Moving from Seattle to Eastside (Redmond, Sammamish: for sale, house, middle school)

[jwb123]

Yeah, my seattle friends were not big on crossing the water either. My son went to a Birth to Three center in Seattle, in the Montlake neighborhood, when we lived in Issaquah... and people looked at me like I had two heads when I said where we had "traveled" from.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by newcastle

When I was in college, Volunteer Park was great in the day (I agree with the previous post) but had a very different crowd at night (people literally hiding in the bushes having sex). I would not raise my kids near Capitol Hill. Greenlake is a really nice area and so is Magnolia. I even think the area arond the Arboretum is a nice neighborhood for kids-even though it is close to UW.

My wife lived in Magnolia and I lived in Bellevue and then we both lived in Issaquah. I hated living on the Eastside, and our friends never came and visited us. They said it was way too far. We both live out of state now and sometimes get homesick for Seattle.

Who knows what happens at any park at night whether in the city, in the country or in the suburbs. Most parks are closed at night. Still I have taken many kids including my nieces and nephews to Volunteer Park. I love VP.

[jwb123]

A lot of the weird occurances we have had were during the day. VP is sketchy. That being said, yes we have gone to it for Change your mind day, the wading pool, the conservatory, the musuem, general playing around - during the day... with kids. We just had to be even more watchful and steer clear of certain areas, or people. Seriously, why try and debate this topic? Everyone knows about Volunteer Park... I know you love Seattle pw, I get it - but just try and take the rose colored glasses occasionally and be objective sometimes.

[CityGirl72]

PWright - I know kids are everywhere, but there's a reason families move to the Eastside more then Seattle

I can not explain it to anyone who doesn't have children. It's a state of mind that changes once you hold your own child in your arms

[newcastle]

Oh, I know VP is a great place. I love it too. Of course, now I steer clear of it at dark. I was in college when my friends and I saw people doing the freaky in the bushes. I would never take my kids there at night.

[Ira500]

About 13 years ago I started getting a bunch of phone calls regarding a sexual activity the callers thought I might be interested in. Eventually, one caller told me that he got my number from the bathroom wall in Volunteer Park...So I went with my teenage son ( how's that for a wholesome activity?) to Volunteer Park just to see if it was really there, and sure enough it was. I had a black magic marker expressly for that purpose and crossed out the number.The calls stopped. I don't think the number was written by anybody who knew me, more of a random prank, but it's a fond and funny memory for my son of growing up in Seattle.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

A lot of the weird occurances we have had were during the day. VP is sketchy. That being said, yes we have gone to it for Change your mind day, the wading pool, the conservatory, the musuem, general playing around - during the day... with kids. We just had to be even more watchful and steer clear of certain areas, or people. Seriously, why try and debate this topic? Everyone knows about Volunteer Park... I know you love Seattle pw, I get it - but just try and take the rose colored glasses occasionally and be objective sometimes.

Oh please Jenbar. In the years I have lived in Seattle no one 'sketchy' or otherwise has approached me or any kids I've taken to VP. If I ever felt VP was unsafe or 'sketchy' I certainly would not bring any kids to the park.

[jwb123]

You can believe me or not - but when I met my now husband, he lived right down the street from it. We (and he before me) lived in Cap Hill for a number of years, and my inlaws always have, and still do, live in CD. I have spent the majority of my Seattle time in that area... not that it's the topic of this thread, but, VP is a weird place. Sexual things - which I have seen, with my own eyes - happen in the cars lined up on the streets leading up the park area, day and night. I have walked by a car there and seen something pretty explicit. Once when it was just my husband, someone was whispering to him trying to get him to meet him in the bushes. It's a long standing joke of the area - I can't believe you are trying to deny that!!

[jwb123]

Posted on the Seattle.gov site, citizen comments....

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/horticu...pxCcomment.pdf

Article about sexual activity @ the park....

SGN Page 8

In the years I have lived in Seattle no one 'sketchy' or otherwise has approached me or any kids I've taken to VP

I never said anyone APPROACHED me or my children (I only had one at the time, and he was barely walking, or just a toddler anyway) - but believe me we are mindful of the area... and steer clear or people and places, as I said in an earlier post.

Seriously a quick google of "sexual activity" and "Volunteer Park" shows a lot of people talking about the same thing.... it's what Volunteer Park is known for.

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

PWright - I know kids are everywhere, but there's a reason families move to the Eastside more then Seattle

I can not explain it to anyone who doesn't have children. It's a state of mind that changes once you hold your own child in your arms

Yesterday when I was playing in our backyard with my 2 year old in our suburban redmond house, I thought to myself - I wish we lived on Capitol Hill so that I could take a nice walk with my wife and son to a huge park like Cal Anderson or Volunteer park. And then I said- "OK, let's hop in the car and drive a few miles to the park, because we can't walk where we live".

Now, if you want to talk about sketchy parks, I would never take my son to Freeway Park downtown, or occidental park in Pioneer Square after dark.