Where are the bad neighborhoods? (Seattle, Everett: crime, living, statistics)

[seattlenextyear]

We looked at some apartments advertised as being in the "Greenwood" area on Craigslist. The area right near Aurora gave off bad vibes (the cheaper rent was a tip-off too). I think that if you get off Aurora a few blocks though, closer to Greenwood ave, the neighborhood is decent.

[Freebird2007]

Originally Posted by dricardi

I'm glad you didn't have a bad experience but Camden, NJ doesn't get called "bad" because of the color of the people who live there ... it has actually been, officially, the most dangerous city in the country. Thats based on crime statistics .... so its really not misperceptions but actual crime rates.

Just wanted to clear that up. I'm a Bostonian (who is actually considering Seattle) and the crime out there seems impressively less than what is here. There are definetly certain areas of Boston that I wouldn't be walking around at 1am - and those are areas with people of all races. Based somewhat on heresay and mostly on crime stats/news.

being a former Bostonian myself, I will tell you....crime seems more rampant here in Seattle than in the NE. It is hard to tell where the real bad areas are here in WA as a good area will have high crime as well. At least back in Boston, you knew most crimes were restricted to the bad parts such as Dorchester, Roxbury, Everett, Mattapan, Roslindale. I felt much safer in Boston than I do here in Seattle.

[tully]

Good point about Boston.

I owned a home in a pricey Greenlake area. In spite of gentrified appearances, weird sh** would happen, such as the late-night gunshot at my intersection (followed by a moaning dude, followed by a woman's plea for help..)

Or twice when a turned down the hallway to leave, to see some dude standing at the (windowed) front door, peering in. (Enclosing my front porch and fencing the lot took care of that.)

Or the random dude who walked into the house when somebody left the door cracked. (purporting to be "looking for work"..)

It's hard for me to imagine those things happening in Brookline, North End, West Cambridge, West Brighton... areas in Boston that I walked at all hours of the day and night, without a heavy, "weird vibe" hanging over me.

Perhaps it's a function of transiency brought by warmer climates. (Yes, Seattlites, it's warm where you are, any way you slice it.) I rented my upper floor, and lost count of the number of calls from people "new in town", "here since last Weds", etc. (Sample conversation- me: so when do you need the place, 30 days? them: today.)

Perhaps it's simply a function of eyes and feet on the street. No comparison there, between Seattle and Boston. For all the bloviating in Seattle about mass transit, pedestrian planning and so forth, I found it to be a "tires town". (The cars are more downsized, at least.)

I also found many Seattle bus routes to be no-go's after hours. Even some in broad daylight. A ride from the airport around midday seated across from bangers (F this, N that, beatdown so-and-so..) was particulary memorable.

Even good parts of Seattle equate to (staying w/ Boston analogy): Central/East cambridge, Allston (think Comm Ave area N of Washington), parts of S and E Somerville, most of Jamaica Plain.. ie. areas more or less fixed up, expensive, but "anything could happen".

I dont think anyplace quite compares to Dorchester and Roxbury..nothing spells rock bottom hellhole like 14 room, 2-1/2 story Victorians for 75k. There sure as hell isn't anyplace like that in Seattle.

The two Seattle areas I frequented and felt reasonably "safe" in the Boston sense were: top of Queen Anne and Magnolia. It's as if they're *just* hard enough to reach, to keep the more casual criminals and transients away.

[orangeblossom]

Originally Posted by afraidofghettos

The time when I visited Seattle Chinatown, I was at the parking nearby New Kowloon Seafood Restaurant. There was a man (maybe drunk or on drugs) standing on the bench on a bus stop, then he came to me and my family, yelling and cursing at us for no reason whatsoever. It was kinda scary though. Then at a park in Chinatown, I saw two suspicious looking people, lying down like hobos, and they were glaring at us.


It was one of the worst Seattle experiences I have had so far.

I totally have you beat. Once when my husband and I were in the ID near Jade Garden a homeless man picked up our little toddler to hug him and put him down. We were too shocked to react,but this guy was carrying a bible,so I figured he just thought my kid was cute. Kinda weird though. My husband just said calmly,"Please put the child down",which this man did. This isn't the first time someone has come up to hug my son ( who is 4) At the mall once,this little girl ( also toddler) came up to him and gave him a hug. Maybe my son has the "hug effect"? I dunno.

But to the OP Ive never seen a "ghetto" in Seattle and I have been to Philly and to the Bronx and there's nothing like this in Seattle. We live in Greenlake and get whispers from our neighbors that our yard isn't immaculate...

