Pre-cruise Seattle Stay

[West Coast Gal]

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.

 

Sorry, didn't mean to offend . . . my statement came because I worked across the street from the airport for 10 years and we would not allow our employees to walk out to their cars after dark upon recommendation of the local police. And like you wrote, that was right on International Boulevard where most of the hotels are.

Edited July 14, 2015 by West Coast Gal

[Casagordita]

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

 

That makes a lot of sense. It sounds like it was a choice between two alternatives you didn't like: renting a car and driving in the city, or paying more for a centrally-located hotel. Only you could decide which one you disliked the least! Glad you found something that will work for you and your group.

[Casagordita]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend . . . my statement came because I worked across the street from the airport for 10 years and we would not allow our employees to walk out to their cars after dark upon recommendation of the local police. And like you wrote, that was right on International Boulevard where most of the hotels are.

 

 

I guess everybody has to make their own choices about acceptable risks vs. how much you're going to let risks limit your options.

 

I live north of the airport. Our nearest grocery store and drug store are the Saar's Market, and the Walgreens and Bartells, on either side of S. 144th Street at International Boulevard. I shop there regularly, day and evening. I also stop for gas at stations up and down that stretch of International Boulevard, and get takeout at the fast food restaurants, and run into the 7-11 to hit the ATM. I've never had a problem doing this in the 15 years we've lived here. That's not to say I won't have one there tomorrow, or that nobody has run into trouble over there in that time. I know that this part of International Boulevard is sketchy, more so than the area you're talking about, right by the airport. Heck, I can show you the exact bus shelter along there where the Green River Killer picked up several of his victims, and a place where he dumped a few of their bodies! But I'm just not willing to let those possibilities limit me to the point of never going outside where I live--or of moving out of a neighborhood that we like (and can afford!) Life is full of risks--those are acceptable ones for me. YMMV.