Best of the Rest Neighborhoods

Best Affordable View
Upper Rainier Beach and Beacon Hill

As you drive along the spine of Waters Avenue S in upper Rainier Beach (the southernmost neighborhood in the city), Lake Washington unfolds at your feet and the Cascades loom icily in the distance. You won’t find Laurelhurst-sized mansions here, but that’s the point; this is a spot where you can grab an iconoclastic Northwest view for well under $1 million. “You can still get [a view] for $500,000, for sure,” says Fionnuala O’Sullivan, an agent with Gerrard, Beattie and Knapp Realtors. Houses average 2,400 square feet or so, she says. Nearby Beacon Hill likewise offers some still-affordable views east and west, toward the Olympics or the lake and the Cascades, says Uyeji. Beacon Hill houses are likely to average around 2,000 square feet, says O’Sullivan—though obviously with a wide range on either side of that figure.


Best Affordable Waterfront
Bremerton

In this Navy town, it’s possible to buy not just a view of the water, but even a place on saltwater, according to Windermere agent Rod Blackburn. “For about $500,000…I know of a fabulous waterfront house, brand new, with a view of the Olympics and the Port Washington Narrows,” Blackburn says, adding that this is not an isolated home—there are other waterfront homes around Bremerton in this price range.

Best for Duel Commuters
Mercer Island, Tukwila

It’s a Hobson’s choice for many duel-career couples: Who gets the commute and who gets to be close to the workplace? Well, depending on where each half works, a number of neighborhoods can work strategically for duel commuters (although no tactic will work to cure all of the Puget Sound area’s transportation woes!). For a couple with a downtown Seattle/downtown Bellevue commute scenario, Mercer Island—for those who can afford its high prices—is a plush choice with easy access to both via I-90.
If one half is headed south (think Federal Way, Tacoma or Puyallup) and the other half is headed east or north (Bellevue, Kirkland, North Seattle, Everett), one word, and don’t laugh: Tukwila. Smack at the intersection of I-5 and I-405, its location couldn’t be better. Affordable subdivisions are another attraction—though residents have to battle the crowds drawn to the huge amount of retail that has long been this town’s calling card.

Best for Dog Lovers
Capitol Hill, Belltown and Mercer Island

Woof. It’s not about just you; it’s also about Spike, your golden retriever. The urban enclaves of Capitol Hill and Belltown offer plenty of housing for you and lots of dog-friendly amenities for Spike. More than one pooch has been spotted inside Belltown’s Uptown Espresso, and some of the new condo buildings, like the Cristalla, have pet-exercise areas. Pet services—including stores selling supplies and treats, dog lounges/doggy day cares and walking services—are readily available, as are some off-leash parks like the Regrade Dog Park at 2251 Third Ave. for the smaller breeds among us. And for pets that need pampering, The Downtown Dog Lounge, with locations in Belltown and on Capitol Hill, offers herbal ear washes, poultry-flavored tooth brushing and “paw-dicures.”
Dogs who want more space to roam will find a nice home on Mercer Island (and you will too!); dogs and people will enjoy a housing stock that usually features large yards and sometime, waterfront access. Several vets will support your pet’s health care, including HomePetVet, which makes house calls. Leafy parks, streets that beckon for long walks and a dog park at Luther Burbank Park are proof positive that Mercer Island is pet friendly.

