State of Seattle

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, psuboater said:

From one ferry fan (we live on Whidbey :)) to another!

I look out towards the cliffs on the southern part of the Island from my house.  Last summer and fall we could see the container ship loop around Whidbey to drop anchor while waiting for a container dock to open up.  And our rescue dog came from Whidbey some years back.

Beautiful place!

[seagunthera]

2 hours ago, psuboater said:

Pioneer Square/Yesler Way is touristy, but has had its issues in the past couple of years. Again, when I was there 2 weeks ago, I felt safe, but it's an area I feel more on guard even pre-pandemic. If there's a soccer or baseball game that day, my worries are way less just because the sheer amount of people there. But they've done a ton of work to keep tents out of the square and have since cleared the encampments.  I've seen concerts at Century Link field and have walked Pioneer Square at night with friends trying to get away from the stadium to get a cheaper Uber and never had any issues. 

 

Belltown - Between 1st and 2nd are a lot of trendy bars and restaurants - but sometimes there can be issues here as well, especially on 3rd. If you've been to San Diego, the closest thing I can compare it to is  East Village. However, it wouldn't stop me from going there by any means(I took public transit to work in and out of Belltown for 3 years)-the area is very unique and Some Random Bar is worth a stop).

 

If anyone is wondering why 3rd Ave is bad - the street is a bus only corridor, and the fare enforcement is almost non-existent. So there are those who abuse the system and take the busses for free to get around the city (and then drug use/poor behavior comes with it).

 

But overall, everywhere you go in Seattle is *relatively* safe. I used to live in Philadelphia, and now when my friends here visit Philly, I draw lines around a map where tourists can go and where you definitely should NOT go. Seattle is not one of those cities. There's more so areas to be on alert of your surroundings, but nowhere of "they're going to know you're a tourist and do something bad to you" areas. 

Valuable info that is sure to help anyone reading this post- thank you!

[West Coast Gal]

I saw Orcas today from my front window, Amazing and it was dreary and gray and raining . .  . But Amazing and then all the sudden the sun came out of the clouds and it was brilliant.  Do your research, read up on Recent reviews (trip advisor and such) Just like everything else out there, COVID has changed a lot of things and we are all coming back around.

[Ferry_Watcher]

@West Coast Gal, Yes, the weather has been crazy lately some snow, hail, rain, then blue sky.  How cool to see Orcas from your window.  We truly live in a remarkable part of the world.

Just like Spring, rebirth and renewal get us through those trying times.

[Gardyloo]

18 hours ago, seagunthera said:

If you can pinpoint any blocks/areas I should avoid, it would be much appreciated. 

Right now, I'd probably pick a walking route that bypasses 3rd between Stewart and Pike, but the city has been "swarming" that area with cops and placed a portable police station, akin to the police boxes you see in UK cities (those that aren't disguised time machines) in the area.  Thus by the tourist season, which for this site probably means the cruise season, the situation might be completely different.  Even so, I'd only be concerned at night, just as I would in any major American or Canadian city.  But it merits emphasizing again, media reports have sensationalized the problem way out of proportion to reality.  If you are "street savvy," your personal radar should be more than adequate to help you avoid any sketchy situations.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

@Gardyloo, as always, thanks so much for your insight.

And as locals know, avoid the infamous McDonald's at 3rd and Pine - which is pretty much the same geographical area that we all have cited.

As @Gardyloo said, common sense, street savvy and personal radar goes a long way in avoiding sketchy situations.

Thanks again my friend!

[JT1962]

On 4/17/2022 at 7:23 PM, seagunthera said:

The reports I'm reading come from Seattle based news organizations.  

If all I knew about my city of 650,000 was what I saw on our local news, I would never leave my house - Several shootings every night, average of 2 murders a week, numerous robberies daily, etc. But I have never felt unsafe and don’t go to certain parts of town after dark. I will be in Seattle in 2 weeks for 2 nights prior to my cruise and am looking forward to seeing some of the city prior to my cruise.

[Ferry_Watcher]

@JT1962, appreciate the positive and realistic outlook. I hope you enjoy being on one of the first cruises of the 2022 season.   Be patient with the embarking process as it will be the first time that the shore staff will be working since October '21.  Looking forward to seeing the ships sail by my house!

[JT1962]

33 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 Be patient with the embarking process as it will be the first time that the shore staff will be working since October '21.  Looking forward to seeing the ships sail by my house!

Thanks.  I’m expecting mass confusion at the pier with several potential issues coming together at once - Conflicting information on when the Covid tests should be completed and whether ArriveCAN is needed, first cruise for shore staff in 2 years, first cruise for the ship in over 2 years, etc. Patience will definitely be required.

[Eaglecw]

Seattle is a lovely place that we choose to not visit. There are a lot beautiful plants blooming at this time of the year. My favorite is the Cytisus Scoparius.

I looked at the ArriveCAN web site https://arrivecan.cbsa-asfc.cloud-nuage.canada.ca/en/welcome and there’s a section that talks about arriving to Canada on a cruise ship. I believe the requirements are met by Princess boarding testing requirements. I’m glad we don’t cruise until late June, gives a little time for Port staff  to figure out what they are doing.

[seagunthera]

3 hours ago, Eaglecw said:

Seattle is a lovely place that we choose to not visit. There are a lot beautiful plants blooming at this time of the year. My favorite is the Cytisus Scoparius.

 

I looked at the ArriveCAN web site https://arrivecan.cbsa-asfc.cloud-nuage.canada.ca/en/welcome and there’s a section that talks about arriving to Canada on a cruise ship. I believe the requirements are met by Princess boarding testing requirements. I’m glad we don’t cruise until late June, gives a little time for Port staff  to figure out what they are doing.

 

I'm also grateful we have 2 months to afford them time to iron out the port sitch  (we sail the last week of June). Here's to hoping I don't get flamed now for being a Princess-basher. Silly rabbits.

[Eaglecw]

16 hours ago, seagunthera said:

I'm also grateful we have 2 months to afford them time to iron out the port sitch  (we sail the last week of June). Here's to hoping I don't get flamed now for being a Princess-basher. Silly rabbits.

Are you sailing on the Crown on 25th of June

 

[Eaglecw]

I called the 1-833-283-7403 phone number and spoke with a nice agent and Yes we do have to set up a ArriveCan account and upload our vaccination cards etc. on the ArriveCan AP or on the web site prior to your cruise out of Seattle.

[seagunthera]

5 hours ago, Eaglecw said:

Are you sailing on the Crown on 25th of June

 

No, not on that one, you?  Thanks for the info re: ArriveCan!