Best Neighborhoods Without A Car? (Seattle, Roosevelt: apartments, rent, condos)

[LIS123]

Which would be the best Seattle neighborhoods for living without a car? I'd imagine downtown is one of them, but wasn't sure which others would be a good fit.

I'd be interested in purchasing a condo (full service) in the $500-600K range. It would be a small unit (studio or 1-BR). In terms of daily access to places, it would mainly just be to dining/coffee and some sort of boutique (HIIT/TRX/Group Fitness) gym (vs. a chain like LA Fitness).

Thanks!

[CrazyDonkey]

Capitol Hill, First Hill, Belltown, Lower Queen Anne (Uptown), Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, International District, South Lake Union, Eastlake, Madison Valley, University District, North Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Fremont, Ballard, Wallingford, West Seattle/Alaska Junction.

[Oh Me]

Northgate is very transit friendly, but it lacks the charm of areas with more local boutiques/cafes/etc. University District was also easy to get around without a car, but I would recommend Queen Anne, Columbia City, and Wallingford as the poster above as good places for what you're looking for.

[homesinseattle]

Hi LIS. Capitol Hill, Downtown and Columbia City would be my top choices for you, all on the light rail and all vibrant, fun areas. Good luck with your search! If you don't mind busses and an occasional Uber, I'd throw in the Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford and Roosevelt areas.

[Kayela]

I live in Capitol Hill, and used to live DT (also Queen Anne). DT definitely was most convenient for transit, however it was rather lacking in what I call day-to-day amenities, and it was also crowded, and didn't have much of a neighborhood vibe as it's mainly commercial with some residential. Queen Anne (upper, can't speak for lower) was too residential, and while incredibly charming - felt like an island. Transit was too inconvenient because to get anywhere but DT required you to go DT and transfer to another bus.

Capitol Hill is right between the two. Not quite as transit friendly as DT (no place is), but not so residential that you feel like you're living on an island. It's not actually better than owning a car like DT was, but it's not painful to not have a car either, which is pretty good in my book. The transit options are still excellent, there are lots of grocery stores, book shops, place to work out, restaurants, coffee shops, etc... I would recommend the area north of the light rail station a few blocks to either side of Broadway. It's convenient to everything while being a little quieter than the parts near Pike/Pine.


I also recommend Tribe Fitness (formerly Lab 5). It was actually one of the reasons we bought where we did and haven't been tempted to move. This part of the Hill is awesome on its own, but working out is a pretty critical part of my life, and I like the classes and instructors there better than any studio I've ever been to, so that just adds to all the other pluses. There are several other places to work out though in addition to that one, so it's not the only option by any means.

[mhays25]

CrazyDonkey is right...lots of places.

Condos often come with parking, far more than apartments. But I rent mine out.

They often have gyms, which are generally plenty for the typical workout if it's a large building. I actually find it easier to go to my building's gym than another one.

[CrazyDonkey]

Over my years, I've lived in the following areas: Wallingford, Capitol Hill (off Broadway and 15th), Madison Valley, North Fremont, North Beacon Hill, Upper Fremont, Ballard (Sunset Hill and West Ballard), Lower Queen Anne, and West Queen Anne.

If you want to live in the middle of the action, with lots to do right outside your door, then my top recommendation would be Lower Queen Anne (Uptown). Now that I'm older, however, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, the U District, Fremont, central Ballard, etc., are just too "busy" for me. I like being near such hubs of activity, but not right in them.

An often overlooked area is the lower west-slope of Queen Anne Hill (between 10th and 14th) - a quiet area (except for some railroad noise) that is still relatively close to both Lower Queen Anne and Ballard, and not far from Upper Queen Anne (although it is a "hike" up the hill).