7.6 out of 10

North Queen Anne

Ranked 25th best neighborhood in Seattle
47.6468577942071 -122.365054213681
Great for
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Clean & Green
  • Neighborly Spirit
Not great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Nightlife
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Medical Facilities
  •  
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Students

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
2yrs+

"Pleasant, green, and steep"

North Queen Anne has some lovely houseboats along the Fremont Cut. The only reason I know this is because I’ve ridden my bike past this neighborhood, on the Ship Canal Trail. It was very pleasant to take a break in the park on the shores of the canal, relax in the shade of the trees, have a snack, and watch the boats float along the water. Later we rode our bikes down to the Ballard Locks to see the salmon.

Other than the houseboats and Seattle Pacific University, it didn’t seem to have anything particularly memorable. It’s simply a charming residential neighborhood on a very, very steep hill. We did not contemplate for a moment riding our bikes up it! It looked like many of the homes higher up on the hill were single-family houses, while those lower down were multi-unit buildings. If I were to live here, I’d try to get one that wasn’t too close to the Aurora bridge. I’ll never forget the bus that went off the bridge in 1998!
Pros
  • Access to Fremont Cut Waterway
  • Peace and Quiet
Cons
  • Very steep hills
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
2yrs+

"Family neighborhood feel"

I live in Lower Queen Anne right now, and would consider West or East Queen Anne also, but I’m not sure if I’d live in North Queen. It just seems kinda too quiet and harder to access. But I guess if you live close to the top of the hill, it doesn’t really make a difference which side you’re technically on.

Being deeper on the north side is definitely a different feel though. You’re closer to Fremont and north Seattle, rather than downtown and the Seattle center. If feels more like a neighborhood and less like downtown than the rest of the hill.

Seattle Pacific University keeps the neighborhood young. I considered checking out their programs because it’s so close, but there was a shooting there in 2014. Scary stuff. But there’s shootings everywhere now so it doesn’t really matter. But the school is super expensive anyways, costs like $40k a year to go there, so I’d probably look somewhere else if I wanted to go back to school.
Cons
  • Very steep hills
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Students
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"The quiet side of the hill"

You might be a little surprised that Queen Anne Hill, just north of Seattle, is divided into four mini-neighborhoods. And each of these has its own unique feel. North Queen Anne, on the far side of the hill from downtown Seattle, is probably the quietest and the most affordable of the four. In the north, it’s bounded by the Fremont Cut--the slice of water that pours from Lake Union towards Puget Sound. The east is bounded by highway 99, and the west by 15th ave.

Like other parts of Queen Anne, this neighborhood is also extremely steep, especially the east side.

Because of that steepness, as well as the Fremont Cut waterway, the neighborhood is pretty isolated when it comes to transportation, compared to other downtown neighborhoods. Many of the streets are too high of a grade for buses to crawl up. It can also be hard on your car. Lesson learned: don’t try to drive a full car of people with your Civic Hybrid up some of the steepest hills. It will be very, very slow going. Also, on the rare occasion that Seattle gets snow flurries that manage to stick to the ground, plan to stay home or walk, because those north-facing hills get slick, and most non-skiers don’t own winter tires.

Likewise, as you’d guess, the north side of Queen Anne Hill gets much less sun in the winter than the other sides of the hill. Since we can have pretty grey, dark winters at times, it’s definitely something to keep in mind when viewing potential places to live.

For eating out, you have two options, and both involve hills: 1. Go to the top of the hill to the downtown Queen Anne area. Lots of mid to high-priced places here, plenty of options. 2. Go down the hill to Nickerson Street, which runs parallel to the Fremont Cut--the waterway from Lake Union to Puget Sound. On Nickerson, there are a couple of Thai Places, and a Zeeks Pizza. Heading east on Nickerson, before you get to the Fremont Bridge, you’ll find the Nickerson Street Saloon (typical pub food, good vibe) and Ponti Seafood Grill, a classy place with views of the sailboats cruising past. And of course, once you cross the bridge into Fremont, you have dozens of options. Fremont is probably the best bet for a night out within walking distance.

Seattle Pacific Univeristy is based in North Queen Anne as well. It’s a small Christian school, with about 4,000 students. From my experience, the campus (a few blocks around Nickerson and 3rd) is pretty quiet, and the students are polite. It doesn’t really feel like a college part of town, compared to Seattle University or the University of Washington, which are both many times larger.

Speaking of schools, if you have little ones, there are two public elementary schools in the neighborhood--Coe Elementary and Queen Anne Elementary. There’s also the private Seattle Country Day School, with upscale buildings, and tuition fees to pay for it all. For Middle School, all students in Queen Anne, Ballard, Downtown, and Magnolia head to McClure Middle School, located near the top of Queen Anne Hill. But then for high school, the kids will head north to Ballard High School. So if you have kids going from middle to high school, they may have friends who end up at different high schools due to the Seattle’s school zones.

Parks: At first glance, it seems like North Queen Anne is lacking in easy access to great parks. Besides the cemetery, the only green space within boundaries is David Rodgers Park, which is ok, but not nearly as inspiring as some of the Seattle biggies like Discovery Park or Golden Gardens (both about a 10 minute drive, without traffic). However, there is a paved walking/biking lane along both sides of the Fremont Cut. I’ve spent many summer evenings strolling along this gorgeous, tree-lined path to get a break from the heat.

This is also where you’ll find some houseboats! Occasionally you’ll see one for rent, though the price, of course, is steep for the amount of space you get. For some, the novelty is worth the price.

Other than the houseboats, much of North Queen Anne is comprised of single-family homes and small apartments. Because it takes a little longer to get places, there’s less sunlight in winter, and there aren’t quite as many amenities as the other Queen Anne neighborhoods, the rent is just a *bit* more affordable here. But it's still in high demand, so don't expect any amazing deals. There are also some very expensive places for rent—often the ones with the best views.
Pros
  • Peace and Quiet
  • Access to Fremont Cut Waterway
  • Close to downtown
Cons
  • Lack of public transportation
  • Very steep hills
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • LGBT+
  • Students
4/5
2yrs+

"Queen Anne."

Located just north of the Seattle Center and the Space Needle on the city’s tallest hill, Queen Anne is best known for its breathtaking views of the Seattle skyline and of Puget Sound, as well as for its family-friendly residential areas and the wide range of activities it offers.

Atmosphere
The Queen Anne neighborhood offers a quirky mix of modern amenities and historic styles. In fact, the area’s name is based on the architectural style typical of many of the early homes and the city’s earliest roots are evident along West Hyland Drive where you’ll see gorgeous mid-19th century mansions that were built by Seattle’s economic and cultural elite. But head over to Queen Anne Ave. North at the base of the hill and you can dine in nearly every type of restaurant, stay in modern hotels and toast the neighborhood in a number of upscale pubs and bistros. On New Year’s Eve, you can gather with the locals at Queen Anne’s Kerry Park to watch the reflection of the sunset off of Mt. Rainier, and then enjoy the lighting of the Space Needle and a spectacular fireworks show.

Real Estate
Understandably, with its stately architecture and incredible views, Queen Anne homes are among the most exclusive and sought-after in Seattle. Besides the above-mentioned mansions, additional architectural styles include contemporary, classic craftsman, Tudor and bungalows. The median price of houses in this area is one of the highest in the city. There are some townhouses and condominiums in the area but they’re closer to the traffic-heavy areas around the perimeter of the hill.
Pros
  • Attractive housing architecture
  • Close to downtown
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
2yrs+

"Not the Most Exciting Area of Queen Anne Unless You Want Piece and Quite"

Queen Anne is one of the largest areas in Seattle broken into directional sections of North, South, East and West. The north Queen Anne section is unlike its other points. This area of Queen Anne isn’t known for its shops with mostly cleaners and like businesses in the north area.

