What Can You Tell Me about Seattle Real Estate and Neighborhoods?
Seattle has seen many changes over the past 20 years. Being continually ranked among the top "most livable cities" has brought substantial growth to the area. New businesses have flocked here in the last 10 years so that we now have a much broader business foundation than we had as recently as 20 years ago. Our area's economy is one of the strongest in the country. We have seen a wonderful revitalization of our downtown. The baseball and football stadiums now under construction will be truly world class. Sophisticated restaurants, hotels, and shopping have made a positive mark on the city. But what hasn't changed is the absolute beauty of this region and how easy it is to live here. With all the growth and change, Seattle is still a city of wonderful neighborhoods, each with its own personality and appeal. Even a quick tour of the area reveals myriad architectural styles and diverse home values.
The predominant architecture in the Seattle area depends on when the particular neighborhood you are interested in was originally developed. In its early days, Seattle's neighborhoods moved out from the original central urban core near Elliott Bay. Residential areas spread north and south and finally east across Lake Washington to what are now Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, and Kirkland. The first "in-city" residential neighborhoods were Capitol Hill and Queen Anne. As the area grew Capitol Hill expanded south along Lake Washington to Madrona, Leshi, and the Mount Baker area. Queen Anne expanded north across the ship canal to Fremont, Ballard, Sunset Hills, Wallingford, Phinney Ridge, the University District, and Ravenna. Seattle is made up of hills, and generally the areas that supported views were the first to be built on, usually with better homes. No one is making any more view property today, so views usually add significant value to a home.
As Seattle-area natives, we know this region intimately, and obviously can't tell you everything we know here. But if you would like a brief history of Seattle's residential neighborhoods, you might want to take a quick look at the descriptions below. If you are from out of town, we would gladly send you a map. And if you want to read more about the history of Seattle, we can suggest a number of books and resources our clients have found valuable.
Queen Anne and Magnolia
Just north and west of downtown Seattle lie the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods. Queen Anne Hill was developed in the early 1900s, at about the same time as North Capitol Hill, but generally with smaller homes except for those with magnificent views. Queen Anne is renowned for its extraordinary architecture that includes many fine examples of Queen Anne, Craftsman, Bungalows, Seattle Box, and later, Colonial styles. The highest hill in Seattle, Queen Anne rises 456 feet above Elliott Bay.
Many people know Queen Anne as the home of Kerry Park, with its incredible views of the city and Puget Sound. Queen Anne offers simple pleasures such as lazy morning strolls to admire the beautiful homes and gardens, as well as sophisticated amenities like fine dinning and an exciting variety of specialty shops. In the past 30 years Queen Anne has become one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city. Queen Anne is the most centrally located neighborhood and it is literally just minutes to downtown.
Magnolia, which is west of Queen Anne, was primarily built between 1930 and 1960, giving Magnolia a very different architectural feel. Magnolia is made up of two hills. The valley in-between is called "The Village," which contains the local shops, restaurants, and grocery stores. Magnolia residents love their neighborhood, but acknowledge that a commute to the Eastside (of Lake Washington) is more difficult from Magnolia because of traffic congestion.
North Capitol Hill
Directly east of downtown Seattle is Capitol Hill. The central part of Capitol Hill is referred to as "Pill Hill" because it is dominated by medical offices and hospitals. The northern end of Capitol Hill (referred to as North Capitol Hill) contains a large commercial district of shops, banks, grocery stores, and restaurants, as well as the Seattle Community College. The residential area was primarily built in the beginning of the century and was home to many of Seattle's upper class. Consequently, the typical North Capitol Hill home is a bit larger and grander than most homes in the city. North Capitol Hill residences usually contain more detail, higher ceilings, and more formal spaces than other houses in the city. Today, most of the homes in North Capitol Hill are highly desirable. Most have undergone many remodels and updates over the years.
