Top neighborhoods in Seattle (Bellevue, Redmond: cheap apartments, crime, houses)

[travelgirl1983]

I want to learn more about Seattle because it's such an interesting city.

In your opinion please list your top 3-5 favorite neighborhoods and explain why.

[amaiunmei]

By what standard? For whom are we referencing? The answers depend heavily on the context.

[travelgirl1983]

Originally Posted by amaiunmei

By what standard? For whom are we referencing? The answers depend heavily on the context.

This is why I stated "in your opinion". What are YOUR favorite 3-5 neighborhoods in Seattle and why?

[angelenogirl]

I'm new here, but this is how I feel right this second:

West Seattle: Just feels like a really happy place. Makes me want to put a skirt on. It's bright, the people are friendly and out walking around, lots to do. Incredible views! We like it so much we may buy a house there. It's like an odd but irresistible mix of Santa Monica and Cape Cod, which may make it uniquely Seattle!

Ravenna: Great location. Convenient to everything in Seattle. U Village is wonderful, but there are still some quaint little shops and restaurants. Great schools - from elementary to UW! Youthful population in really old houses. Feels like the east coast in the very best way.

Kirkland/Juanita: Man, I love it over there. It doesn't feel stuffy or manufactured to me, which is how I feel in Bellevue and Redmond. Access to everything you need, great biking and walking by the water. Quiet. Gorgeous homes with bigger lots. Laid back (but older) vibe. It feels like a younger Edmonds to me, which is a place I also love.

But if I had a few million I'd probably buy a house in Laurelhurst. :-)

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by travelgirl1983

This is why I stated "in your opinion". What are YOUR favorite 3-5 neighborhoods in Seattle and why?

Nice retort. Thus, my "opinion"

Seattle:

Madrona: Gorgeous homes, close to Lake Washington, quiet and residential with access to both recreation and suburban sort-of living.
Belltown: vibrant downtown living, if you're into that (younger crowd, presumably).

Eastside:

Kirkland: access to most everything (more Eastside than Seattle, but the latter isn't terribly far away), nice-to-gorgeous neighborhoods, Lake WA access and a nifty little "downtown." Good mix of old and new.
Bellevue: vibrant economics, a bit nouveau riche but modern and generally well-done.

South:

Mercer Island, north end: quiet, restful, great for families. Access to everything, though rather disquietingly dependent upon one way in, one way out (major corridor: I-90).

[mkarch]

Capitol Hill is the most city-like experience (aside from Belltown which is gross)

Ballard is great - once you're here, you rarely need to leave. Which is probably why I can't think of a solid third pick, so...

Maybe South Lake Union or Georgetown? Interesting places, SLU is all brand new while Georgetown is a lower cost area that has gentrified quite a bit.

One of the best things Seattle did was emphasize the urban village concept over the last decade+. Most areas have one, so wherever you're at there is often a cool little neighborhood. Ballard happens to be the one that got a lot of investment lately. Nearby Greenwood seems to be benefiting a lot from the Ballard overflow as people find Ballard too expensive. Greenwood is still relatively undeveloped, but it finally feels like it's turning up (finally?). Parts of it are still really junky and full of cheap apartments, but it's close to a number of older neighborhoods with very nice homes like Blue Ridge, North Beach and Broadview.

[Ira500]

West Seattle: Just feels like a really happy place. Makes me want to put a skirt on
Me too. Thank God I've got enough self control to keep the pants on and the skirt off
My favorite Seattle neighborhoods?
Capitol Hill: Not the SW part, the Pike/Pine corridor or Broadway, but rather north Capitol Hill, north of Mercer, between around 16th and 22nd. Gorgeous houses and views.
West Seattle: Lots of great neighborhoods there, including the Admiral District, Alaska Junction, and Alki.
Mount Baker: Some absoutely gorgeous houses with lake and mountain views.
Phinney Ridge: A classic Seattle neighborhood with old Craftsman homes, great places to drink beer or take a permaculture class.
Madison Park: Feels like a different world, a little bit of an upscale California beach town feel.

[west seattle gal]

West Seattle is my favorite. Great place for families. Feels like a small town in a big city, and I run into people I know at the grocery store, library, a restaurant, etc.. every week. Very easy drive to downtown. Fantastic views from the entire peninsula, very hilly, and many of us have spectacular views from our own homes. 3 incredible parks with wooded nature trails. Countless playgrounds. Beaches. Coffee shops and culture. Cute downtown. Walkable. And, our own active community blog (link below, search for photos; though each and every crime is reported on the blog, we really are a safe community filled with kids). Our own dog park. We see whales from our porches. Nature abounds. One side to the other is just 3 miles away, everything is accessible. No traffic.

Blog:
West Seattle Blog…

[spotown11]

My top 3 would be

Capitol Hill: Very cool urban area, with a great park (Volunteer) and lots of cool bars and restaurants. Within walking distance of downtown core.

Ballard: Cheaper and more liveable than Capitol Hill, especially if you are 30+. But still urban, expensive, and full of fun things to do.

West Seattle: What West Seattle Gal said, though I have never lived there so I don't know if it is as small feeling as she says. Plus there is really good food there, especially on California Avenue and White Center.

runner up: Wallingford. Nice, liveable area, close to alot of other areas as well as Gas Works park. But traffic is terrible on the main streets.

[west seattle gal]

It does have a small town feeling, lots of us in WS notice this. In my personal experience, I am comparing it to the other neighborhoods in which I have lived -- Fremont/Phinney Ridge border (we hung out in both neighborhoods a lot via walking, but would often drive into Ballard), Ravenna/U district, and Meadowbrook. All Seattle neighborhoods are charming in their own way, but WS has a special feeling of neighborhood identity among the inhabitants because of the geographical separation.