Two of the best bars in my opinion are The Dubliner on Fremont Ave N and Nickerson Street Saloon on interestingly enough Nickerson Street. Although not the most happening places in the area they have great drinks and aren’t so hip you feeling like your undressed when you visit them. North Queen Anne also has one of the best taco shops called Melena’s which is a small, mostly take out restaurant that serves some of the best tacos in Seattle. It’s worth the trip to area just for one.

The housing market in the area is all over the place with the dwellings currently available being condos and apartments. The pricing is all over the place with some homes starting in the $250,000 range and others over $900,000 thousand. The cheaper homes are defiantly serious fixer uppers or units taken in foreclosure.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 5/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"College Town, Ready to Pounce"

North Queen Anne is a residential area that’s either a respite from the rapid pace of its southern activity center in Lower Queen Anne, or else full of people ready to pounce on it, depending on one’s perception. Quite a few condos and apartments are set up here, in part to hold as a stalwart fortress for the families who have settled, in part to accommodate the multitudes of students and faculty that migrate to and fro to the Seattle Pacific University.

A private Christian school, Seattle Pacific University maintains a lively campus culture including a portion of the aforementioned housing, in the form of furnished apartments accompanying residencies for its students. Though numerous and well-utilize, the greater historical influence lies not with the apartments, but with the Queen Anne architectural style which was used in many of the mansions built in the area by Seattle’s culture elite.

Students seem to be everywhere in North Queen Anne, and if not on the lawns at Seattle Pacific, then certainly frolicking at David Rodgers Park along with local families when the weather brightens up. It’s a very inviting space for everyone and a respite between the crowding of houses and apartment stacks which offers a big toy and tennis courts.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"From The Inside Out, This Place Is Top Notch"

Painting a morbid picture is the last thing a neighborhood review should contain. However moving from the center outward, it is hard to avoid the fact a cemetery is the fulcrum point. The Mt. Pleasant Cemetery (http://bitly.com/fOjjmu) is one of Seattle's oldest burial grounds. At around 40 acres, it is difficult to go unnoticed.

The cemetery has had Free Methodist (http://freemethodistchurch.org) connections, also shared with an institution to the south, Seattle Pacific University (http://spu.edu - SPU). This campus is home to around 4,000 students pursuing a variety of disciplines in the sciences and liberal arts. Two years ago I helped to coordinate a conference for around 150 attendees that was hosted by SPU. The staff thoroughly, and light-heartedly, served our group over the weekend. The facilities were well run, clean and attractive. The campus is constructed on a slope, adding to its complex beauty. Some of the oldest trees in the city can be found near the Tiffany Loop (http://bitly.com/gF9Dc2 main grassy quad). Also, check out the unique clock tower (http://bitly.com/gZRNaB)!

North a couple of blocks on 3rd Avenue is David Rodgers Park (http://1.usa.gov/fpgWpF). This, besides the lawns of SPU, is the main green space. A coveted plot, obviously, for a densely populated city neighborhood. Hence, the tennis quarts and playground will rarely be empty. This nine acre refuge is a sight for sore eyes that can bring fun and refreshment at any age.

Drifting from the middle, the northern boundary is the canal (http://bitly.com/dniouN Connects Lake Union (http://bitly.com/dniouN) with Salmon Bay (http://bitly.com/hyYZ4B). Besides a small section of SPU's buildings, the shore contains primarily commercial property. There is an enjoyable path (http://bitly.com/hyYZ4B) along the water near the campus. The road shoring up this side is Nickerson. This connects the western boundary (15th Avenue) with the eastern boundary (3rd Avenue North). A drive along this route reveals the commercial and industrial feel of the community. However, any turn to the south will immediately unveil the irresistible residential dwellings that attract so many to settle here. The North Queen Anne bliss of trendy rebuilds, hip landscape jobs, and young couples with their cup o’ joe continue south until West McGraw Street.

A few restaurants and cafes circumvent the "Queen". Most can be found near the campus or on the south side. The Tully's near SPU (http://bitly.com/h3UoxL) is well-visited and provides ample room for the remote office setup.

