Good Schools, Nice Parks, Bike Trails........... (Seattle, Mercer Island: home, food, island)

[Ira500]

There was a series about local neighborhoods in the P-I a few years ago:

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Webtowns - Your guide to neighborhoods around Puget Sound

[cabocurtis]

Some other areas to check. Laurelhurst has neighborhood beach, Sandpoint and Windermere are also good areas.They are in the Roosevelt High School public school district which is a good recently remodeled public school and also want to recommend University Prep as a private school as my son goes there and has been an excellent experience. If you went a little north you could check out Woodway which is in the Edmonds school district. My buddy lives there and is downtown Seattle easily in 30 minutes and can take back roads if the freeway is busy.

[US-Traveller]

Thank you for all your tips and the pictures! How much do fixer-upper homes in Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Magnolia Bluff, and Madison Park usually cost? I read that Seattle is a great place for real estate investment, but I don't know what price to look at and what websites to look at to find some fixers.

[AzDreamer]

You should take a second look at Mercer Island.

Public schools: The public school is as good as you'll find in the area. You can check our test scores at the link below.

Washington State Report Card

Private schools: I think about 30% of the students go to private schools so transportation issues are not as bad as some other areas. There are private schools for almost every demographic, some like Lakeside are supposed to be strong academically, others are more concerned with grooming socially active adults, many are religious, you get the idea.

Good biking: The island has lots of bike paths and most drivers are pretty considerate. The island loop is very popular and takes about an hour. We do that a couple times a week and it never seems to get old. There is a bike path into Seattle and Bellevue that I like a lot. The link below might be of help.

http://www.ci.mercer-island.wa.us/Fi...PARKSGUIDE.PDF

Pedestrian friendly: We live close to the business district and can walk for most errands. The rest of the island is very walkable but the only other concentration of businesses is on the South end.

Dog beach: Luther Burbank park on the North end has two dog beaches, the new one is for shy dogs. Dogs are also allowed off-leash at most other island parks as long as they are under voice control and don't bother other people. Dogs are not allowed at places like school grounds and sport courts for obvious reasons. We take our dog to the landings on the West side for swimming, it's perfectly legal and less crowded.

Public transportation: The commute to Seattle is very good. The park and ride has lots of options into Seattle and Bellevue. Get online and you'll be able to see what route heads to where you'll be working. Metro Timetables

There are some neighborhoods where 4 bedroom 50's and 60's era housing starts around $700k. If you want a view of Seattle and the lake you will have to spend more. Redfin.com is a good web site to see what the prices are for an area. You zoom in and out on the map, enter you search criteria and the listing are found for you. Redfin seems to work best with Internet Explorer.

There is a Mormon church on the island but overall the folks here are a typical mix for the area. My daughter's best friend is Mormon and we have been to the church for a couple events. The folks there are very nice but that shouldn't be a surprise.

Politics: We used to elect Republicans but that isn't the case today. Some of our Republicans have changed parties because they weren't able to get anything done being in the minority.

Mercer Island is a good option for people wanting a safe and quiet family-oriented town with easy access to Seattle and Bellevue. The home prices are higher but after looking at time and money saved on commuting you might find it's your best option.

[Ira500]

Although home prices have fallen almost everywhere in the Seattle area, Mercer Island's had only fallen about 1% in the last twelve months...
I'd second AzDreamers recommendation of Redfin as a way to look up houses. I don't work for them, but their website is very user friendly....

[Ira500]

Fixer upper prices on cool older homes with "good bones"?

Madison Park currently has none, and Madison Park homes that aren't fixers are typically 2 million+.
Laurelhurst/Hawthorne Hills: 700,000+, but these neighborhoods typically have homes 1940's and newer.It's just north of Madison Park, separated by water, and a nice area.
Capitol Hill: 900,00+ unless you go further south on the hill.
Madrona: Just south of Madison Park, great little retail district, and nice older homes that start around 600,000( and less if you're in the less desirable part of Madrona).
Queen Anne/Magnolia: starts around 700+
Mercer Island: most of the homes are 50's-60's and newer, but start at around 650+.

[US-Traveller]

Thank you for the pricing info. I will try using Redfin. I have found plenty of new construction in my price range in Mercer Island. My family has been pushing me to Mercer, but I worried about the bridges flooding and not being able to get to the hospital for work. Is that a concern?

[Ira500]

Waves wash over 520 much more frequently than over I-90
Oh, the I-90 bridge collapsed about 20 years ago, but not since it was rebuilt...I-90 tends to have less traffic, and Mercer Island residents are allowed to use the express/carpool lanes on I-90.
Mercer Island would be a fairly easy commute to Swedish/Providence/Group Health Central/Harborview hospitals in Seattle, and Overlake in Bellevue.
You can't really beat the convenience factor of Mercer Island . 10 minutes to Seattle or Bellevue, and residents who are very good at ensuring that the high quality of life there is maintained. When the state was rebuilding I-90, Mercer Island residents ensured that it was lidded and a big park put on top of it, so you can be right next to or above I-90 on Mercer Island and not hear it.

[AzDreamer]

The only time I have had trouble getting to Mercer Island from downtown Seattle was several years ago when we had a freakishly large dump of snow. All freeways in the area were clogged with stalled cars. We were able to walk home using the I-90 bike path but folks living farther out were really hurting.

[US-Traveller]

Well I have a lot to decide, but I've got 12 months. I ordered a couple relocation packages and some information on some suburbs and civic districts. I look forward to making a decision. Thanks for the help.