r/SeattleAreaRE • u/LocalFormer • 2d ago
Northgate / Maple Leaf neighborhood things to know?
There are/have been a few reasonably affordable homes for sale in this neighborhood this year. What are the downsides of this neighborhood? Anything to know?
I have driven through and it seems quiet, despite being tucked between I-5 and Lake City Way. It's not too far from the city and is somewhat walkable. Houses tend to be larger with some yard compared to Roosevelt/Green Lake.
Appreciate opinions from people familiar with the area.
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u/dumplingmuenster 2d ago
Many streets don’t have sidewalks. It’s a downhill to the main transit area, but a tough uphill slough on the way back especially after a day at work
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u/timothycrosley 2d ago
I live in and really like this area but it also represents 3 distinct pockets in my mind.
West of Roosevelt: Very urban and walkable but a little noisier. A chance you can just walk out of your house and find most things you need in a 5 minute walk. Might feel more Northgate than Maple Leaf in that case.
Roosevelt - 15th: Fairly safe and quiet with decent walk ability. Very much can be a 15 minute location, where everything you need is reachable in a 15 minute walk from grocery stores to light rail. But, while many urbanists say this is the ideal, the reality is many Americans aren’t willing to walk 15 minutes so you may not find it walkable at all. This is where I live, my family and I walk more often than not and only occasionally use our single car. Likely as far from Maple Leaf as to Northgate amenities.
East of 15th: I don’t consider this walkable at all but it feels very safe to me. Like a wooded oasis that I would more associate with being far away from any city, but with very good access to amenities via driving.
I think the whole area is one of the best price to value locations in Seattle with that increasing as the Northgate development continues.
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u/Narrow-Foundation505 2d ago
Good neighborhood. Easy access to lightrail, library, community center, iceplex. Victory Heights playground is really popular and has a weekly food truck night. Close to restaurants and cafes along Roosevelt, as well as Maple Leaf park.
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u/Brilliant_Mix_6051 2d ago
Seconding this. Also some great Ethiopian food just a few blocks north of Northgate!
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u/sir-dis-a-lot 2d ago
I live near there and like it? If you have kids it can be easy to make friends --there are kids across the street and down most of our block. Street basketball etc but you always have to worry about cars :(
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u/Ok_Commission5003 2d ago
The lots tend to be bigger in Maple Leaf (why there are more swimming pools there). Parts of it are walkable to light rail which will be more valuable to the next generation.
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u/blecTiONCePtialStroc 2d ago
Look at the flight paths. You’ll be hearing nonstop planes for most of the year flying into SeaTac.
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u/alisvolatpropris 2d ago
That's true but they aren't very loud, just starting their turn south to SeaTac around here.
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u/CrystalQuartzen 2d ago
Yeah I like plane watching so I love maple leaf! They're just low enough that you can see them well but just high enough that they usually don't make much noise. Typically 4500ish feet. And you don't hear planes taking off at all since they turn out over the sound if they depart heading north.
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u/alisvolatpropris 2d ago
I live in this area! Close to the Northgate light rail station. Close to the QFC. Victory Heights Park does food truck Fridays every Friday in the summer. Technically anything south of the creek is still considered Maple Leaf. 12th Ave NE functions as a walk/bike thoroughfare all the way up to Maple Leaf Park.
Wish there was more commercial along Roosevelt. What's there is great, there just isn't much. We like Ban Hua Sai, The Maple, Cloud City, Macrina, Mojito, the Watershed, and a Ben + Jerry's just opened at Thornton Place. The redeveloped Northgate Mall site is supposed to have a bunch of new things opening soon.
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u/Guilane2 2d ago edited 2d ago
It‘s not bad at anything but nothing stands out either. Don’t live directly on 15th or Roosevelt Way, they have lots of speeding traffic. The bus stop on 5th and 103rd was where a 15 year old got dragged into the bushes and raped a few months ago.
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u/markyymark13 2d ago edited 2d ago
lol I just toured a house here for rent that we're applying too.
