Buying in West Seattle

[EmmyJane]

I rarely leave West Seattle (except to go to work downtown). There is no need to. We actually have a very exclusive West Seattle girl’s night that you’ll find yourself quickly kicked out of if you move out of West Seattle. There’s too much of a chance that person will want us to eventually go to their house, outside of West Seattle, and I just can’t take that risk.

I live near the Alaska Junction and would highly recommend it. Everything you need is within walking distance, and I think the Morgan junction and Admiral Junction can offer the same (Westwood too I suppose). Please let us know if you move over here and maybe we can put together a welcoming committee (I would be interested in another Beveridge Place WSB night…)

Share This

[Bonnie]

I’m sorry but I have kept quiet but now have to say that anybody who says not to buy south of Morgan and east of 35th obviously isn’t familiar with West Seattle. Brace Point, Fauntlee Hills, Fauntleroy, The Arroyos. All excellent neighborhoods in West Seattle that are SOUTH of Morgan. There are many great neighborhoods east of 35th also. I’m sorry, but people should not keep that stupid stereotype going that ‘my neighborhood is better than yours’.

Share This

[lohoho]

I live in Highland Park on 16th SW – close to the fabulous Zippy’s and love it. The schools around here are amazing (thumbs up for Sanislo School) and would recommend to anyone this ‘hood’. I love my house, the area, the neighbors, and the diversity.

Share This

[mightymo]

We bought in West Seattle about eight months ago. To sidestep any “this area is sketchy vs. this other area” comments, I do think that you might want to look to see what amenities are nearby the houses you’re looking at. We have three libraries in areas considered part of WS, we have a number of walkable retail areas, some areas give you great shortcuts to 509/99 vs. others…

We lucked out that our location, between Admiral and Alaska Junctions and just off California, makes things so walkable for us, but I know that there are areas of WS that are all residential for blocks and blocks and isolated from a coffee shop, grocery store, or something similar, forcing you to get in your car to go anywhere fast.

Share This

[KTaylor]

I’m really getting excited about possibly moving over here! Thanks for being so nice and welcoming!

Share This

[Ken]

Just a note on the origins of the “truisms” involving where to look to buy a home in Seattle.

Most of them are deep seated and perhaps absorbed from parents and school over the years and no where near as overt as it used to be, but the redlining written into deeds and leases indicate the official to semiofficial segregation that is this areas history.

Think of this when you see the “redevelopement” of Highpoint, Yesler Terrace and much of the CD. SHA ended up owning some of the most desirable real estate in Seattle and a way had to be found to get it back in White hands (and those non whites who could pay for it)without actually throwing the current residents out on the street all at once. These locations were the ghettos where land could be sold to non whites from the 40’s up to the 60’s

http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/segregated.htm

http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/covenants.htm

http://clpmag.org/article.php?article=Redlining_00192

Share This

[Gina]

And don’t forget to beware of areas that flood yearly. (Near creeks).

Share This

[jissy]

KTaylor: I’m a lifer (besides 4 years away at college), bought the family home I was born in near Admiral so was there 30+ years. When my husband and I decided to start a family, we thought the house was too small and moved near Lincoln Park. Can’t emphasize enough the walkability factor people have been discussing here. When we lived near Admiral, we’d walk to the Beach (yeah, LOTS of hills, part of the workout), walk to MetMarket & PCC, walk to the theatre, and could hit a number of restaurants (we’d go to our favorite first, if there was a wait, the one next door, a wait? up the block etc…..), could walk to the park, you get my drift.

Now I LOVE my new neighborhood, especially proximity to Lincoln Park, but I cannot tell you how much I miss the walkability aspect of Admiral. Every time I go somewhere now, I have to get in the car b/c we are just a little too far from Morgan and the Junction (for doing the stroller thing anyway).

It’s true what they say, location location location!

Good Luck and welcome!

Share This

[WorldCitizen]

I’m with mightymo on this one. Walkability is very nice here. The areas between the Alaska junction and admiral district gives lots of great options. Same with fairmount (between the Alaska junction and Morgan junctions). You get less traffic issues but all the access.

Share This

[JoB]

the junctions and alki are not the only walkable destinations…

Share This

[WorldCitizen]

http://www.walkscore.com/WA/Seattle

Share This

[shihtzu]

Just in case it wasn’t completely clear, I was agreeing with those who are saying to consider looking outside of the “North of Morgan/West of 35th” confines. However, as someone from the outside asking about West Seattle, she will hear this. That’s the only thing anyone ever told me.

I agree with everyone about walkability. Had we to do it over again, this would be a HUGE consideration. Right now we live just far away enough from the junction that walking is totally possible just not convenient.

Share This

[mightymo]

I don’t think living near one of the Junctions is a requirement. I just know that for me personally I would have been disappointed if we’d bought in one of those areas with all residential without anything much to walk to, or inconvenient for walking or biking because of hills. I’d be happy to be able to walk or bike to Westwood Village or White Center or Zippy’s or any number of places in the so-called “less desirable” areas of WS.

One of the things we really like about WS in general is that you have most of what you need on a regular basis within the peninsula. I think we’re only missing a department store (beyond Target) for clothes. We’ve got coffee/bakeries, bookstores, libraries, restaurants, a great record store, bars, a beer store, groceries, parks, views, even traffic if you miss that from another part of the city. :)

Share This

[anonyme]

Do not buy anywhere on the 35th Ave SW corridor. It is a nightmare. Speed is not enforced, and there is a high percentage of unmanaged rental housing that attracts transients of a dubious nature.

Arbor Heights is OK as long as you live some distance from 35th. The drawbacks are that this neighborhood is not highly walkable (no sidewalks) and there are no shopping/amenities that don’t require a car – or a long, strenuous walk. There are a lot of car ranchers and rental house junk car mechanics out here.

I love West Seattle in general, and would not live anywhere else. However, I would not buy in Arbor Heights again given the chance.

MightyMo, I’d add only one more thing we’re missing: a good furniture & housewares store with better selection and lower prices than Capers.

Share This

[MargL]

Actually there are stretches of 34th AVE SW in Arbor Heights that have sidewalks on _both_ sides of the street! (HA! Take that “don’t live on the East side of 35th-ers”)

Yes, Arbor Heights does have a low walkability score and 35th is a bit of a highway, but you can find some really good house values down here. And 35th is a bus line straight to downtown if you are without a car. It’s about 20 minutes from both Downtown and Southcenter.

We’re one block off of 34th and actually find it a very quiet neighborhood (except on New Years and 4th of July when the proximity to White Center sounds a little like a war zone)

:-D

And you will find car ranchers and rental / poorly kept houses in many neighborhoods!

In fact just yesterday I drove by a house near 38th and Raymond that looks like the roof is about to fall in with tires and blue tarps covering sagging shingles… Not Arbor Heights, -west- of 35th and still wouldn’t want to live next to it.

Share This

[JoB]

if i could walk or bike

i could walk or bike to Westwood Village, White Center, a library, tony’s produce, schools, a community center with a pool, a great coffee shop, auto repair shops, beauty shops, an urban trail, a community garden, red star pizza and zippys from where i live…

oh.. and did i mention the housing is affordable here too?

there is a cute little house across the street for sale

east of 35th and well north of westwood.

i can walk my dogs for at least 2 blocks in either direction on sidewalks on flat land… (10 block walk).

i don’t know what the local walkability score is.. but i’d say that’s not bad.

Share This

[JoB]

did i mention that houses are affordable in my neighborhood?

there’s a cute little house for sale across the street:)

Share This

[StringCheese]

Make sure you walk around High Point! We moved here a year and a half ago and couldn’t be happier! We love the diversity and couldn’t ask for better neighbors. Also, they are getting ready to start building Phase II. Here’s your chance to customize a brand new home! I don’t know what your timeline is but it may be worth the wait – or renting until it’s built.

We had previously restored a gorgeous 1918 craftsman in Highland Park (also a wonderful neighborhood) and have found our bliss in a home that didn’t have a laundry list of maintenance/remodel needs. After that project we swore we would never buy a “fixer” again…

Here’s a link to High Point:

http://thehighpoint.com/

Good luck! You’ll love WS!

Share This

[JoB]

the community garden at high point sells it’s produce at their own farmers market. very cool!

Share This

[PDieter]

In terms of investment and value DON’T buy a house in WS without a Mtn and/or water view. Just a rule of thumb that has exceptions but still a pretty good rule of thumb.

Share This

[JoB]

PDieter..

there are a lot of folks over in the admiral area right now with views of the water that wish they had bought a more modest home without the view and the high pricetag.

Share This

[HMC Rich]

OK Redblack. Wife and myself on HGTV’s Househunters a few years back. We live in Fairmount area.

West Seattle like many areas of Seattle, Rocks. Great Parks, Friendly People, mostly friendly dogs and coyotes. Tons of Community Centers, Health Conscious stores. Schools, well . . . some good public schools with an eye on improving the ones that are not rated so well. Too many car prowls but it is the city. Plus Alki Beach is a quick bus ride away if you do not live near there.

Share This

[anonyme]

Is anyone aware of a map of West Seattle that delineates neighborhoods?

Share This

[WorldCitizen]

Neighborhood map:

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1500S.htm

Share This

[Ken]

If I remember correctly, they had to assign names to neighborhoods and create borders to qualify for some long forgotten federal program or state matching funds. Almost no one agrees with the borders. This is also the map that is the basis for 35th being the “border” of the “real” West Seattle.

The area called Delridge has it’s own map. One can be enlightened by comparing the redlining maps I linked to earlier in this thread to these WS and Delridge neighborhood maps.

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/nmaps/html/NN-1550S.htm

Share This

[Author]

Posts