20 something moving to Seattle seeking nature and close city proximity

i'm in my 20s, in the art world, and planning a move to seattle from nyc. my dream would be to rent an apartment in an area that feels safe, neighborhood-oriented, have access to nature and parks, and somewhere where i could have a dog and garden. i want to be able to get downtown in a timely manner for rehearsals in the evenings, and be able to drive to camping and hiking destinations within 20-40 minutes on the weekends.