Best Neighborhoods 2009: Look-alike Hoods

Yes, we know. Despite interest rates at near-historic lows and a big reduction in housing prices in the past year, we get that it’s still really expensive to buy almost any kind of house in Seattle. But if you’re willing to leave Seattle for a nearby city (say Everett or Tacoma), you may just find a neighborhood that offers many of the features—whether it’s charming period architecture or an artsy, funky vibe—found in Seattle’s more desirable enclaves.

If you love: Queen Anne, with its Victorian charmers, perfectly restored bungalows, strong sense of place, and fantastic views and local shops
Look at: North Tacoma
What you’ll find: Gorgeously restored mansions and Craftsman-style charmers with lovely gardens, often paired with killer views of Commencement Bay. It’s easy to drop down from the neighborhood’s winding streets to the Old Town neighborhood adjacent to the waterfront, where locals love the beer-batter-dipped fish and chips and great sandwiches at the venerable Spar restaurant.

If you love: Fremont, with its bungalows, funky rep, eclectic mix of restaurants and shops, and student vibe (thanks to nearby Seattle Pacific University)
Look at: Tacoma’s Proctor
neighborhood
What you’ll find: Block after block of great bungalows and Craftsman homes that anchor quiet streets in one of Tacoma’s oldest areas, within blocks of the green campus of the University of Puget Sound. The business district may be smaller than Fremont’s, but Pour at Four wine bar, The Old House Mercantile Company and Culpepper Books, among many shops and restaurants, will give you plenty of excuses for whiling away a weekend afternoon. Former Tacoma Mayor Karen Vialle comments: “I grew up in the Proctor neighborhood. It was and is now again the most vibrant of the neighborhood business districts.”