[MCaver]

I have a friend that is hoping to move to Seattle in the next year or so and is seeking advice on what neighborhoods she should look into, and which should be avoided. She is hoping to attend Central Seattle CC and rent in the nearby Central Seattle or Downtown area, but with decent public transportation options, farther out is acceptable. A studio or one bedroom apartment is all she needs. She's in her early 20s and has lived in urban areas before (NYC specifically) and knows how to live safely in the city. Any advice is appreciated.

[RichP]

Sounds like Capitol Hill is the neighborhood for her. Rents are skyrocketing but compared to NY, it's still somewhat reasonable. Being able to walk to school is another great perk.

[Magellan]

I wouldn't live anywhere near Broadway on Cap Hill unless it was to save my life. My friends got tired of finding needles and condoms on their picnic table.

[RichP]

[contour5]

Madison Park, just over the hill, is one of the nicer neighborhoods in the city. Much quieter than the top of the hill, and fewer apartments, but it might be possible to find a shared house or reasonable studio space First Hill is probably one of the better bargains close to downtown; not as trendy and gentrified, but there are some nice old buildings. Uwajamaya condo complex is an oddly serene oasis right in the belly of the beast. The whole dt core actually has a lot of interesting new and renovated housing. First Ave. and Belltown are pretty vibrant communities... perhaps too vibrant for some people's taste...

[meandering Wa]

I agree with contour, Madison Park would be good but has less apartments, but more potential for MIL spaces First Hill and the area near SU / south of Madison street, are filled with apartments and students. The area is super busy with new shops , eateries and such. First Hill has a treasure trove of older buildings. hopefully some are still affordable and not gentrified. I lived and worked on capitol Hill for much of my young life, up on 15th E. After a while it got too "special" for my countrygirl taste.