Is Everett Really Ghetto? (Seattle, Lynnwood: house, live, fence)

[greytrader]

Anacortes is our favorite but the long winter months would get to us so we have decided to only visit in the fall. Winter weather in WA can be pretty gloomy on the west side of the mountains, or at least so we have had friends tell us. Just something to consider. If you can deal with it it is a beautiful area.

[Beenhere4ever]

Gloom! Winter, there's no heat to escape here in The Breadbasket, but winter gloom might lure me anyway.

[DillieRoggie]

A smaller city with character doesn't necessarily constitute "ghetto." Several of the comments preceding mine are right on with their answers- Hemlock 140 and David Aguilar in particular. I just bought a home north of the new hospital and Everett reminds me very much of the smaller towns I lived in as a kid- and loved. (Example, Greeley, Colorado) I even checked the state website for comparitive sex offenders in the surrounding Everett area compared to where I moved from which is North Seattle. Everetts numbers were vastly smaller. If you are determined to live in cookie cutter land with over priced properties, this may not be your ideal location but if you are okay with a calm, middle of the road place that has a surprisingly fun downtown area then consider taking a look at Everett.

[Beenhere4ever]

Good thing about Everett (IMO). The transit station. More like what I saw in Toronto than anywhere else.

[nick425]

i suggest you contact the sheriff's office and see if they can give you info on the areas of high crime or take a look at the everett herald's local crimes section for the last few months it will list the blocks that the crimes accoured on and avoid theses areas but if you are looking to spend less than 1k amonth rent you will find it hard to avoid the areas for housing. your best bet would be look in some of the surrounding towns such as mill creek or snohomish.

[ShastatoBaker]

My experiences living in Everett -- limited as they have been thus far -- have been good. If you open a map, the overall best areas are those on the 'thumb,' northwest and south of downtown. The area NE of downtown is decidedly sketchy, but it's small and kind of isolated. There are also some not-so-nice areas down by Paine Field.

If you're looking to rent, hit Craigslist. We were able to find a nice 1-bedroom in a 1905 craftsman for $650 a month in about 3 days of searching, and apparently a lot of the houses in the western part of the thumb are outfitted that way. Definitely, the best areas in the city are over near Grand Avenue Park or just north of Forest Park, but if you can't afford either, other choices are avilable.

Certainly, nothing in this city can rival the 'bad' parts of Seattle and Tacoma, though, and even those have nothing on the ghettos in, say, Philly or Houston. Everett is a really nice little city, though it would be better off if they could find a way to get a new industrial partner in where the paper mill is. IMO, a coal port or an expanded intermodal shipping port would fit really well there, and help to get some of the out-of-work folks back on their feet.

[BaconBurgerTaco10]

Two words, casino road.
/thread.
Just kidding but I've lived in lynnwood/ mill creek most of my life and I can't stand Everett. It makes me feel like trash everytime I go there. Then again, so does lynnwood 99. Basically lynnwood and Everett is ghetto depending on what you consider ghetto..

[lotr1967]

The crime in Everett has escalated. We work with the police department here and I can tell you that not only has it gotten bad, it is getting worse. They will ALL attest to this fact. Not long ago, they passed a law preventing high speed chases in Everett. Word gets around fast in crime circles so this has become a hot spot for property crime and auto related crimes. It's not unheard of to see illegal street racing in Everett during any time of the day or night. Marysville is also having issues as well. Mill Creek is phenomenal. 1 homicide in 25 years and it was domestic. Funny how it is only 4 miles from Everett yet it is like a totally different world. Be prepared to spend $1200+ per month for a small apartment, though. Everett, meh. It's just bad news.

[Seacove]

I haven't driven through Everett in a while but that's really too bad. Mukilteo or Edmonds are good choices.

[bigskydude]

Originally Posted by MysticalDream

I am considering moving to Western Washington and looking at different areas. I know I cannot afford to live in Seattle, nor do I really want to be stuck right in the city, as any desirable part of the city would, once again, be way off the charts of what I can afford. I have heard Everett is a lot cheaper and I like how it appears closer to more of the beautiful mountain recreation and forests east of Mt Vernon. What I am wondering though, is Everett a bad neighborhood with a lot of crime? I can see the prices are quite a bit less and I have read from other posts here that it is dumpy and has a lot of property crime and poor neighborhoods. I guess some may think of it as Tacoma-North. I don't know exactly, but would like a sober and realistic consensus from people here there opinions about Everett. I have heard nothing but gripes about Marysville to the North here from city-data posts, so I am assuming that is a place that is best to avoid.

I am also considering Mount Vernon, but it seems to be a bit isolated and that you have to drive quite far to get to anything sizable. Being a bit on the younger side, early 30s, I think I would feel out of place there, as it must be a family community with older, married peoople. However, Mt Vernon seems desirable because it is so close to the mountains, which I desire to hike in two or three times a week, if I can.

Anyway, I'd appreciate to hear people's honest opinions. I would say as of now, my price range for an apartment/duplex or whatever would range from $650-$850. I am not sure what is available that is not slum-like in that price range. Would people think Mt Vernon would be a lot cheaper and safer than Everett?

Good luck with that.

You can get a "room" in Everett for $400.00 a month .. you might get a studio for twice that .. if you can stand the druggies banging around all night.

IMO, Everett, isn't too unlike it's slummy stepsister Tacoma to the south ..

You could live outside of Everett tho' .. Lake Stevens, Monroe, Marysville, Arlington .. to name just a few places still close enough for that daily commute .. without all of the drugs and drama ..