3 ms·

I've never been to Seattle but it wouldn't surprise me if, in general, the homeless tend to congregate in or near major train stations. They're open 24/7; they

by sethg 17y ago

I've never been to Seattle but it wouldn't surprise me if, in general, the homeless tend to congregate in or near major train stations. They're open 24/7; they're warm; the opportunities for panhandling are good (because of the number of people passing through).

potatolicious 17y ago
Out here the homeless are just all over downtown. Without being a city planner I'm not really qualified to say why, but I have some pet theories: - Seattle's transit sucks. It's one of the worst in any city I've ever lived in. This plus the lack of any natural borders around the city (mountains, large bodies of water, etc) has resulted in massive suburban sprawl, leaving downtown to rot. Unlike most cities, downtown is not a hub nor a destination. - As a result of this, there's very little in the way of commercial development that you would see in most cities. Where you would see the hip shopping district in most cities, bustling with people day and night, downtown Seattle is mainly office buildings, and thus completely deserted at night. There is no such thing as the restaurant/hangout district that I've seen in just about every other city I've been to. - Lack of social programs and policing have resulted in major arterial streets being taken over by aggressive panhandlers and drug dealers/users at night. People stay home as a result - I know many people who admit to staying home at night because of sketchy characters milling about. This adds to the desertedness, which further harms potential commercial development. Seattle as a city is perhaps 30 years behind in its civic development. Even with the new light rail system there is still no effective way for most people to get downtown - the entire city reeks of crime, poverty, and dirtiness. Walking downtown you don't get the impression of a bustling, growing city - you see a city in slow decay, desperately trying to hold onto the image of better times.

by sethg 17y ago

potatolicious 17y ago

Out here the homeless are just all over downtown. Without being a city planner I'm not really qualified to say why, but I have some pet theories: - Seattle's transit sucks. It's one of the worst in any city I've ever lived in. This plus the lack of any natural borders around the city (mountains, large bodies of water, etc) has resulted in massive suburban sprawl, leaving downtown to rot. Unlike most cities, downtown is not a hub nor a destination. - As a result of this, there's very little in the way of commercial development that you would see in most cities. Where you would see the hip shopping district in most cities, bustling with people day and night, downtown Seattle is mainly office buildings, and thus completely deserted at night. There is no such thing as the restaurant/hangout district that I've seen in just about every other city I've been to. - Lack of social programs and policing have resulted in major arterial streets being taken over by aggressive panhandlers and drug dealers/users at night. People stay home as a result - I know many people who admit to staying home at night because of sketchy characters milling about. This adds to the desertedness, which further harms potential commercial development. Seattle as a city is perhaps 30 years behind in its civic development. Even with the new light rail system there is still no effective way for most people to get downtown - the entire city reeks of crime, poverty, and dirtiness. Walking downtown you don't get the impression of a bustling, growing city - you see a city in slow decay, desperately trying to hold onto the image of better times.