Seattle Safety Concerns

[Hercules67]

I watched news about the recent shooting cases at Capitol Hill and Rainier and feeling quite uneasy about my 2 nights staying there pre and post cruise.

 

So far, any shooting cases ever happened in downtown area where I will be staying?

 

*Pls pardon my paranoid.

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

Where are you staying?  Quite frankly, we haven't had any issues.

[Hercules67]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

Where are you staying?  Quite frankly, we haven't had any issues.

 

I have booked Paramount Hotel.

 

 

[SCX22]

You'll be fine.  Many people walk in this area during the day.  Try to be back at your hotel before sundown, if you're travelling alone.  Mind your own business when going from one place to another and no one will bother you.

 

The pandemic really decimated the downtown areas of many West Coast cities.  Work from home means fewer people going into the office and creating the hubbub of downtown areas.  Homelessness is another problem that was exacerbated.  

[Hercules67]

3 hours ago, SCX22 said:

You'll be fine.  Many people walk in this area during the day.  Try to be back at your hotel before sundown, if you're travelling alone.  Mind your own business when going from one place to another and no one will bother you.

 

The pandemic really decimated the downtown areas of many West Coast cities.  Work from home means fewer people going into the office and creating the hubbub of downtown areas.  Homelessness is another problem that was exacerbated.  

 

I managed to get a friend from Phoenix to join me for the cruise (since the room was charged double pricing even though I originally intended to travel as a single). Then I changed my hotel from the Mayflower to Paramount for a bigger room size.

 

Intended to just do some regular sight seeing and shopping + Pike Place Market during daytime. Will definitely retreat to the hotel room before dark (even went to read my travel insurance to see whether I will be covered in the event that I get shot / injured over there. Paranoid, I know.).

 

*the US has deteriorated quite a bit in the minds of Asian parents. I have several friends who shunned the US as a probable country of choice for their kids' overseas education (and opted the UK and Australia that they feel 'safer'). A friend's son just completed his study in the Harvard and he shared with me about security in the Harvard was quite tight and students have an emergency number to call if they ever feel life-threatened in anyway (then patrol car will be sent to escort the caller back to the accommodation). Feeling quite sad when I heard of all these as afterall, I graduated from the US (30+ years ago when life was much simpler).

 

[Glaciers]

You certainly need to be careful and aware of your surroundings in any city but being in your hotel room before dark is a bit extreme. The downtown area can be busy in the early evening with visitors on the sidewalks. I certainly wouldn’t be out wandering the streets at 2am but the evenings downtown can actually be pleasant. We live downtown and have no problems being out in the evenings going to dinner and events.

[Hercules67]

1 hour ago, Glaciers said:

You certainly need to be careful and aware of your surroundings in any city but being in your hotel room before dark is a bit extreme. The downtown area can be busy in the early evening with visitors on the sidewalks. I certainly wouldn’t be out wandering the streets at 2am but the evenings downtown can actually be pleasant. We live downtown and have no problems being out in the evenings going to dinner and events.

 

I know my paranoid might have kicked in with the recent two shooting cases, esp from the beginning when friends were advising me not to stay over at Seattle (that eventually I sorted out the logic of 'it cannot be that bad' and planned for the pre and post cruise stay over).

 

Perhaps coz I am an Asian with distinctive black hair and eyes with a petite built that I feel may become an 'easy target' and so better to play safe to retreat before dark (since the objective is really the Alaska cruise).

 

*Just sharing, many Asians do travel with some fears in them when going to western countries. My daughter's 19 yo classmate was snatched of her phone in a busy street in Manchester and when she wanted to take it back out of reflex, she was being swept like a doll into a road and almost got hit by a passing car. No one helped her in that situation and that big man just walked away. My daughter was at the scene and she suffered some trauma until now with fears of travelling to western countries. Another male friend of mine got robbed in Italy outside a 5-star hotel that he was staying in. Also he tried to snatch back his wallet in reflex, a knife was plunged into him. "Reflex" may kill in such circumstances.

 

[Hercules67]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

OMG - (*) (*)  eye roll

 

Thank you to my Friend @Glaciers for a more nuanced response.

 

Please don't roll eyes.

