Top Reasons Why You Should Consider Living in Queen Anne

Recently we had the opportunity to remodel a 4 bedroom single family home in the vibrant Queen Anne neighborhood. With the perfect view of the Sound, Olympics, and golf courses it was impossible to pass up this property. Not only do residents have gorgeous sweeping views of Seattle, Queen Anne is a popular neighborhood to live in because of it’s prime location. For people who are looking for an urban lifestyle—Queen Anne is the perfect fit because it is easy access to all of what downtown has to offer. There are a ton of popular Seattle attractions within walking distance—Bumbershoot, Folk Life, IMAX Theater, Key Arena—to name a few. Queen Anne has a mixture of single-family homes and condos, giving it a small town feel in a big city. For families that are looking to live downtown but don’t want to live in a condo, upper Queen Anne has several safe and quieter streets that would be ideal for families with small children. Lower Queen Anne, also known as Uptown, is more densely populated with condos and apartments—a perfect place for newly weds or single young professionals. If you are currently looking to move to Seattle or you are a Seattle resident considering relocating to Queen Anne, here are some things we’ve heard from buyers about why it is an ideal place to live.
 1. Location, Location, Location
Almost every Queen Anne resident will tell you that the location is what attracted them instantly when deciding which neighborhood in Seattle to live in. Not only is Queen Anne located to some of Seattle’s most popular attractions, there are also tons of cool local restaurants and bars that the residents have the opportunity to enjoy. Queen Anne is a prime location because it runs straight through the middle of where most of the important stuff happens. For example, up at the top of the hill, there are about 10 blocks worth of unique and charming places to pursue. As a designated “urban village” the primary means of transportation in Queen Anne is walking. The sidewalks are filled both day and night with residents, guests, and visitors—making it a safer place to be in Seattle if you chose to go out after dark. Some of the residents we know who have chosen to live in Queen Anne say they love it because it has a small neighborhood charm in the middle of a big city. And, while we wouldn’t always recommend walking alone after dark, residents say they feel safe enough to exercise or walk their dogs in the evenings. If your someone who enjoys instagramming their daily life, (it’s ok, we do too) Queen Anne is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods on a clear day. In the summer(or when the sun is shining), Kerry Park has postcard-like views of downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, Mt. Rainer and beyond. Queen Anne is also home to the world headquarters of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—an organization Seattlelites are very proud of.
 2. It’s a good neighborhood to invest in.
Seattle Met Magazine ranks Queen Anne as a top 10 neighborhood to live in year after year—and for a good reason. Although the cost of living in Queen Anne can be relatively steep compared to other surrounding neighborhoods—it is home to some of the oldest and most charming homes(in our opinion) in Seattle. Because it is such a desirable neighborhood to live in—residents usually don’t have a difficult time selling their home if they choose to relocate. We recently experienced this with our remodel property located on 11^th Avenue—which sold quickly in only 66 days. For families with young children, Queen Anne has 4 different elementary schools in the neighborhood to choose from—all of which have high 9/10 rankings. As Seattle continues to expand year after year, Queen Anne still remains one of the most sought out neighborhoods to live in. Neighborhoods close to downtown Seattle are usually the neighborhoods that experience continuing steadfast growth due to the young professionals’ desire to be a stone throw away from popular nightlife and shopping.  Three of the neighborhoods seattlehomedeals.com predict steady appreciation in value include Queen Anne, Ballard, and Capitol Hill because of easy access to public transportation. If you are looking to find a home or a condo that you know you will get a good return investment on—Queen Anne is the perfect place to make it possible.
 > Top Attractions & Restaurants in Queen Anne
Good Eats

1. Molly Moon’s Ice Cream
2. Book Bindery
3. How to Cook a Wolf
4. Icebox Grocery
5. 5 Spot
6. Bustle
7. Betty
8. Mezcaleria Oaxaca
9. Hilltop Ale House
10. Grub

Attractions

1. Kerry Park
2. Seattle Center
3. Space Needle
4. Pacific Science Center
5. Chihuly Glass Garden
6. Key Arena
7. Easy Street Records

3. There are places to park in Queen Anne
It’s true—parking can sometimes be so important that we feel it needs it’s own category. While most residents who live in a big city wouldn’t even consider having a car due to high monthly parking fees—Queen Anne is a neighborhood with lots of street parking available. If you choose to live in a more condensed area of Queen Anne—parking passes are a must but they are relatively cheap. For two years of parking, RPZ offers a 65$ parking pass, a cost that is almost unheard of in downtown Seattle. If you want to beat paying for gas, you can bus it to work or downtown to avoid any parking fees. Residents we’ve spoken to who park their cars on the streets say that they haven’t experienced any break-ins while they’ve been living there—an automatic plus in our book.
 4. Small neighborhood vibe
As stated before—Queen Anne is known for being a quieter neighborhood that is close to downtown. Over the years—and moving forward, Seattle is seeing a trend of people moving out of suburban neighborhoods to adopt a more urban life-style. While living in a high-rise condo downtown might be ideal for a young couple without children, most families want to live comfortably in a single-family home that their kids can feel safe in and have room to play outside. What makes Queen Anne unique is that it is one of the only residential neighborhoods that is located in the heart of downtown Seattle. For young couples or young professionals that want a quieter life but don’t want to give up big city living, the Queen Anne neighborhood allows them to do just that.  Queen Anne is also home to many unique restaurants and century old homes that can’t be found anywhere else—adding to its “small-town/big-city” vibe. Most of the residents who call Queen Anne home are very involved in the community and make an effort to get to know their neighbors, making it a good place for people who are new to Seattle to socialize and make new friends.