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.
Up and over the ridge. Route 27 isn't very long, but it does take you from the eastward views of the Cascades to the west side views of the Olympics by crossing the ridge that separates Leschi from Yesler. It's a quick trip, for a bus.
↑ Take a 1924 bungalow, put it high enough to get a westward glimpse of Seattle, and find yourself with a sweet little house that is close to downtown but on the quiet side of the hill, except for I-90 and the hydros. For $425,000, this 2 bedroom and 1 bath house is reasonable while still being close to Lake Washington, Colman Park, and Bradner Gardens. Some of the original details remain, like curved archways between rooms, built-in bookshelves bracketing a tile fireplace, and ceiling fixtures and radiators that definitely look period. There's even a tall basement, which was uncommon back then. More room to grow, or a place to hide.
↑ There's a house behind that garage, there must be. You might be more interested in the 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2,768 square feet of space reserved for the people instead of the place for the 2 cars. They're asking $869,900, which gets you all of that plus a few vibrant walls and lots of space. It is a Northwest Contemporary, so it is a bit more modern; which is why it has more room devoted to a large family room and wet bar instead of formal spaces. The land is landscaped, so you won't have much to mow, either. There may be a few weeds to pull. That's eternal.
↑ Views from almost every room? Excellent. There's Rainier, Bellevue, and a lot of Lake Washington. The views will cost you $2,400,000, but you get 4 bedrooms and 4 baths of house with that. Giving the pool table a view may be unconventional. They're usually relegated to the basement. But, when you have a view like this, get as much of it as you can. There are also decks on every floor, so if you want to ignore the 5,340 square feet, you'll be forgiven.
↑ Which way do you want to think of getting wet: at the two wet bars, or at the deeded moorage? This 3,204 square foot condo has 2 bedrooms and 3 baths, for the price of $2,195,000. The price probably has more to do with the expansive views, having the entire top floor to yourself, the top-of-the-line appliances throughout, and excellent proximity to Leschi because Leschi wraps around the building. Of course, with such a well-equipped kitchen maybe you won't need to take advantage of quality restaurants within walking distance; but there will be those nights when you don't want to drive, park, cook, or clean. Maybe you should check to see if they deliver.
↑ Arched doorways, bay windows, and nine-foot ceilings help retain the historic touches that are part of this 1910 apartment turned condo. Updated appliances and utilities give it modern conveniences. This condo has 1 bedroom and 1 bath, and only 714 square feet, but it also includes a room for an office, for $335,000. It has views too, if you look between the other buildings, but a short walk probably gets you to million dollar views. Think of the money you'll save with a little exercise. Besides, you also have a place with character and history, which is much more fun at parties.
· Colman Park [SP]
· Bradner Gardens [SP]
· Route 27 [Metro]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath