Arbor Heights

Want a neighborhood close to the city with a slower pace of life? Arbor Heights is a community filled with quiet residences. Just as Key West (http://fla-keys.com/keywest) is the southernmost point in the continental U.S., Arbor Heights is the that for West Seattle (if not for all of Seattle). It is located south of Fauntleroy Park (http://bitly.com/9kx6c2), spanning between Marine View Drive and 30th Avenue. It runs south, as a wedge, to the Marine View Drive and 35th Avenue elbow.

Income and Demographics

The median income runs higher here than the Seattle average, especially in the western portion. The population has a vast majority of whites, sharply different from the other side of the Duwamish River http://bitly.com/9vZ9KQ). Driving east to west from White Center (http://bitly.com/cApUIh), one can notice large differences in both housing styles and income levels. Over 60% of residents are married, with around 26% having children at home. The largest age group is the 40s, many of which are high-earning nuclear families. Other power players in this neck of the woods are highly educated singles and DINKS (Double income - no kids).

Real Estate

Arbor Heights is almost completely zoned as a residential area, thus not many low-income units can be found. In fact, almost 99% of the home types are single family dwellings. Just 1.5% are condos. The percentage of homeowners here almost doubles that of the Seattle average. Home values, unlike other neighborhoods around Seattle, have inched up by a few thousand since the start of 2010. In fact, this growth is a stark contrast to Alki’s (http://bitly.com/dqX2GC) 15.6% drop in the last year. All this data and more can be found at Zillow (http://bitly.com/c9YNXE)

Culture

The location alone of Arbor Heights, one of the most southern-most neighborhoods in Seattle, clearly tells the story of its culture. The highly residential and predominantly white components shed further light on how residents will operate here. The most popular occupation, according to City Data http://bitly.com/9J0DeW), is management. These characteristics reveal the “sleepy” work-hours during the week and active weekends, with many residents seeking the solace of their own neighborhood and the other West Seattle recreational options.

Restaurants, Pubs and Coffee Houses

There is not much in the way of dining within this community. A drive to White Center or Genesee may be in order for that night away from dishes. A place much closer for emergency meals is Endolyne Joe's, located to the west of Fauntleroy Park on SW Wildwood Place and 45th Ave. For a simple meal, A Pizza Mart (http://bitly.com/duHZMA) is not a bad choice for unique pizza styles and flavors. It is located near SW Roxbury Street and 35th Avenue SW.

Shopping and other Amenities

A highlight of some of the businesses and services available in Arbor Heights: Lucky Break Wishbone Corporation (http://luckybreakwishbone.com) - Plastic wishbones to practice on, awaiting that tense Thanksgiving moment; Marina Music Service (http://marinamusic.com) - A plethora of big band jazz arrangements, books and recordings; Adaptive Installations (http://adaptiveinstallations.com) - All things considered renovations, especially for the handicapped and elderly; Brace Point Pottery (http://bracepointpottery.com) - The studio and showroom for Loren Lukens and James Brooke featuring bowls, vases, platters, teapots and more; and Spectrum Fine Woodworking - Specializing in authentic raised panel work.

Schools and Recreation Facilities

The premier (and only) elementary school is Arbor Heights Elementary (http://arborheights.com) - A K-5 facility with about 400 students, featuring the use of Kelso’s Choice (http://bitly.com/c86mQT). Outdoor recreation, at least locally within Arbor Heights, rests primarily on the coast or at Seola Park (http://bitly.com/dbTZaZ). The park mainly features woods and some views. On the north side of Seola is the Arbor Heights Swim Club (http://ahstc.com) - A great place to enroll your kids in swimming, diving, tennis, water polo or even synchronized swimming. Of course, Fauntleroy Park (http://bitly.com/9kx6c2) is essentially in Arbor heights, giving the option for a larger green space and even good hiking near home.

Medical Facilities

Unfortunately, there are not many, if at all, choices of medical offices within the boundaries of Arbor Heights. A few related businesses are: Puget Sound Medical - in the northwest corner, Bodysense (http://bodysenseinc.com) - Aromatherapy products, and What a Relief Vet Services - in the southern tip of the community.

Spiritual Centers and Churches

Many times, for any neighborhood, the significant gathering places are not only around business venues and political causes, but around spiritual convictions. Here are a few spiritual centers and churches: Kripa Yoga (http://kripayoga.com) - Swami Kripananda’s healing Yoga retreats, Church of Christ - West Seattle, Arbor Heights Community Church (http://arborheights.org), Hillcrest Presbyterian Church (http://hillcrestpca.wordpress.com), and New Apostolic Church (http://nacsea.org).

