Commuting to Renton (Seattle, Bellevue, Lakewood: crime, neighborhoods, theatres)

[UkieRunner]

My family -- me, my wife and two boys at/under 2 -- is considering a move to Seattle for a job opportunity in Renton. From the little I've seen of the Seattle, I love the Green Lake area...but am assuming the commute would be oppressive. What areas would you recommend -- we're looking for it all, obviously - urban, walkable, park nearby, family friendly, etc...would love to be able to bike to work as well. Columbia City seems ok, but everything I've read says crime is high...thoughts? Suggestions?

[Ira500]

Most neighborhoods within Seattle are within a 30-45 minute commute to Renton. And in a lot of cases, there are alternatives to the freeway. Columbia City actually has less crime than Ballard/Downtown/First Hill/Capitol Hill/U District, and other neighborhoods, but you don't have to go very far for it to feel safer. The Lakewood/Seward Park/Genessee Park area is quite nice, and just a few minutes from Columbia City. 50th and Wilson has a great espresso cafe, a branch of the PCC Food Co-op, a holistic pet food store, an Italian restaurant, and just up the road at 50th and Gennessee is an absolutely amazing pizza place. Seward Park is gorgeous and huge, and Genessee Park has a popular off leash dog area.

[Inkpoe]

The commute would definitely be horrendous.

Is urban that important? South of Seattle is more suburban.

Renton itself has some great suburbs and its DT core is small, but cute and a bit quaint. Renton is about 10-15 mins south of DT Seattle. West Seattle is more dense, has the beach, parks, great vibes, easy/close access to DT Seattle-- you wouldn't need to use i5 to get to Renton. Issaquah is another consideration with great school district, but is not at all urban and is pricey. Bellevue is a bit more urban than both of these areas, fits everything what you want and has the best schools, but is very pricey. Burien is another choice to consider.

Just about all the cities in the Seattle areas have parks and easy access to nature.

[Ira500]

Good call Inkpoe on Burien and West Seattle. Both downtown Burien and downtown Renton have that walkability thing going on. They don't have tall buildings, but they have farmer's markets seasonally, theatres, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, libraries, parks nearby, etc. Bellevue to Renton can be a hellish commute.

[MaikeerinWA]

Not my idea of fun, but on the other hand, Renton to Bellevue (in the morning) is considerably worse.

I commute to downtown Seattle every day from Renton and I sure would like to find that 10-15 minute route that Inkpoe referred to.

Speaking of West Seattle, the newspaper had a nice writeup on the Genesee Hill neighborhood last weekend.

Originally Posted by Ira500

Bellevue to Renton can be a hellish commute.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by MichaelinWA

Not my idea of fun, but on the other hand, Renton to Bellevue (in the morning) is considerably worse.

I commute to downtown Seattle every day from Renton and I sure would like to find that 10-15 minute route that Inkpoe referred to.

Speaking of West Seattle, the newspaper had a nice writeup on the Genesee Hill neighborhood last weekend.

I live a mile west of downtown Renton, and used to drive daily to the Safeco Field area. It took me 13 minutes. Of course, I did it at oh dark thirty so traffic was non existent. Downtown Seattle you'd have to add another 5-10 minutes.

[MaikeerinWA]

Yeah, I could see that. Unfortunately my commute is during rush hour and involves another 10-15 minutes commuting within Renton.

Fortunately, the express bus - which I think you pointed out for me way back when - does the job fine most days, from the P&R to the bus tunnel.