7.8 out of 10

Stevens (Capitol Hill)

Ranked 22nd best neighborhood in Seattle
47.627792192234 -122.306563810882
Great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Eating Out
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Nightlife
  • Shopping Options
Not great for
  • Childcare
  • Resale or Rental Value
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Cost of Living
  • Medical Facilities
Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+
Editors Choice

"A Desirable Land-Locked Slice Of Seattle"

Almost resembling a pizza slice, Stevens is one of the few land-locked urban neighborhoods. Fortunately, the lack of waterfront is made up with a generous selection of food establishments, large parks nearby, and easy access to downtown and the University.

Stevens lies between Interlaken Park and Madison Street. It also spans from 15th Avenue to Lake Washington Boulevard. The interior is generally residential, with numerous small businesses along 15th and Madison. The northern portion is very green, with Volunteer Park to the west and Interlaken occupying the top portion. The Arboretum is touched by Stevens on the northeast side, giving yet another recreation choice to residents.

Interlaken is a park that offers hiking and bike trails, also serving as the boundary with Montlake. Road cyclists will find clearly marked trails throughout the Stevens area, leading to either Lake Washington, the Arboretum, or the I-90 bridge.

South of Roy Street, on 15th Avenue, begins the march of restaurants, cafes, and pubs. Places like Samui Thai, Olympia Pizza, North Hill Bakery, Jamjuree, Hopvine Pub, Caffe Ladro, Coastal Kitchen, and Victrola Coffee & Art foster the Capitol Hill creativity.

The Coastal Kitchen is one of my favorite places to eat breakfast. You'll find hearty dishes, thick with traditional taste, and a Seattle-like diner ambiance. Both Caffe Ladro and Victrola Coffee will have you returning for more espresso and neighborhood submersion.

A wide variety of dancing experiences are captured at Dance Underground near Harrison and 15th. Whether for lessons or complete studio rental, the Underground can accommodate. The Group Health Capitol Hill campus occupies part of the west side, bringing convenient local health services.

After hitting Madison Street to the south, many more venues await exploration. Such places are Madison Market, El Gallito, Deano's, Crush (with Chef Jason Wilson), Bottleneck Lounge, Rover's, My Coffee House, and more.

For something off the beaten path, check out The Volunteer Park Cafe & Marketplace on 17th and Galer. This sit-down cafe fits seamlessly into the greener end of Stevens. They offer meals all day long, including a substantial wine menu. The prices are a bit steep, so it may not qualify for a daily hangout. Have some Hebrew roots? Enroll your children in the Seattle Hebrew Academy a block away.

A gorgeous landmark not to miss is the Holy Names Academy on Aloha and 22nd. I'm always in awe of this architecture each time I turn the corner and ride up the hill on my bike. After taking in the structural wonder, head around the corner to Fuel Coffee for further reflection. Continue to bask in the creative housing styles within the community. There are just not two homes alike.

So much more could be said for this neighborhood. It's truly Capitol Hill living at its finest. Even though waves are not lapping the feet of Stevenites, they can truly boast in the quality and amount of eating and drinking establishments at their doorstep.
Pros
  • Great restaurants
  • Beautiful parks
  • Active nightlife options
Cons
  • High traffic on arterial streets
  • Land-locked
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
2yrs+

"Super steep hills and the arboretum"

Are you ready for the ultimate Seattle running challenge? Try to run up any of the crazy steep hills in Stevens.

If youre not feeling the 25% grade (for real), you can head over to the arboretum, which is a really peaceful place to put in a few miles.

There are tons of paths in the Arboretum, but the park is long and narrow, so even if you dont have a map and just run wherever you feel like, you probably wont get lost. There are a couple main paths that run lengthwise (north/south), and these tend to be the busiest. But you can also explore a bunch of small trails branching off from those paths that wind around the different parts of the park. Thats generally the best option if its a hot sunny day, because the smaller paths have more shade and less people.

I like to run from one end to the other and back, maybe twice if Im feeling ambitious. Running through Marsh Island keeps it interesting, but last time I went there, there was a ton of construction getting back from East Montlake Park. If you run out to the Foster Island part of the park, you can wade into the water to cool off.

There are also a bunch of good restaurants in this part of the hill, so sometimes Ill get lunch afterwards. I like Vios Caf on Aloha because its super quick, amazing Greek food. They also have a little store that is kinda cool. Oh yeah, and the gelato. Which to be honest is the real reason I come here haha.
Pros
  • Great restaurants
  • Beautiful parks
5/5 rating details
  • Eating Out 5/5
2yrs+

"Chill place to grab a meal"

I like chilling in the Stevens part of Cap Hill before I go out for a show. Its a lot more laid back than the rest of the hill, and there are a ton of good restaurants, especially on 15th and on Madison.

You should check these ones out:

Luc is pretty low key, just have pizza and burgers, nothing too fancy. Good for a quick meal with some buddies.

Anchovies and Olives is probably my fave around here. They have seafood and tapas. The oyster happy hour is awesome. Its another Ethan Stowell restaurant so no surprise that its goodhes pretty much got the best reputation in Seattle. This one isnt too overpriced like some of his other places. Bonus!