 

I wanted to join a zipline activity (shore excursion). Then I went through the fine prints of my travel insurance and found out that they don't cover zipline activity/risks. I would have presumed such simple leisure activity will be covered but then strictly specified no coverage.

 

I am very cautious of the fine prints in insurance policies to know the limits that I can go (coz I still have kids at home to support).

 

 

[Gardyloo]

As a petite Asian with dark hair, you're going to be one of tens of thousands of similar-looking people walking around downtown in this Pacific Rim city.  

 

For example, a five minute walk from the Paramount Hotel will take you to a Seattle version of a Singapore hawker food center.  Check it out.  https://goo.gl/maps/buAitBsgshxpk3kH6

 

 

Or hop on the light rail to the International District/Chinatown station and walk a block or two to Uwajimaya, Seattle's iconic pan-Asian grocery and department store (heavily Japanese but not exclusively.)

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Gardyloo

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Hercules67 said:

I am very cautious of the fine prints in insurance policies to know the limits that I can go

 

With a nom de plume of Hercules, I am surprised that the fine print on a travel insurance coverage would dictate vacation activities.

 

As for the two crime incidents you mentioned, neither one happened in DT Seattle, and they occurred in areas not frequented by tourists.  The Capital Hill incident involved young men who were probably drinking, engaging in illegal street racing at 1:30 AM.  The Rainier incident, which is more concerning, happened at 9 PM, and the police are still trying to understand the who, what, why of it.

 

Other CCer's have brought up common sense safety measures with you - and this is true for travel anywhere in the world: Be aware of your surroundings; walk with a purpose; don't flaunt your cash/wallet; listen to your gut instinct; etc.  The fact that you are Asian should not dissuade you from doing anything in Seattle or Vancouver - both cities have large Asian populations, and generally speaking, have avoided targeted crimes against Asians during, and post pandemic.

 

I hope you have an enjoyable cruise to Alaska.. 

 

[Hercules67]

8 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

With a nom de plume of Hercules, I am surprised that the fine print on a travel insurance coverage would dictate vacation activities.

 

As for the two crime incidents you mentioned, neither one happened in DT Seattle, and they occurred in areas not frequented by tourists.  The Capital Hill incident involved young men who were probably drinking, engaging in illegal street racing at 1:30 AM.  The Rainier incident, which is more concerning, happened at 9 PM, and the police are still trying to understand the who, what, why of it.

 

Other CCer's have brought up common sense safety measures with you - and this is true for travel anywhere in the world: Be aware of your surroundings; walk with a purpose; don't flaunt your cash/wallet; listen to your gut instinct; etc.  The fact that you are Asian should not dissuade you from doing anything in Seattle or Vancouver - both cities have large Asian populations, and generally speaking, have avoided targeted crimes against Asians during, and post pandemic.

 

I hope you have an enjoyable cruise to Alaska.. 

 

 

Thanks for sharing the update details of the recent shooting incidents.

 

I am looking forward to my Alaska cruise!

 

*some of the fine prints of my insurance travel cover pertaining to general exclusions read as:

 

[tonit964]

On 7/29/2023 at 11:53 PM, Hercules67 said:

 

I have booked Paramount Hotel.

 

 

I was in Seattle on 7/1 for my cruise and stayed at Hyatt Regency, a couple of blocks, if that, from the Paramount hotel.

Downtown is safe but as others said, I wouldn't walk around late at night.

Yes, there are many homeless people hanging around, but just stay aware and you'll be fine.

Enjoy your time, Seattle is a great city.

[psuboater]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:35 AM, SCX22 said:

You'll be fine.  Many people walk in this area during the day.  Try to be back at your hotel before sundown, if you're travelling alone.  Mind your own business when going from one place to another and no one will bother you.

 

The pandemic really decimated the downtown areas of many West Coast cities.  Work from home means fewer people going into the office and creating the hubbub of downtown areas.  Homelessness is another problem that was exacerbated.  
 

 

While this may have been true in 2021-2022, workers are back (as is the traffic!!). Amazon went back a few months ago, my employer starts 3x a week tomorrow. 
 

I have been going in a few times a month since last year for work. While I am not Asian, I am a petite female. I walk from King Street Station to the downtown core for my commute. I have never felt unsafe, even during the winter where the sunsets at 4pm. 
 

