Writer Needs Info - Absolute Worst Places in Seattle to Live (SeaTac: low income, apartments)

[AsherN]

Hi. I am a published, urban fantasy author. I am working on a series set in Seattle, and I believe I may need to change some locations based on current information. I need to know the worst places to live in/around Seattle. I am most interested in areas that could be reached on foot if necessary from downtown Seattle, but I am also interested in areas further out. I need the kind of neighborhoods you wouldn't live in if someone offered you a large amount of money to move there.

I need more than one crappy neighborhood, so any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Ford Beebe]

South Park and Rainier Valley come to mind, but I'm not sure Seattle even HAS neighborhoods as scary as you claim to want...urban Seattle is significantly different than most big cities.

[AsherN]

If necessary, I can "make them" worse. LOL That's the beauty of fiction, though I would prefer to at least have a bad area to ground it in partial fact.

[Ira500]

Within walking distance of downtown:
The International District. Visitors seek it out for Asian restaurants, it used be known as Chinatown but now has a multi Asian presence as far as restaurants and shops, but has older single room occupancy apartments, and although there are newer buildings and some middle class folks living there, it still has a fair number of old drunks and crack users, and people who sleep/hang out/smoke crack/drink under the I-5 freeway.

Aurora Avenue: It's been cleaned up some, but has a long history of prostitution. Even as recently as a year or so ago, some motels were raided, motels that rented rooms by the hour. It's a very long street, also known as Highway 99. The southern part of Aurora is adjacent to the north end of downtown/South Lake Union, near the Space Needle, and it proceeds northbound for many miles, going far beyond the city limits.

[Inkpoe]

Well honestly... Seattleites tend to view anywhere South of Seattle as bad... I do remember hearing SeaTac being the Capital Crime city of Wa. But the area south of Seattle isn't particularly urban. So areas traditionally considered bad: White Center (aka Rat City), SeaTac, South Park, Rainier Beach, Skyway, some parts of Beacon Hill. One thing to note: Lots of racial diversity in these parts.

[AsherN]

Thank you, this is exactly the kind of information I need.

[Vinylly]

Originally Posted by AsherN

Hi. I am a published, urban fantasy author. I am working on a series set in Seattle, and I believe I may need to change some locations based on current information. I need to know the worst places to live in/around Seattle. I am most interested in areas that could be reached on foot if necessary from downtown Seattle, but I am also interested in areas further out. I need the kind of neighborhoods you wouldn't live in if someone offered you a large amount of money to move there.

I need more than one crappy neighborhood, so any information would be greatly appreciated.

As a writer, you should read the detective novals by Earl Emerson and his Seattle slouth, Thomas Black. As a Seattle fireman and writer, he knows first hand where all the worst hangouts and places in Seattle are as detective Black crawls all through them seeking clues to the worst diabolical crimes.:ee k:

[Ira500]

The area of First Hill in Seattle adjacent to Harborview Hospital is pretty bad. Run down, low income housing, drunks, druggies, coupled with lots of people coming to Harborview for out patient psychiatrist care makes the area colorful, at least.

[rmkiefer07]

Denny Triangle has some seedy pockets and is basically downtown in the shadow of the Met-Park towers. There's several rehab "houses". This is the same area that woodcarver John Williams was killed. Quite interesting and colorful in it's own right.

[eskercurve]

I would say for an older feel, Pioneer Square has an area just to the east of it. Lots of federal buildings, and a courthouse. With all the druggies, bums, lowlifes, thugs, and generally the detritus of society all hang out.

Pioneer Square itself is charming due to its age, but that one area is like "yeesh", I only go near there if there's a soccer game I'm going to.

I second international district. Don't go there tomorrow, too festive (Chinese new year). Go after this weekend. But even then the ID is only run down. For more run down ID, go east of I-5. Lots of older buildings with mostly Chinese and some Vietnamese markets there.

Outside of that, not much that is "bad" near downtown. You have to drive to Rainier Valley or White Center. But do note that Rainier Valley isn't really THAT bad.

I get the vibe you're looking for Pilsen or worse, if I were to think of my hometown, Chicago. That city has slums. Drugs. 3-7 murders a day. Basically on the south side, anywhere south of 35th and north of 95th you just don't enter. Old projects where cops didn't patrol. Old 60s "equal" housing that turned to crackhouses.

Yeah. That doesn't exist here in Seattle. At all. Our "slums" are sorta run down looking places with slightly higher crime than average. I call it blue collar / barely making it kinda vibe rather than the drug dealer / hustler / hood rats / porch monkies vibe. We had something like 20 murders all year in Seattle. Chicago fills that in about a week (not bragging, I hate that part of my old city).

But gotta make do what with you got.