What are the most car-free friendly neighborhoods? (Seattle: best neighborhoods, hair salon)

[ElphinKnight]

Hello,
In 3 weeks I'll be married, and in a year my new wife will be done with her 2nd degree and we will be moving the the PNW. Seattle is atop our list. We are fully aware of the weather, cost-of-living, and all the challenges consistently brought up on this (and other) boards - and they're not going to be a problem. We are early-30s, no kids (and none planned), a cat and a small dog. I have a Master's degree in business and she'll have a professional degree in the health field. We will be bringing one car with us to Seattle, but it is our intention to live a more urban lifestyle and use walking, biking, and transit as much as possible. We are more into $5 falafel sandwiches and burritos than we are into $25 over-priced entrees; i.e. we're not into the yuppy lifestyle (we're not grungy - we just like to live more "down to earth").

So my question is, what are the best neighborhoods of the city to live in and do 95% of your "getting around" by those methods? We'll need to be able to get to things like groceries, general shopping, coffeeshops and small cafe's, basic entertainment, and the ability to hop a bus to get to employment as necessary. What neighborhoods are our "style"?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have. :-)

[scirocco22]

I think there are lots of areas where you can achieve what you're after. I'd probably suggest to stay in neighborhoods closer to downtown.

Parts of Capitol Hill, First Hill (pill hill where the hospitals are located), Queen Anne, Beacon Hill, Madison Park, Madrona, Mount Baker, certain areas of the Central District are being developed nicely. Even places such as Freemont or Ballard could fit. The list could go on. Transit service is great within the city so many places could be a good fit.

Others can give you a more indepth views of specific neighborhoods as the thread continues.

[pwright1]

I recently purchased a car but lived without a car for the past 2 years. I live in Seattle's Central District. I do love my location because everything is within walking distance of coffee shops, the metrobus stop, Safeway, Trader Joe's, the bank and a couple of parks. The #2 bus is a 10 minute bus ride or you could walk which I do sometimes. Capitol Hill is a great location. Close to everything, and I do mean everything. Restaurants, coffee houses, internet cafes, book stores, supermarkets, flower stands, parks, hair salons, hospitals. Also many many bus routes constantly come through the area at all times. Some of my favorite eating holes are located here. Also your minutes from downtown on foot or bus. You even have two old movie houses there.

[AzDreamer]

You could probably find a walkable neighborhood in every city in the Puget Sound area. We don't live in Seattle but we walk to everything we need, even work.

Your job location should to a large degree determine where you live if you plan to get around without a car.

[Apathizer]

[Just to let you know my creds, I've lived in Seattle for about 8 years, and have been carless for about the last 6 years. I bike primarily, but also use public transit when necessary.]

As others have stated there are numerous places where it's easy to be car-free or car-light - just try not to get too far from the downtown core. Almost all the surrounding neighborhoods have abundant amenities and regular bus service. I live on Eastlake - a fairly quiet neighborhood about 2 miles NW of downtown near the UW. Capital Hill is nice as long as you're east of Broadway. I also really liked the Central District - it's one of the few in-city neighborhoods that hasn't gentrified/yuppified (though it shows nascient indications). Greenlake is a nice area about 4-5 north of downtown. While Fremont still has some funky attributes, unfortunately it's gentrified considerably and I don't think it's nearly as appealing as it used to be.

[ElphinKnight]

How about the Wallingford area?

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by ElphinKnight

How about the Wallingford area?

Yeah, sorry, I completely forgot about Wallingford, which is a great area. There is some development going on there as well, but it has maintained a more distinct/funky atmosphere than most other neighborhoods, and doesn't seem to have gentified as much either. There are also ample groceries, restaurants, and some nice small indepedent businesses in or near the area.

The only minor drawback is that bus service doesn't seem to be quite as good as in some areas (because it's a little further outside downtown), but it's still decent. I don't know this for certain since I don't live in the neighborhood - this is just my impression.

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by ElphinKnight

How about the Wallingford area?

Yes! If you can find a place in Wallingford, go for it! That's where I grew up but things have changed substantially over the decades ...and I think for the better.

Walking and biking distance to a lot of things ...the U-district, Green Lake, Woodlawn Park, Gas Works Park and Freemont. Good bus service to Ballard, UofW, and downtown.

The shops in Wallingford proper are great to explore but you also are so close to the hustle and bustle of the U-district area that you'll feel you have a wealth of things to do and enjoy.

Exciting!

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by Apathizer

Yeah, sorry, I completely forgot about Wallingford, which is a great area. There is some development going on there as well, but it has maintained a more distinct/funky atmosphere than most other neighborhoods, and doesn't seem to have gentified as much either. There are also ample groceries, restaurants, and some nice small indepedent businesses in or near the area.

The only minor drawback is that bus service doesn't seem to be quite as good as in some areas (because it's a little further outside downtown), but it's still decent. I don't know this for certain since I don't live in the neighborhood - this is just my impression.

I don't know... I think the bus service is pretty good. You've got that east/west 44 running every 10 minutes or so. The 6, 16, 26 are all going in the north/south direction. And isn't there a route that goes along 50th to Northgate now? You're also close to the I-5 express stops on the freeway ramps.

[Apathizer]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

I don't know... I think the bus service is pretty good. You've got that east/west 44 running every 10 minutes or so. The 6, 16, 26 are all going in the north/south direction. And isn't there a route that goes along 50th to Northgate now? You're also close to the I-5 express stops on the freeway ramps.

That's true. I guess I'm just thinking it's not as easy to get to some places because it isn't centrally located. For instance even though the 44 eventually goes to Capital Hill it's a very long bus ride.

That said, I don't live there, so my understanding of the bus service is very limited, and I bike almost everywhere rather than bus.