Best for Public Transit
Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill

Light rail, which debuts next year, is the bright spot in our region’s transportation system—and for real estate in some neighborhoods. Among those that will benefit are several in Rainier Valley, especially Columbia City, Mount Baker and Rainier Beach. Real estate pros say they’re already seeing considerable interest in Rainier Valley properties from buyers, and expect prices to rise on properties with good proximity to light rail. Another bonus: Rainier Beach and Mount Baker are already served by decent bus service on Rainier Avenue S, and have good freeway access to I-90 and I-5.
Beacon Hill, which already has excellent freeway and surface-street access to downtown Seattle, also promises to become a great location with the opening of light rail. Commuters will have a station on Beacon Avenue S between 16th Avenue S and S McClellan Street. The 15.7 miles of track, with nine new stations (and four renovated stations in the downtown transit tunnel)—goes south, from downtown to Sea-Tac. Home seekers in this neighborhood may find a view house on a golf course—with great proximity to rail, says agent Ken Nicholas of John L. Scott Real Estate, who recently previewed such a property. “It had an incredible panorama of Lake Washington and Bellevue. And you could just drop right down to the light rail station. It was only $500,000, and it backed right up to the golf course.” Don’t expect that kind of affordability once the train starts running, Nicholas says.

Best Neighborhood for Midcentury Homes
Hilltop

You may have grown up in one of these: a midcentury modern home. Today, they’re a much-sought-after style, and Hilltop, a little-known neighborhood surrounded by Bellevue (in unincorporated King County), offers 40 homes that comprise the single most significant collection of original midcentury modern homes in the region, says Richard Corff, an agent with 360° Modern, a local real estate consortium dedicated to modern homes. The 63-acre neighborhood near Eastgate is on a hill at about 1,000 feet, with each home on an approximately 1-acre lot.

These homes provide an amazing glimpse of the power of midcentury modern as conceived by some of the Northwest’s greatest practitioners of the style. Interior spaces flow into one another, and each house is designed for its site, to maximize views and preserve open space. With a greenbelt surrounding it, and crisscrossed by trails, Hilltop also has a 3-acre park at its center. It was conceived and built around 1947, says Corff, who lives in Hilltop. “Things were really exciting then. …[Architects] Fred Bassetti, Jack Morse, Wendell Lovett and Perry Johanson, these guys came together—they were part of the arts community from the UW—and wanted to create an ideal community. They wanted to build a community that was not speculative but holistic from the onset, built around the concept of the [nuclear] family.”

That sense of community and family continues to this day, Corff says. Community potlucks are a feature at the park every Friday night in summer and, he adds, “We have our own budget, community lands and a social committee that puts on functions.”
So much architectural history and community comes at a price. “One [house] just sold in the late fall, not in great shape, for just short of a million bucks. That’s pretty much the basement,” Corff says.

Homes don’t come up for sale too often, he says, and likely go for as much as $2.5 million. Some are in original condition, while others have been extensively remodeled and landscaped, Corff says.


Best Neighborhood When Price Is No Object
Mercer Island, Clyde Hill, Broadmoor, Montlake

A really big gorgeous house, great parks, lake access, walking to wonderful shops—ahh, the Northwest good life. It’s all for the taking in several neighborhoods, if you have the big bucks to buy there.

On Mercer Island, lovely houses nestle among mature trees, and lake views are everywhere. Schools routinely claim some of the state’s best test scores: At the high school level, 94 percent met standards on the WASL in reading, 95 percent in writing and 85 percent in math in 2007. Its address is good enough for Microsoft billionaire and philanthropist Paul Allen to call it home. A spruced-up business district offers coffee shops, restaurants and services, along with increasing numbers of condos and apartments. Miles of biking and walking trails lace the island. Housing varies from multimillion-dollar waterfront palaces to modest—but still pricey—ranch homes.

Similarly, Clyde Hill on the Eastside offers huge houses with stunning vistas, and convenience. “It’s close to shopping. …There are good [public] elementaries,” says Windermere agent Rondi Egenes of this small city that lies next to Bellevue. Along with plentiful shopping in downtown Bellevue, residents also have easy access to Seattle via the nearby 520 bridge.

In Seattle, Broadmoor—off E Madison Street to the east of the Arboretum—is a guarded and gated, cozy, wealthy enclave. A private golf course, large lots and fantastic walkability to both shops and restaurants in hip Madison Valley, and the more old-money Madison Park are catnip to many families. “One of the things people do like is the community feeling that comes from living there,” says Windermere agent Mary Snyder. “Parents feel they can send the kids over to the neighbor’s house without overseeing them all the time.”
Sought-after Montlake offers quiet, charming streets lined with vintage, well-kept Craftsman homes (some quite large), some with views of the Montlake Cut, and walking access to coffee shops and other businesses. Great access to the UW, the 520 bridge and a straight shot downtown add to its allure.

