Seattle offers a neighborhood for every lifestyle–from lofts with scenic views of Puget Sound and Olympic mountains, to legit mega-mansions. This seaport city on the best coast is the seat of King County, Washington, filled to the brim with some of the country’s best bars, restaurants, and art galleries. If you’re thinking of joining the roughly 725,000 Seattleites in not only the largest city in Washington, but the Pacific Northwest region, then grab your rain gear. We’ve got the top five neighborhoods for ya right here.
Ballard
Historically, Ballard was home to Scandinavian seafarers, but now the northwestern part of Seattle houses a wide variety of residents, which is reflected in its unique personality. The maze-like tree-lined streets of Old Ballard are filled with cute boutiques, hip foodie hotspots, and well-loved dive bars. The western edge of Ballard snakes along the Ballard Locks (aka Hiram M. Chittenden Locks) and Shilshole Marina (say that three times fast), which is a scenic spot with views of Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains. Ballard is a great place for you if you enjoy beer tasting and sandy beaches—the picturesque Golden Gardens Park is one of the few sandy beaches in Seattle.
Capitol Hill
If your hobbies consist of eating at trendy restaurants and bar hopping, Capitol Hill’s colorful, urban scene just east of downtown might be a good ‘hood for you. Contrary to what its name might imply, there is no “Capitol,” but this funky fast-paced area is one of the city’s most prominent nightlife and entertainment districts, as well as the center of Seattle’s LGBT and counterculture communities. Families live on the east side of 15th Ave, which acts as a divider to one of the city’s largest concentrations of apartment buildings to the west. Read: Parking = Hard. But what the eclectic neighborhood lacks in parking, it makes up for in global flavors, its 48-acre Volunteer Park (climb the water tower for a killer view of downtown!), and raging nightlife.
Belltown
Break out your wallet if you want to move to this bustling neighborhood north of downtown. Belltown is for those who like the newest, shiniest, and trendiest—and it has a price tag to match. The main ‘strip’ of Belltown is 1st Avenue, but the rest of the area teeming with top-notch restaurants, stores, and nightclubs, too. It’s also where you can stroll around Olympic Sculpture Park and check out local art installations displayed against the backdrop of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Another plus? You can get rid of your car—everything you need is within walking distance.
West Seattle
With the relaxed vibe of a beach town and plenty of indie boutiques, bars, and restaurants, West Seattle effortlessly blends laid-back charm with its family-friendly roots. This scenic Seattle neighborhood is popular with young families because it’s an area where you can still get a good size home at a reasonable price. The Junction is the popular walkable neighborhood center with music stores, bakeries, bars, salons, and thrift stores, just to name a few. It’s also a close drive to Alki beach, where there’s a lengthy walking path along the water. The only drawback to the neighborhood is that it is rather isolated; the fastest way to get there from the rest of the city requires driving on Interstate 5 and the West Seattle bridge, which is typically filled with traffic.
Pioneer Square
As Seattle’s first unofficial neighborhood, Pioneer Square is where history meets the 21st century. Filled with historic brick buildings and notable restaurants, the area is known for its cool architecture and bustling nightlife, but not necessarily for its residential appeal—until now. The neighborhood already has much to offer in the way of art galleries, its on-trend culinary scene, and its reputation as a literary playground, but the new housing development being built by the Seahawks’ stadium (CenturyLink Field) will bring hundreds of new apartments and condos, as well as retail and office spaces to the area. So get while the gettin’ is good, lower-income urban singles! Pioneer Square is actually built atop the remnants of buildings and alleys that were buried after the great fire of 1889–and you can go explore it underground! Other attractions include The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, which is the nation’s smallest national park; one of the world’s first skyscrapers, Smith Tower (check out the amazing view of Seattle from the observation deck!); and the giant art walk that takes place on the first Thursday of the month.
Ready to move? Read our Moving guide to Seattle.
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