[NWkat]

I was considering a job in Tacoma, but after reading this thread, I don't think so...even though it is a good job with a nice salary. I'm moving from PDX and unfamiliar with Tacoma. I've been all over Seattle, but I don't think I have ever taken a Tacoma exit in my life. So, it is unfamiliar. I'm disappointed to hear that it is a bad area. I was thinking about working there and living in Gig Harbor. (Never been to GH either, but it sounds nice.)

[Freebird2007]

apparently add Northgate to up and coming "ghetto" or bad area of Seattle.

attempted car jacking and shots fired at 9pm last night!

[mitsuturbo]

I drive through white center fairly often, and i dont see it as being that bad. I don't think i'd be afraid to get out of my car anywhere in the seattle area at any time of day or night. I'm a very non intimidating white guy, and my daily driver is a geo metro (w00t for 50mpg!), so i dont think i'd be too likely to be targeted as a "victim". Often the crime is perpetuated by people who know, or know OF one another. Most thefts are committed by someone you know. Most violence is committed between those that know one another, or people that know OF one another and have some dispute (like "gang members"). Its not always so much where you live, but what you do, and how you act. If you're very worried about violent crime, then perhaps you have violent history and should change your ways. It's not often people are randomly attacked violently. Of course we hear about it in the media, but if it was so rampant, you'd be seeing it other than on the news. If you're worried about property crime, such as auto theft and burglary, etc.. then there are plenty of precautionary measures you can take. Take that face plate on your stereo OFF when you get out of your car, DUH! If you have a loud stereo in your ride, don't play it near your home (it's advertising itself to your neighbors). Use a car alarm and/or starter kill. For instance, i use DSMlink (tuning software) to disable my fuel injectors when i park my other car, -which i have a lot of money into for racing- so it can't be stolen. It also has an alarm on it. I remove anything that would lure a thief as well. Like $400 worth of gauges on the A pillar, radar detector, and faceplate. I hide any other electronics in the car (like boost controller, turbo timer, power meter, tuning computer). If you're worried about burglary.. try not to let anyone you dont know see what you have in your residence. If nobody knows what's in there, they're a lot less likely to try to gain entrance. Also, when you're not home.. leave a radio or tv on. I (temporarily, for the first miserable time ever in my life) live in an apartment at the moment, but when i lived in a house, i would often leave just the screen door shut with the tv on and go to the store, etc. Not too many people are going to go strolling into a house with the front door wide open and a TV on. At least 90% of potential criminals are going to think someone *MUST* be home, because nobody would just leave their house wide open! I've yet to have anyone come into my home uninvited. Oh! and if someone _wants_ in.. they're getting in, whether you close/lock your door or not!!

I will admit, though.. i am terrified, and will NOT.... live in one of these apartment "super plexes" where you have some 400 neighbors you dont know! I live in a 5 plex right now, and that's as many neighbors as i can handle! I've heard many stories from people living in large complexes. It seems that no matter what neighborhood you are in.. if there's a large apartment complex nearby (or god forbid, you live IN one!).. you are MUCH more likely to be a victim of property crime! Especially if you have an alluring vehicle for criminals.

[NWkat]

"If you're very worried about violent crime, then perhaps you have violent history and should change your ways."

I can't believe you made this absurd statement. It was definitely out of line and out of touch with reality.

[mitsuturbo]

Face it, often times, those involved in violent cases are victims of domestic abuse, or involved in gangs and/or drugs. Those involved in domestic often have a hard time breaking the habit of becoming involved with abusive people, or have a hard time getting out of their "relationship". That's not absurd, it's a fact. The vast majority of "violent crimes" are NOT perpetuated randomly against passersby. As i said, they're generally committed by people who know their victims in some fashion. Murders for instance, are almost never committed by someone unknown to the victim. And are often the result of a somewhat ongoing disagreement or issue between the two parties involved.

[Modena04]

Originally Posted by mitsuturbo

Face it, often times, those involved in violent cases are victims of domestic abuse, or involved in gangs and/or drugs. Those involved in domestic often have a hard time breaking the habit of becoming involved with abusive people, or have a hard time getting out of their "relationship". That's not absurd, it's a fact. The vast majority of "violent crimes" are NOT perpetuated randomly against passersby. As i said, they're generally committed by people who know their victims in some fashion. Murders for instance, are almost never committed by someone unknown to the victim. And are often the result of a somewhat ongoing disagreement or issue between the two parties involved.

remember the shooting opf the guy at a church function? why was he shot? because he looked at the shooter and his friend funny. When you have people prone to crime and violence, anyone and everyone can become a victim.