North Queen Anne, Seattle

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.