Moving to Seattle from Michigan, tell me about Columbia City (crime, neighborhoods)

[Man_In_Black]

I would really prefer to live in Seattle proper as opposed to one of the suburbs. I have found a cool place (online) in Columbia City. I have 2 kids. For those in the know, what can I expect from the neighborhood?

[Ira500]

Columbia City is a fun neighborhood, and it's not too far from beautiful Seward Park and Lake Washington and the Genessee Park off leash dog park...Columbia City has a movie theatre and a great bakery and a cool farmer's market.It's a fun neighborhood to walk around in. There are a couple of very good pizza places close by.
The bad? The neighborhoods north, south, and east of Columbia City aren't very good,so Columbia City is like this hip little island surrounded by more marginal areas.
For the most part, the schools in the area aren't considered good, but I think the well respected Orca program is near there, and it's a public school which has students from all over the city.

[Man_In_Black]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Columbia City is a fun neighborhood, and it's not too far from beautiful Seward Park and Lake Washington and the Genessee Park off leash dog park...Columbia City has a movie theatre and a great bakery and a cool farmer's market.It's a fun neighborhood to walk around in. There are a couple of very good pizza places close by.
The bad? The neighborhoods north, south, and east of Columbia City aren't very good,so Columbia City is like this hip little island surrounded by more marginal areas.
For the most part, the schools in the area aren't considered good, but I think the well respected Orca program is near there, and it's a public school which has students from all over the city.

Thanks. Sounds like a smaller version of Hyde Park in Chicago 15 years ago. Is light rail helping the area?

[Ira500]

The Columbia City Light rail station is actually not in Columbia City, but about 5 blocks or so east, but no question, light rail will have a strong effect on the neighborhoods it serves. A lot of the businesses along Martin Luther King suffered during the construction, but now are seeing an increase in business from people exploring the route.

[VeronikaW]

One of the best breakfast places in the city is in Columbia City (Geraldine's Counter). I love the immediate area, but having 2 kids myself, I wouldn't move there, because the schools are not great, and the area you drive through to get to Columbia City from I-90 seems really seedy.

[tobester]

I've driven through the area from I-90 to Columbia City every day for the last 25 years and never, ever felt unsafe or encountered any kind of trouble at all. It may be seedy by suburbia standards, but it's my kind of seedy.

[Backstrom]

Columbia City has gone through some dramatic changes. 15 years ago, I'd tell you not to move there, but now its a very trendy neighborhood that has been revitalized. Close access to light rail, relatively safe for an inner-city neighborhood in South Seattle, and it has a lot of history. I've actually written about Columbia City. There was a time when it was just really bad. But now, it's one of the most economically and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city.

[chrisstie]

Mount Baker and Becon Hill nearby are nice, but do have questionable places and folk out and about sometimes. I think you get that in any area, though, and "questionable" is very subjective. You could look up crime statistics in the area but they are statistics, not certainties.

[Man_In_Black]

I had dinner at Verve's wine bar tonight. If there is a cooler place in Seattle, I would like to see it.

[liz722]

there are tons of cool neighborhoods...top of queen anne, parts of capitol hill, areas of west seattle, madison park, ect