Parts of Seattle most like Ballard/Fremont but closer to downtown? (Lynnwood: violent crime, house)

[Arcos]

My wife and I will be moving to Seattle within the next couple of months. I have friends and family in Ballard and Wallingford, and am considering moving to those neighborhoods or Fremont, to be near them, and also fairly close to downtown. I've been to Ballard a few times and I like the vibe, shops, activities, etc. I know from my visits and this forum that it's a fun place to be.
However, I do place a premium on minimizing my commute, which is downtown, to near 2nd Avenue and Marion St.
I see from a basic Google map that there are areas such as Capitol Hill, Squire Park, Miller Park and Queen Anne, North Queen Anne and East Queen Anne, that may put me in a sweet spot, not too far from any of these places.

I'm most interested in whether any of those areas or parts of those areas have the following characteristics
1) Fun things to do (I'm not a party animal, thinking art scene, restaurants, walkability, farmer's markets, indie movie theaters, etc.).
In fact, I would rather not live in a noisier area with too many bars. A bit of activity is fine.
2) Avoid homelessness, drugs, crime, etc.
3) Quicker, easier public transport access to downtown (this one I presume for all of them, since they are the closest areas that I can see, anyway).
4) Decent enough for a woman walking a dog in the evening/dark.

To get to Wallingford, Fremont and Ballard, I would generally be driving my own car on an evening/weekend.

Thanks!

[homesinseattle]

Hi Arcos, Columbia City might be a good fit for you. It has a number of those things you are speaking of, a little more mellow than Ballard and pretty easy light rail access to downtown Seattle. Tasty ethnic food, a farmers market, a few good pubs, cafes, live music at the Royal Room, a cool old movie theater, just the right amount of funkiness.

Here are a few links for you:

https://columbiacitytheater.com
https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/markets/columbia-city
https://www.islandsoulrestaurant.com
https://m.yelp.com/biz/la-teranga-seattle
https://www.theroyalroomseattle.com
http://empireespresso.coffee
https://tuttabella.com/pizza-columbia-city/
https://flyinglionbrewing.com
https://banaethiopiananderitreanrest....business.site
https://geraldinescounter.com
https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-wi...a-city-station
http://www.columbiacitybakery.com
https://bikeworks.org
http://www.supersixseattle.com

[CrazyDonkey]

Also, check out Lower Queen Anne (Uptown). Easy access to Downtown (on the D-Line, #1, #2, #13, #15E, #17E, #18E). Lots of restaurants, cafes, bars, and lounges. SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) Cinema. Tons of events and festivals at the Seattle Center. Open space: Seattle Center, Kinnear Park, or walk down to Olympic Sculpture Park/Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay. Relatively safe if you stick to lighted/busy streets.

I lived there for eight years in the late 80s to early 90s and loved it. Always someplace to go, something to do.

[Arcos]

Thanks to both of you. Columbia City sounds intriguing but it's outside the Downtown - Ballard - Wallingford triangle approximation that I was thinking about. For example, it's a 25 minute drive to Ballard, and that's 10 minutes too long for my preference. Still, I will check it out.

Lower Queen Anne sounds interesting too, it's in the right location. I will have to take a look at the crime stats and see what 'relatively safe' comes out as. I moved from a city with a crime problem to a city with a *worse* crime problem so I would be very happy to be somewhere safer. What's the homeless situation in Lower Queen Anne?

So, are there no parts of Capitol Hill, Squire Park, Miller Park and Queen Anne, North Queen Anne or East Queen Anne that would fit the bill?

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Arcos

Lower Queen Anne sounds interesting too, it's in the right location. I will have to take a look at the crime stats and see what 'relatively safe' comes out as. I moved from a city with a crime problem to a city with a *worse* crime problem so I would be very happy to be somewhere safer. What's the homeless situation in Lower Queen Anne?

So, are there no parts of Capitol Hill, Squire Park, Miller Park and Queen Anne, North Queen Anne or East Queen Anne that would fit the bill?

The homeless/crime situation in Lower Queen Anne isn't nearly as bad as Belltown/Downtown. Mostly property crime, car break-ins, etc. It is a very active area, with lots of people out and about, day or night.

Capitol Hill, especially the Pike-Pine and Broadway corridors, has both more property and violent crime than Lower Queen Anne, in my opinion. Upper Capitol Hill (15th Ave E corridor) is a great (and more laid back) area, but that gets you further away from Ballard/Wallingford. Miller Park is further east. Squire Park still has some gang activity.

Other areas of Queen Anne are worth looking at. Upper Queen Anne is very nice, but the commute is longer. The Northside of Queen Anne is more of a student area (Seattle Pacific University). The Eastside exposes you to noise from Aurora (Hwy 99).

An area often overlooked is the Westside of Queen Anne, between 14th and 10th Ave W. I lived there for 13 years and loved it. It is very safe - almost no through foot traffic, just the locals, but is close to both Lower Queen Anne and Ballard for shopping, dining, and entertainment. You might also look at Magnolia.

Note: I now live in West Ballard - it is a great area, but the commute to Downtown is harder.

[homesinseattle]

I agree with the Lower Queen Anne idea, pretty cool to be able to walk to the Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and all the festivals at the Seattle Center. The monorail from Seattle Center to Westlake Center is a fun (albeit slightly inefficient) thing to use. T.S. McHugh's is a fun Irish pub in Lower Queen Anne, lots of great little eateries too.

[Botev1912]

Honestly, you will probably commute faster from Lynnwood or Mountlake Terrace (with express buses) than from Ballard. The traffic from Ballard to downtown is horrendous and the buses stop a lot.

[myname_isborat]

Since you didn't mention a budget, sounds like you would love the North part of Capitol Hill or Montlake.

[fnh]

We moved into Squire Park with young children, now in high school. Fantastic neighborhood and location but getting to Ballard from here would not be fast. It looks easy enough on a map but the traffic can be awful, and Ballard is just far. No getting around that (and I know "far" is relative).


Definitely would recommend Queen Anne for you but Upper, not Lower. It's a sweet spot in terms of both your work/personal commutes as well as amenities.

[Arcos]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

You might also look at Magnolia.

I did look at Magnolia. Seems like a place near Magnolia Village would be nice... somewhere to walk to with my dog... not just passing house after house. Close enough to Ballard and Wallingford by car, and not too far to downtown.

Thanks!