Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Homes on 35th Ave SW
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November 15, 2012 at 7:45 am #605587
cecfireMemberHi,
Our family is hoping to move to West Seattle soon and have been looking at some homes on 35th. Do any of you have input regarding what living in a house on 35th is like? Is it a pain getting in/out of your house? How’s street parking? Is it safe? Etc, etc…we are looking in the Gatewood area or just south of that but aren’t too familiar with the area. Any information/opinion is greatly appreciated! Also, we have a baby and hope to have another child in a couple of years or so. No pets but would possibly have a dog in the future. Thanks so much!
November 15, 2012 at 2:35 pm #777385
amaliaParticipantHi there-
I specifically avoided 35th when I bought a house because I was afraid one of my pets would get out and run into the street. It is quite busy, with a 35 mph speed limit (commonly exceeded outside of the busy hours).
The houses are fine, but I would guess you’d find something comparable, maybe a tad more expensive, in Westwood or Sunrise Heights, and it would feel more private, more child-friendly, and certainly quieter. I’m guessing crime is no higher or lower than nearly areas (although alleys seem to increase property crime).
I think most houses use street parking on 35th – if you had a driveway, you would either back in (not too hard, as there’s a shoulder and 2 lanes in each direction) or depend on the good will of other drivers to let you back out. It is on the 21 bus line to downtown (and from there you can get connections anywhere), and the 21 is really a good (fast, frequent) line. Unless you’re from a big city, and then you’ll notice right away that our transit system sucks :).
My biggest complaint is that there’s not much retail within walking distance, and no sizable grocery store within 1.5 miles. And there are big hills to the east and west, so if you ride a bike on a quick trip, you are committing to a sweat.
November 15, 2012 at 2:36 pm #777386
anonymeParticipantI live on 35th and would not recommend it to anyone. The traffic and noise are phenomenal. Speeds in your area average 45 and above…well above. Not a safe environment for kids or pets. There is also less of an opportunity to connect with neighbors. Many of the properties on 35th are rentals, so there is a more transient demographic than in other areas. To be honest, if there were any way I could move off of 35th, I would do so – and I live on the ‘quieter’ stretch of 35th south of Roxbury.
As far as crime goes, I don’t think 35th is any different than other streets.
November 15, 2012 at 4:44 pm #777387
DannyQMemberI 100% agree with Amalia. Pet’s and children are a huge concern in that environment. It has nothing to do with you not being a good parent or owner if your kid or dog were to get out, it has to do with possible disasters that can result in major injury or death. I know that this sounds a bit extreme, but I would never purchase/rent a home on 35th.
I live near the Chief Sealth High School Stadium just West of the fields and I absolutely love it. It’s a great, quiet, place. I can’t say that it’s 100% safe and that things don’t happen, but they have never happened to me and they aren’t common in my IMMEDIATE area.
However, where ever you choose to reside, we WELCOME you to West Seattle!
November 15, 2012 at 6:52 pm #777388
kellymParticipantHi,
I’ve lived on and off 35th for better than 20 years. I lived on 35th between Alaska and Edmunds for about 4 years. It’s noisy and surprisingly the dirt that seeped into the house from the street traffice was kinda crazy. Getting out of the driveway a challenge and parking on the street at times risky. I’ve now lived off 35th on 32nd at the very top of the hill and it’s a different ballgame. Street much, much quieter. If you’ve got children and pets I’d try to step off a block or two at least. There are tons of houses for sale on the east side of 35th that are very affordable. West side of 35th prices are higher although there’s a chance for a sound view.
November 15, 2012 at 10:23 pm #777389
pigeonmomParticipantI’ve lived on 35th and would not do it again. Noisy, dirty, speeding cars and loud people at bus stops.
November 15, 2012 at 11:08 pm #777390
miwsParticipant…..bus stops.
pigeonmom brings up something that I never remember to address to folks in general, when they are home hunting in WS.
