Seattle Districts and Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods of Seattle are fairly informal, with many multiple names for multiple overlapping areas.  Some areas are known locally by different names depending on which direction you are traveling!  Seattle is roughly divided into thirds along Lake Union and the Harbor Island inlet.

Go-Washington.com is your one-stop source to orientating yourself in the Seattle metro area, for lodging and dining opportunities, and the events and festivals that draw visitors to Seattle year-round.

North Seattle

Ballard has benefited greatly from the increasing affluence that Seattle experienced in the late 1990’s – the Ballard Public School system is now considered one of the best in Seattle.  Much of the historic Scandinavian accents to the community have been preserved in historic districts that offer great shopping.  Ballard has maintained its small town feel, with most of the community open and ideal for walking and bicycling, while still leading a drive to develop sustainable neighborhoods in an urban environment.

In the northeast corner of the Seattle city limits, the Lake City area has been inhabited for nearly 10,000 years by a variety of peoples drawn to the banks of Lake Washington.  Lake City.  Today Lake City is defined by other Seattle residents as a heavy retail and auto dealership area, although the neighborhoods have seen a prolific expansion of public art and independent shops as well.  The Lake City area is also known as Sand Point or Magnuson Park.

Named for the first covered mall in the United States, the Northgate neighborhoods include Pinehurst and Maple Leaf.  Typically residential, Northgate draws many shoppers looking to find a bargain, as well as worshipers to the unique and historic Sheihk Idriss Mosque.

The University of Washington in Seattle is a world-class institution, and the surrounding area reflects the international, the youth, and the college culture that one might expect.  Bisecting the U-District, University Way NE (NE 45th St.) – known as “The Ave” locally – is the heart of the area.  Filled with students and things to do, like inexpensive restaurants, bars, book, music, and clothing shops, movie theatres, The Ave has much to offer.

Wedgwood, University Village, Windermere, Ravenna-Bryant, View Ridge, Sand Point are collections of residential neighborhoods bounded by I – 5 to the west and Lake Washington to the east. T he communities range from the middle-class Wedgwood to the wealthy Laurelhurst.  The University Village offers some of the best up-scale shopping in the north Seattle area.

The neighborhoods bordered by Lake Union and Green Lake, including Wallingford, Woodland Park, and Phinney Ridge, are typically quiet, residential communities – except for Fremont which has a decidedly artistic and counterculture atmosphere. Fremont residents refer to the location as “the center of the universe” and have decorated the area with public art. Despite this attitude, or perhaps because of it, several leading technology companies have offices in the area.

Freemont District in Seattle

North and along the Puget Sound, other residential and small commercial districts like Blue Ridge, Broadview, and Greenwood can be found.  Interspersed through this area are peaceful northwest coastal parks, golf courses, and shopping.

Central Seattle and Downtown

Isolated from the rest of Seattle by the water and BNSF railyard, Magnolia is a hilly peninsula dominated by Discovery Park, a 534-acre public park home to eagles, foxes, and marine life.  The West Point Lighthouse, the first manned lighthouse on the Puget Sound, is preserved on the far west tip of the peninsula.  Seattle residents travel to Magnolia to quickly escape the busy city and explore the serene beaches of Discovery Park, or to Fishermen’s Terminal in the Interbay Region between Magnolia and Queen Ann along Salmon Bay to launch deep water fishing expeditions.

The highest of the seven hills of Seattle, Queen Ann is named after the architectural style of many of the homes here.  Much of Queen Ann is residential, with small neighborhood parks that offer and elevated perspective of the downtown Seattle skyline and the Space Needle.  The Needle itself, located at the southern end of the Queen Ann neighborhoods, is the major landmark and icon of Seattle.

Surrounding the Needle is the Seattle Center, which draws visitors and residents alike to the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum, as well as KeyArena, home of the Seattle SuperSonics.  Any trip to Seattle is not complete without a visit to the Seattle Center area, and it is worthwhile to explore upper Queen Ann for its architecture and small shops.

Seattle skyline with Space Needle

Going by many names, the Capitol Hill area is the center of Seattle’s trendy counterculture.  Most heavily associated with the grunge music scene, the neighborhood boasts many of the clubs, theatres, and coffeehouses that are synonymous with Seattle culture today.

Capitol Hill is a densely populated neighborhood home to much of Seattle’s gay, punk and counterculture residents, similar in attitude to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.  Many of the stores reflect this, offering vintage clothing, independent art and music, and fringe theatres.  The best of these shops can be found along Pike and Pine streets, known as the Pike/Pine Corridor.  Capitol Hill is known less peacefully as the ignition source for the 1999 WTO riots, but the eclectic mix of Seattle’s oldest mansions, and the youthful street life ensures that Capitol Hill will remain one of the most heavily visited neighborhoods in Seattle, particularly for young newcomers to the city.

The small neighborhood of Cascade surrounds the intrusion of Lake Union into Seattle, is the docking point for many houseboats and fishing boats.  While the area is transforming into a biotechnology and research hub, much of the area consists of apartment residences and large retail centers, such as the flagship R.E.I. store.  The southern tip of Lake Union in particular is increasingly becoming a highlight of the area, with the development of a historic ship wharf near some of the oldest parks in the city.

Sometimes known as “the CD,” the Central District is primarily a residential neighborhood.  Historically known as a more African American populated area, the Central District neighborhoods are today diverse.  Upscale shopping continues to attract visitors.

Pike Place Market

The heart of Seattle, Downtown is experiencing a growth of unique urban residences as well as the headquarters of many international companies.  Tours of Seattle typically start with Pike Place Market and the ferry station along the Puget Sound.  The Westlake Center shopping area is considered Seattle’s “town square,” and the surround area (including Pike Place Market) is connected to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle via monorail.

South End

The peninsula of Seward Park is almost its own island in Lake Washington, and preserves a section of old growth forest that at one time surround the entire Seattle area.  Today this area is primarily residential.

Home to the headquarters of Amazon.com, this area combines high technology and early Craftsman bungalow homes.  Beacon Hill residents typically are diverse and friendly, and are likely to be found playing golf or lawn bowling in the expansive Jefferson Park in the center of Beacon Hill.

Bounded by the Duwamish River to the east, most of Delridge is paradoxically either heavy industrial or open space.  The river has always been an industrial center, while the Longfellow Creek trail and the West Duwamish Greenbelt offer excellent hiking and wildlife observation just minutes away from downtown Seattle.

Typically thought of as the industrial district of Seattle, the I – 5 corridor through Georgetown is also home to several Seattle landmarks: Boeing Field/King County International Airport, the original Rainier Brewery, and to the far north Safeco and Qwest Fields.  There is much in the way of shopping in this area, and many are restoring the charm of the area by converting old brick warehouses into bars, coffeehouses, and loft residences, as well as record stores, artisan bakeries, and art galleries.