Gangs in Bellevue??? (Seattle, Rainier: best city, apartment complexes, hall)

[socalgirlforlife]

Originally Posted by Brick82

I am considering taking a position in Bellevue. A friend of mine who grew up in Everett claims it's not nice and there are a lot of problems with Gangs. I told her I researched the area and the crime wasn't nearly as bad as it is here. She said there was a lot that goes unreported and mentioned her brother telling her a story from the news about a 9 year old girl that was burned alive in a car yesterday. I researched this and found nothing. Is there truth to any of this?

Is Bellevue really that bad? I want a tolerant, safe community that I don't have to be filthy rich to rent in.

No it really isn't. There are problems, but remember Bellevue is really patchy. Stay closer to the upper to mid upper area's with working young executives. When you drive through the city, you'll be able to distinguish the different types of homes and the upkeep. Common sense, stay away from the raunchier area's.

[Roger Thornhill]

I understand the gang problem was pretty bad in the Crossroads area a decade or two ago.
Crossroads residential neighborhoods are affordable (275K-350K still available) and quite safe. The shopping center and access to everything is fantastic.
We rebuilt a flat top a few years back and LOVE living in the Crossroads residential area east of the shopping center. A lot of good, hardworking folks here from contractors to cooks and clerks to info workers and Microsofties. Great people and we all keep an eye on one another's homes and cars. This is the LAST place bad guys would want to ply their trades.
We used to live in a swanky place on Queen Anne Hill with views of the city and water, and I have to admit we're happier here. Safe neighborhood, an awesome park just around the corner and room to garden. I don't plan to move anytime soon!

That being said, the apartment complexes around Crossroads are to be avoided at all costs; there are still plenty of bad guys hanging out there and preying on others in the apartment complexes.
I've made the mistake of jogging through some of the complexes once or twice and the difference just 50 ft inside rattled me. I grew up in a tough neighborhood, and am not a creampuff, so it takes a bit to make me wary.
But even Queen Anne had its share of sketchy characters wandering through...

[garfield206]

your friend is straight up messing with you

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by Roger Thornhill

I understand the gang problem was pretty bad in the Crossroads area a decade or two ago.

Crossroads was only "bad" compared to the better areas of Bellevue. Most cities would kill to have the low crime rate of Crossroads (even back then).

Originally Posted by Roger Thornhill

That being said, the apartment complexes around Crossroads are to be avoided at all costs; there are still plenty of bad guys hanging out there and preying on others in the apartment complexes.
I've made the mistake of jogging through some of the complexes once or twice and the difference just 50 ft inside rattled me. I grew up in a tough neighborhood, and am not a creampuff, so it takes a bit to make me wary.
But even Queen Anne had its share of sketchy characters wandering through...

Sorry, I don't buy it.

Ken

[XXclimberX]

Originally Posted by socalgirlforlife

No it really isn't. There are problems, but remember Bellevue is really patchy. Stay closer to the upper to mid upper area's with working young executives. When you drive through the city, you'll be able to distinguish the different types of homes and the upkeep. Common sense, stay away from the raunchier area's.

Umm I think ur smoking crack, or else your friend is really messing with you. Bellevue happens to be one of the safest places in North America LOL

[ArthursChoice]

lol!

Originally Posted by XXclimberX

Umm I think ur smoking crack, or else your friend is really messing with you. Bellevue happens to be one of the safest places in North America LOL

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by XXclimberX

Umm I think ur smoking crack, or else your friend is really messing with you. Bellevue happens to be one of the safest places in North America LOL

Yeah, anyone who claims that ANY part of Bellevue is unsafe is either joking, lying, or clearly has NO CLUE as to what "unsafe" really means - and I know exactly of what I speak.

While working my way through school I was one of the managers of the old "24 Hour Car Wash" down near the corner of Boren, Rainier and Minor. It was a really rough part of town during a very economically depressed and crime-ridden era in Seattle. I had to deal with junkies shooting up in the vacant lot behind us and hookers trying to service their customers in the bathrooms. For a brief stint we had 2 guys work there (they only lasted one day) who later went on to murder the wife of a cop who busted them for some crime they'd committed. My wife (who was not my wife at the time) narrowly avoided being robbed at gunpoint early one morning while working as a cashier - and another young woman I dated later took up with one of the scumbags who frequented the area (he was "misunderstood" she said) - and eventually ended up dead by his hand.

THAT area was dangerous and crime-ridden.
As I've said in a previous post, most cities would KILL for Bellevue's low crime rate. Crime DOES happen everywhere, but I think you would be hard-pressed to fine a city of similar size that has Bellevue's crime rate.
Bellevue is clean, it's prosperous, and it's very, very safe.

Not a whole lot more anyone can ask of a city.

Ken

[slowbullet]

I am originally from Los Angeles (born and raised, still live there). I had some family from the crossroads area, and lived there for a breif time in the Crossroads district, right across the street from the Mall, in an apartment complex (that has been bought and renamed), called The Pines. Anyone remember it? Right next to the McDonalds/Ivars/Black Angus..

Anyway, the Pines had a certain reputation. I think it was low income housing, not sure..

I remember there being car theft, petty crime, social problems..

..Whenever I'd meet people around there and mention I lived in the Pines, there would be comments..

For a while I went to interlake and Samamish high schools..This was in about 1989, and it wasn't "bad," but there where "gangs" mostly young Latino kids, and Russians without a lot to do.

