Northwest 170th St, Innis Arden

Although this is generally a residential street, there are a few little businesses on NW 170th, including the best little hidden-gem of a bar/restaurant I've found. I call it the Dog Bar, not because that's its name, which I can never remember, but because the sign has a cutout of a dog howling at the moon. It sits on the south side of NW 170th just off of 15th Ave NW. The food has been incredibly good every time I've been, and the cocktails are superb. The atmosphere is friendly and has a neighborhood feel, like they should know your name, even if you're not a regular. The street is remarkably quiet for sharing space between small businesses and residential homes. There is a ton of on-street parking, making maneuvering around oncoming traffic less than fun, but you can usually find parking within the same block you live (or are visiting).

Residents are close to downtown Ballard, where there are more great restaurants and quaint little shops. 15th runs all the way to downtown Seattle, though morning and afternoon rush hour cause so much congestion, its definitely worth using the public transportation system, which runs right down 15th. Homes in this area seem unusually high for being as far as it is from the city, but northern neighborhoods tend to have higher housing costs than those in the south end of King County.

Ballard High School is only a couple of blocks away, and a very large childcare facility with sports areas and a playground is right across 15th NW. The street also runs right into Salmon Bay Park on the east side of 15th Ave NW, a great place for kids and adults to play or relax.

Being in a heavily populated neighborhood, the area isn't that quiet, but it does calm down a bit the further you get from 15th Ave in either direction. Most of the blocks along NW 170th are nicely treed, though there are some that seem a little desolate in relation to surrounding areas. Overall, it's a relatively safe area, mostly quiet, and a pretty good place to raise a family.