West Lee St, West Queen Anne

Unlike most of the east-west streets in the southwest Queen Anne neighborhood, West Lee Street follows the ups and downs of the hill, making it one of the hilliest streets in the area. The houses on this street are gigantic and beautiful, many on the south side with exceptional views of Seattle and Puget Sound. Parks, libraries, shops and restaurants can all be found within walking distance, and a trip into the city takes about 10 minutes, though you're far enough away to avoid the dirty city feel. Quite the opposite on this street, actually, with gigantic canopies of trees and colorful sprays of flower gardens in front of many of the homes. Parts of the area have less-than-desirable streets, with potholes, cobblestones and bad maintenance. A stark contrast to the homes in the area. There are quite a few schools, parks, playgrounds and recreation centers for kids, including the Queen Anne branch of the public library a block away. If you can afford it, this is a terrific area to raise a family, though with the close proximity of the neighbors, doesn't offer much in the way of privacy.