Madison Park
To the northeast of North Capitol Hill is Madison Park. This delightful and relatively small neighborhood on Lake Washington was originally a summer vacation area, where people had small lakeside cottages and houseboats on what is now 42nd Avenue East. When the locks were built between Lake Washington and Puget Sound the water level of the lake was lowered. Madison Park's lakeside cottages suddenly ended up a block away from the water's edge. The houseboats became cottages when they were placed on land. During the 1960s and 1970s these cottages were mostly rentals. In the 1980s they were torn down and replaced with modern, high-end homes. Madison Park is a very highly desirable area and one of the most expensive areas to buy seattle real estate. Adjacent to Madison Park is Washington Park, Denny Blaine, and the gated community of Broadmore. These communities are also particularly desirable, with fabulous mansions on the lake and wonderful views of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
Fremont/Ballard/Wallingford
On the north side of the ship canal lie three close-in neighborhoods with very different personalities and appeals. Fremont, (the Center of the Universe, as they call themselves) is an extraordinary eclectic neighborhood with shops ranging from retro-chic to commercial fishing supply. Developed long ago with modest priced home Fremont has bustling revitalized shopping and restaurant area. Wallingford, just to the east of Fremont, borders the north shore of Lake Union. Wallingford was mostly built in the teens and 20s, giving it numerous architecturally appealing homes, some with wonderful views of downtown Seattle. Wallingford is very close to the University District (University of Washington) and to downtown as well.
Ballard was originally settled by a large Scandinavian population. It is the home of Fisherman’s Terminal, and a very large commercial fishing boat wharf. Ballard is a very large area of Seattle that includes Sunset Hills, Blue Ridge, and the Loyal Heights neighborhoods. Many of homes that were built in these areas were originally of modest cost, yet generally built very well. In other parts of you will find larger homes with splendid Western Views of Puget Sound and Cascade Mountains. Ballard was developed mostly in the 20s, 30s, and 40s and the architecture reflects that era. The Ballard area has a huge shopping area and has some of the best home values in Seattle, and is only about 15-30 minutes to downtown, depending if the Ballard drawbridge is up or down.
The Eastside (Bellevue - Kirkland - Redmond - Issaquah)
The Eastside is separated from Seattle by two floating bridges, on routes I-90 and 520. Although the Eastside area has roots dating back to the 1910s and 20s, its real growth started in the 1950s. Initially, traffic between Seattle and the Eastside drove around the lake, or used ferries. Then, the world's first floating bridge was built for I-90, the major highway that runs east over the mountain passes to eastern Washington.
As the Eastside grew, it grew quickly. In the 1960s a second floating bridge was built across Lake Washington about five miles to the north of the original I-90 bridge. This bridge was intended service the North Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond corridors. In the 1970s and 80s growth on the Eastside exploded.
The Eastside has very suburban in makeup and feel. Shopping malls and planned communities of 10 to 200 homes are usual in the area and are still being developed. The architecture is typically a Northwest style: cedar shake roofs, some brick accents, and large lots. Generally, a home buyer can find more home for the money on the Eastside than in Seattle, but it does have some drawbacks, mainly traffic related -- the commute into Seattle can be very unpredictable and slow.
We specialize in our clients needs, not just one or two neighborhoods
Seattle and Bellevue hold dozens and dozens of varied neighborhoods. We have only mentioned a very few here, but we know this entire area extremely well. We delight in educating our clients about the various neighborhoods and matching the home and neighborhood to our clients' needs and desires. Once we determine our clients' price range, life style, school needs, and goals, we can then show them homes in the various neighborhoods that will match their requirements. Our broad knowledge of Seattle and Bellevue, rather than a focus on just one or two neighborhoods, allows us to be of much greater value to our clients. We have found the perfect home for our clients ranging from a studio condo in downtown Seattle to a 5 acre home secluded in Snohomish and from a 1.5 million view home on Queen Anne to a $150,000 FHA home in Mountlake Terrace. We specialize in our clients, not in just one area. However, if our clients needs require an area that we are unfamiliar with we will find them a good, qualified agent for that area for them to work with and will be there for them to consult with if necessary.
Count on Us
A small plug for our services. If you are from out of town, just looking at maps or even driving around won't give you a complete understanding of the Seattle or Eastside area neighborhood characteristics and property values. Our long-term relationship with Seattle and Bellevue (we were both raised here), makes us extremely skilled at assisting you in finding a neighborhood that truly meets your needs. It is important and highly desirable to have a complete understanding of the positives and negatives of our various neighborhoods, especially if you are moving here. Even some Seattle residents may not fully understand the area's present and potential real estate values. We do.
If you want to discuss your specifics and get a better feel of the Seattle region, just call 206-283-9100 or email David or Karen using the form below. We understand that everyone's situation is different and personal. We will provide you with all the information you'll need to make smart, well-informed decisions.
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among just 7% of agents in the Greater Seattle Area
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