Ernest Loves Agnus is a new restaurant opened by some of the Guild Seattle people. There was a lot of hype surrounding it when it opened last summer, and its not bad. But they only do dinner, plus brunch on the weekends. The happy hour is definitely worth it. The reason for the name is that apparently Ernest Hemmingway fell in love with a nurse called Agnus in Italy during WWI. Thats why its Italian food. The only sad part about this restaurant is that its in the old Kingfish caf building, which was SO GOOD. It closed last year.

Coastal Kitchen is where I go when I want breakfast for dinner. Or for Tuesday happy hour because they have $1 oysters from Taylor Shellfish Farms. Get your noms on.
Pros
  • Great restaurants
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
2yrs+

"Capitol Hill’s secret neighborhood"

How can I best explain what Stevens feels like?
Hmmm. Ok, go with me on this one. A few years ago, I went to the Grand Canyon. When we got to the South Rim, there were *hundreds* of tourists snapping pictures at the canyon’s edge next to the gift store. The number of selfies happening was slightly appalling. But our destination was not the gift store. It was a hike, and the trailhead began just about 100 feet away from the milling crowd. We started down the trail, and the canyon began to unfold before us. Literally within two minutes, we were nearly alone. It was gorgeous. All the tourists were still at the top, none bothering to take a walk down the trail right under their noses. All the better for us!

This is what Stevens is like, as compared to the main Capitol Hill area on Broadway. Full of amenities, yet refreshingly absent of selfie-snapping crowds, even though it’s only a few blocks from the (fun) madness that is the Pike/Pine corridor.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love downtown Capitol Hill. But when you want something a bit quieter, head to Steven’s. It somehow maintains a smidge of the small town vibe, despite being in the heart of the city.

Stevens is Bounded in the south by Madison Street, which has quite a few buses going through. Very convenient. To the north and east is the Arboretum, a gem of a park. And the western boundary of Stevens is simply the top of Capitol Hill, at 15th ave, which includes the large Volunteer Park.

It’s important to note that this is the top of the hill for two reasons. 1. You are more likely to successfully survive a tsunami (everyone’s been talking about this since the New Yorker article came out this year). So you’re on the safe side of the hill! Good work. And 2. The streets running east/west suddenly get very, very steep, as you head back down the hill. In fact, you can take a trip to Seattle’s steepest paved street here! It’s Roy Street, between 25th and 26th ave, at 26% grade. I dare you to try to sprint up it.

Most of Stevens is residential, with a blend of lowrise apartments, condos, and single-family homes. Because of this, you’ll find quite a few families, who like the quieter side of the hill. Most elementary kids attend Stevens Elementary School, though some on the eastern boundary are in McGilvra Elementary’s territory. Next, they’ll go to Washington Middle School, and finally, the large Garfield High School.

What about those amenities? Most restaurants and shops are on either 15th or Madison. There are dozens of options, and it’s fun getting to know them.

Some of my favorite places are:

--Ada’s Technical Bookstore and Café: This is nerd heaven. They have a fun and informative selection of technical books, with topics ranging from physics to coding to psychology, to fantasy, to comics. Just my style. I love working from here as well, while sipping one of their coffees.
--Canterbury Ale House: A cozy, unpretentious pub that draws you in on dreary days. Plus, it’s castle-themed! You get to combine your inner kid by being in a castle with your outer grown-up by drinking beer.
--Araya’s Place: As a vegetarian, I love this Thai place. Great value for lunch too.
--Volunteer Park Café: This one’s a bit out on it’s own, away from the other restaurants, next to (of course) Volunteer Park. I’d recommend a lazy weekend brunch and a stroll in the park afterwards.
Pros
  • Less crowded
  • Great restaurants
Cons
  • High cost of living
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
2yrs+

"Host One of the Best Fish Restaurant in the City"

One of the advantages of living in Seattle is that most anywhere you go you can see water, which is why it’s known as a port city. The Steven’s area is one of the areas that sees no water, but doesn’t lack the charm of a Seattle neighborhood; its charm is why it’s such a great place to visits. Who needs water when you have restaurants galore and funky and fun shops?

Coastal Kitchen is a must when you are in the Steven’s area. Known for fish this restaurant has a home kitchen feel with its old tables and friendly wait staff, the food is to die for and the service is the best. It blows away any of the other area restaurants.

Interlaken Park is a must when in the area, it’s over 51 acres of wooded area it’s a little piece of wilderness in Steven’s backyard. It’s not much of a place to have a picnic or to play catch with the dog, but there are great hiking and biking trails for those people in the city who want to get away without getting away.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids

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Best Streets in Stevens (Capitol Hill)

1

East Roy St

4/5
"A Slice of Old Capitol Hill"
47.6252056246994 -122.30367906873
"Who loves the great nature?"
47.6306048012918 -122.305403199739
3

19th Ave East

3.5/5
"Great, Less Traveled Gem of Capitol Hill"
47.6240283654909 -122.30729477555
"Perfect Worker Street"
47.6321965006162 -122.298095999547
5

East John St

3/5
"Cross the heart of Capitol Hill"
47.6196655106274 -122.306317076969

Unranked Streets in Stevens (Capitol Hill)

19th Ave

2.5/5
"Aggrivated at the way everyone parks on this street"
47.6176126648111 -122.307399008205
"Established street with plenty of character"
47.626828021998 -122.304317475036
"Perfect for families"
47.6286611280936 -122.305867136308

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