Thinking of Pioneer Square (Seattle: apartments, lease, crime)

[armixia]

Hello everybody,

I am considering renting at The Wave, can you please advise on the building and neighborhood?

How safe is it for a single female working late and coming home after dark?

Is there foot traffic in the area at night?

Thanks!

[Hemlock140]

I go through that area daily on the bus ride to work and back, and while those apartments are in decent enough area, they are only 2-3 blocks from where a lot of homeless and druggies are hanging around all day and at night. If you are home before dark I wouldn't worry but that means 4pm in winter. Not that you would necessarily be in danger, but you will be very uncomfortable and probably regret moving there. New apartments, offices and apartments in the area are being built in hopes of gentrification, but drive through that area at 6am and you will see lots of people sleeping in doorway and alleys. On game nights there is foot traffic around the stadiums, but most nights it's mostly just
the people I mentioned above.

[JBVirtuoso]

If safety is a major concern for you, I think you can do better than Pioneer Square. It's generally not that bad, and your chances of being a victim of a crime there are pretty low, but it definitely has a large homeless population and some colorful street characters. If you've lived in similar marginal areas in large cities before, you might like it, but otherwise, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. Pioneer Square is a place where you can move after you've explored it a bit and decided for yourself whether it's suitable for your needs - not so great for those unfamiliar with Seattle.

[GatsbyGatz]

Those are the new apartments in the north parking lot of the Seahawks Stadium. It should be fine, but be prepared for loud nights during a game.

[armixia]

Is there any specific apartments for lease you would recommend in downtown or bell town with a water view? Budget is around 2000 give or take. Also something along the lines of newer with amenities like the post or the wave.

[GatsbyGatz]

Do you have to live in Downtown? For 2,000 I'd say that you should live in Ballard or Queen Anne.

[JBVirtuoso]

If safety with a view for $2000 is what you're looking for, the south slope of Queen Anne would be perfect for you. That area has plenty of reasonably priced apartments with amazing views of the skyline and Elliott Bay.

[northsea]

Originally Posted by armixia

Is there any specific apartments for lease you would recommend in downtown or bell town with a water view? Budget is around 2000 give or take. Also something along the lines of newer with amenities like the post or the wave.

Take a look at these apartment buildings:

Via6
Viktoria
The Martin Seattle

[amaiunmei]

Joining the echo of "Why not Queen Anne?"

Me personally, I would not choose to live downtown. It is essentially a food desert (Pike Place Market notwithstanding) and the only grocery stores are on the margins (Uwajimaya in the International District, Whole Foods near South Lake Union, and there is that one IGA on 3rd Ave which can charge obscene prices precisely because it has no competition). It has some quirky and nice aspects but you don't necessarily have to live in that neighborhood to get those benefits. Queen Anne and Ballard are FAR more livable neighborhoods in nearly every way that a neighborhood can be measured, and you would still have access to unrivaled beauty and public transit.