The thing with the needles is crazy scary - I keep seeing them a lot recently when in Seattle, not only downtown.

Just the other day I visited Capitol Hill around 15th Avenue and an entire park is full of tents, and a person defecated in an alley by Kaiser Permanente in broad daylight. Reminded me of Tenderloin district...

Feels like the city is going downhill - especially if you have family I'd stay away