Seward Park / Mt. Baker
By Caren Gussoff
Mount Baker and Seward Park are a bit of a Seattle anomaly. Both have convenient southern locations and are quite beautiful - yet remain somehow isolated enough from the rest of town to keep them feeling like a sleepy little 'burg (when Seafair isn't dominating the marinas, that is). I think, secretly, that's exactly how the residents like it-spending most of the year in possession of their own little green gem, where neighbors know neighbors and housing appreciation levels are high.
The catchword for both areas is community. Involvement is high. Mount Baker's Community Club has been active since the turn of the century, providing residents with meeting space, events, services, and scholarships. Seward Park is the seat of Seattle's Jewish life and has been for more than 90 years--the oldest synagogue in Washington state, Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath, is located there, and the demographic reflects this: the area is rich with Jewish families who occupy family homes passed down three generations. Although the areas are adjacent to some rougher spots of Seattle (and they too have a history of crime, cleaned up with widespread gentrification in the 1980s) they now feel like a place one could raise a family.
This is family-friendly feeling bolstered by, according to Coldwell Banker Bain realtor Adam Weissman, the fact that "… you will find a wide variety of price ranges, enabling both first time and high-end home buyers opportunities to buy homes." These reasonable prices, which Weissman indicates are around $708,050 average sale price, combined with the civic kinship have, indeed, made Mount Baker and Seward Park very attractive to families. Rentals are medium-high, in the range of $900 to $1,300 per month for two bedrooms - with many rentals being for entire homes instead of apartments. But for peace 'n' quiet and a relatively effortless commute, the areas are hard to beat. Both areas are close to downtown and located close to I-90 for eastside travel.
Basic needs can be acquired in the teensy commercial areas, but if you are looking for exciting shopping and entertainment, you'll find the pickings a bit modest. Aside from a few small shops and a PCC, you'll find locals gathering at Sweet and Savory which serves up a fine sandwich, or sucking down the authentic Italian at Pizzuto's. The Seward Park Clay Studio is another landmark, offering ceramics class for all levels. But all in all, it's quiet and sleepy.
This doesn't mean that Mount Baker and Seward Park are boring … well, at least not if you're sporty and wholesome. There are numerous opportunities to get outside and get moving in the neighborhood. Scores of rowing clubs and regattas are based on Mount Baker's beach, which also offers fine swimming. The park at Seward Park is 300 acres of old growth forest, trails, and docks, great for hikers seeking a glimpse of herons or eagles, hobby fisherman casting a lazy afternoon line, or joggers and bikers training for local 5K fun-runs or triathlons. There are abundant playgrounds addled with hooting children and well-used dog-walking spots. Sunny Saturdays call to mind Georges Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte," packed with families enjoying the rewards of the quiet and sleepy, taking full advantage of their relatively undiscovered little green gem.
