Seattle (and suburbs) neighborhoods with a community-like feel (Bainbridge Island, Issaquah: rental, house)

[evergreentori]

I currently live on Bainbridge Island and I will be moving (for various reasons). I have a toddler. The one thing I did like about Bainbridge was the community feel. Are there any other neighborhoods like that around Seattle? I am pretty flexible about where I can move as far as my job goes.

Also, by community feel I guess I mean you just don't feel nameless. The community gathers together for celebrations, parades, etc. They also help each other when disasters happen. Stuff like that.

[pwright1]

In my first hand experiences I would say the Seattle communities of Mount Baker, Madrona and Madison Park.

[Count David]

Magnolia. Even if it feels a little forced.

[VeronikaW]

I'd like to say where I live (Issaquah Highlands), but it seems very touch and go. There have been some block parties on my block, but I've been sick when they happened. There isn't much a of a community feel on my block, but we trick-or-treated one block over, and you could tell everyone on that block knew each other, and did stuff together (one house was having an open house Halloween party for the neighbors). The difference could be that the block I live on is all rental town homes, and the block we trick-or-treated on, is all homes that cost at least $750K.

There is a park literally across the street from our town home, but I've never really made a connection with anyone over in it. The moms seem mostly standoffish when I take my kids over there to play.

We do have a community center up here, but as a renter, we're kind of left out of the loop.

For all that, I still love this neighborhood. I wish we could afford to buy up here.

V. =)

[burtsbeeschic]

Issaquah is great, and the Eastside in general, for kids. There are so many community centers, library events for toddlers, bookstore events, and events at crossroads mall, bellevue square, and factoria mall. I never run out of things to do with my toddlers. A good website for some resources for kids on the eastside is SeaTots: Out & About with Kids on the Seattle Eastside - Home

[the17pointscale]

Greenwood! Check out the neighborhood's very active community website for a feel for all the activities and news going on in the neighborhood: [url=http://www.phinneywood.com/]PhinneyWood » A news blog for Seattle's Phinney Ridge and Greenwood neighborhoods[/url].

[svartkatt]

I second Madison Park/Mt. Baker/Madrona areas and Greenwood/Phinney, and would also add parts of West Seattle.