Pre-cruise Seattle Stay

[momof1son]

We are considering renting a house, instead of a hotel, for our pre-cruise stay in Seattle. We will fly in on Saturday, our cruise leaves on Tuesday. Are there any areas we should stay away from? Some that are closer to the touristy stuff, so we should try to stay there? Any recommendations welcome! We will not be renting a vehicle, so I am looking for a place reasonably close to public transportation.

[mapleleaves]

Do you need a house because you are a large group? or for amenities like kitchen, laundry? budget?

 

Can't help you with the house but there are condo recommendations in this thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2199262&highlight=condo

 

If it's for the amenities, look at Silver Cloud Lake Union .... they provide a shuttle to popular tourist spots, great b'fast, laundry facilities, and rooms have fridge/micro. Nice location by the lake but still within a mile of space needle. There are other hotels with similar amenities ... I'm more familiar with this one because our office uses it for out of town clients.

[Gardyloo]

We are considering renting a house, instead of a hotel, for our pre-cruise stay in Seattle. We will fly in on Saturday, our cruise leaves on Tuesday. Are there any areas we should stay away from? Some that are closer to the touristy stuff, so we should try to stay there? Any recommendations welcome! We will not be renting a vehicle, so I am looking for a place reasonably close to public transportation.

Hard to generalize, you can be in a good neighborhood but inconvenient to the bus, etc.

 

Generally for close-in locations I'd look at Capitol Hill, Eastlake and Queen Anne Hill, but also Ballard, Wallingford, Fremont, Green Lake or Ravenna/Roosevelt, all farther out. For public transportation, use Metro's trip planner - http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ - to see how things would work.

[momof1son]

Do you need a house because you are a large group? or for amenities like kitchen, laundry? budget?

 

We will be a group of nine, with ages ranging (at the time of travel) from 9 years old to 80+. Financially, it seems smarter to rent a house with a kitchen, and make a trip to the grocery store, than to pay for three or four rooms in a hotel. :)

[rnargo]

It might be easier if you find a house you are interested in to post the neighborhood and we can tell you about it. There are so many neighborhoods and they are all unique! :-)

 

 

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[HawksFan74]

Financially, it seems smarter to rent a house with a kitchen, and make a trip to the grocery store, than to pay for three or four rooms in a hotel. :)

Perhaps, but if you want to do that, it would make more sense to get a rental car. Unless, of course, you find a house that happens to be within a few blocks of the grocery store.

[West Coast Gal]

It might be easier if you find a house you are interested in to post the neighborhood and we can tell you about it. There are so many neighborhoods and they are all unique! :-)

 

 

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Ditto . . . Seattle is pretty darn big and while some areas will have transportation they may not be safe [like SeaTac area] and visa versa

[Casagordita]

Ditto . . . Seattle is pretty darn big and while some areas will have transportation they may not be safe [like SeaTac area] and visa versa

 

Having lived in SeaTac for fifteen years, I can't let this go by... There are certainly parts of SeaTac (mainly International Boulevard, north of Hwy 518) where I wouldn't go for a long late-night stroll...but to brand the entire area "unsafe" is just plain wrong. There are plenty of perfectly good hotels down here, and a few very nice ones, where you won't be any more at risk than you'd be in any urban area. Sure, stuff happens, but not to the point that people on a budget should blow their whole vacation fund on a $300+ room downtown (which is no safer!!) just to avoid staying in SeaTac.

[momof1son]

It might be easier if you find a house you are interested in to post the neighborhood and we can tell you about it. There are so many neighborhoods and they are all unique! :-)

 

 

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An excellent suggestion, thank you!!

 

Right now (I'm still looking), I am considering a house I found in North Beacon Hill.

[momof1son]

There is also a house I am interested in on 55th Ave S, but the listing doesn't mention a neighborhood.

[karen4191]

I'm not sure but some houses require a week stay. I recommend Woodmark Hotel and Still Spa 4.0 out of 5

Carillon Pt Kirkland WA 1-866-599-6674 which is 30-45 min from Seattle but on Lake WA, or http://www.willowslodge.com in Woodinville, they are both beautiful, you can easily enjoy the city and return to a quieter, relaxing place. I would not want to take public transportation, there will be sick people riding it spreading germs that could spoil your trip. There are also people riding public transport that may be dangerous. Just my humble opinion.

[HawksFan74]

I would not want to take public transportation, there will be sick people riding it spreading germs that could spoil your trip. There are also people riding public transport that may be dangerous. Just my humble opinion.

OMG! There could be sick people or dangerous people anywhere you go out in public. Guess we might as well just all stay home! :rolleyes:

[karen4191]

Google "crime, Seattle Bus" and you will see my point.

[Casagordita]

There is also a house I am interested in on 55th Ave S, but the listing doesn't mention a neighborhood.

 

That might be the Seward Park (nice), Rainier Valley (parts not so nice, but that close to the lake it's probably fine), Rainier Beach (mostly nice enough) or Skyway (not so nice). Does it give an address, or a cross street? I don't know what the bus transportation is like down there but it's not very near the light rail.

 

Beacon hill is mixed, some very nice area, some a little more iffy. If it's near the Beacon Hill light rail station, that's a plus.

 

You can get the general idea of where a street address is by looking for the directional (N, NE, S, etc.). This map shows you generally where those are.

[Casagordita]

I'm not sure but some houses require a week stay. I recommend Woodmark Hotel and Still Spa 4.0 out of 5

Carillon Pt Kirkland WA 1-866-599-6674 which is 30-45 min from Seattle but on Lake WA, or http://www.willowslodge.com in Woodinville, they are both beautiful, you can easily enjoy the city and return to a quieter, relaxing place. I would not want to take public transportation, there will be sick people riding it spreading germs that could spoil your trip. There are also people riding public transport that may be dangerous. Just my humble opinion.

 

 

Seriously? If you're that fearful about things that hundreds of thousands of people do every day--riding public transit, staying in hotels in the city, going places where there might be criminals, breathing the air that somebody who's sick might also be breathing...how do you ever have the nerve to leave the house??

 

Kirkland is not a bad place, but it isn't Seattle. It's located far from most of the usual tourist destinations. It would be pretty inconvenient without a car--there isn't much in walking distance. It's architecturally pretty homogeneous, especially around Carillon Point. That whole area is newer construction which, except for the views of the lake, could have been lifted up from any suburb of any US city and plopped down there. If a visitor wants to stay somewhere just like home (and home is a very generic place without much individuality or local flavor) then I'm sure it will do nicely--but if you think you're visiting Seattle there, well...you're not.

 

Woodinville is pretty, and semi-rural outside of its town center, and it's close to a lot of wineries and some very good restaurants. But it's WAY the heck out of the city. A car would be almost mandatory (and the OP said they don't want to rent one), unless you want to spend an outlandish amount of money on cabs. Transit from there into the city would be time-consuming and inconvenient, especially nights and weekends. It might make a nice destination in its own right, for wine-tasting and fine dining and enjoying the bucolic scenery nearby. But if you want to visit Seattle...visit Seattle! Woodinville ain't it.

[HawksFan74]

Google "crime, Seattle Bus" and you will see my point.

Maybe you should try Goggling "Norovirus Cruise Ship."

[Casagordita]

OMG! There could be sick people or dangerous people anywhere you go out in public. Guess we might as well just all stay home! :rolleyes:

 

Come to think of it...there have been sick people on quite a few cruise ships! :eek: Those hand sanitizer stations everywhere you turn aren't just there for decoration. And every year you hear about another few ships where they've had serious outbreaks of some nasty stomach bug. If you go by the percentages people known to have caught something serious while on a cruise ship, vs. people who caught something serious while riding a public bus, it's not the bus that you should avoid! But we're all willing to take that chance, or we wouldn't be here.

 

Hell--I've been on a cruise ship that caught fire (we had to spend the night on deck, in the rain, while the ship limped into port without electricity or running water. From there they sent us home on the next available flights), and a trans-Atlantic flight that had to turn back and make an emergency landing because one of our engines was on fire, and the pilot's indicators said our landing gear wasn't going to work. Some people tell me they'd never travel again after either one of those experiences. But just hand me a ticket and see how fast I'll grab it and be out the door!!

 

Life is a risk. If you're careful enough, nothing good or bad will ever happen to you. That's not how I want to live.

[momof1son]

That might be the Seward Park (nice), Rainier Valley (parts not so nice, but that close to the lake it's probably fine), Rainier Beach (mostly nice enough) or Skyway (not so nice). Does it give an address, or a cross street? I don't know what the bus transportation is like down there but it's not very near the light rail.

 

Beacon hill is mixed, some very nice area, some a little more iffy. If it's near the Beacon Hill light rail station, that's a plus.

 

You can get the general idea of where a street address is by looking for the directional (N, NE, S, etc.). This map shows you generally where those are.

 

The one on 55th is 1/2 mile from Kubota Garden, if that helps you know where it is? I don't know if this link will work, but it's the listing for the house. https://www.flipkey.com/seattle-vacation-rentals/p985953/

 

I appreciate everybody's input! Thank you all so much! :)

Edited July 13, 2015 by momof1son

[Gardyloo]

The one on 55th is 1/2 mile from Kubota Garden, if that helps you know where it is? I don't know if this link will work, but it's the listing for the house. https://www.flipkey.com/seattle-vacation-rentals/p985953/

 

I appreciate everybody's input! Thank you all so much! :)

The neighborhood is safe enough, but to my mind really inconvenient - at least 45 min. on the bus or bus + light rail to downtown, a LONG way from any commercial areas - stores, shops, etc. You said you didn't want to rent a car, but areas like this will be very impractical without one.

