Phinney

One of many excellent North Seattle neighborhoods, Phinney is a community of pride and creativity. Bound by Aurora and 8^th Avenue NW, Phinney rests on the shores of Green Lake and has easy access to many of Seattle’s most prominent centers of art, entertainment and culture.

The district of Phinney began as a loose community of real estate developers and homesteaders, the most famous of which was its namesake, a wealthy Nova Scotian name Guy C. Phinney who had a large estate on the ridge. The area was considered a source of lumber first and then something of a retreat from town, known for a scenic trolly ride and Guy Phinney’s private menagerie. In time, the city of Seattle purchased Phinney’s estate and turned it into Woodland Park, then developed the menagerie into the popular zoo that still remains popular to this day. By the early 1900’s the lines of transport opened up and developers began creating housing and storefronts in the neighborhood.

Today, Phinney is a lively and inviting district with all of the friendliness and character Seattle residents have come to expect from the north side. Its old designation of a “bedroom community” no longer really applies as the main thoroughfare of Phinney/Greenwood Avenue has a wide variety of unique restaurants, shops and services in addition to the neighborhood’s frequent events. The annual Winter Festival is a two-day, indoor celebration of the season with local crafts, food and entertainment. In the Autumn Phinney residents enjoy a parade and other activities for the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos as well as the Halloween Carnival for the younger crowd. Phinney also partners with its northern neighbor Greenwood for the yearly Art Walk in May.

The big draw to Phinney for lovers of nature is Woodland Park and Zoo. The area which was once Guy C. Phinney’s estate was split down the middle, with the western half being turned into what would become one of the nation’s finest zoos and the eastern half into a public park at the mouth of Green Lake. The zoo has over 300 unique species on display as well as a broad range of plant life, including interactive educational features and a number of simulated climates. Woodland Park itself is one of Seattle’s largest green spaces and it includes the lovely scenery of Green Lake as well as a bike path and a number of outdoor activity areas.

Phinney, like many of the small communities in North Seattle, shares a number of schools with its surrounding neighborhoods. There are several public elementary schools that service Phinney, including West Woodland, Greenwood, Daniel Bagley and Whittier Elementary schools. There is also the St. John private program for students K-8 and the public K-8 Salmon Bay School. Phinney 9-12 students attend the public Ballard Elementary or one of the many private programs around the city.

Friendly and inviting, Phinney is another part of what makes North Seattle such a nice place to call home. It’s a good mix of families, singles, students and a wide variety of professionals. It’s ideally situated in the center of the north side and its main roads are direct lines to Downtown Seattle. Green, fun and easy to navigate, Phinney is a winner of a neighborhood.