If you are used to traveling/cities, then the same rules apply here. Keep aware of your surroundings, walk with purpose, don't flash anything valuable, etc. I've lived in Philadelphia and Columbus OH and I've felt the safest walking around here. 

[SCX22]

3 hours ago, psuboater said:

 

While this may have been true in 2021-2022, workers are back (as is the traffic!!). Amazon went back a few months ago, my employer starts 3x a week tomorrow. 
 

I have been going in a few times a month since last year for work. While I am not Asian, I am a petite female. I walk from King Street Station to the downtown core for my commute. I have never felt unsafe, even during the winter where the sunsets at 4pm. 
 

If you are used to traveling/cities, then the same rules apply here. Keep aware of your surroundings, walk with purpose, don't flash anything valuable, etc. I've lived in Philadelphia and Columbus OH and I've felt the safest walking around here. 

 

I was there in April of this year.  I thought downtown Seattle was still pretty void of people as compared to pre-pandemic.  Much of the shops have shuttered.  I was in the Nordstrom on Pine and one of the workers said business and foot traffic wasn't like it used to be; many the clients now shop online.  Pioneer Square was packed with homeless people.  I took the monorail to the Seattle Center midday and there were around 10 people on it.  The area that was bustling was Pike Place Public Market--especially the purported first Starbucks.

 

[psuboater]

2 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

I was there in April of this year.  I thought downtown Seattle was still pretty void of people as compared to pre-pandemic.  Much of the shops have shuttered.  I was in the Nordstrom on Pine and one of the workers said business and foot traffic wasn't like it used to be; many the clients now shop online.  Pioneer Square was packed with homeless people.  I took the monorail to the Seattle Center midday and there were around 10 people on it.  The area that was bustling was Pike Place Public Market--especially the purported first Starbucks.

 

May 1st was Amazon's RTO, that made a huge difference. Right now between sold out cruises, Taylor Swift last weekend, All Star Week right before that- it has been a PACKED July!

 

The monorail is not really used by many locals. The last time I took it was pre pandemic and it only had a few people on it since it was a weekday before cruise season. 
 

Pioneer Square has been cleaned up of encampments since then. 
 

There are less stores, yes, but new businesses are starting to pop up. As someone who has been here since 2017, we've made leaps and bounds since the ghost downtown of 2020. 

[techteach]

There are places to avoid in Seattle, including DT,  but few of them are in the tourist sections of town. I don’t want to get specific of where to avoid for fear of setting off a barrage of comments.

[eileeshb]

I’m due to stay at the Belltown Inn with a friend precruise in October, one member of the roll call is warning us that Belltown has become particularly sketchy recently and suggested we switch hotel. I will have a friend with me, but in all honesty at this point unless there are riots it doesn’t seem any worse than any other city in a western country, just ask the poor Americans assaulted in Dublin, Ireland recently. The hotel has free bikes for use by guests and after checking trip advisor they’ve hired security to protect guests near the premises. 

[techteach]

@eileeshb I can’t say I’ve driven by the Belltown Inn recently because it is on 3rd Ave. which is reserved for buses, which is one reason it could be called a sketchy area, there is a lack of foot traffic, cars, businesses. There is also a park across the street that sometimes is a place of concern, but there are police cars monitoring. You are also on Bell street has become more of a place for pedestrians. 2nd ave is a very busy street with lots of restaurants and bars as is 4th ave. There was a horrible murder in Belltown about a month ago and it shocked everyone in town. It’s like any place else - be alert, walk with purpose, don’t engage with people and use 2nd or 4th to get to your destination.

[CoW mAn]

I go to Seattle all the time, never feel unsafe and never seen or heard a shooting

[techteach]

@CoW mAn I’m glad you’ve never felt unsafe in Seattle. I live very very near downtown, and have done my grocery shopping at the Market, ie. Pike, every weekend for 35 years. I have felt unsafe, specifically on 3rd. I wouldn’t recommend walking anyway near James and 3rd. They closed the 3rd street entrance to the court due to safety at this intersection and the park next to it. There was another shooting in Belltown this past week. People need to not be looking down at their phones, even if using a mapping app to find their way around. If they’re at a tourist site they’re safe.

