Columbia City
Columbia City is both homespun and urban. The resurgent star of a proud restoration movement, a dedicated civic effort has renovated and populated this charming turn-of-the-century Rainier Valley area. The small downtown, along Rainier Avenue South, is filled with family-owned businesses, old brick buildings and awning-laced storefronts. There are cafes, restaurants, retail shops and a population of locals out strolling and socializing.
Residences here include gentle ramblers, two-story shingled and box homes and bungalows. The yards vary from being modest and minimalist to sprouting wild gardens. Streets are lined with tall leafy trees and rugged bushes. Along with a vibrant ethnic mix, is the sound of children playing in the streets.
Columbia City’s effort to encourage community was demonstrated in something residents began over ten years ago: nightly dog walks. The purpose was to reacquaint neighbors and keep the streets safe. Nowadays, Wednesdays are dedicated to a Farmer’s Market. Other proud features include a beautiful colonial library, a new movie theater and venues that host reading series and live music.
POPULATION: 5,000
DEMOGRAPHICS: Married couples, singles and families.
TYPES OF HOMES: Ramblers, Two-story Shingled and Box Homes, Bungalows
COMMUNITY BLOG: Columbia City Seattle, Columbia City: Rainier Valley
LIBRARY: Seattle Public Library Columbia Branch located at 4721 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle , WA 98118, Tel.206-386-1908
FARMERS MARKET: Columbia City Public Market, Wednesdays, April 27 through October 19, from 3pm to 7pm, on Edmunds Street between 37th and the alley at 36th (just off of Rainier in the heart of Columbia City).
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: Geraldine’s Counter, La Medusa, The Spice Room
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS: Columbia City Bakery, Empire Espresso
Recent posts about NEIGHBORHOOD
Market Report – July 2020
To show you some specifics of what the real estate market is like these days, here’s a close analysis of one West Seattle neighborhood. We looked at single-family home sales in early July. Click to enlarge In terms of real estate, the pandemic hasn’t slowed anything down. Homes still fly “off the shelf”—often in less…
Market Report – May 2020
To show you some specifics of what the real estate market is like these days, here’s a close analysis of one West Seattle neighborhood.
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,…
May 11: 300 Garage Sales Take Over West Seattle
West Seattle will hold garage sales this Saturday (May 11) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.—ALL of West Seattle. 300 garage sales will take over the neighborhood from Alki to Fauntleroy, and with sun in the forecast, it looks like the perfect way to deck out your home and wardrobe for cheap. Desktop-friendly map Mobile-friendly map …
Real Estate Investment Across the Puget Sound
Ridership on Washington State Ferries will grow more than 30 percent in the next 20 years. This has big implications for real estate. We’re seeing the first impacts already.
West Seattle’s Flower Houses
Talk about unique curb appeal. The Flower Houses are local gems here in West Seattle, where they bring life and character to their stretch of Alki Avenue. This part of Alki once consisted of small family cottages heavy on beachcomber charm (think floats, starfish, and vacation-home décor). In the past few decades, though, emotionless multistory…
$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…
West Seattle’s FREE Outdoor Movies
I love summer. The parks fill up with families, people look for excuses to spend lunchbreaks outside, brave kids swim at the beaches, and we all get enough vitamin D for once. It’s been a good season for real estate for me, too, and already, I’ve had a blast with my clients this summer. Another…
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…
West Seattle Clear Cutting
UPDATE: a $1.6 million lawsuit was filed in response to the illegal West Seattle tree-cutting; criminal prosecution still possible, City Attorney says. UPDATE 2: The city reached a $440,000 settlement with the homeowners responsible for the clear-cutting. About $100,000 of the settlement will help fund a youth summer program and a green jobs program that hires young…
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,…