Renton ?? What's it like? (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate, apartment complex, to rent)

[AZFmly]

Hi we are relocating to Washington in a month and were considering moving to Renton,WA. Can anybody tell me what it is like there? Good for kids? Crime? Schools? Or how about Kent??

[CityGirl72]

It's hit or miss in Renton
And Kent is even worse (GHETTO)

My opinion (being a mother) it's a real hole in the wall

I try not to go past south of Downtown, even though that is where the more affordable housing is

All the good school are on the Eastside: Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah but the housing is EXPENSIVE

There are also pretty good schools (Not great) NORTH of Seattle, well at least seems better the South of Seattle

[AZFmly]

I grew up coming to Bellevue every summer. I loved it But it is QUITE expensive. Am going to rent awhile til we figure out where we want to be. But I figured Renton was getting closer to Bellevue and that it might be ok there. What about Lynnwood???

[secret_squirrel]

Is Renton considered an ideal family city? No.

Can a family live well in Renton? Yes. Many families do.

Renton struggles with higher rates of violent and property crimes and a higher lower-income population, as does Kent. Both cities are working on revitalizing their images. Renton has a good location and Kent has a great retail/dining/theater development in Kent Station. Kent also offers commuter rail to downtown Seattle.

I have a hard time saying "don't live there" because, obviously, a lot of good people do. But in my experience with relocating to the south King County area with kids (from Snohomish County, to the north), with schools being #1 priority, we decided against Renton and Kent.

We didn't look at Renton. Kent schools have a generally good academic and sports reputation. But the downtown Kent/East Hill area can be rough. Lots of dense, old, poorly maintained apartments and aging schools that appear run-down on the outside. We talked with a local principal who spoke highly of the schools and said they are outfitted with new technology, but overall neighborhood felt rougher than I wanted to raise my family in.

To the east of "downtown", Kent has brand-new schools and the Covington area has quite a good reputation for families. We ruled it out for other reasons, but know a lot of families that highly recommend it.

South King County used to be farming communities that sprung into warehouses and industrial parks and then housing developments sprawled in the fringes. Growth has been kinder to some areas in the region more than others. We ended up in Lakeland Hills, to the South of Auburn. To us, that felt as close to ideal as our budget allowed. Excellent nearby schools, shopping, dining and services within a one-two mile radius, great parks and not to far from major freeways.

As with most things on this site, this is just one opinion based off my own biases and preferences. Your mileage may vary.

Some helpful sites for school information:
*The Seattle Times School Guide - research area schools, test scores, offerings, etc
*http://www.greatschools.net/ - school reviews from the general public

[CityGirl72]

I hear Lynnwood is good (I like it - it's the closest mall to us)

I hear shoreline schools are pretty darn good too.

Glad to hear you are renting first - I think that's a great plan. SO to get your barrings first.

[CityGirl72]

Oh yeah - and I'm of the beleivers that

Some bad schools have good students in them

And some of the best schools have bad kids in them

We all do the best that we can - Good Luck!

[Seatown206]

As far as Renton goes the Fairwood area is nice. Lots of quiet neighborhoods. I don't know anything about the schools as I have no kids and went to high school in Seattle. From what I have heard they seem ok. With Kent you just have to do lots of looking around. There are nice areas and there are run down areas. I currently live in an apartment complex in downtown Kent not far from Kent station. Its not the greatest area but I have never had any problems. Driving up around the East Hill area there are some nice neighborhoods. Plus the commute to Seattle isn't too bad, especially if you take the bus or train.

[Mark S.]

I work in Renton. I wouldn't move my family here. Outrageous real estate, high crime, gangs, and strip mall after strip mall.

Sadly, that is also the case with many towns around Puget Sound these days, from Everett to Tacoma and all points between. The Seattle area offers a great quality of life if you are single, wealthy, or wealthy and single, but it is not a good environment for working-class families. We can't get out of here quick enough.

[seanb]

I was born and raised in Renton. I have lived and/or worked in Renton basically my whole life. Renton is not a perfect city. It does have areas that I would not want to live in. There are several areas where the neighorhoods are very nice(Lake McDonald area, east hill around 156th and several others), and some others that are very high end (Renton Hill and on Lake Washington). I moved from Renton so I could afford to buy a home but and now moving back because of it's location. The city is trying to clean up. The Seattle Seahawks are/have moved in. A new HUGE development called the Landing is currently under construction. This is located very close to Lake Washington, next to Renton Municipal Airport and The Boeing Company. Personally, I like Renton but I guess I just a loyal "Indian" (Renton High School Mascot).