Nothing at all like where I had come from, but I could see how the area would have a reputation in Bellevue..

I remember all of us going to some po-dunk "carnival" in the parking lot of the K-Mart in Lake Hills, and there being fights and for sure people repping sets..throwing gang signs..etc

I also remember going to that Roller skating rink around there, on a Friday night, Skate King, and there being some concerns about wearing the wrong colors, like, they wouldn't let you in there, if you had gang affliliated colors.

I think that, especially back then, those neighborhoods, Lake Hills, Crossroads, that area around North East 8th street, where much different then Bellevue as a whole. More working class people, immigrants. Same old story everywhere..

I also think that, in order to find that culture, you had to look for it. It was there, but in little pockets, inside apartment complexes (I remember going to visit someone in some apartments in Lake Hills and getting into a brawl over nothing..ha) and high schools..

I've been back there recently and it's a lot different.

Thoughts? I'd be curious to hear from anyone that lived in crossroads area around the same time I did, 88-89..

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by slowbullet

I am originally from Los Angeles (born and raised, still live there). I had some family from the crossroads area, and lived there myself for....about six months in the Crossroads district, right across the street from the Mall, in an apartment complex (that has been bought and renamed), called The Pines. Anyone remember it? Right next to the McDonalds/Ivars/Black Angus..

Anyway, the Pines had a certain reputation. I think it was low income housing, not sure..

Lots of car theft, petty crime..Whenever I'd meet people around there and mention I lived in the Pines, there would be comments..

For a while I went to interlake high school..This was in about 1989, and it wasn't "bad," but there where "gangs" mostly young Latino kids, and Russians without a lot to do. Nothing at all like where I had come from, but I could see how the area would have a reputation in Bellevue..

I remember all of us going to some po-dunk "carnival" in the parking lot of the K-Mart in Lake Hills, and there being fights and for sure people repping sets..throwing gang signs..etc

I also remember going to that Roller skating rink around there, on a Friday night, Skate King, and there being some concerns about wearing the wrong colors, like, they wouldn't let you in there, if you had gang affliliated colors.

I think that, especially back then, those neighborhoods, Lake Hills, Crossroads, that area around North East 8th street, where much different then Bellevue as a whole. More working class people, immigrants. Same old story everywhere..

I also think that, in order to find that culture, you had to look for it. It was there, but in little pockets, inside apartment complexes (I remember going to visit someone in some apartments in Lake Hills and getting into a brawl over nothing..ha) and high schools..

I've been back there recently and it's a lot different.

Thoughts?

Yeah, I would say your assessment of the time is probably about right.
We left the Crossroads area in Jan of 1990 (when we bought our house north of SeaTac) and it sounds like you might have been a classmate of our daughter. When we left the area Crossroad - although not bad compared to the bad parts of most other cities - was "not that great". The mall was in the dumps (the movie theater roof leaked and whole block of seats was permanently roped off as a result). Shortly thereafter the mall was renovated and it seemed to revitalize the entire area. It's MUCH better today than it was back then.

Over the years, we've maintained our familiarity with the area - mainly because my wife got a job working as a floral designer at the Michael's store (when that section was added to the Crossroads Shopping Center) and she worked there on and off (worked at the Federal Way Michael's and then later at Joann - before returning to Michael's) for many years. Because of this, and the fact that Crossroads Village Apts (now called the Landmark (I think)) was the first place my wife and I shared, I still consider the Crossroads area "home".

Ken

[slowbullet]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

Yeah, I would say your assessment of the time is probably about right.
We left the Crossroads area in Jan of 1990 (when we bought our house north of SeaTac) and it sounds like you might have been a classmate of our daughter. When we left the area Crossroad - although not bad compared to the bad parts of most other cities - was "not that great". The mall was in the dumps (the movie theater roof leaked and whole block of seats was permanently roped off as a result). Shortly thereafter the mall was renovated and it seemed to revitalize the entire area. It's MUCH better today than it was back then.

Over the years, we've maintained our familiarity with the area - mainly because my wife got a job working as a floral designer at the Michael's store (when that section was added to the Crossroads Shopping Center) and she worked there on and off (worked at the Federal Way Michael's and then later at Joann - before returning to Michael's) for many years. Because of this, and the fact that Crossroads Village Apts (now called the Landmark (I think)) was the first place my wife and I shared, I still consider the Crossroads area "home".

Ken

I was around there before all the revitalization. I remember the leaky movie theatre (we used to sneak in all the time.)

I lived on 156th Ave.

I think it's pretty easy to laugh this idea off, "gangs in Bellevue." Remember, I came from L.A., (and a rough part of L.A., so I have some context.) The gang/crime problem in crossroads and lake hills is nothing now, but in the mid-to late-eighties, that area mirrored most other low-income areas around the country. Gangs were a national fad, and the crossroads area was a natural breeding ground.

There were gangs, there was crime, there was drugs (score weed and coke in the park behind the movie theatre), bloods and crips and all the rest.. It's why they built community police stations, and social service places in the area..I can't even begin to tell you how many stolen cars I'd ridden in in that time, how much beer we stole, etc, etc, etc..

Still, it was something you sort of had to find. If you were a troublemaking kid in Crossroads or Lake Hills in 1989, you could easily find trouble. I did.

Bellevue has a rep for being rich. Crossroads at that time was not rich. It was a poor, working class area, with poor Russian immigrants, Latinos, poor white people, black folks, living in these rows of low rent apartment ghettos..