 

I think that's the risk of your strategy - you don't know exactly what you're getting until it's too late to do anything about it. Obviously people who list houses are going to paint as rosy a picture as possible, knowing that it's unlikely they will have repeat visitors.

[momof1son]

Thanks for the feedback, Gardyloo. You are, of course, correct about the risks of this type of renting. It’s just one reason I am grateful for such a great community here, where I can get suggestions and feedback before I shell out money!

 

Would you be willing to take a look at this one and give me the same type of feedback? https://www.flipkey.com/seattle-vacation-rentals/p691013/

[Gardyloo]

Again, a problem with truth in advertising. That's not north Beacon Hill, not by a long shot, it's central or even south Beacon Hill. Closer to downtown than the first, but not very convenient to shops or other places you'd need, and again, a car will be almost a necessity to get groceries, etc.

 

Obviously you're being price sensitive, and not knowing your dates I don't know if there's really a solution except to pay more, or find some accommodations outside of the core area where transportation to tourist sites is more convenient.

 

You know your group; we don't, so what might make sense for some might not work at all for you, but I think you're going to have to reconsider either the car or the rental house part of your plans, or just suck it up and pay more for three nights' accommodation. But having rented houses for short terms, all I know is that you can spend a lot of time shopping for groceries, waiting for buses, feeling like you're a bit trapped if you don't want to wait for the bus in a strange neighborhood to go somewhere in the evening... It's your vacation, after all.

 

Maybe think out of the box, find some suites-type hotel close to the airport, rent a minivan, and spend one day exploring Seattle, then another visiting Mt. Rainier, or traveling on a ferry across Puget Sound, or seeing Snoqualmie Falls... Visit the Pike Place market first thing in the morning before you sail, and call it good? Just throwing some ideas out.

[chewap]

That might be the Seward Park (nice), Rainier Valley (parts not so nice, but that close to the lake it's probably fine), Rainier Beach (mostly nice enough) or Skyway (not so nice). Does it give an address, or a cross street? I don't know what the bus transportation is like down there but it's not very near the light rail.

 

Beacon hill is mixed, some very nice area, some a little more iffy. If it's near the Beacon Hill light rail station, that's a plus.

 

You can get the general idea of where a street address is by looking for the directional (N, NE, S, etc.). This map shows you generally where those are.

 

I would recommend that you stay out of Rainier Valley. Most of the residents avoid going thru Rainier Valley, a little less so in Downtown Seattle. Like others have said, try to find a rental house outside Seattle and rent a car. Actually the only worthwhile attraction in downtown Seattle is the Pike Place Market. Rainier Valley is very dangerous. Seehttp://rainiervalleypost.com/rainier-valley-residents-4x-more-likely-to-be-victims-of-violent-crime-than-north-seattleites/

Edited July 13, 2015 by chewap

[mapleleaves]

I still suggest a good look at the Belltown condos I posted about earlier; within walking distance to many tourist spots (or monorail to Space Needle), and grocery stores, restaurants, etc

There are MANY 2 bed/2 ba units that sleep 6. Get 2 condo units in the same complex. You can still visit and spend time together but would also have a little more space to relax. Several have pools which might help the kids burn off steam.

 

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/washington/puget-sound/seattle/downtown/belltown?bedrooms=2

[Casagordita]

I think that's the risk of your strategy - you don't know exactly what you're getting until it's too late to do anything about it. Obviously people who list houses are going to paint as rosy a picture as possible, knowing that it's unlikely they will have repeat visitors.

 

Of course, FlipKey does have customer reviews, so you can see what other people who've stayed there have thought of the place. I always try to read them critically, and look for the details--their criteria may not be my criteria. But if there's a definite trend of very good reviews, and they mention things that I care about, I feel pretty safe in renting a place.

 

Just in general, I've had fantastic luck renting vacation lodging through FlipKey and VRBO. And Airbnb wouldn't be getting as wildly popular as it is if it wasn't working for a lot of people. They're really no different than a hotel--you don't really know what you're getting until you get there, either (as I've discovered to my dismay, more than once!)

 

I do agree that not having a car may be a serious limitation, though. Vacation rentals are generally in more residential areas, which may or may not be located near any kind of good transit options. Unless you find one that specifically mentions proximity to transit that runs all hours you might be taking it, it's going to be inconvenient and/or expensive to get anywhere. A house seems like a reasonable option to me, given the size of your group--but a rental car might be the key to making it work.

[momof1son]

Thank you all SO much for your advice, input and suggestions!!

 

I decided to "suck it up" and shell out the extra money to book hotel rooms in the part of they city where we really want to be, close enough to walk to our preferred tourist traps. ;)

 

We live close to OKC, and our drivers (myself being the only exception) HATE driving in our traffic...so I can only imagine the nightmare trying to drive through Seattle would be. I think this will make our vacation much more enjoyable. :p