From the east coast, does it really matter where? (Seattle: apartment, low crime)

[Anders15]

For those of you that have lived on the east coast and realize what a dirty hell hole most of the cities can be does living in 'A' or 'B' part of Seattle REALLY matter? I see how people are saying how bad Tacoma is ..and places in Seattle like Belltown, Des Moines and some places closer to Tacoma.

If I were to pick a random apartment listing on craigslist and settle for that location in Seattle, over all would it matter? Will I wish I had moved to _____ because it is "safer" ? It seems the PNW in general is a lot "safer" than my city alone so I thought I'd ask. According to citydata where I am now has beaten Seattle for crime totals for nearly a decade. Seattle has a population of 617,334 and we have 204,451 yet like I said our crime is by far worse. Because of what I have gone through here it is my main concern find somewhere safe to live which does not seem like a main PRIORITY of most of the posts here. It will be my first time alone and I've never been on the west coast either.

I am not going to really do this but I just need to know from people who have actually lived on the east coast for 10.. 20 years and moved to seattle is there any real 'concerns' when moving to Seattle. Do I really need to 'restrict' my searches to certain communities and avoid others? I've never been anywhere else but here and I just need to know before I start my planning what areas I should rule out.. if any.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Anders15

For those of you that have lived on the east coast and realize what a dirty hell hole most of the cities can be does living in 'A' or 'B' part of Seattle REALLY matter? I see how people are saying how bad Tacoma is ..and places in Seattle like Belltown, Des Moines and some places closer to Tacoma.

If I were to pick a random apartment listing on craigslist and settle for that location in Seattle, over all would it matter? Will I wish I had moved to _____ because it is "safer" ? It seems the PNW in general is a lot "safer" than my city alone so I thought I'd ask. According to citydata where I am now has beaten Seattle for crime totals for nearly a decade. Seattle has a population of 617,334 and we have 204,451 yet like I said our crime is by far worse. Because of what I have gone through here it is my main concern find somewhere safe to live which does not seem like a main PRIORITY of most of the posts here. It will be my first time alone and I've never been on the west coast either.

I am not going to really do this but I just need to know from people who have actually lived on the east coast for 10.. 20 years and moved to seattle is there any real 'concerns' when moving to Seattle. Do I really need to 'restrict' my searches to certain communities and avoid others? I've never been anywhere else but here and I just need to know before I start my planning what areas I should rule out.. if any.

Sure. Just because Newark, or Camden, or Baltimore, or Philly, DC, etc have far worse slums than Seattle doesn't mean that you'll feel comfortable in any neighborhood in Seattle. are there any neighborhoods where you're likely to get mugged or harassed on a regular basis? I don't think so. Are there neighborhoods which are higher crime, less attractive, and poorer? Absolutely.
are there any entire areas to rule out?
No. Parts of the Central Area are a bit unsavory, from about 18th to 23rd, from about Jefferson south to Jackson. Parts of the Rainier Valley, parts of Rainier Beach ( I wouldn't live at Rainier and Henderson)...crimewise, I think the highest crime rates are in downtown, First Hill, lower Capitol Hill, the western part of the Central District, the International District, the U district, and parts of Ballard.
But, as an east coast native, I find it kind of funny when people dismiss entire areas as unsafe. It's not usually based on looking at crime rates. it's usually based on the the fact that there are more poor people and minorities in those areas.
Wherever you live, it's a good idea to practice common sense.

[nullgeo]

I grew up in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. ... and not overly nice parts of those towns, either ... then Seattle was my adult home base for many many years. The answer to your question is: yes, it matters. If you are leaving east because of crime and violence, why move to an area that is crime active at all? Forget relative degrees: bad is bad. There are many neighborhoods in Seattle with low crime activity. Why move anywhere else if that is what you are weary of? Though there is less aggressive confrontation statistically in Seattle than back in the east coast cities, individuals here can be every bit as devious and dangerous as east -- and are.

[Xanathos]

Personally, the East side is the only part of town I'd live in, but it has nothing to do with crime. The reality is as long as you don't live South towards Tacoma, there's not going to be a whole lot of crime. Most crime that does exist is merely property crime.

I choose the East side because it's newer, the population is generally more affluent, the traffic is better, it's far enough outside of town to where I don't feel like I'm living in a jungle, but close enough to where I could hop in my car and be in the jungle within 20-30 minutes, and the homes are nicer. Crime wasn't even a consideration for me.

East coast point of reference: I lived in Boston (Cambridge) for 4 years, and New York (Manhattan) for 3.

[Anders15]

You mean east Seattle or across in the Bellvue/Medina side?

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Anders15

You mean east Seattle or across in the Bellvue/Medina side?

Pretty sure he means the Bellevue/Kirkland/Medina/Issaquah side. Whenever anybody refers to the " eastside", they're talking about the towns across lake Washington.
Judging from your previous posts, I'd think you're not an eastside kind of guy. You're looking for the least expensive, and you're young and single.