Seattlest Pix 09Nov22
Manifold Motion's Miscellenea II Wraps Up Tonight
Around The -Ists This Week
Seattlest Pix 09Nov23
Can't Miss It: Monday
When Amazon.com announced Amazon Fresh last week, it piqued some bloggers' curiosity, but we didn't spend much time thinking about it. Grocery delivery? Interesting, but we weren't going to dive in.
Then this weekend we read about the "thug"-infested Safeway -- in Rainier Beach! Crap, we thought to ourselves. That's our Safeway, literally just a few blocks from our house. Apparently we're risking random parking lot beatdowns every time we visit.
(It's not the closest grocery to us. That'd be the unappealingly named Saar's Market. Either the name scares away thugs, or that old trick of playing classical music to drive away the young'uns really works.)
Maybe we should rethink that grocery delivery thing, we thought. The article is inspiring other people in the neighborhood to drive to the suburbs for groceries. That article was really just a final straw for JvA of Mid Beacon Hill blog -- she's got a list of other incidents in that Safeway parking lot and nearby that certainly gives us pause.
Add on recent incidents like the firebombed video store, a fatal stabbing that ended in a fatal shooting, sexual assault at Rainier Beach High School ... and, well, we get nervous.
That said, we moved to the Rainier Valley in part because of the cultural diversity, which seems to be a phrase inextricably linked with high crime rates. Back when we first mentioned that we moved to Rainier Beach, reader sophie said she heard that "there are more languages spoken within 98118 than any other zip code in the country." We're not sure if that's true, but when we walk around the neighborhood we see lots of people from lots of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and we think that's cool.
Of course, we also moved to Rainier Beach because we could afford to rent a pretty awesome house. It could be argued that fretting about the multicultural neighborhood (and losing electronic equipment to burglars jonesing for drug money) is the price we pay for joining an early wave of gentrification.
Regardless, we didn't move to Rainier Beach hoping we could isolate ourselves from anything scary. Our neighbors shop at Safeway. We're not planning to stop (though we also get organic produce delivered, and sometimes shop at PCC, Greenfresh Market, or the downtown Whole Foods). That Safeway itself is in the middle of a remodel, so we figure they're not going anywhere soon -- though some people commenting on the PI's article worry that it might.
We'll just be sure to keep our eyes open when we go grocery shopping, because lord knows we don't want to drive to the suburbs (yes, yes, Greenfresh is in Renton -- but we work in Renton, so it's not a special trip). We'll let Amazon bring us our blueberries before we drive to Bellevue for 'em.
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My parents have lived in that same neighborhood for 15 years now. That Safeway, even before the remodel, has been awful for at least the entire time my folks have been there. The bus stops near Rainier Beach High School have rats bigger than my feet, and more than one time we heard (and reported) gunfire. It may be affordable, but nothing will ever convince me to move down to that area again.
Funny you should mention Amazon.
I worked at Kozmo when they first came to Seattle and the Delivery Map covered all of Seattle except a corner cut-out of South-East Seattle for the '118. It took some convincing of management that it was not an extreme risk to driver safety to deliver there.
Good luck!
Interesting that 98118 says it is the most diverse zip...Ditmas Park in Brooklyn, NY (forget the zipcode) was honoured with this title in a national magazine whose name escapes me. The most recent I could find was this:
http://www.nysun.com/article/14510
I have been looking at moving to Rainier Beach, for better housing prices. When talking with friends, they've all been concerned about the crime rates in RB and after hearing about the attacks at Safeway, it's made me think twice about the move.
After reading this blog, I did some research into the crime rates in various Seattle neighborhoods: Capital Hill, Greenwood, Wallingford & Rainier Beach. For the numbers listed below, 100 represents the national average and the last set of numbers relates to King County.
All of this information came from: http://homes.point2.com/Neighborhood/US/Washington/King-County/Seattle/Rainier-Beach-Demographics.aspx. I have no affiliation with this website, I found it when I did a google search on Rainier Beach crime rates. These numbers don't reflect unreported crime, and I don't know if that's a factor or not. The stats are from 2005, so it's up to you to determine if they're still valid.
Bottom line, for overall crime risk, from the neighborhoods that I picked, Rainier Beach is lower than all of them, with Wallingford being at the top of the list and the crime indicator where RB is the highest is, unfortunately, rape. Hopefully the table displays well in the blog...
Crime Rates: Capital Hill Greenwood Wallingford Rainier Beach County
Total Crime Risk 221 269 279 175 161
Personal Crime Risk 135 131 135 122 87
Murder Risk 74 132 112 106 56
Rape Risk 137 106 124 174 159
Robbery Risk 302 188 218 195 108
Assault Risk 92 153 144 68 73
Property Crime Risk 224 314 326 158 176
Burglary Risk 159 219 215 151 144
Larceny Risk 234 350 311 138 171
Automotive Theft Risk 314 415 520 211 241
I'm not trying to be a Pollyanna, but to ask the question of the group, is there really more crime in Rainier Beach, is the crime there more reported in the news/newspapers/blogs than in other areas or do we just think that there is more crime, because of the history of the area?
Hey, guest.
My family moved to Rainier Beach a few months ago. On the bad side, our house has been broken into, and we have heard gunshots in the middle of one night, and there are obviously drug deals going on at various high-traffic locations.
On the other hand, our neighbors are awesome and friendly, we're across the street from a park, we have a nice yard, and we haven't felt personally threatened by any of the "thuggery" that haunts the neighborhood.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but accept that you may need to invest in an alarm system. But I like the neighborhood, even if it does have an old-fashioned shusher working at the library.
I've been a Rainier Beach resident for about 4 years now. It certainly is distressing to see news reports and I too have a small army of friends who discourage me from living there. That said, I really like it. I think that the South end in general has a lot to offer. I love my house and my yard and while I worry about break-ins, it is no more than I would in any other neighborhood. I have great neighbors -- good and honest people, who deserve a good quality of life.
I think that we have a couple roads we can take: 1) stay clear of the neighborhood, lock our doors and shop elsewhere or 2) live our lives, look out for one another, and make the place better for everyone.
My advice? Take a walk though the neighborhood, visit Kubota Garden, shop at Safeway, and say "Hi" to your neighbors.
Good comments. I live closer to Skyway and did not realize the hassle at Safeway. I suggest braving the parking lot music at Saar's and try them out. They don't have a lot of yuppie items, but the ethnic mix, cleanliness, and well stocked shelves are a real plus. Prices are reasonable and you don't need a freakin' "CLUB CARD" to shop there. The red card alone makes me avoid Safeway completely. Winco at the edge of Renton/Kent is well worth the 10 minute drive if you have a good amount of shopping to do. Very convenient as it is right off 167 and prices are great. No club card needed, cash and debit only. You will go home with a lot more for your money than Safeway, Albertson's, QFC, Etc. Saar's also has the benefit of a great "Taco Bus" if you are not too cultured for that kind of thing.