West Seattle. (houses, safe area, place to live)

[gonzlaw07]

I am relocating to the Seattle area in mid-August. Currently, my boyfriend and I are researching areas in which to live. So far it appears that West Seattle may be a good blend of our personalities. We have found a nice place near the West Seattle Golf Course (specifically on 26th Avenue SW). Is this a safe area? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Ira500]

There's a little pocket neighborhood near there that I like a lot, just north of the golf course,between Andover and Genesee north and South, and between Delridge and Avalon Way East and west which has the Longfellow Greenbelt trail, all star fitness, a few nice restaurants, some great espresso houses, and one of Seattle's best breakfast places, the Luna Park. The places right along the golf course aren't as nice, it's less of a neighborhood, but I wouldn't call it unsafe...just saying that if your prospective place is on 26th north of the golf course, you'll be in a better area.

[azoria]

We live in west Seattle, farther down from the neighborhood you're looking at. It's very pretty, liveable, like being in the city but not being in the city.

My biggest complaint about west Seattle is the lack of retail businesses and restaurants. Really not a whole lot. 3 or 4 supermarkets spread over a large area, one Target. The old timers here are vehemently anti-development and refuse to allow development. On a bright note they just broke ground for a Whole Foods Market here, so that's some progress.....

But I love going into downtown Seattle on the bus. It only takes about 20 minutes and the bus goes over a bridge where you can look down on the ferry docks and harbor shipyards and the Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains to the west, and downtown Seattle in front of you. It's a beautiful trip. I'm delighted every time I take the bus downtown. Really!

Bus service from west Seattle to downtown is very good. A number of routes most of which run every 30 minutes till almost 1 AM every day.

We just moved here and looked at a lot of areas in Seattle, I'm glad we ended up in west Seattle. It was by no means intentional but I'm delighted we found it. (A lot of Seattle-ites don't even know where it is.)

[gonzlaw07]

Thank you for your responses.

[vanbao]

West Seattle in the area you mentioned used to be really bad. anything south of 35th was not very well liked. However, with the increase in property values, this area is being revived and getting improved.

The bad thing about West Seattle is the old houses, small lots, narrow streets, and the congestion in the West Seattle bridge.

Other than that, it is a great place to live.

[Bella0528]

Good to hear about the bus system in West Seattle I am moving there in April and I'm nervous about driving around in a new place and getting lost etc. I have a new Garmin GPS to help me===but w/ the weather I am not use to driving in, I may be wanting to ride the bus for a little bit, until I am better at the weather conditions--driving wise.

[scarlet_letterman]

lol, nav system or maps, whatever, prepare to get lost nearly everytime driving around seattle. with all the one way streets and oddities, its totally unavoidable. fortunately, most mistakes are easy to correct. then again, the only way to discover a new area is to get lost in it, amiright?

[Bella0528]

LOL--sure I suppose--but I think having no maps/gps is not as helpful, even if sometimes it may be off. I have yet to find that out..I get it tomorrow My boyfriend has lived in Seattle for 26yrs--so I don't think I need to be as nervous about getting lost....I just don't like depending on someone else, but for a bit I will have to suck it up I guess.