Best Suburban Living in the City
Magnolia and Blue Ridge

Families that crave city life, but also want the predictability, safety and quiet of a suburban neighborhood—along with big expanses of lawn—can find it all in Magnolia. Homes near the bluff, overlooking Puget Sound, are located on quiet streets with incredible sunsets and established gardens. A thriving business core has restaurants, espresso and shops—Magnolia’s Bookstore, Dish It Up kitchen shop, Magnolia Garden Center—and the usual services. Pedestrians keep up a steady parade along Magnolia Boulevard with its majestic Puget Sound views, and people from all over town come to explore Discovery Park. The wide variety of housing includes traditional styles on the west side, with mansions sprinkled in the mix.

Wander into the Blue Ridge neighborhood, and you may feel like you’ve been transported to the Eastside, save this neighborhood’s stunning Elliott Bay views. Streets curve subdivision-fashion along a hillside, some with fine midcentury homes, mellow brick styles and more modern dwellings. (Do look for the five gorgeous 1930s brick homes originally built for Boeing executives in the south part of the neighborhood.) Plant lovers, take note: Next door is the outstanding and extensive Swanson’s Nursery, where enormous greenhouses mean you can stay dry any day of the year while shopping there.


Best for Techsters
Redmond, Fremont

Say the name Redmond and most people quickly think “Microsoft,” the city’s dominant employer. Techsters flock to this city—whether working for Microsoft or another tech business. Neighborhoods around Redmond’s downtown— consisting mostly of late-model apartments and condos—are popular with the high-tech workers in their 20s to 30s, real estate agents say. Desirable properties include those located near the Sammamish River Trail. Techies can shop at Redmond Town Center, where a Saturday farmers’ market is one of the Eastside’s best.Fremont is becoming the lively, funky soul of high tech in Seattle. Google’s new canal-side office joins Adobe Systems along with a host of other such firms. How well does tech mix with funk? Some chains have infiltrated the neighborhood (Baja Fresh, Peet’s Coffee), but restaurants like the venerable Costas Opa Greek Restaurant and 35th Street Bistro are hanging on. Shops line the streets, and PCC Market—offering organic choices long before it was chic—has a strong presence. Nationally known Theo Chocolate is a popular newcomer, offering one of the yummiest factory tours in town. Homes range from the ubiquitous new Craftsman-style townhouse to nice, old genuine Craftsman homes, along with post-WWII small, plain houses and ’50s apartment buildings.

Melting-pot Neighborhoods
Rainier Valley (including Columbia City, Hillman City, Rainier Beach and Mount Baker) and Crossroads in Bellevue

Ethiopian food, Vietnamese grocery stores, beauty salons specializing in hair braiding: Rainier Valley, from Mount Baker to Rainier Beach, is Seattle’s melting pot. At one public elementary school, Graham Hill, 13 different languages are spoken by the diverse student body. Three synagogues are within blocks of the school. If you want a neighborhood that represents a genuine slice of the larger world, this is the place to call home.

And increasingly, cultural diversity is what buyers want, says Krigsman. “It’s a desirable feature.” There are plenty of resources here. The Rainier Beach Community Center offers a popular swimming pool with an abundance of swim-lesson and swim-team options, as well as a variety of classes, including yoga and cardio. Meanwhile, Columbia City to the north is well known for its eclectic mix of cuisine, from barbecue to Sicilian to Mexican. Lola’s South City Bakery, in nearby Hillman City, is garnering much appreciation for its vegetarian offerings.

