Any flat neighborhoods? (Seattle, Kent, Renton: rental, crime rates, inspection)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by nja2016

Thanks for all the neighborhood recommendations! I loved the lake in Greenlake, mostly because it was surrounded by beautiful fir(?) trees. Wallingford and Ballard might be better just because they're a little more centrally located than the North Seattle neighborhoods. Do the North Seattle neighborhoods like Maple Leaf have more of a suburban feel? The little that I saw of Ravenna looked nice. UW also has a beautiful campus btw.

I didn't mention this and don't hate me because I'm not going to be able to afford a house anytime soon and drive up real estate prices, but I live in L.A. now. My neighborhood is centrally located in the middle of the city, is pretty busy with both cars and tons of pedestrians (rare for L.A.), has its fair share of the usual city minor crimes like car break-ins, a few homeless people going through our recycling (usually the same few), and is yet is still the kind of neighborhood where people know their neighbors and watch out for each other. There's a big park nearby frequented by all kinds of people from families to runners to teenagers. I'd prefer to live somewhere similar if possible, or at least not anywhere either totally suburban nor a soulless concrete jungle. Also, I have a small but highly active dog so places where I felt safe (remember I'm from L.A. though, not some small town) walking him would be great too.

OP, Seattle is not LA. Don't even think about it in those terms. Most Seattle neighborhoods look pretty suburban, compared to some cities. The north neighborhoods I mentioned would suit you just fine: parks, no homeless, no car break-ins, green, leafy, quiet. Greenlake: IDK if there are any homeless there. There have always been a couple of homeless or so, living in Ravenna Park, but you don't see them. I don't know where they go during the day, but I've never encountered them there. I only saw evidence of a little shelter one had built, behind some trees, once.

I can't think of anywhere in Seattle, that could be described as a "concrete jungle". It's not NYC or LA. Sounds like you'll like it.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by nja2016

Graded rises are okay. Thanks for the suggestions and I'll look into all of those areas. Is Cafe Flora in Madison Park? If so, that was a nice area with a steep hill going up to the Central co-op. Maple Leaf is a lovely name but I have no idea what the neighborhood is like since I didn't make it out there so will have to research it some more. Northgate was compared to Van Nuys (an unattractive and unsafe L.A. neighborhood) in a recent thread in this forum, yet as a relatively flat area also deserves some research.

I did like parts of West Seattle despite a few steep streets I accidentally drove on and the bridge there was fine. By the way, what do the blinking turn arrows mean in West Seattle? I've only dealt with solid turn arrows...

If you live in W Seattle (where rents are more affordable, btw), and work downtown, you can commute downtown by water taxi (people ferry). No bridge, no traffic, just scenery.

You have a lot of terrain to cover, if you're going to check out all these neighborhoods, on your next visit. Give yourself plenty of time, so you can walk through some of those areas; walk thru Ravenna Park, walk around Greenlake, and yes, Madison Park is very nice, being right on Lake Washington (higher rents, there).

Northgate has the mall, and Northgate Way is very commercial. Maybe that's why it was compared to Van Nuys?? But go north of there, and there's a golf course with apartment buildings around. There are some nice pockets in there. Also, drive east on Northgate Way, cross 15th NE (which runs north-south), and get out of the car a block from there, on 17th NE, and just walk around. (This is Victory Heights) If you go south a couple of blocks, you'll find a park. But just strolling around, you'll see what a nice, quiet neighborhood it is, with lots of big trees. I guess if you're looking for an apartment, you'd have to go a little north of there; Pinehurst has apartment buildings, and there are apartments along 15th Ave NE north of N'gate Way. There's a grocery store just a couple of blocks from 15th NE, too, and a coffee shop/bakery on 15th NE, plus a Starbucks on N'gate Way near there.

Maple Leaf is mostly single family homes, but there are condos along a couple of the streets there, that rent out. There's a reservoir, and another park in the area, good for dog-walking.

[nja2016]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP, Seattle is not LA. Don't even think about it in those terms. Most Seattle neighborhoods look pretty suburban, compared to some cities. The north neighborhoods I mentioned would suit you just fine: parks, no homeless, no car break-ins, green, leafy, quiet. Greenlake: IDK if there are any homeless there. There have always been a couple of homeless or so, living in Ravenna Park, but you don't see them. I don't know where they go during the day, but I've never encountered them there. I only saw evidence of a little shelter one had built, behind some trees, once.

I can't think of anywhere in Seattle, that could be described as a "concrete jungle". It's not NYC or LA. Sounds like you'll like it.

I don't want to live in another L.A. and I've only been here this long because my family lived here. It's been 85 degrees for a week or so after a rare, mercifully cool winter (50s/60s) and it feels hotter since we mostly have palm trees that don't provide much shade when I'm out walking my puppy. Over the past few years, my siblings have moved far away, two out of three of my grandparents who lived here passed away, and even most of my cousins have left, so now just my parents (who I'm very close to) are still here.