Having caught many a bus, in front of people’s homes on occasion, I’ve see some annoying behavior, or at least the remnants of such, by fellow bus riders.
Not only the noise, but litter, and even using some part of the property for personal use/comfort, such as sitting on steps, or an embankment/retaining wall in the yard.
May not seem a huge issue to some, but others may find it bothersome…..
Mike
November 15, 2012 at 11:16 pm #777391
kentron0ParticipantThe only comment I have about 35th where I live on is that despite the comment above about crime being the same as elsewhere is after living on the road since 1996 the crime is in fact much lower. All the house breakins in particular are rarely on the arterial, but other house a block or more off the arterial. This is supported in data I’ve obtained from public records. Because the streets are constantly lit at night this is actually a positive factor. There is constant activity, including higher likelihood that police will drive by on the way somewhere else. But if you want to live on a road like 35th, the noise etc. is generally the biggest anti-35th argument most people have. We have kids also and don’t let them go up and down the street unsupervised. Which is a good thing for their safety. Case in point the story on the blog today about a kid almost run over by a speeding car. Hope that helps.
November 15, 2012 at 11:39 pm #777392
KenParticipantJust get a block or two off 35th and the traffic noise and commotion is just a background noise that cranks up about 6 am. Either side of 35th in that area is about the same.
November 16, 2012 at 6:32 am #777393
hooper1961Memberback into your driveway so you are facing traffic when leaving your driveway
November 16, 2012 at 6:53 am #777394
BonnieParticipantI don’t live on an arterial now but in the past we lived on Avalon in the early 90’s and California Ave (in Gatewood) in the late 90’s. Very noisy. The buses would go past and they were loud too. I would not live on an arterial again. When we lived on California Ave twice we had cars run into our front yard in the middle of the night. I’m sure that 35th Ave is similar, if not worse. When we moved away from the arterial we were very happy.
November 16, 2012 at 7:06 am #777395
cecfireMemberNovember 16, 2012 at 12:18 pm #777396
CMPParticipantI live on 35th in the Gatewood area right now and had the same concerns as cecfire, but it hasn’t really bothered me. Pulling into and out of the driveway of my apartment building can be a challenge at times (esp. with a bus stop right in front of it), and it is a little noisy, but I kind of like that. I used to live on California and Dawson and I think it was noisier on that road with so many buses but there’s just the 21 over here so it’s not as bad. Overalll, I think Gatewood is a great area and I’ve been quite happy here compared to my days in the Admiral District and Junction!
November 16, 2012 at 3:36 pm #777397
velo_nutParticipantWe live on 35th and are lucky to have a very large fenced lot. The foliage and fence help keep the noise from the street. I love the fact that we are right on a bus line, in walking distance to a great many parks, grocery shopping hiking trails and the LONG thistle stairs. Best part? We have AMAZING neighbors.
I have no problem living on 35th.
We live in the city. There will be noise, traffic, societal problems but that is something EVERYONE deals with.
I actually firmly believe that there is LESS property crime to houses on 35th due to the constant movement around it.
Love it here.
November 16, 2012 at 8:36 pm #777398
valvashonParticipantWe live on 35th and have since 1998. Street can be noisy at times but 35th doesn’t really “go” anywhere so there is traffic at peak times but it really dies down mid afternoon and after rush hour. Siren noise can sometimes be annoying but you get used to it. One of the first things we did was have new windows with extra noise reduction installed, and it helped quite a bit.
We always back into the drive way or one of us parks in the alley/garage. If we have to park out front on the street while maybe moving the cars around for example we put the hazard flashers on. I would not recommend parking on 35th itself unless you are underwater in your car and want to get rid of it. Time and an inattentive driver will take care of that. I have seen dozens of totaled, parked cars over the years. Park on a side street if you have to.
Rentals on either side of us now and that’s the only thing that really bugs me. Psycho on one side and probably an illegal rooming house with a ton of cars in the back yard on the other. Nobody checks references anymore, I guess.
Welcome to West Seattle!
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