Across the lake, in Bellevue’s Crossroads neighborhood, Russian immigrants bump up against Hispanics who cross paths with immigrants from Asia. At the nearby Lake Hills Elementary School, 39 languages are spoken. You’ll hear some of those languages at Crossroads Mall, the heart of this neighborhood. Along with socializing, residents come here for the multinational cuisine: The mall has a mix of independent Mexican, Japanese, Russian, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Italian and Vietnamese restaurants. Yum. There is single-family housing in the area, but also an abundance of condominiums, townhouses and apartments; the latter comprise 73 percent of the housing in the area, according to the City of Bellevue.

Family Friendly
Madrona

Welcome to the Peaceable Kingdom, a neighborhood loaded with more family-friendly amenities than you can shake a Maclaren stroller at. Here, the heart of the kid zone is the small but nicely accessorized Madrona Park, with an excellent playground that includes zones for both small and smaller kids, enough grass to run around on and kick a soccer ball, and a basketball court for the bigger kids. A charming field house with a fireplace is available for birthday parties, and smack across the street is Cupcake Royale, where parents can grab a double tall and kids can find some of the city’s finest sugar bombs.
But the neighborhood infrastructure offers even more for kids, including the very family-friendly Madrona Eatery and Ale House, where toddlers can run around a play area kitted out with toys while mom and dad sip a cool one. The family-supportive vibe extends to cyberspace, where the 1,400-member Madrona Mom list serv—“an informal, fun-loving community group” that aims “to make Madrona feel like a small town”—helps bind neighborhood families with everything from tips on fun activities to good deals on baby gear and a zillion other topics in between.


Best for Mall Shopping
Downtown Bellevue

If you crave top-of-the-line luxury, you may be interested in downtown Bellevue’s Bravern—a mixed-use complex scheduled to open next year on NE Eighth Street near I-405. Along with condos ranging from $400,000 to more than $5 million, shopping will be the attraction here, with the only Neiman Marcus department store in the Northwest and a Jimmy Choo shoe boutique. Restaurants that have lined up to open in the complex include an outpost of Seattle’s Wild Ginger. The Bravern will provide competition for that other big shopping complex just down the street. Star of The Collection—at the intersection of NE Eighth and Bellevue Way—is still Bellevue Square with its too-many-to-count shops, but it’s connected via skybridge to Lincoln Square, which is connected via yet another skybridge to Bellevue Place. All offer some retail, as well as restaurant and entertainment features. You can live within walking distance to all the shops, thanks to the explosion of condos recently completed or under construction in downtown Bellevue. In addition to the anticipated Bravern, condos near shopping include those in One Lincoln Tower ($700,000–$1.75 million), with a 24-hour concierge, health club, valet and hotel services and entertainment rooms); and the two-tower Washington Square ($450,000–$1 million), which boasts an athletic club and health spa, restaurant, room service, limo service, and meeting and events center.

Best for the Eclectic Shopper
West Seattle, Ballard

For a more organic neighborhood shopping experience, it’s hard to beat the West Seattle shops in and around The Junction—where California Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street intersect. Longtime favorite Capers—offering gifts and home accessories—has been joined by newer shops like Clementine (with chic shoes), Georgia Blu (children’s clothing) and Swee Swee Paperie (paper products). The gourmet Metropolitan Market is a major anchor for the neighborhood, with its über cheese counter, extensive take-out and perfect produce. “Go to The Junction now on Friday and Saturday nights and you’ll have a tough time finding a parking spot,” says John L. Scott Real Estate agent Greg Singleton. “There’s a lot of activity, increased folks in the neighborhood utilizing all these close-in shops.”

In Ballard, hipsters head to the ever-multiplying trendy shops (and restaurants!) along Ballard Avenue—from Clover Toys for youngsters, to the stylish Greener Lifestyles full of eco-friendly household, contemporary furniture at Camelion Design and vintage clothing at 20twenty. The retail explosion here hasn’t missed Market Street either, where shops such as Market Street Shoes and La Tienda Folk Art have a solid following.