[CoW mAn]

6 hours ago, techteach said:

@CoW mAn I’m glad you’ve never felt unsafe in Seattle. I live very very near downtown, and have done my grocery shopping at the Market, ie. Pike, every weekend for 35 years. I have felt unsafe, specifically on 3rd. I wouldn’t recommend walking anyway near James and 3rd. They closed the 3rd street entrance to the court due to safety at this intersection and the park next to it. There was another shooting in Belltown this past week. People need to not be looking down at their phones, even if using a mapping app to find their way around. If they’re at a tourist site they’re safe.

I'm sorry to hear that but I have to ask, in 35 years has anything ever happened to you there?

[SCX22]

1 hour ago, CoW mAn said:

I'm sorry to hear that but I have to ask, in 35 years has anything ever happened to you there?

Why wait for something to happen?  Just because you personally haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem.  The first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one.

 

Don’t mean to pick on you, but many of the metro cities on both coast (SF, LA, Portland, Seattle, Denver, NYC) are having increasing safety problems.  Now a days you don’t know who has a gun and the strangers who surround you’s mental state that could incite violence.  Thieves will randomly mug people or clean out a store.  You have to be cautious of your surroudings.

[CoW mAn]

5 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Why wait for something to happen?  Just because you personally haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem.  The first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one.

 

Don’t mean to pick on you, but many of the metro cities on both coast (SF, LA, Portland, Seattle, Denver, NYC) are having increasing safety problems.  Now a days you don’t know who has a gun and the strangers who surround you’s mental state that could incite violence.  Thieves will randomly mug people or clean out a store.  You have to be cautious of your surroudings.

Why wait for something to happen? could be used to justify pretty much anything. I share your concern about the proliferation of guns and if you want to repeal the second amendment I'm with you but that wasn't quite where I was going

 

I'm not saying don't be cautious, I'm saying don't cancel your hotel booking

 

If nothing happened to a resident in 35 years and a frequent visitor like me, I think a tourist has high probability of being fine for 2 days, statistically speaking

[techteach]

@CoW mAn At no time have I suggested canceling the hotel booking. Our car was stolen, our car was broken into multiple times, I have not been physically harmed, but have avoided many situations where I could have been.  We have had a couple of creepy experiences at the market over the years. I appreciate @SCX22 ‘s comment about waiting for something to happen. I avoid areas where I know there may be a problem. I look ahead and cross to the other side of the street if necessary. I don’t go places late at night or hang out where problems occur. The OP will be fine for 2 days if they use their heads and eyes. But, the area where they are staying is not the best location downtown. I answered the OP’s question. I hope you continue to safely visit Seattle.

[CoW mAn]

10 minutes ago, techteach said:

@CoW mAn At no time have I suggested canceling the hotel booking. Our car was stolen, our car was broken into multiple times, I have not been physically harmed, but have avoided many situations where I could have been.  We have had a couple of creepy experiences at the market over the years. I appreciate @SCX22 ‘s comment about waiting for something to happen. I avoid areas where I know there may be a problem. I look ahead and cross to the other side of the street if necessary. I don’t go places late at night or hang out where problems occur. The OP will be fine for 2 days if they use their heads and eyes. But, the area where they are staying is not the best location downtown. I answered the OP’s question. I hope you continue to safely visit Seattle.

I never said you suggested that. Wow people keep putting words in my mouth on this post for some reason. I was just answering the OP's original question and people keep saying I'm doing something else. I have no problem with you or SCX22. Y'all can think whatever you want about Seattle and do whatever you think you need to do to keep yourself safe, I really don't care and I never told or suggested you do otherwise. I just think the OP should keep their hotel booking, that's ALL I'm saying, and that's all I'm going to say despite some people's efforts to the contrary.

 

I'm sorry about your car, I didn't know, but frankly that's not enough to keep me away from Seattle, Portland, or anywhere else; that's my personal choice but y'all are free to make completely different choices. Avoid places, keep crossing the street, stay in at night - it's cool with me. I'm just recommending the OP not be afraid to travel. Beyond that, I really have nothing to say on the subject. I think the issues you and SCX22 have aren't with anything I ACTUALLY said