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.
Maybe you work at the mall, or shop. Maybe you go to class at the college, or teach. If you live near Kenmore and need to get to Aurora Village or Shoreline Community College, Route 331 will take you there. Or at least give you a tour of Lake Forest Park and Ballinger Terrace.
↑ Take the bus. Save up enough money. Maybe that's how you can afford this $1,799,950 home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2,450 square feet and 100 feet of Lake Washington's shoreline. A dock on the property is a handy thing. Watching the floatplanes at Kenmore Air Harbor is different from most views. Maybe you can get direct to your dock service. The bonus is the view. Lake Washington is long and skinny. There are lots of houses with east or west views, but this is on the few with a view south down the lake.
↑ You get a lot when you move away from the lake. Put a road between your house and the water and save about a million. For $649,950 you can buy a 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 3,120 square foot daylight rambler that has views of the lake - from a distance. There may not be a place to moor your boat, but you can buy a much bigger boat and rent the dock space to hold it. The house also comes with 0.49 acres, so you get more room around your rambler. The style is mid-century contemporary, and coming into an age when you'll see if it is timeless, trendy, or time for a renovation.
↑ Some people want to look at water. Other people want to look at green - and greens, and rough, and sand, and bunkers, and fairways. Inglewood's Golf Course abuts a $420,000 townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 1,680 square feet. Imagine not having to drive to the course. You're there. You even get a good idea of how busy the course is. You can also sit on the patio and critique the other golfers, or their clothes. Check the windows. Have any golfs balls bounced off them lately?
↑ If all you want is the view, then skip the shoreline and skip the acreage. This two story condo has views of the lake, but is $397,000. That gets you 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, and 1,444 square feet of living space. The amenities are fine. The bathroom is a bit different because it includes a European shower (probably that wand and a lack of curtain), and a soaking tub. Why not be a bit different?
↑ Without the waterfront, the view, and the acreage you can find a 3 bedroom 2.75 bath, 1,472 square foot townhome for $228,304. All of the essentials are there. What more do you need if you're working long hours at the mall, or pulling all-nighters for school? There's even enough room for roommates. Film it and you can produce your own sitcom.
· Kenmore Air Harbor [KAH]
· Shoreline Community College [SCC]
· Inglewood Gold Club [IGC]
· Route 331 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath