Know the neighborhood question's been asked, but... (Seattle: apartment, rental)

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by mamainfl

I have a quick question for clamsauce or whoever wants to answer. You mentioned that Upper Queen Anne or Magnolia are pretty homogeneous. Since Seattle is know for its diversity, are there any other areas that are mostly white in population?

Most Seattle neighborhoods north of the ship canal are quite white. Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Ravenna, Wedgwood, Greenlake, etc. are all over 80% white.

[tobester]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Most Seattle neighborhoods north of the ship canal are quite white. Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, Ravenna, Wedgwood, Greenlake, etc. are all over 80% white.

On the other end of the spectrum, consider the 98118 (a few years old but explains things nicely):

Southeast Seattle, 98118: Yes, my diverse zip code is cool | Crosscut.com

[jak74]

I have to say, in all my trips to Seattle I never noticed a ton of diversity (never went south of 90 though). I grew up with NYC as my playground though, so I may be expecting a lot when people say "diverse'. I don't consider Boston very diverse either, though many say we've become so in recent years...

[angelenogirl]

Originally Posted by jak74

I have to say, in all my trips to Seattle I never noticed a ton of diversity (never went south of 90 though). I grew up with NYC as my playground though, so I may be expecting a lot when people say "diverse'. I don't consider Boston very diverse either, though many say we've become so in recent years...

This has been discussed here. Invariably, as soon as I mention I'm new here, people bring up the wonderful diversity here. Realtors, hairdressers, baristas, other parents at school. It's starting to freak me out, frankly. It's like a strange buzzword that EVERYONE uses. This is the whitest city I've ever lived in, and one of the whitest in the U.S. I feel like people feel bad about this, so they laud whatever diversity they can find or see. I don't know. It's bizarrely Stepford to hear it almost every week from someone.

[jak74]

My guess? It's like Boston always talking about how much better it is than NYC. There's a complex there that needs serious therapy to fix! Maybe it's such a buzz word because people feel awkward about the lack of diversity. Although, in studies homogenous countries always are the happiest, so maybe they should promote that rather than go on and on about a diversity that most can see is clearly missing! I was prepared to live in a city that's about as diverse as where I am now. Better than some parts of America, but not NYC by any means. I'm okay with that, so never looked for threads on diversity. I'm sure they're out there, now that I've heard it mentioned a few times...

[benleis]

Originally Posted by jak74

I have to say, in all my trips to Seattle I never noticed a ton of diversity (never went south of 90 though). I grew up with NYC as my playground though, so I may be expecting a lot when people say "diverse'. I don't consider Boston very diverse either, though many say we've become so in recent years...

I'm always shocked by how many north Seattle residents never get South of I-90 let alone anyone who's just visiting. There's a lot of really cool stuff to explore in the other half of the city.

Ben

[clamsauce]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

This has been discussed here. Invariably, as soon as I mention I'm new here, people bring up the wonderful diversity here. Realtors, hairdressers, baristas, other parents at school. It's starting to freak me out, frankly. It's like a strange buzzword that EVERYONE uses. This is the whitest city I've ever lived in, and one of the whitest in the U.S. I feel like people feel bad about this, so they laud whatever diversity they can find or see. I don't know. It's bizarrely Stepford to hear it almost every week from someone.

Yes, it's pretty retarded. Seattle is NOT diverse compared to, say, Los Angeles. It is the 2nd whitest large city after Portland, has less than 10% black residents, and not many Mexicans. Most of our "diversity" is comprised of Asians.

The south end has a fair number of African immigrants and Hispanics, but they don't really dominate any neighborhoods like whites and Asians. Most American blacks live in the Central District and Rainier Valley, following roughly the length of MLK Blvd, but many of them are leaving for southern suburbs where rent is more affordable.

The diversity shibboleth is most frequently mouthed by white Seattlites who would like nothing better than to own homes in exclusive white neighborhoods such as Magnolia and Laurelhurst. I think it salves their conscience. Or something. Maybe they're just saying it because they saw it on TV or read it in some magazine so many times. The latter is most likely. Locals tend to have a herd mentality here.

I live in a neighborhood that's very diverse by Seattle standards, but that's because I've always lived south of the ship canal, and you get more for your money down here, too, mainly because of all the whites who say they love diversity but pay a premium to avoid it in real life.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by clamsauce

Yes, it's pretty retarded. Seattle is NOT diverse compared to, say, Los Angeles. It is the 2nd whitest large city after Portland, has less than 10% black residents, and not many Mexicans. Most of our "diversity" is comprised of Asians.

The south end has a fair number of African immigrants and Hispanics, but they don't really dominate any neighborhoods like whites and Asians. Most American blacks live in the Central District and Rainier Valley, following roughly the length of MLK Blvd, but many of them are leaving for southern suburbs where rent is more affordable.

The diversity shibboleth is most frequently mouthed by white Seattlites who would like nothing better than to own homes in exclusive white neighborhoods such as Magnolia and Laurelhurst. I think it salves their conscience. Or something. Maybe they're just saying it because they saw it on TV or read it in some magazine so many times. The latter is most likely. Locals tend to have a herd mentality here.

I live in a neighborhood that's very diverse by Seattle standards, but that's because I've always lived south of the ship canal, and you get more for your money down here, too, mainly because of all the whites who say they love diversity but pay a premium to avoid it in real life.

I couldn't have said it better. We're on the same page here. The popular, more affluent neighborhoods north of the ship canal are undoubtedly pleasant and safe neighborhoods with good schools. But the less affluent, truly more diverse neighborhoods south have more interesting ethnic hole in the wall restaurants.
Sure, you can celebrate diversity by getting a plate of Pad Thai in Magnolia. But going a little south, there's Ethiopian and Somali and Senegalese and Kenyan and Peruvian and Cambodian and taco buses to Hong Kong cuisine. They may have more sophisticated places in the north, highly acclaimed by those in the know, but I just like going to hole in the wall taquerias for my carnitas tacos, family owned places that are cheap and good.

[jak74]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I couldn't have said it better. We're on the same page here. The popular, more affluent neighborhoods north of the ship canal are undoubtedly pleasant and safe neighborhoods with good schools. But the less affluent, truly more diverse neighborhoods south have more interesting ethnic hole in the wall restaurants.
Sure, you can celebrate diversity by getting a plate of Pad Thai in Magnolia. But going a little south, there's Ethiopian and Somali and Senegalese and Kenyan and Peruvian and Cambodian and taco buses to Hong Kong cuisine. They may have more sophisticated places in the north, highly acclaimed by those in the know, but I just like going to hole in the wall taquerias for my carnitas tacos, family owned places that are cheap and good.

Pretty sure this (and what clamsauce) said seals the deal of me going to the South! I don't need affluent, but I do prefer diverse (in any demographic, not just race). My neighborhood was mainly working class when I moved here, with most of the racial diversity being in the projects. Our restaurants have always pretty much consisted of pizza joints (although we've gentrified enough for 3 or 4 higher end places to have opened now), but I still love it...

[clamsauce]

Originally Posted by jak74

Pretty sure this (and what clamsauce) said seals the deal of me going to the South! I don't need affluent, but I do prefer diverse (in any demographic, not just race). My neighborhood was mainly working class when I moved here, with most of the racial diversity being in the projects. Our restaurants have always pretty much consisted of pizza joints (although we've gentrified enough for 3 or 4 higher end places to have opened now), but I still love it...

I'm content with the racial mix down in the south end, and prefer it in some ways because a lot of American blacks are more on the same page as me in regards to family values, propriety, etc. The Africans and SE Asians seem to feel the same way, so it's all good.

However, Ira did bring up a good point about the schools in North Seattle. They are a lot better for a number of reasons for white kids. I say this as a white guy who went to mainly black schools in Seattle for about five years. As a pretty big, athletic kid, it was alright for me and aside from a few incidents I quite enjoyed the experience, but a lot of the smaller white kids got beat up a lot, and sometimes very badly. This was especially a problem for effeminate males in high school -- it could be flat out dangerous for them. I think it's doable in most south end schools so long as you're an alert, engaged parent, but you have to drop the politically correct pretenses and be very blunt about things, and that's something your typical contemporary Seattlite can't handle. Fortunately, having grown up with and around a lot of the black and Asian parents in the area I can handle it without much trouble (it helps to know people personally), but a lot of parents have trouble with the interracial communication.

But if you don't have frail white children, there's almost no downside to the south end compared to the north.