Ballard
Ballard is one of the most desirable places to live in Seattle. It has a close-knit community, a diverse population and heaps of neighborhood pride. The arrival of spring finds locals out and about, strolling down sidewalks, gathered at one of the many parks, or working in their yards. Quiet side streets are populated with medium-sized family homes and cottages, with creative gardens. There is also a host of award-winning schools, from elementary to high school.
Ballard is known for its Scandinavian fishing village history and working class roots. Located northwest of downtown, Ballard defines itself as a small town nestled within a big city. The business district is peppered with a unique mix of restaurants bars and nightclubs. Small shops are sprinkled in among larger retailers, along with museums and art galleries.
One point of interest here: the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. This beautifully groomed park borders a nautical thoroughfare. This is where pleasure boaters and commercial fishing boats transition between Puget Sound and Lake Union. Don’t miss the spectacular dusk views at Sunset Hill Viewpoint Park (NW 75th and 34th Ave NW).
POPULATION: 7,800
DEMOGRAPHICS: Educated, urban young adults, aspiring single urbanites, families with children, green/sustainability conscious residents.
TYPES OF HOMES: Cape Cod, Bungalow, Craftsmen, Colonial, Tudor, Contemporary homes and Townhomes
COMMUNITY BLOG: Ballard Blog, My Ballard
LIBRARY: Seattle Public Library Ballard Branch, located at 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. Seattle , WA 98107, Tel. 206-684-4089
FARMERS MARKET: Ballard Farmers Market, located on historic Ballard Avenue NW, between Vernon Place NW and 22nd Avenue NW. Open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., year round.
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: La Carta De Oaxaca, Ocho, La Isla,Volterra, Senor Moose Cafe,
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS: Cupcake Royal, Caffe Fiore, Aster Coffee Lounge, Cafe Cuzco, Nervous Nellie’s
Recent posts about Ballard
Free Tools
DIY home improvement sounds nice and all, but let’s face it: tools are expensive. They take up space. And odds are, you don’t know how to use them—at least not well enough to increase your home’s value by installing new flooring or leveling the yard. Tool libraries like the PhinneyWood Tool Library remove those barriers.…
Battle of the Bonfires 2019: Alki Beach v. Golden Gardens
Summer showed up early this year, and it’s time for the perfect beach bonfire. But where to do it? In Seattle, you’ve got two choices: Alki Beach in West Seattle, or Golden Gardens west of Ballard. Both make sublime nights, with crackling wood and the smell of sea and smoke—but when a free evening rolls around,…
Open Condo in the Heart of Ballard
We’re holding an open house this Sunday (May 5, 1–4 p.m.) for 1760 NW 56th St #414, a blue-chip condo in a prime Ballard location. Pun intended—from this condo, you can walk just two blocks and take the D-line bus straight to Amazon. Or if Eastside employment is more your thing, the Microsoft Connector runs…
New Bike Lanes Where We Need Them
Bicycles are great—in theory. You can skip traffic, savor fresh air, get some free exercise, and save the planet one pedal at a time. But then there’s the matter of hills. Especially here in Seattle. No one likes riding up hills and showing up for work drenched in sweat, barely able to walk. Especially not…
Ballard Farmer’s Market: Photo Essay!
Welcome to the Market The Ballard Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday. The market goes year-round, and it happens regardless of rain, sleet, or snow. Only Thanksgiving and Christmas Day make the Ballard Farmers Market take a week off. Take Back the Street Local-to-Local Free Lunch Picked This Morning…
$2,000,000 for Our Neighborhoods
The City of Seattle wants us—you, me, and our neighbors—to decide how to spend $2,000,000 on small-scale neighborhood improvements. Does your community need a new crosswalk? How about a median? Or a flashing beacon, repaired sidewalk, curb ramps, park benches, or trail improvements? That’s what this project, “Your Voice, Your Choice,” aims to accomplish. As real estate…
How Racist Real Estate Shaped Seattle
We all know the “bad” neighborhoods. We all know the “rich” neighborhoods. So, too, did 1936 Seattle. Much of the city we live in today was shaped by early 20th-century home loans, as you can see in this Great Depression map from the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation (HOLC). HOLC took all sorts of data from mortgage…
ST3 Light Rail–The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good: Light rail lives! The new Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium stations are operational and successful, and riding on the wake of their popularity, Sound Transit has announced the new ST3 draft plan, which lays out the future of Seattle’s public transportation. This draft plan matters. It’s huge, developmentally speaking. As Seattle keeps growing…
North Seattle Home Prices Rise 42 Percent
Home prices are up. Way up. Central Seattle and Beacon Hill both saw their median home price climb nearly 40 percent last year. In parts of North Seattle, the median home price leapt 42 percent. Forty-two percent. That’s absurd. The Seattle-wide median home price isn’t as bad. That measure only jumped 24 percent last year,…
People on People on People
Seattle is now the #10 U.S. city for density. Density isn’t what usually comes to mind when most people think of our city. I know I used to picture the waterfront, the comfortably impressive skyline, and the charming village-esque neighborhoods. But I’ve watched more and more people move into those charming neighborhoods, and I’ve noticing…
Seattle’s 3 Bizarre Tower-Homes
What’s in the very top of the iconic Smith Tower? What about those towers on the Fremont Bridge? Why does Ballard have a lighthouse nowhere near the water? Answer: Residents. People live in strange places in Seattle. Places that, if we didn’t know better, we never would have imagined anyone calling “home.” Places like these…
A Seller’s Market!
Seattle homes have appreciated 6.6% in the past year. Some neighborhoods have even experienced double-digit appreciation. It’s a seller’s dream market! WHEN YOU SELL WITH THE REAL ESTATE GALS, YOU GET 100% COMMITMENT. WE WILL: • safeguard your best interest…