Several times, when my wife and I want the scenic route to the Seattle Center (http://seattlecenter.com), we meander the streets either side of 3rd Avenue. If riding a bike, prepare yourself for steep climbs when riding south. If pedaling from Fremont (http://bitly.com/abPBcR), try coming up Florentina to 3rd Avenue. It wraps around the park and makes for a great lung workout with a rewarding down hill descent towards the Space Needle (http://spaceneedle.com).

This neighborhood has excellent access to downtown and decent connection with northern areas. Quiet streets are surprisingly abundant here, providing yet another quality choice in Seattle urban living.
Pros
  • Close to downtown
  • Attractive housing architecture
  • Presence of a university campus
Cons
  • Expensive housing
  • Hard-to-find parking
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
2yrs+

"Quiet and safe neighborhood, great for families"

The north end of Queen Anne Hill is bordered by 15th Avenue West and Elliott Avenue West to the west and Aurora Avenue North (also known as Highway 99) to the east. The southern boundary of North Queen Anne is roughly W. McGraw Street. To the north lies Fremont, just across the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

North Queen Anne is safe and quiet residential neighborhood. It has long been popular among Seattle's affluent citizens, who prized the area for its breathtaking views. Many historic mansions in the area are now considered official landmarks. Housing in the area tends to be expensive, including million-dollar mansions with views of Lake Union, downtown Seattle, and other areas of the city. This is one of the most in-demand residential areas of the city. Although the area has traditionally been composed of single-family homes, new condos and townhouses are going a long ways towards making North Queen Anne an affordable neighborhood.

North Queen Anne is also home to Seattle Pacific University, a private Christian college. Mt. Pleasant Cemetery and David Rodgers Park are also in the area. There are also plenty of shops, restaurants, and nightlife hotspots, though many North Queen Anne residents enjoy the convenience of downtown Seattle for shopping and dining.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Schools 4/5
2yrs+

"Quiet, residential neighborhood - Great for families"

Queen Anne is like a borough of Seattle. The top of the hill and lower Queen Anne (which generally refers to the south side) offer shops, night clubs, dining and specialty grocers. The north end includes a very large park, an even larger cemetary and Seattle Pacific University among the many, many houses dotting the hillside. Most residents share a view of each other, but a few get peek-a-boo views of the canal between Puget Sound and Lake Union, or the Fremont area.
There are many little side streets that provide shortcuts to and from home, school or play in the area, and they are all tree-lined and beautiful.
Without the Seattle skyline view, home prices are fairly reasonable, considering Queen Anne is a much sought-after place to live in the city. From north Queen Anne, it takes about 10 minutes to get downtown or on the highway out of town.
Because north Queen Anne doesn't have the booming business district that the top of the hill or lower Queen Anne have, neighborhoods are considered safe, traffic is minimal and neighbors tend to interact more, retaining the community spirit all of Queen Anne once had.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

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Best Streets in North Queen Anne

1

West Newell St

2.5/5
"Quiet and tree lined Seattle street"
47.6440926178346 -122.363480204752

Unranked Streets in North Queen Anne

"Out of the way, but not too far"
47.6473579101004 -122.371528983149
"Your corner of the maze"
47.6465976978227 -122.372567135821

Armour St

4/5
"Modern Living in and Old-Fashioned Neighborhood"
47.644964001829 -122.356233000004
"Tudor row...a great street where neighbors have lots of gatherings throughout the year, pretty gardens, nice walk down to ship canal."
47.6490803863447 -122.369374899046

Fulton St

3.5/5
"Good Garden Street"
47.645615481352 -122.352990103115

Newell St

3.5/5
"Family-Friendly, Quiet Street"
47.6446827841456 -122.353235362483

Raye St

3.5/5
"Unique, Mixed Street"
47.6432429125808 -122.353938486361
"Great Green Street"
47.6468515830739 -122.368731294057

West Raye St

3.5/5
"Simple living in the city"
47.6431110754897 -122.367237121297

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