Access

The work commute may prove brutal for Microsoft (http://microsoft.com) employees and other east-side companies, but those who work downtown or in South Seattle may be more pleased with driving times. There is fairly direct access to Highway 509, with the exception of stop-and-go driving through White Center (http://bitly.com/cApUIh) each way. The average commute time, according to Zillow (http://bitly.com/d7D5QI) is around 30 minutes. The main arterials running through Arbor Heights are 35th Avenue, Marine View Dr. SW (Turns into 45th Ave SW), and SW 106th Street (Turns into SW 107th Street)—providing easy access to the other West Seattle neighborhoods and southern suburbs. Traveling by air is made easy with a mere ten mile drive to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (http://portseattle.org/seatac).

Summary

Whatever reason people find Arbor Heights appealing, whether it be quiet living, close proximity to the airport, gorgeous housing and vistas, or the appeal to live in West Seattle, this neighborhood is sure to please.

Arbor Heights is where you want to live if you work in Seattle; want an easy commute and a community to call home. It’s defiantly not where you go to shop or to have a night out on the town but the area has a great feel with nice homes and those streets where kids play basketball on the weekends.

The area also borders one side of Fauntleroy Park so you’re not at a loss on what to do once the lawn is mowed and you want to enjoy a nice Seattle day outdoors. The best thing about the Arbor Heights area is that although it’s a neighborhood for single family homes the fact that it’s in Seattle allows people to have a lot of entertainment mere blocks away so the big city is still really accessible.

The area is more suitable for families with younger children since the only school in the area is a primary school, but several good high schools are just outside of the area. All-in-all the area is great for families who want to stay in the city and still have a calm home life.

Arbor heights is a retreat of sorts—a residential, family-friendly area with its own elementary school and private pool and tennis club which offers swim and dive lessons to non-members and hosts synchronization, water polo, tennis, swim and dive teams. It’s a good reason to make friends in the neighborhood, because the wait list is more than four hundred names deep for almost just as many spots. The area is almost exclusively zoned as residential property and the options range from affordable to upscale. A really nice place to start a family, the school system helps to eject kids from the “boring suburban life” just as they begin to need a little more space.
That said, this isn’t really the most diverse or exciting community in the city, and the families that settle here run a very realistic risk of sheltering their kids. True; here’s not a lot of traffic to contend with (though the homes are close enough to be claustrophobic), but it’s no exaggeration to say that the most celebrated restaurant in Arbor Heights is probably Starbucks. It’s a neighborhood that’s perfect for people who want to live out their fantasies of reenacting episodes of Weeds, without the excitement of the drug trade.

Arbor Heights has been in the process of receiving a face-lift in the past few years, with new shops and homes being buit. Not quite West Seattle and not quite White Center, Arbor Heights enjoys a kind of seclusion, even though the area is packed with houses. Ending at Marine View Drive to the west, most homes are on the verge of having some of the most outstanding views of Puget Sound, but they also don't have to deal with the beach and ferry traffic that those with the views have. Homes are fairly close together and residential blocks tend to cram as many as they can in a short 1-block area. Neighbors are very friendly and the sense of community isn't completely lost. The neighborhood is also home to a couple of very nice, large parks, great for kids and families. Just to the west is the Fauntleroy Ferry terminal, great for taking a trip to the penninsula or Vashon Island. Housing prices have seen a jump in recent years due to the improvements made to the area, though that was right before the housing crash, so homes may be a little more affordable. This neighborhood, while enjoying is solitude, does provide a very residential-like drive for commuters or families headed to the city or out of town, though the trade-off for its location, parks, recreation and peace and quiet may be worth it.

Arbor Heights is a quiet neighborhood located in south west Seattle. You will find the area on the way to Fauntleroy via Vashon/Southworth ferry. It is protected by the Puget Sound on the west and is sheltered from the buzz of its urban and suburban neighbors. Lincoln Park is on Fauntleroy Way Southwest in West Seattle, just north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock. It boasts 135 acres and 5,350 feet of Puget Sound shoreline. Fauntleroy Creek, with its fish ladder, and Cove Park are other environmental gems here.

Housing in the Arbor Heights area range from quaint 200K one bedroom single family homes located in the center of Arbor Heights close to shopping at Westwood, restaurants, parks, bus lines, and just a block or two to Arbor Heights Elementary, to 1M plus homes situated on the bluff and encompassing the Olympic Range south to Mt. Rainier. The bluff homes enjoy rights to their own private beaches, sunset, ferries, and eagle eye views from their own balconies.

There is only one elementary school in Arbor Heights, Arbor Heights Elementary, and no secondary schools. The area is primarily zoned residential and the nearest commercial facilities are just north in Roxhill neighborhood. There is also a small commercial and retail area down the hill to the west in Fauntleroy neighborhood.