Northeast 120th St, Haller Lake

The only real draw-back to 12th NE is that, between Ravenna and NE 75th, it runs one-way north-bound, and essentially forms the north lanes of Roosevelt. That means cars will be running up the street pretty much constantly, day and night.

Even so, the residents show a certain pride of ownership, mostly keeping lovely flower gardens and clean yards. And the local businesses keep things low-key, respecting their residential neighbors.

Further north, it turns into a quiet residential back-street with gravel shoulders, good fences and good neighbors. I have some friends just off 12th in the Maple Leaf neighborhood, and it's common to see families walking their dogs, or pushing strollers with little kids. The rare car that drives through that stretch tends to yield politely to pedestrians. Can't ask for much better than that!