Well, by Westsylvania standards, Seattle consists entirely of "bad neighborhoods" ... ;) You pretty much have to go to the suburbs to find concentrations of Republicans.
Of course, it all depends on what you're looking for: Do you plan to rent or buy? How pricey can you stand? Are you looking for quiet or lots of stuff to do in walking distance?
Neighborhoods I like:
Ballard: quiet neighborhood, not too pricey, kind of a mix of working-class and lower-income, several good restaurants (including one Puerto Rican one--although the neighborhood itself is historically Scandinavian & still overwhelmingly caucasian), a nice theater, one of the few actual beaches (as opposed to coastlines) in the city limits. Maybe 15 minutes from downtown?
Beacon Hill: almost totally residential, relatively cheap, one of the most ethnically mixed neighborhoods in Seattle. People I know who're looking to buy houses tend to look here, because it's affordable but presentable. It's adjacent to Chinatown, maybe 2 minutes from downtown. Curious facts, probably irrelevant, but still: Amazon.com has its headquarters on Beacon Hill, as does the local chaper of La Raza.
Capitol Hill: very mixed in terms of income, adjacent to downtown, restaurants catering to every ethnic cuisine imagineable, some decent clubs, a couple art-house theaters. Sections east of Broadway are fairly quiet, but west of Broadway it's loud, busy, grunge-y. And parking? Just forget about it: don't bother binging a car, here.
Fremont: hippy neighborhood undergoing gentrification (so getting more expensive). Some nice restaurants, not far from downtown, situated along the Canal. Big event of the year: Solstice Parade, featuring (among other things) naked, painted cyclists.
Greenlake: almost the suburbs. Highly residential, but with a few good bars and restaurants. Like most north Seattle neighborhoods, almost lily-white. (You might even find some Republicans, here ...) Location of the Woodland Park Zoo, if that's of any interest. And then there's the Lake, itself, which locals ritually jog/walk dogs/perambulate around ...
Magnolia: almost an island, very residential, probably the quietest neighborhood in the city, with the biggest city park (Discovery Park--it's miles & miles of woods). The bad parts: it's expensive, & a little remote--you need a car, here.
Queen Anne Hill: unless you're quite well-to-do, you can't afford to more than rent here, but it's really beautiful--lots of big old houses, restaurants, virtually everything you need can be found on Queen Anne Ave--walking distance, basically. The drawback: the hill's so steep that you're virtually stranded if it so much as snows a half-inch--seriously, people don't leave Q.A.H. when there's even a hint of snow (which happens about once a year, mind you ...). Oh, & did I mention that it's expensive as all get-out?
Wallingford: nice residential neighborhood north of Lake Union. Lots of pretty little houses, some great restaurants, close to the University District. No drawbacks that I can think of, offhand ...
West Seattle: another semi-island, connected to downtown by one long, seismically unreliable bridge (there's a land route, but it will take you miles out of your way). This is another quiet, overwhelmingly residential neighborhood--a place to buy, if you can afford it; not a lot of rental housing. Special features: a decent beach (by Seattle standards--we're not talking the Jersey shore, here ...), residents' insane enthusiasm for elaborate Christmas lights.
I must admit I don't know the suburbs, so well ...
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Of course, it all depends on what you're looking for: Do you plan to rent or buy? How pricey can you stand? Are you looking for quiet or lots of stuff to do in walking distance?
Neighborhoods I like:
Ballard: quiet neighborhood, not too pricey, kind of a mix of working-class and lower-income, several good restaurants (including one Puerto Rican one--although the neighborhood itself is historically Scandinavian & still overwhelmingly caucasian), a nice theater, one of the few actual beaches (as opposed to coastlines) in the city limits. Maybe 15 minutes from downtown?
Beacon Hill: almost totally residential, relatively cheap, one of the most ethnically mixed neighborhoods in Seattle. People I know who're looking to buy houses tend to look here, because it's affordable but presentable. It's adjacent to Chinatown, maybe 2 minutes from downtown. Curious facts, probably irrelevant, but still: Amazon.com has its headquarters on Beacon Hill, as does the local chaper of La Raza.
Capitol Hill: very mixed in terms of income, adjacent to downtown, restaurants catering to every ethnic cuisine imagineable, some decent clubs, a couple art-house theaters. Sections east of Broadway are fairly quiet, but west of Broadway it's loud, busy, grunge-y. And parking? Just forget about it: don't bother binging a car, here.
Fremont: hippy neighborhood undergoing gentrification (so getting more expensive). Some nice restaurants, not far from downtown, situated along the Canal. Big event of the year: Solstice Parade, featuring (among other things) naked, painted cyclists.
Greenlake: almost the suburbs. Highly residential, but with a few good bars and restaurants. Like most north Seattle neighborhoods, almost lily-white. (You might even find some Republicans, here ...) Location of the Woodland Park Zoo, if that's of any interest. And then there's the Lake, itself, which locals ritually jog/walk dogs/perambulate around ...
Magnolia: almost an island, very residential, probably the quietest neighborhood in the city, with the biggest city park (Discovery Park--it's miles & miles of woods). The bad parts: it's expensive, & a little remote--you need a car, here.
Queen Anne Hill: unless you're quite well-to-do, you can't afford to more than rent here, but it's really beautiful--lots of big old houses, restaurants, virtually everything you need can be found on Queen Anne Ave--walking distance, basically. The drawback: the hill's so steep that you're virtually stranded if it so much as snows a half-inch--seriously, people don't leave Q.A.H. when there's even a hint of snow (which happens about once a year, mind you ...). Oh, & did I mention that it's expensive as all get-out?
Wallingford: nice residential neighborhood north of Lake Union. Lots of pretty little houses, some great restaurants, close to the University District. No drawbacks that I can think of, offhand ...
West Seattle: another semi-island, connected to downtown by one long, seismically unreliable bridge (there's a land route, but it will take you miles out of your way). This is another quiet, overwhelmingly residential neighborhood--a place to buy, if you can afford it; not a lot of rental housing. Special features: a decent beach (by Seattle standards--we're not talking the Jersey shore, here ...), residents' insane enthusiasm for elaborate Christmas lights.
I must admit I don't know the suburbs, so well ...