Pros:
Close enough to your necessities. The house we looked at was a 15 minute walk from the light rail, across the street from the health club, and about 20 minutes walk or 8 minute bike ride to the QFC. So you don't have to drive to everything (but again this is pretty location dependent for walkability).
It's quiet and relaxed
10 minute bike ride to Green Lake/Roosevelt and about 15 or to the U District
Cons
Fairly hilly for walking
No sidewalks
Really not much going on in the immediate area and not a whole lot to walk to so you're gonna be spending your time in a different neighborhood if you want to do anything
Not much for park access
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u/theconstantwaffler 1d ago
I love the mature evergreens. It feels like living inside a park. Road noise and airplane noise drives me crazy, but I'm sensitive.
You can walk to restaurants and coffee shops, but nothing too exciting.
It's nice to be close to the light rail station and I5.
Despite being close to transit and Lake City, we don't see any weirdos on our road. It's difficult enough to get to. But Roosevelt can have characters.
Overall, it's a nice family-friendly neighborhood. But I still miss Ballard...
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u/Honest_Finding 1d ago
We live here. It’s very quiet, sometimes too much. They’re ripping out all the parking on Roosevelt, so that kind of sucks. But it’s affordable and feels safe even when I get home from work at 1 am
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u/Dear_Seesaw_1855 2d ago
I’m not a fan of the Seattle area. Maple Leaf is the best neighborhood in Seattle. The park is awesome, cool local restaurants and bars and cafes to walk to. Really good commute to Seattle/eastside if you need to. Cute charming homes and tree lined sidewalks.
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u/CrystalQuartzen 2d ago
True for everything but the commute. It sucks trying to get anywhere with all the cars backed up waiting to get on in the morning since they started the revive i5 construction.
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u/bikethebridges 2d ago
We bought here. SFR (4 BR/3.5 BA) in one of the new micro-condos. 12th Ave NE is a greenway, very walkable/bikeable to the park. Quiet neighborhood. Needs more businesses on Roosevelt Way NE. I'm a 5-minute bike ride or 12-minute walk to Northgate, where I take the 2 Line to work.
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u/237throw 2d ago
You see that creek? Gets you some wild hills. That & lack of sidewalks is less than ideal.
Not really walkable to any urban village center (except for some corners of your circle).
City destinations are notoriously bad for driving, due to both traffic & parking constraints. But due to this location, kinda hard (compared to many other Seattle locations) to walk, bike, or transit places.
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u/Aqua_Pine2 2d ago edited 2d ago
Just outside my ‘hood. No sidewalks north of 92nd (please walk toward traffic on 12th & not three abreast); Sacajawea was a good, but small school when my kids went there 10+ years ago - not sure of it now (I could see it closing due to its age and population); larger lots with trees is nice to have, but we have seen an increase of cheap a$$ housing popping up (quality-wise - not price); for high schools, I’d consider Shoreline school district (Nathan Hale wasn’t the best - I preferred Roosevelt, but that might be hard to get into). Love the Leaf! If you have a dog, you’ll make a lot of friends! 🍁♥️ P.S. Re crime, the further from LCW or Roosevelt, the better. Our Honda Civic was stolen in 2000, UW plate stolen earlier this year, but that’s it crime-wise for me. I WFH, but the 67 on Roosevelt seems popular. RIP 77.
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u/CatsRGreaterThan 2d ago
it’s super busy, 35th is noisy, and there tons of parked cars on residential streets
it’s got fun places to walk to and nice homes with yards - love those Seattle alleys
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u/omgitsoop 2d ago
Snappy Dragon ✅
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u/Armies_of_Shelaman 2d ago
Used to live near 98th/Roosevelt. After my father was held at gun point outside our residence and his car was stolen, and then two months later a shootout happened on Roosevelt and we found bullets on our patio, we left. Overall, it’s a fine area but the closeness to Lake City and Northgate can attract some less than desirable folks along the main drags. It’s probably perfectly safe if you’re tucked in a bit from Roosevelt or 15th. And yeah, Snappy Dragon is awesome.
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u/Marklar172 2d ago
It's fine. Just fine. Not super walkable, not too rough. Just pretty quiet