Living somewhere quieter would be amazing, and as long as it's just not louder than where I am now that would be good. A few homeless don't bother me, as long as it's not like our tent cities or Skid Row. If I add up my several visits to Seattle, I've spent about 2 months in Seattle cumulatively and did like it.

[nja2016]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

If you live in W Seattle (where rents are more affordable, btw), and work downtown, you can commute downtown by water taxi (people ferry). No bridge, no traffic, just scenery.

You have a lot of terrain to cover, if you're going to check out all these neighborhoods, on your next visit. Give yourself plenty of time, so you can walk through some of those areas; walk thru Ravenna Park, walk around Greenlake, and yes, Madison Park is very nice, being right on Lake Washington (higher rents, there).

Northgate has the mall, and Northgate Way is very commercial. Maybe that's why it was compared to Van Nuys?? But go north of there, and there's a golf course with apartment buildings around. There are some nice pockets in there. Also, drive east on Northgate Way, cross 15th NE (which runs north-south), and get out of the car a block from there, on 17th NE, and just walk around. (This is Victory Heights) If you go south a couple of blocks, you'll find a park. But just strolling around, you'll see what a nice, quiet neighborhood it is, with lots of big trees. I guess if you're looking for an apartment, you'd have to go a little north of there; Pinehurst has apartment buildings, and there are apartments along 15th Ave NE north of N'gate Way. There's a grocery store just a couple of blocks from 15th NE, too, and a coffee shop/bakery on 15th NE, plus a Starbucks on N'gate Way near there.

Maple Leaf is mostly single family homes, but there are condos along a couple of the streets there, that rent out. There's a reservoir, and another park in the area, good for dog-walking.

Thank you for the detailed directions! I'll walk through those areas on my next visit and I'm sure at least one place if not more will be a good fit. It's encouraging to hear that there are areas that I'll probably feel comfortable driving around.

I think I saw the water taxi at Alki Beach, which I drove to from the Junction where I was staying. Lincoln Park in West Seattle had a nice walking path and the trees were beautiful, along with the view of the water. When my puppy gets a little older it would be great to be able to jog with him somewhere like that.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

What ARE Seattle's hills, anyway? I looked it up. Mt. Baker? Crown Hill?? Never heard of it. Beacon Hill. In over 20 years of living in Seattle, I've never been to any of those neighborhoods. They count West Seattle as a hill? But...it's at sea level, lol. It's got a hilly-ish neighborhood, sure, but..... Anyway, you might consider West Seattle, OP. Take a drive around Seattle, and see if the bridge to W Seattle is intimidating, or the slight incline to the Ravenna neighborhood. Queen Anne Hill--ok, that's a hill, but I never had any reason to go there, while living in Seattle.

I don't think hills need to be an issue for you, especially if you don't mind taking the bus from time to time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_hills_of_Seattle

The original list of "the Seven Hills of Seattle" includes Yesler Hill and Cherry Hill. I find it odd that those are all considered separate hills from Capitol Hill. I consider them extensions of Cap Hill; all part of the same ridge extending north-south, on the east side of downtown. I guess First Hill would be included in that ridge, as well. It's one contiguous geographic feature, not separate hills, like you have in San Francisco.

Crown Hill is more of a "rise"; same with Sunset Hill, which runs along a rising bluff.

If they hadn't sluiced out the Dearborn cut and regraded Jackson, that north-south ridge would run straight through to Beacon Hill. Yesler Hill, before it was "terraced", was also called Profanity Hill:

[grega94]

Also if you are considering suburbs, there is a lot of flat land to the south in the valley (along highway 167) centered around the city centers of Renton, Kent, Auburn, Pacific, Sumner, Puyallup and Fife. However these areas also have the increased risk of river flooding, plus most of this region tends to have higher crime rates.

https://www.google.com/maps/@47.3769.../data=!5m1!1e4

[CrazyDonkey]

The Tangletown area just east of Green Lake is nice. Close to Roosevelt, Wallingford, Fremont, and Woodland Park/Zoo.

Seattle Neighborhood Guide: Tangletown

[rupp-certified]

Originally Posted by jakebarnes

OP, if it’s only while driving you have the fear, why not just take Uber, the bus, light rail. Seattle can be enjoyed without a car.

Came here to post this. That's pretty much what I do.

[dtuba]

You have an automatic transmission. Confront your fears and learn how to drive on hills. Once you learn...you'll be free to go anywhere.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by nja2016

Thank you for the detailed directions! I'll walk through those areas on my next visit and I'm sure at least one place if not more will be a good fit. It's encouraging to hear that there are areas that I'll probably feel comfortable driving around.

I think I saw the water taxi at Alki Beach, which I drove to from the Junction where I was staying. Lincoln Park in West Seattle had a nice walking path and the trees were beautiful, along with the view of the water. When my puppy gets a little older it would be great to be able to jog with him somewhere like that.

Lincoln Park is worth moving to West Seattle for! Along with Alki beach. West Seattle has beautiful parks! And did I mention--rents are more affordable? What's not to like? Ravenna's nice, too. Take a walk through Ravenna Park, both on the trail down inside the park, and along the north rim, onto those wooden bridges. It's another world, among the trees there.