Best for the Artist
Georgetown

There’s probably no better spot to be a studio artist than warehouse-laced Georgetown, where you can mingle with fellow artists and sip cheap beer at the pretension-free Nine Pound Hammer. Check out the art in the neighborhood during its monthly art walk, held on the second Saturday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.

Best for Literary Types
Bainbridge Island

Maybe it’s something in the water—or maybe it’s being surrounded by water. For whatever reason, Bainbridge Island attracts more than its share of writers. Novelist David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars) makes his home here, as does writer Kathleen Alcalá. Poets Linda Bierds, John Wilson and Jack Prelutsky likewise call Bainbridge home. Field’s End, a writer’s community, might be part of the reason why the island spawns so much good writing. The program offers writer’s roundtables, classes and workshops for the developing or experienced writer. And when it’s time to sell some of those books, the island’s Eagle Harbor Book Company is ready.


Neighborhoods for the Arts Lover
Downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill

Patrons of the arts, especially those fond of the established cultural venues in Seattle, will be hard pressed to find a more convenient location than downtown Seattle. Never miss an exhibit or lecture at the Seattle Art Museum, walk through Olympic Sculpture Park in all seasons, or grab a seat at the Seattle Symphony with no worries about traffic or parking.
For a cutting-edge arts scene, Capitol Hill’s Pike-Pine corridor offers new galleries, including the innovative Grey Gallery and Lounge (combining, yes, art gallery and a bar) and the Vermillion gallery. The community is also home to the Capitol Hill Arts Center, Northwest Film Forum and the indie-oriented Balagan Theatre. There’s so much happening here that the Seattle City Council is considering a proposal to make this neighborhood the city’s first cultural overlay district, a land-use designation that allows cities to promote and preserve the arts in neighborhoods through tax credits and other incentives (a decision is expected by September). The designation could also mean design guidelines that help preserve cultural spaces, such as theaters.

Best for Foodies
Ballard, Old Main Bellevue

Seattle is flush with creative chefs and neighborhood restaurants serving exquisite interpretations of many cuisines, often with locally sourced ingredients. So where should a serious foodie go? While there are many choices, Ballard’s got the whole package—great restaurants, plus other amenities for the foodie. The restaurant list here is deep and diverse: Copper Gate, with a Scandinavian influence; Ocho, a tapas joint; King’s Hardware, with burgers and more; delectable Italian at Volterra; drinks, steak and more at BalMar; and mojitos and fried plantains at La Isla—and that’s just scratching the surface. Get to the roots of the neighborhood with some fabulous homemade herring—is that a hint of clove?—from Olsen’s Scandinavian Foods, which also stocks liver pâté, rye crackers and several types of handmade lingonberry sauces. One of the city’s best farmers’ markets attracts buyers year-round; renown chef Kathy Casey has her food studio here; and specialty food outlets include Great Harvest Bread Co. (try the Dakota bread), Cupcake Royale and Market Street Wine and Cheese.It’s a short stretch—but in a town where chain restaurants still dominate, the two blocks of Old Main Street in Bellevue are a culinary treasure. The street is packed with locally owned restaurants, including Gilbert’s on Main, Bis on Main, Salute of Bellevue, La Cocina del Puerco and 520 Bar & Grill. Add to the mix Belle Pastry, a French bakery with authentically shattering croissants and lovely desserts; a chocolate shop—Amore Chocolates—and ZiZo Market specializing in Greek and Mediterranean foods. While the much lauded Porcella Urban Market recently closed, it’s still tough to walk down this street without getting an aromatic whiff of something cooking in a nearby kitchen. More mixed-use buildings are on the way—who knows what additions they’ll bring to this stretch?

