West Seattle

Located just across the Duwamish Waterway , West Seattle is a stone’s throw from downtown, but don’t call it a suburb. The district is full of character and history, not to mention some of the best views in Seattle. Diverse and welcoming, there’s a little something for everyone in West Seattle.

West Seattle, specifically on the beach of Alki Point, is where the famous Denny Party landed when they came to make a life in western Washington. Though they would soon cross the Duwamish river to make a permanent colony in what is now downtown, the earliest Euro-American settlement in the area was on the shores of West Seattle. Many of the main roads in the city, including Boren, Bell and of course Denny Way, are named after members of the party. As a part of the Seattle-wide Seafair festival there is an annual reenactment of the Denny Party landing in modern day Alki Beach Park.

West Seattle is made up of several small business districts that run down the center of the area surrounded by quiet residential neighborhoods. It favors houses of all different shapes and sizes, though there are still apartments available. The most lively of the business districts is lovingly known as The Junction, a collection of locally-owned shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. West Seattle has a very active art community, including a branch of the Twilight Artists Collective where local sculptors, painters, metal workers and jewelers can sell their work. For those who prefer a more mall-like shopping experience there’s the centrally-located Westwood Town Center on Barton Street.

The highest point in the entire city is located in West Seattle. Highpoint in the Gatewood neighborhood has some of the town’s best views, including an enviable vista of both the western Olympic Mountains and the eastern Cascades, as well as a full view of Puget Sound, Elliot Bay and the Seattle skyline.

West Seattle has numerous parks and other outdoor facilities for families and lovers of nature. The West Seattle Golf Course and Recreation Area is open to the public and has been called the best public course in the Greater Puget Sound region. Schmitz Park on the northern end of the district is famous for preserving some of the last Old Growth forest in the city. Alki Beach Park is a popular destination year-round, though it really shines in the Spring and Summer for being a sand beach in the Northwest where those are relatively rare. Boating enthusiasts will also enjoy West Seattle’s Seacrest Marina.

The West Seattle school district is full-service. No one will have to cross the Duwamish for a proper education. Schmitz Park Elementary is a long-standing public institution of high regard and West Seattle High School fares well in test scores and overall satisfaction compared to the city’s prominent private system. Those enrolled in private programs in West Seattle go to the K-8 Holy Rosary School, Hope Lutheran K-8 and the Seattle Lutheran High School.

West Seattle is a good location for commuters both to downtown and to the nearby Vashon Island and Southworth near Bremerton and Port Orchard. The Seattle Freeway is a quick path into the city, as is the quieter Spokane Street Bridge, both of which connect to the north-south Interstate 5.

With its convenient location, community-centered business and cohesive sense of culture, West Seattle is a nice place to call home. It’s a good mix of what you’ll find throughout the rest of the city, but with a higher density of peaceful residential space for those who prefer a quiet retreat from the metropolis.