Seattle Travel Forum

Hi VTers,
I'm planning a 2-week trip right after Memorial Day or the 1st week in June. I will be there for apartment and job hunting.

Does anyone have feedback about The Belltown Inn, located in the Belltown area?
It's advertised as a hotel with an apartment living experience, and has a weekly rate of a little over $700 including taxes. (Your experience - safe? quiet? easy to get around? clean? I will be alone, I have a good sense of direction and I'm way way past college age.

I would love to get something less expensive, but I don't want to sacrifice too much quality for price and the guy I spoke to on the phone was very helpful.

Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks
PS(I've already done the craigslist thing.)

The Belltown neighborhood has really improved over the last decade. It used to attract the homeless, alcoholics, drug users, etc. because of the plentiful cheap lodging, homeless shelters / kitchens, and taverns. Now days, it's full of expensive condos, apartments, and some of the best restaurants in town. A female co-worker of mine recently moved into an apartment near the Belltown Inn and she loves living there. There are some nightclubs in the area and they have the usual noise and occasional disturbances, but the mayor and the police have gone on a crusade against those clubs that they've identified as not doing enough to control their customers, i.e., pulling their liquor license.

I've been in the Belltown area after midnight on a Friday / Saturday night and there's always a visible presence by the Seattle police. If you've lived in NYC, the Belltown neighborhood shouldn't be a concern for you if you've got some street-smart.

If I can remember, and if they let me inspect, I'll do a reconnaissance of the Belltown Inn when I'm in the area and report back.

Wavesport has provided a very good description of the neighborhood. You will still find some homeless wandering about, but they are generally harmless, just homeless. The area has been very gentrified by development over the last 5-8 years, and it will in many ways remind you of similar gentrified areas of Manhattan, where there is a mix of people. I go to Belltown a lot, as many of my friends have bought these high-end new condos, and I have never experienced any problems. There are some terrific restaurants; the Pike Place Market (fresh foods) is nearby; and the free hop-on-off downtown buses make transport even easier. The downtown area is very compact and easy walking, if a bit hilly.

I don't know about your specific property. From its website it looks basic, but has a kitchenette, which should be good when staying for some time. They stress "new" on the website, which I imagine to be an older building that is newly re-conditioned. It should be OK, and the location is OK. There have been problems with drug dealers hanging out on 3rd Ave. and Pike Street, but it's mostly cleaned up now, and you are many blocks from this corner. I wish you good luck!

Thanks for the info! I love an adventure but always like a little idea of what I'm getting into. This is very helpful. Thanks agina, FL