finally moving to seattle (Tacoma, Bellevue: for sale, cheap apartments, rentals)

[epedamia]

so i've made up my mind to move to seattle. right now i live in corpus christi tx and i will be going to seattle around the first or second week of sept. so i was wondering a couple things, what are the safe and unsafe neighborhoods, what areas around seattle or a couples miles outside of seattle are good to find a not so expensive place (i've been checking apartments online and in order to get an efficency apt. in what seems to be a decent building youre looking at paying like 900 a month as opposed to here to get an efficency right on the water at the beach your looking at about 600 a month.) also i've been looking to get a job set up before i go up there and have been having a little trouble but hopefully it'll all work out, thanks. ooh one last thing whats gas price up there?

[Ira500]

As of last night, gas in Renton WA, just south of Seattle was 4.04 a gallon.

[allforcats]

There aren't many areas around here that would be considered "unsafe". A few that are a bit seedy, but nothing that's actually dangerous. If you could be more specific about what you want -- do you have small children, for example?; do you want lots of nightlife nearby? -- maybe we can make suggestions.

We usually advise people to live near where they work since commuting here can be crowded, slow, and take a long time out of every day. So -- here are a few resources.

Seattle City Clerk's map of neighborhoods -- to find out where the neighborhoods are in relation to where you will work:
Seattle City Clerk's Neighborhood Map Atlas

Jobs: the combined classifieds of the two leading newspapers in and around the Seattle area:
Seattle area jobs, employment advice and information | NWjobs

Rentals:
The combined classifieds; click on the little map to drill down to smaller and smaller areas:
NWapartments: Seattle apartment rentals, house rental listings, rental classifieds and other property rentals in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue and other Washington areas, cities and neighborhoods
The Seattle Weekly:
Seattle Classifieds
Craigslist:
craigslist: seattle-tacoma classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events

[epedamia]

Originally Posted by allforcats

There aren't many areas around here that would be considered "unsafe". A few that are a bit seedy, but nothing that's actually dangerous. If you could be more specific about what you want -- do you have small children, for example?; do you want lots of nightlife nearby? -- maybe we can make suggestions.

it'll be just me a small dog (chiguagua) and a leopard gecko. i play music and do alot of art. i really want a place where i can go out at night and walk my dog and feel safe. but i guess living near an art scene would be pretty cool, as for apartments i can do just fine in an efficiency and i'm not too loud of a neighbor XD.

[Ira500]

Georgetown is an area of Seattle which has cheap apartments, lots of artists, and a place where walking a gecko wouldn't even get a second glance.

[allforcats]

Or playing music while walking a leopard, either. Good suggestion, Ira500!!

[shamrock501]

I hear those chiguaguas are trouble though!

[MisplacedSeaGuy]

North Beacon Hill would be a good place to check out, as well as Georgetown as someone else already suggested.