Recent Midwest Grad seeking to start a life... in Seattle (best cities, low crime)

[bleedinggreen09]

Hello!

I will be graduating from Michigan State University this summer. I, like many recent grads across the nation & ESP. IN MI, am looking to move to an area that 1st) satisfies my needs and 2nd) some of my wants. Although I'm getting my B.A. in Sociology, I want to enter the marketing industry.

I'm considering Seattle as I've been told they're among the best cities for recent grads. I intend on visiting, but would like some idea of how to make my visit most productive.

I'd like some advice, recommendations for communities, potential employers, whatever you have to offer [as to what to expect from moving to Seattle from the midwest] a single young woman about the Seattle area based upon my needs & wants.

Some things I need:
- proximity to public transportation
- low crime rate, although I'm from metro Detroit, so I'm capable of adjustments
- proximity to restaurants, bank, pharmacy, library, grocery store
- relatively inexpensive housing ($900 & under - ideally)

Some things I would want (but don't particularly need):
- near other young professionals
- close to bars
- parking availability
- near parks
- not near expressway
- ethnically diverse community
- downtown/very densely populated/urban area
- near (1-4 mi) a Catholic church

Thank you!

[Heiwos]

I think foremost you should know this is an expensive area. $900/month with relative safety is doable though. The area is divided by Lake Washington. Seattle proper, on the west, has ~5X the crime rate of the Eastside, but Detroit's crime is likely a lot more than Seattle's. Seattle has the majority of places young folk like to go, and the density, and it can be hard to find parking. Some Seattle parks are all but unusable (druggies/homeless), but there are some good ones. Parks on the Eastside are plentiful and generally excellent. The Eastside is full of professionals, many young, many/most working for high-tech (Microsoft, Google, etc.). Most of the Eastside shuts down by 9pm. Even though the Eastside is mostly suburbia, it is very ethnically diverse. (One reason: high-tech companies attract smart people from all over the world.) About 25% of all people here are of Asian descent, so you'll find ethnicity everywhere here. Lots of the young live in Seattle and work on the Eastside, bearing the nasty commute across the bridges. Parents prefer the Eastside to live, for its lower crime and good schools. South of Seattle it's industrial/residential, north of Seattle it's residential. There's also West Seattle, which is residential. The north part of West Seattle and parts of north Seattle probably have the lowest crime in the city. West Seattle has great views of Puget Sound and the city, and has a beach, walking/riding trails, and nice parks. Seattleites are among the least religious Americans, but there are still plenty of churches; I think it would be hard to find a place more than 4 miles from a Catholic church in Seattle proper.

All that said, you really should find the job first, if only because the job best determines where to live, due to commute factors. If job location was no object, I'd say that West Seattle might fit your criteria best.

[allforcats]

The previous post says the most important point: job first, living location determined by job location.

Many neighborhoods within the City of Seattle would fit your lists. I'd recommend that you stay west, east or north of downtown Seattle for the safest locations. Other than that, you might want to consult City-Data's reference pages for, for example, lists and lists of Catholic churches, parks, etc.:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html

Everything you've listed is everywhere here. So work on the job first. Most of the critical info you can gather using Google.

This is a cool site: the Seattle City Clerk's map showing all the neighborhoods, by name, to help you learn where places are:
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~publi...s/fullcity.htm

Good luck!

[bleedinggreen09]

Thank you!
This gives me some direction to begin my search!

[garfield206]

You should go with the ravenna neighborhood it is near the university district which has tons of buses and bars not sure about the catholic church though. also the crime rate there is low but i would stay away from university avenue if it is late and you are by yourself.