Seattle Area Neighborhoods

Greenlake

Healthy. Wellness. Upbeat. Positive. These are the words used most often to describe the Green Lake community by people who live and work here. Green Lake is Seattle's feel-good recreational mecca, a community of residents and business merchants, anchored by a public lake and park used by an estimated 1 million people a year.

Residents and visitors of all ilk and ages expect a sense of well-being -- and merchants thrive by delivering it.

Maybe it's the endorphins from following The Path. Or from Green Lake Community Center recreational activities that are nearly as abundant as the lake's algae. Whatever the cause, the Green Lake community is credited with an optimism that may come in handy as it grapples with city growth.

Ballard

Ballard offers an intriguing mix of urban culture and suburban living. Located to the north-west of downtown Seattle, Ballard was once strictly a Norwegian haven. The demographics of the area have slowly changed over the years, and while the area still has a strong Scandinavian heritage, you'll find people of all ages and cultures making Ballard their home. The area features houses in all styles and price ranges, and is one of the last affordable areas to call home in the city. The downtown core on Market Street offers great shopping, and the waterfront and Shilshole Bay offer great views and wonderful amenities for boat-lovers.

Queen Anne

At 456 feet above the waters of Puget Sound, Queen Anne, in the "middle" of Seattle, is the highest hill in town. In 1853 some city fathers began building estates on Queen Anne Hill, and ever since it has been one of the most desirable, convenient, convivial communities in the city. With views of sound, city and mountains in all directions, and a heritage of captivating residential architecture to preserve and renovate, Queen Anne homes are always in demand.

The proximity to Seattle Center with its on going theatre, sports and concert attractions, and the extensive collection of neighborhood shops (including some two dozen restaurants and coffee houses) give Queen Anne residents a mix of lively pedestrian activities. Noteworthy architecture, water and city views, close to downtown, shops and restaurants- Queen Anne is an extraordinary combination of unusually beautiful homes and exciting urban amenities.

Magnolia

This is a neighborhood where working couples, firefighters, cops, even former SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp had found a comfortable, quiet niche close to town. (Records show that Kemp paid $350,000 for his former Magnolia home.)

Some of Seattle's TV personalities and media executives live here, as do King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng and County Councilman Larry Phillips.

As older residents slowly leave their big homes, working families are moving in, residents say. And like most neighborhoods, Magnolia has families living in poverty, too.

"It still is a wealthier neighborhood, but there is more diversity than there used to be. I see it in my own neighbors," says Magnolia resident Bonnie Beers, Seattle's first female firefighter.