Is this is a decent area to rent at an Airbnb, or does it have a high crime rate, as I've heard from a couple of people? Thanks for any opinions.

Yes, this is for a first visit to the Seattle area. After booking for a stay, my friend has heard not so good reports about the area. I think they wanted to avoid high hotel rates downtown. Thanks for your reply.

If your trip is in summertime, you might find an Airbnb near UWashington.

Burien is definitely an up and coming location; its "old town" is full of trendy cafes and hip bars - really a nice area. For a visitor wanting to experience Seattle, however, I'd probably find it a bit inconvenient; you'd be spending a lot of time on buses or the light rail, or if you have a car (which might be sensible in an Airbnb situation) you'd be fighting a lot of traffic. As far as crime goes, it's not especially a hot spot, but as with all urban areas one needs to exercise caution if you're out late at night on foot, etc. Certainly I wouldn't let fear of crime be a deterrent from staying in Burien.

If you would care to share more about your timing and how long you plan to be around, we can be a lot more helpful.

Yeah, how come Burien doesn't have a tourism bureau anyway??

Burien isn't convenient for tourists who want to visit Seattle. It's about location not crime. You could make it work but it would be a daily "commute" to get into the city.

suze, gardyloo & everyone replying ... Thanks so much. My friend chose Burien, she says, because they want to visit Vancouver, and maybe the National Parks as well as see some of Seattle. The Airbnb is reasonable, a bus stop into Seattle is a block away, and she will stay with her decision. Again, thanks.

How are they going to get to "National Parks"? You really need a car for that.

Vancouver Washington or Vancouver BC Canada??

Suze, they will have a rental car. And Vancouver, Canada, maybe stay overnight there.

Oh OK, since you mentioned the Burien bus stop I thought they were using public transportation.

They will use the bus for traveling to Seattle so they don't have to worry about parking a car, use the car for the other trips. . Happy 4th!