Seattle has buses. 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.
Night owls exist. Whether because of a late shift, a lot of overtime, or staying out real late, buses like the ones on Route 84 can be handy for sleepy people trying to get from Jackson to downtown out through Madrona and Madison Park. It may not be a major commute for most; but for some, a ride home can be a life saver. Just remember to wake up in time for your stop.
↑ Master suite? Ha! This $4,500,000 Canterbury house has a master wing. (Would it look different if it was a mistress wing?) Built on 0.28 acres in Madison Park, this 4 bedroom, 5 bath house has 7,754 square feet inside. The extra area goes to the aforementioned master wing, an office, a wine cellar, a gym, and a butler's pantry. For makers and crafters, the shop may be the most luxurious part of the house. It was built in 2010, so modern sensibilities are built in with wide work spaces - like in the kitchen. Cooking could become a performance. Someone evidently has sense of artistry and style, and a sense of play. The colors splashed in the non-master bedrooms are wonderful indulgences, that may get painted over. It was nice to see them, though. About the only features dedicated to leisure are the media room and the outdoor pool. If only you could be in both at once.
↑ Stucco walls, a tiled roof, decorative tiles on the stairs and floors, a copper mantel, and a brick patio around a fountain and beside a pool all make for a consistent appreciation of Spanish culture. Even the landscaping for this 5 bedroom, 6 bath house has had enough time to be tended and matured into a bit of the old world because it has all been there since 1929. Now, they're asking $3,795,000 for the house and a third of an acre in Broadmoor. It was easier to get that much land inside the city limits back then. As much as the choices may seem more like the Southwest instead of the Northwest, the materials last and are low maintenance. Very few bugs eat bricks. This is a house that may be here for a long time.
↑ When the landscaping is mature enough, a house can become hidden by the trees. That can come in handy when a house is this close to the fairway. One more thing to get in the way of slices. Behind the foliage, which blends nicely with the course, is a 3 bedroom, 4 bath house with an asking price of $2,295,000. It has been there since 1936, and really doesn't try to hide from the course. The green makes for a nice view, and the house has walls of windowed doors that open onto a brick patio. Sit out there and relax, while listening for "Fore!", or stay inside where there's 3,710 square feet of classic craftsman built-ins and cabinets.
↑ If the views are upstairs, then why sit downstairs? That's the basic question that is answered by this three story contemporary house in Madison Park. They put the living spaces and the kitchen upstairs, presumably so the person washing the dishes can watch something more interesting that the neighbor's fence. It is a pragmatic solution that lets a $1,199,000 house have views. From that description, the 4 bedrooms and 4 baths are probably on the first two floors of the 3,470 square feet inside. One of the rooms gets a variation on the view from a triangular balcony that partly protects the garage entrance. Did they have to pick that shape to catch the sights without encroaching on setbacks?
↑ Maybe you don't want to spend a million or three on a house; especially, if you're working the late shift and are asleep in the daytime. In that case, step away from the golf courses and gated enclaves to settle into a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,440 square foot house. You can do that for $450,000. It may not be historic yet, but some day a 1950 one story may make history. In the meantime, you can cover the basics, be comfortable, have less to worry about, and save yourself a million or so by being willing to walk a bit farther for shopping and views. What would you do with a spare million dollars?
· Route 84 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
· Broadmoor Golf Club [BGC]
Written by Tom Trimbath