Seattle's neighborhoods are like living, breathing organisms. They're constantly changing, evolving, growing, shrinking and consuming one another. You could say that Fremont is a neighborhood but someone else might break it down into North Fremont, Frelard and "Downtown" Fremont. Since it's Micro Week, we figured it's not just about identifying the smallest places to live but also the smallest neighborhoods as well. We scoured a few different sources, all of which had different definitions for what constitutes a Seattle neighborhood. In the end, we determined that, at least according to size, Westlake is the tiniest of all the "official" neighborhoods. Clocking in at .15 square miles, the thin strip of land running the west shores of Lake Union is home to roughly 1,700 people, which makes it one of the denser neighborhoods as well.
Westlake is in the midst of profound change as it benefits from being right next to South Lake Union, not to mention an influx of young folk. The building boom is stretching into Westlake's territory and that means bigger building, more residences and a much bigger crowd walking, running and biking the path along the lake in the coming years (not to mention Sleepless in Seattle tourists). It's no surprise that the median home value in Westlake is $407,500, which is up 10.1% over the past year and is expected to rise another 5.2% within the next year. Median rent is $1,729, which is just barely lower than the city median, but probably not for long.
Think there's a smaller official neighborhood in Seattle? Let us know.
· Westlake Home Prices & Values [Zillow]
· Westlake neighborhood [CD]
· Where the Young People Are Living in the Seattle Area [CS]
· Here's the Ultimate Map Guide to Sleepless in Seattle [CS]
· No Paseo, No Problem: Eleven Reasons to Visit North Fremont [CS]
· Is Frelard An Actual Seattle Neighborhood? [CS]