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I have been spending time in West Seattle and am really starting to dig on the laid back/beach community vibe. Tons of restaurants and things to do! I would love to move here in the near future. I didn't see any, but are there many homeless folks in town? I'm not just asking about down by the water, I mean more inland as well. Being there is so much street parking I was wondering if they get a lot of overnight car break ins/robberies as well. Thanks.
There have been several homeless encampments along the 509 highway leading from the Duwamish area toward Burien. In fact, the homeless are virtually everywhere in Seattle now, and lately have been moving into areas toward the South Sound. Auburn has a REAL problem going right now, for example, but it isn't the only place.
The official numbers on Homeless in America varies, but many estimates put it at around 550,000-650,000 on any given day nationwide. Mother Jones magazine claims it's actually more than four MILLION, because many people don't want to be counted, and the numbers don't reflect teen runaways living on the street. The truth is, nobody knows how many for certain, but the MJ article makes sense to me.
Yes, there are probably homeless living in the Alki area, but like many of these folks, they either keep themselves hidden, low-profile, or only come out at night. Not all of them, but some.
Don't get me wrong. If I had my way, the Feds would fund Section 8 fully again and cease that ridiculous Bill Clinton policy of a five-year lifetime limit on welfare. People actually bought into the idea back in the 90's that 'welfare was breaking the country,' when the numbers showed that the amount of money spent on welfare and Food Stamps was actually a fairly low percentage of the Federal budget. Entitlements, defense, and payments on the National Debt easily take up the majority of the budget.
That was twenty something years ago when Clinton did that.
Look at what's happening now as a result.
What some people are doing in the Seattle-area neighborhoods they live in now is to accept that there WILL be homeless people, and not discriminate against THAT...but to assist each other in their neighborhoods that these people will not resort to crime to buy food, or support their drug habits. You have to watch your neighborhood, in other words. When homeless start breaking into cars simply to empty the ashtrays, then you know you have a problem.
This is a Federal problem, but the Feds are dumping it on local communities, which many of them are financially unable to solve. It is not a local problem. It is a NATIONAL problem.
I lived in West Seattle for about two years, then went back and visited friends pretty regularly there for another five years.
And I didn't really see any homeless, at least not pitching tents, perhaps some homeless straggler, and few of those, but I can't say it seemed like a real "problem."
And I work in Auburn, and they have always had homeless stragglers, but they don't have tent cities either... (In fact, Auburn is gradually "gentrifying," they are putting up a new 7 story building with high-end apartments. (next to the others they built a couple years ago.)
Now I haven't been downtown or to West Seattle in quite some time, but looking at Google Earth, I'm not seeing it, even in obvious places like city hall park, I don't see it any worse than when I was homeless when I got here to Seattle almost 30 years ago.
The one place I have seen a buildup is under the West Seattle Fwy, it must be 10 times worse than I have ever seen.
Alki is a fairly nice neighborhood, old homes, but pricey, it is a very desirable place to live.
Look on Google Earth, use the "street cam" function, see what it looks like, I believe people are making more of this homeless thing than there is to it, and that's coming from someone who was homeless on and off for 12 years, I know "the places where the ragged people go."
"And I work in Auburn, and they have always had homeless stragglers, but they don't have tent cities either... (In fact, Auburn is gradually "gentrifying," they are putting up a new 7 story building with high-end apartments. (next to the others they built a couple years ago.)"
You mean those monstrosities they erected downtown? They block out the sun, have high rents, and generally suck.
As far as homeless in Auburn, take a look down by the river near Brannon Park, or near the area of the old Valley Drive In Theater. Or you could look along Auburn Way North, or even the alley between I Street and Auburn Way North. It's pretty much Grand Central for them, going to the Food Bank, the free showers, the 7-11 at 22nd and Auburn Way North, or the smokeshop across the street, or the pot shop near the airport in the same area. The sirens are pretty regular, both cop and ambulance.
How long have you lived in the Puyallup Valley? I moved here in 1967, when my dad dragged us up here for a Boeing job.
You mean those monstrosities they erected downtown? They block out the sun, have high rents, and generally suck.
As far as homeless in Auburn, take a look down by the river near Brannon Park, or near the area of the old Valley Drive In Theater. Or you could look along Auburn Way North, or even the alley between I Street and Auburn Way North. It's pretty much Grand Central for them, going to the Food Bank, the free showers, the 7-11 at 22nd and Auburn Way North, or the smokeshop across the street, or the pot shop near the airport in the same area. The sirens are pretty regular, both cop and ambulance.
How long have you lived in the Puyallup Valley? I moved here in 1967, when my dad dragged us up here for a Boeing job.
I've been working in Auburn for 13 years now.
Those "monstrosities," you can't have it both ways, you can't say a place is going down in the dumps with that kind of investment going on.
What I do see are kids "hanging around" sometimes in groups or just on their own.
No tent cities.
I can think of some of the most likely places and have never seen tents there, I'm talking downtown on Main St, Auburn Way, up on the hill by the casino, over by the Supermall, all around.
But, say around Fred Meyer, by the pot shop and Loews, I do see motorhomes in the parking lots, (maybe two or three?) (not so much anymore though) but mostly, like I said, some individual 20 or 30 year old something, bundled up in the corner of the parking lot say, looking at their "devices."
I get hit up by panhandlers every so often, but I don't believe I've seen a pitched tent anywhere, even down the nature trails even once in 13 years...
And did you see the nasty dive bar one of those "monstrosities" replaced?
I remember the downtown 13 years ago, it has taken time, (let's not forget the 2008 crisis) but it is vastly improving over what it once was!
I have been spending time in West Seattle and am really starting to dig on the laid back/beach community vibe. Tons of restaurants and things to do! I would love to move here in the near future. I didn't see any, but are there many homeless folks in town? I'm not just asking about down by the water, I mean more inland as well. Being there is so much street parking I was wondering if they get a lot of overnight car break ins/robberies as well. Thanks.
Just use common sense, don't leave anything in your car that would catch someone's attention. Much of West Seattle is pretty tame. Alki Beach can get a little crazy in the summer, but mostly on the main drag.
Don't get me wrong. If I had my way, the Feds would fund Section 8 fully again and cease that ridiculous Bill Clinton policy of a five-year lifetime limit on welfare. People actually bought into the idea back in the 90's that 'welfare was breaking the country,' when the numbers showed that the amount of money spent on welfare and Food Stamps was actually a fairly low percentage of the Federal budget. Entitlements, defense, and payments on the National Debt easily take up the majority of the budget.
That was twenty something years ago when Clinton did that.
Look at what's happening now as a result.
Welfare reform became law in 1996. And this is the effect it had:
The reform law placed a five-year time limit on receipt of TANF benefits. Although this provision of the law is widely known, it was almost entirely symbolic. The time limit contained large loopholes. In the 15 years since enactment, few recipients have been removed for reaching the five-year limit.
Then Obama gutted the work requirement rules, and this is the result:
2015 was the first year in history when welfare spending exceeded defense spending, and FY 2016 saw welfare spending more than $105 billion higher than for defense. https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...elfare-defense
West Seattle was always nice and there are homes people floating around there, but more invisible compared to other areas in the metro Sesttle area. With that said, my daughter and her husband moved out of West Seattle due to the ever increasing rent they were paying. Both are employed in professional white collar positions, but did the smart thing and became home owners... Outside of Seattle.
As a kid, my mother went shopping there every week when they had JC Penny's and Montgomery Ward on the main business strip. As a teen, a good friend lived there, so I'd visit him on the weekends form time to time and we would go to the Admrial theater, hit Herfy's and afterwards, cruise around Alki beach in his death trap of a car! Good memories of West Seattle.
