Metro route 106 runs between Renton and downtown, but since it never touches a freeway, it’s a workhorse commuter bus for a whole lot of neighborhoods in between. And since it hits a whopping five Link light rail stops along its way—that’s the International District, Mount Baker, Columbia City, Othello, and Rainier Beach—it’s a valuable transfer bus, too, giving multiple neighborhoods access to higher-speed transit.
Starting at the International District station, the 106 runs down a relatively straightforward series of arterials: Jackson Street to Rainier Avenue, Rainier to Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, MLK to Henderson Street, Henderson to Renton Avenue.
Those arterials make up the main drags of many a neighborhood: Mount Baker, Columbia City, Hillman City, Rainier Vista, Rainier Beach, and Skyway. It skirts the edges of a couple more, like Squire Park and north Beacon Hill.
We found six notable homes along the route, from cute cottages to standout townhouses.
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