21 year old aspiring writer and college student interested in Seattle (Rainier: apartments, for rent)

[morcellement]

Hello there everyone!

I am a 21 year old native of Las Vegas who is looking for a change of scenery (along with more hope/opportunity since this place is basically a black hole now).

I've already considered several cities in the past (particularly my city of birth, Chicago, NYC, Philly, etc..), but with those cities being so expensive (along with a number of other adversities which I feel would make it a serious struggle for me to live in those places), Seattle has grown increasingly attractive for me. So here are a few questions I have:

1. I was looking at the Seattle Central Community College. Is it any good?

2. How is the local writing scene up there? (I'm particularly interested in poetry slams, self-publishing and journalism. I'm also debating on whether or not to start up a zine)

3. I've heard many conflicting stories in regards to racial relations there. Being a black person myself, what should I expect?

4. How is the job market?

5. I would prefer to be in a neighborhood where it's easy to commute everywhere by walking and public transit, racially and/or culturally diverse and accepting and a wide range of activities and/or nightlife nearby. What neighborhoods do you think would be ideal for me? I don't mind neighborhoods that are a little gritty on the edges, but I don't want to worry about shootings or muggings either, and my price range for rent would be $800-$1200. From the research I've done so far, Columbia City is the neighborhood I find the most alluring due to it's diversity, wide variety of activities and convenience but I'm open to any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance everyone!

[Flightoficarus87]

Hey there, I'll answer what I can for ya!

1 - Can't really comment on Seattle Central, as I don't know much about it/haven't attended.

2 - While I can't comment directly in detail on the writing scene here, I am involved w/music, and overall, I feel that the creative community as a whole here is strong (even if some of it seems to have fled to Portland for cheaper rents), and it seems to be a good area for writers, artists, musicians, etc. Writing jobs aren't exactly abundant, but it sounds like you're aiming more at freelance/self-employed work.

3 - In my experience, I've found that the general mentality here is live and let live/accept everyone, and you wouldn't have anything to worry about. Demographically speaking, Seattle largely consists of whites (for the city as a whole), but there are several neighborhoods that are quite racially diverse too.

4 - The job market is pretty good for those in highly skilled fields like IT/computer tech, and engineering. Other stuff, not as much. As a whole, it could be better, and could be worse.

5 - Columbia City would be a good option for you, as it has a lot of what you're looking for, and easy access to downtown Seattle via public transit too. Some of the areas around it aren't so great, as it's basically a gentrifying section of the Rainier Valley area (which is considered one of the "bad" parts of Seattle). But if you also considered cities like Philly or Chicago, the worst parts of Seattle are like Disneyland compared to the rough neighborhoods in those cities.

[marionberry]

#1. I went to Seattle Central (and then transferred to UW - Seattle to complete my Bachelors), so I can provide my take on going to school there.

I absolutely LOVED it. While there are a few bad apple teachers, most are great. In fact, while UW-Seattle is a great University... my favorite teacher out of both is at Seattle Central. Incredibly passionate and engaging. Truly cares about his students and wishes for them to not only learn the material, but truly experience it.

Also, I loved my fellow students. People always waving to you as you walk down the hall or stopping for a short convo if there's time.

In my opinion Seattle Central is a great place to learn with a great community of people.

[SitoUK]

I write for a tech website and there are few jobs of this type in the area but I don't know much about the sort of writing scene you are interested in. However, if you are considering Seattle you should not rule out Chicago, from my experience it's definitely not more expensive than Seattle.

[morcellement]

I would still like to go back to Chicago (it is my hometown after all), but the crime rate has spiraled out of control there recently and the job market doesn't appear to be too good up there at all. Besides, I've lived most of my life in suburban Las Vegas, I've grown so accustomed to it that I'd rather experience living in a more urban environment on the west coast first before I make the jump to the Midwest and the East Coast

[morcellement]

what about beacon hill? that neighborhood also interests me but I don't see very much talk about it on this forum

[Flightoficarus87]

Beacon Hill is primarily a diverse working/middle class residential area, with mostly single family homes, and a few apartments here and there. There are certainly some pretty nice parts of it, with good deals on homes compared to the rest of Seattle for a buyer, but there's not really a whole lot of activity and fun stuff going on that you can easily walk to there, as opposed to what you would see in Columbia City, Capitol Hill, Ballard, Fremont, etc. You might be able to find something in it near Columbia City, or possibly near Georgetown, a gritty, but fun area in the industrial area of Seattle.

[morcellement]

thanks!

[morcellement]

I was going to wait a year until I made the move, but now I'm planning to do it within 6-7 months. What are some local companies I should look at to ensure I have a job there before I move? I don't have very much experience so how hard would it be for me to get a job as, say, a barista?

[Jetcity mom]

Have you previous experience as a barista?