Insight on Wedgwood, Bitterlake, Broadview, Ballard, North of DT Seattle?? (for sale, real estate market)

[blackfords]

Hi all! Just wanted to get some insight about the area a little north of downtown Seattle. I've seen some artsy houses that I love under 600K(of course pictures don't really show everything). Are the public schools in that area that bad? I know they don't compare to the Eastside, but how are the private schools in the area? Are they ridiculously expensive? I have a 4 year old and 3 year old so schooling would be important.

Also would like a diverse community that is relatively safe.

These are the specific areas I've tagged.
Wedgwood
Bitterlake
Pinehurst
Queen Anne
Magnolia
Haller Lake
Olympic Hills
Maple Leaf

Thanks for your input and sorry for the broad area range!

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by blackfords

Hi all! Just wanted to get some insight about the area a little north of downtown Seattle. I've seen some artsy houses that I love under 600K(of course pictures don't really show everything). Are the public schools in that area that bad? I know they don't compare to the Eastside, but how are the private schools in the area? Are they ridiculously expensive? I have a 4 year old and 3 year old so schooling would be important.

Also would like a diverse community that is relatively safe.

These are the specific areas I've tagged.
Wedgwood
Bitterlake
Pinehurst
Queen Anne
Magnolia
Haller Lake
Olympic Hills
Maple Leaf

Thanks for your input and sorry for the broad area range!

I live in Wedgwood and it is a GREAT community for families. Frankly, I am not so happy living in Seattle (because of weather and cost of living) but Wedgwood is a great place to be if you have kids. They are everywhere here.

We are close to Viewridge park, Annies Playground at Meadowbrook, and the new park at Robert Dahl Feild. Most of the lots here are quite large compared to the rest of Seattle so you get a bigger yard. We have a small business district that is walkable. While we have some property crime here because of our close proximity to Lake City way, violent crime is not typical.

Because most of the area is zoned for single family homes, Wedgwood Elementary, the area's reference school has very little turnover in students during the year. It also has one of the lowest levels of students eligible for free lunch. Now before everybody starts attacking me, let me explain. The school ranks very high in terms of test scores and everyone thinks it's because it provides an outstanding education. I argue that anywhere there is a higher concentration of wealthier families, you get higher test scores. Let's face it, poverty sucks for everyone and kids that have parents that are struggling to get by have a tougher time in school because often their parents are too stressed out to help them with homework. I know, because I grew up poor, so there!

Alright, back to my review of Wedgwood. Kids everywhere, larger yards and lower prices than Queen Anne and Magnolia. I'd pick it (and did) over the other neighborhoods that are listed.

[blackfords]

Thanks for the review. Glad to hear that the area is filled with kids and parks. I definitely need a yard as I have a dog too.

[Ira500]

Wedgewood is also not too far from the fabulous and large Magnuson Park Off leash dog area, which includes a doggy swimming beach...

[blackfords]

Yeah! My dog loves the beach!!

[Jennibc]

Jeez, how could I forget Magnuson Park?!?!?! Yes, we are just a couple of miles from Magnuson which runs along Lake Washington. It has a great beach for the kiddies too as does Matthews Beach which is only about a mile from my home. Additionally, you can park at Matthews and take your bike or roller blades onto the Burke Gilman trail.

Living in Wedgwood puts you just three miles north of the University of Washington - a beautiful campus to explore with several museums open to the public. The 65 (I think that's the bus line number) can get you to the U-district in under 15 minutes. It's also close to U Village - if you are fond of shopping.

So yah, if you have a couple of kids and around 600K to spend, Wedgwood would be a great neighborhood. You can actually get something decent here in that price range. By decent, I mean move in ready (the 2600 square foot newer construction is going to run you in the 800s.)

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by blackfords

but how are the private schools in the area? Are they ridiculously expensive?

Well, there are a couple of catholic schools that are reasonably priced but I don't know about the quality. The private, non religious schools in the area are more expensive than undergraduate tuition at the UW AND they are super competitive. We have friends who've gone through the application and interview process which appears to be similar to the process for applying to an Ivy league university. After hundreds of dollars in application fees they weren't able to get their kid into any of them. I was horrified at what they had to go through.

If your kid can score in the top 2% of a standardized test like the WISC or the Stanford Binet, the Seattle school district has its APP program at Lowell Elementary on Capital hill. You can live ANYWHERE in Seattle and be eligible for that program.

[blackfords]

Wow,..I can't believe the evaluation for the kids these days to private school. I would rather put my kids through public.

Wedgwood really sounds like a great place! I will definitely keep it in mind if we really decide to move. Are there bad areas of Wedgwood?

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by blackfords

Are there bad areas of Wedgwood?

Not really, it's only a 20 by 20 block neighborhood in the city about seven miles north of downtown. Obviously, it would be better not to buy on an arterial.

In fact there is a house, that someone bought to flip on 95th, it appears they put tons of money into it and it has been sitting for sale for at least six months. I don't think it helps that it is right across the street from Ryther Child Center (an institution for severely troubled children). While that one has been sitting for months, about a month ago, a house down the street from me went on the market for $525K and less than a week later had a sold sign put up. Even in this "depressed" real estate market houses in this area THAT ARE NOT ON ARTERIALS are selling in under two weeks. So for resale, probably better to stay away from the arterials.

[sean98125]

I agree with Wedgwood. Good schools, great neighborhood, good parks, reasonably easy access to the freeway.

Magnolia is nice, but I haven't looked at the schools out there. It is a little farther from the freeway and you pretty much have to add 20 minutes to any trip you take via I-5.

Pinehurst is a nice enough neighborhood, but the schools are not that great.

Maple Leaf is a great area as well, and the local school is good. Maple Leaf has very easy access to the freeway and the park and ride at Northgate, which makes for a easy commute downtown or to the eastside.

Haller Lake and Bitter Lake also have local schools that aren't that great. Same with Olympic Hills.