Best Up-and-Coming Foodie Neighborhood
Wallingford

Wallingford has always had many restaurants of all stripes. In recent years, you can add very good restaurants to that neighborhood description, with the arrival of Maria Hines’ Tilth, named earlier this year by The New York Times as one of the top 10 restaurants in the country. Add to the mix the crosscultural fusion of the recently opened Joule (how about cassoulet anointed with miso and black truffle oil?), highly regarded May with authentic Thai cuisine and the always-packed Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria. Locals can visit Bottleworks for the best in beers from around the world—including lovely Belgian brands—and get nearly every fine pantry staple necessary at Bella Cosa Foods. Need to scratch your sweet spot? Hit Chocolati Handmade Chocolates.
We do sense a boom coming. But lest you think it’s too upscale, there’s a branch of the old-Seattle burger favorite, Dick’s, here, too. Food in all its natural glory is also at the heart of Seattle Tilth, a longtime gardening organization that teaches students how to grow veggies in healthy soil, tend chickens and otherwise bring the farm to the city. Can’t grow it yourself? A great farmers’ market is also here in season.


Best for the Urban (and Suburban) Athlete
Green Lake, Redmond

What the Central Park reservoir is to New York City, Green Lake is to Seattle. Power walk, run or Rollerblade along its asphalt path. Take a class at the rowing center maintained by Seattle Parks and Recreation, or a swim in the pool near its shores. Nearby are a host of yoga studios and athletic stores like Super Jock ’n Jill. You’ll be in great shape in no time.

Redmond is a draw for the athletically inclined, at least in part thanks to Marymoor Park on the north end of Lake Sammamish. It’s got the usual soccer fields, ball fields and lighted tennis courts, but also includes a climbing wall and the Velodrome, an oval bicycle track for racing. Several trails—popular with cyclists and walkers—connect the park to the Sammamish River and the Bridle Crest trails. Gear up at nearby REI at Redmond Town Center, where customers can try their climbing skills on an indoor rock wall.

Best for Being Near Nature
Issaquah

If the woods are what you want, Issaquah’s 640-acre Talus development, which welcomed its first resident in 2001, may be what you’re looking for. Houses, townhomes and apartments are carefully kept to one-quarter of the acreage. The remainder of the land is natural space and includes a link to the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Trails lead straight from Talus to the Issaquah Alps, which themselves claim 200 miles of trails and with lots of wildlife, including deer, eagles—and the occasional bear. Nearby, the 1,343-acre Snoqualmie Ridge master planned development has closely spaced houses, condominiums and apartments, in addition to miles of trail to traverse, along with easy, quick access to great Cascade hiking in the summer, and cross-country or downhill skiing in the winter.

Best for Horse Owners
Redmond, Woodinville

Maple Valley and Enumclaw have long drawn the horse crowd. But horse owners have reason to gallop to the Eastside, where they’ll find King County’s new Kathryn Taylor Equestrian Park in Redmond’s Trilogy neighborhood. Taylor, who passed away in 2002, was a longtime horse lover and activist who long worked for creation of the park. It includes a parking lot to accommodate trailers, a fenced holding area and arena. A trail is planned to connect the park with the nearby Tolt Pipeline Trail.
Woodinville also salutes the horse, with facilities like Woodinville Stables, where you can learn all things equestrian; and Hilltop Stables, with dressage and jumping. Horse owner and Windermere agent Maria Danieli specializes in equestrian properties in the area, which she says come in all sizes and price ranges. “There’s a variety—old ’70s ramblers, midcenturies…new houses,” Danieli says. “There’s still [horse properties] out for there for $500,000.” Of course, those prices can go as high as $3 million and beyond for large, luxury horse estates with top facilities, she says.

Best for Garden Lovers
Denny Blaine

Nestled along the shores of Lake Washington between Madrona and Madison Valley, homes in the Denny Blaine neighborhood feature inventive gardens that would look at home on the pages of a high-end gardening magazine. Garden lovers will find the price of real estate dear here, but the tradeoff is inspiration at every turn. Nearby, Washington specimens and supplies are readily available at City People’s Garden Store in Madison Valley. Take them home and revel in your peaceful oasis.