I still head out to West Seattle for some Spud's fish and chips, as well as checking out Easy Street record shop from time to time. Also, when my friend is in town, she really likes the Alki beach vibe and enjoys the various restaurants located there. If I had the money to live anywhere in Seattle, West Seattle would be pretty high on the top three/four areas I can think of.
As for Auburn, it's always been a Blue Collar town. Which is why I like the place. Auburn is definitely changing for the better with all the new apartment buildings downtown, which is attracting more young families and professional singles to the area. I just hope that this will bring more life to the business area since several longtime shops have closed down. It would be good if more small business would open up shops here... Like maybe a new/used record shop!! Anyway!! I'm hoping that some of the "Georgetown crew" will start heading this way since the Georgetown vibe would really change the dynamics of the Auburn downtown area... Which is more family oriented, but I think that a healthy balance can be made... Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have more diverse nightlife in the downtown area of Auburn verse mainly at the casino.
Seriously, Auburn is moving forward and things are looking pretty good!! I live in the Lakeland Hills area of Auburn and that area is very family friendly with very little crime of any type and with its own little shopping/business area. The homeless pretty much stay away from this area... They basically stay in the valley parts of Auburn. Also, Auburn police seems to be more pro-active in keeping the peace. Not how Seattle is dealing with crimes linked to the homeless by ignoring it since that tactic doesn't work. Auburn PD's way of handling it greatly improves the QoL for the average tax payer living here.
Sorry, I know this thread is about West Seattle, but I have to stand up for Auburn. As for the welfare and homelessness issue, I'll leave that one alone... Cuz it's a no brainer if you think about it... IMHO.
West Seattle was always nice and there are homes people floating around there, but more invisible compared to other areas in the metro Sesttle area. With that said, my daughter and her husband moved out of West Seattle due to the ever increasing rent they were paying. Both are employed in professional white collar positions, but did the smart thing and became home owners... Outside of Seattle.
As a kid, my mother went shopping there every week when they had JC Penny's and Montgomery Ward on the main business strip. As a teen, a good friend lived there, so I'd visit him on the weekends form time to time and we would go to the Admrial theater, hit Herfy's and afterwards, cruise around Alki beach in his death trap of a car! Good memories of West Seattle.
I still head out to West Seattle for some Spud's fish and chips, as well as checking out Easy Street record shop from time to time. Also, when my friend is in town, she really likes the Alki beach vibe and enjoys the various restaurants located there. If I had the money to live anywhere in Seattle, West Seattle would be pretty high on the top three/four areas I can think of.
As for Auburn, it's always been a Blue Collar town. Which is why I like the place. Auburn is definitely changing for the better with all the new apartment buildings downtown, which is attracting more young families and professional singles to the area. I just hope that this will bring more life to the business area since several longtime shops have closed down. It would be good if more small business would open up shops here... Like maybe a new/used record shop!! Anyway!! I'm hoping that some of the "Georgetown crew" will start heading this way since the Georgetown vibe would really change the dynamics of the Auburn downtown area... Which is more family oriented, but I think that a healthy balance can be made... Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have more diverse nightlife in the downtown area of Auburn verse mainly at the casino.
Seriously, Auburn is moving forward and things are looking pretty good!! I live in the Lakeland Hills area of Auburn and that area is very family friendly with very little crime of any type and with its own little shopping/business area. The homeless pretty much stay away from this area... They basically stay in the valley parts of Auburn. Also, Auburn police seems to be more pro-active in keeping the peace. Not how Seattle is dealing with crimes linked to the homeless by ignoring it since that tactic doesn't work. Auburn PD's way of handling it greatly improves the QoL for the average tax payer living here.
Sorry, I know this thread is about West Seattle, but I have to stand up for Auburn. As for the welfare and homelessness issue, I'll leave that one alone... Cuz it's a no brainer if you think about it... IMHO.
Thanks for the feedback! West Seattle just feels good! Alki beach is a bonus, though parking is impossible after 10am on the weekends.It's kind of got its own vibe going on even though Seattle proper is just across the water.
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