Visiting Tacoma - How bad is crime? (Seattle, Bellevue: upper-class, high crime)

[SunRunnerKel]

When we lived in Bellevue in the 1990s, Tacoma had a reputation for being a high crime area. (We transferred out of the PNW in 1995.) I have to attend a meeting at the Tacoma Convention Center next month. How bad is crime (really) these days in that area?

Are there any decent and relatively safe hotels in Tacoma? Or should I keep my original plan: stay at a hotel in Seattle and drive to the meeting each day.

What would you suggest to your wife or daughter in this situation?

Thanks!

[JTC]

Im not completely sure, but i've heard it is still bad over there...atleast in some areas.

[Caffreys]

No your perfectly fine staying a Tacoma hotel...
Checkout the Sheraton Hotel downtown Tacoma.
There is crime, but your going to see any crime staying at
a good hotel and they have some nightlife. It is not Oakland or
Detriot yet.

[happycamper2]

Hi SunR:
There are great hotels here and a couple of cute bed and breakfasts. The crime is higher here, nusiance crimes and out East and Spanaway much worse but down town Tacoma and North Tacoma are pretty good now that things are cleaned up. I am from Seattle and frankly there is more break ins and stupid stuff but you feel totally safe during the day in most areas of Tacoma. We have had no break ins or thefts. It would be silly to drive down each day from Seattle when you could stay at a hotel and park your car safely overnight. You do have to be careful where you live to make sure you are living in a neighborhood where druggies are not hanging out. We go out to most of the clubs and because of the influx of military it seems the young men are pretty polite.
Your wife and daughter would be safe if they followed normal precautions. The issue with crime here has to do with property crime and the lack of law enforcement to investigate. If you live here you want to have a security system. If you live in some areas you want to have a weapon and an attitude. You would run into some incredibly stupid and disgusting people. Down town Tacoma does have some times when it feels unsafe because of what I think are drug treatment housing but there are plenty of cruisers around. I would not hang out there late at night or be drunk or stupid. The fact is, Tacoma has more low income people with nothing to lose but they tend to live in certain areas and stay away from areas where law enforcement and security might be in place. Seattle is a different world. We miss it very much and are working on moving soon.

[Pugetsoundman]

My wife and I have stayed there twice during the last two months while job hunting. It is safe, very clean, comfortable, centrally located, on the waterfront, and near some very nice restaurants. The rates were from $140-200 a night. Hope this helps.

[SunRunnerKel]

Thank you for your prompt responses. I'll look into the Sheraton and the Silver Cloud Inn.

Thanks again!

[Caffreys]

Also checkout the Emerald Queen Hotel Casino in Fife, just off I-5...
It's formly the Best Western Hotel. Fife is 5 minutes to downtown
Tacoma.

[LordBalfor]

Yeah, though Tacoma still has a ways to go, it has really improved and continues to do so - to a large degree because increasing property values in Seattle has started a gentrification process in cheaper Tacoma, where older, grand homes can be found for much cheaper prices than in Seattle. These homes (many near the downtown area) are being fixed up and as a result downtown Tacoma is improving as these middle/upper-class folks move in (bringing spending money with them).

All in all, you may be pleasantly surprised at the improvements you're likely to see. While Tacoma is still not quite a gem, it's vastly improved from what it once was (a pit). If things continue the way they are going, it could actually turn out to be a pretty nice place.

Ken

[SunRunnerKel]

Thanks for your insight, LordBalfor! I'm happy to hear that things are improving in the Tacoma area.

[01yz426]

Originally Posted by JTC

Im not completely sure, but i've heard it is still bad over there...atleast in some areas.

Oh, crime is still bad... I won't drive my truck and leave it for 1.5hrs like I did just recently... Crappy town/city... Not that Kent is any better...