is safe as long as you don't have a job that requires you be out really late in the sketchy areas, the few such areas that are left. That's not at all unusual for urban living in most American cities.

[jakebarnes]

The official numbers say there hasn't been an uptick in crime. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the perception is higher. The number of miscreants on the streets has definitely increased downtown and on Capitol Hill (and they weren't low numbers to begin with). They are generally more of a nuisance than anything.

[509]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

How long ago was that, in the vicinity of Harborview? There used to be a few certain parts of town where one knew not to walk around late at night. Some of those areas have gentrified now, and local residents insist they're safe. In any case, Seattle is safe as long as you don't have a job that requires you be out really late in the sketchy areas, the few such areas that are left. That's not at all unusual for urban living in most American cities.

2004 for Harborview.

My daughter moved back in 2015.

My daughter considered downtown sketchy from 2008 forward. Capitol Hill in the past few years.

[sundreamer66]

I'm a healthy 70 year old woman, OP, also born and bred in NYC, so since you've lived in New York and traveled alone to Madrid and South America, I think you'll find Seattle a safe and beautiful city. Of course all the city-living caveats we women are aware of apply.

I've been living on First Hill across from Harborview Hospital for six months while frequenting the downtown retail core, Pike Place Market, and Capitol Hill for shopping. I've decided I'd like to live farther out of the downtown area. I understand I'll be giving up easy access to the city, but unlike so many places in the U.S., Seattle has reasonable public transportation so when I need a Pike Place Market fix it's doable.

My biggest issue with downtown Seattle is a population of people who are ill and poverty stricken. Most are entirely harmless, but there's a large number of people who are obviously mentally ill and, as I age, they provide an air of unpredictability I can't always anticipate. Why so many U.S. cities have these poor, forgotten people roaming about is the subject of an entirely different conversation.

I've visited areas in West Seattle and I like them. I also like the Ballard, Fremont, Phinney Ridge, and Greenwood neighborhoods - all walkable, but priced accordingly.

In my opinion, you shouldn't let news reports on Seattle or Washington state sway your response to this city those 12 years ago. It's a beautiful place with a lot of good, interesting people. I'm sure you'll make a welcome addition.

[509]

I just want to say...that my daughter has traveled the world with her backpack, by herself. She would take fairly long leaves from her job for the travel. Waiting on the internet to be sure she was still safe.

Try that as a parent!! Thank god, for Skype.

Her job meant that she was in downtown Seattle after mid-night. IF she found downtown Seattle sketchy and Capitol Hill going downhill after traveling the globe I would respect her opinion.

I found it interesting that she wanted a gun for self-protection in Seattle. Granted, she has been around guns and went through Hunter Safety, but what does that say about a city where she wanted a gun for self-protection??

It is the old frog story...."how do you boil a frog"? Start with room temperature and heat the water.

For a woman, Seattle is a dangerous place particularly after dark. Your a target based on your gender. Why the city of Seattle refuses to provide a "safe" environment for its citizens is besides me.

But really, the people in charge in Seattle are old.....they don't go out after dark.

[Ruth4Truth]

There are plenty of safe neighborhoods for women who are out after dark. And let's not forget; "after dark" means 4:30 pm in winter. If Seattle were that dangerous everywhere, assaults on women going home after work in winter would be epidemic. I routinely walked home from my university job "after dark" without a thought to crime, and later after moving north, I took the bus home, and walked through my neighborhood without a care. Later at night, I'd take the bus back to the university for evening events, or to other parts of town for lectures and concerts. Never encountered any problems.

We don't even know if the OP will be working some kind of swing-shift or night shift in a sketchy area. That issue may not be relevant to her.

[Mulana]

I live in S Seattle. Not the safest area
I am thinking to get self defense electric shocker. Does anybody know that is procedure?
Thanks

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by 509

2004 for Harborview.

My daughter moved back in 2015.

My daughter considered downtown sketchy from 2008 forward. Capitol Hill in the past few years.

Parts of downtown have always been considered sketchy, some of them--even in the daytime. Several people have posted here that the "Pill Hill" area, which includes Harborview, has gentrified and is now fine to walk around in at night. They also say that about the Central District, including Yesler. I'll believe it when I see it, but that's what people say.