Seattle has buses (and trains). Use them! In which case you might as well find a place to live along a line. One line at a time. Here's the next one, selected at random for the fun of it.
Ballard is an old, quaint Seattle neighborhood that is out of the way, and full of houses decades old; except that it is now trendy, easy to access by bus (thanks to Metro #44 which will carry you to Montlake), and full of new construction. Things change.
↑ Somewhere between 2004 when this 1969 house sold for $360,000 and 2014 when they are asking $915,000, this 4 bedroom, 3 bath house must have gone through a major renovation. Was the original square footage 2,370? Everything inside looks new, modern, and shiny. Views, a rooftop deck, a patio, make living outside appealing. The kitchen is upgraded with full-sized, or larger, appliances and lots of work space. They've managed to squeeze all of that onto a 3,836 square foot lot; so there must not be much yard work to worry about.
↑ A 3,055 square foot house on a 3,753 square foot lot? More than one story makes it possible. More than one story also means the bedrooms aren't all on the same floor, which should spread out the noise of snoring. They're proud of their views too: the Cascades, Mt. Rainier, Lake Union, and the Olympics. It is rare to get views east, south, and west. You won't lack for things to watch. For $879,000 you get a brand new house which has either had owners that didn't stay long, or has been expertly staged. Maybe some curtains in the bathroom would be nice.
↑ Smaller is easier to keep, right? For $639,950, 1,604 square feet are still enough for 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. It's also enough for close in views of Salmon Bay, a short walk to shops, and restaurants; and you get to watch every boat that goes through the Chittenden Locks. This one is brand new too. The rooftop deck maximizes the area you have to live in - weather or your attitude permitting, of course.
↑ Heavens, this one may almost be considered old. It was built way back in 2000! Between being within walking distance of, well, much of the busy and appealing parts of Ballard; and being close to the bus line; and being close to the Burke Gilman you could ignore the garage that comes with this 1,540 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 story unit. Does that really work out to 513 square feet per floor? Cozy on every level for $539,900.
↑ Market Street is only a block or so away. A close market would be handy with a kitchen that looks like it arranged for a celebrity chef. Four chairs in place, to watch the chef at work! A well-equipped kitchen and pantry can make for a lot of excellent entertaining. There are only 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, so this 1,070 square foot townhouse for $409,950 isn't meant for big families; but Seattle has a large population of small households, so that should be fine. And, if it is a bad night for cooking, the restaurants are nearby.
See anything you like?
· Route 44 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath