North Delridge

For having industrial districts bordering on the north and east, North Delridge makes up ground with superb outdoor recreation and some residential pockets. SW Avalon Way and 35th Ave SW firm up the west side and SW Brandon St. holds the weight to the south.

Virtually the entire western half of the neighborhood is an outdoor wonderland. If you're into golf, most of this space is dedicated to you. An 18 hole course (http://premiergc.com/west-seattle.php) winds along Longfellow Creek (http://longfellowcreek.org) with a flat front nine and a very hilly back nine. Camp Long (http://1.usa.gov/fadFa0) is Seattle's best kept secret when it comes to a short commute nature outing. Complete with hiking trails, lodge, ten cabins, group fire ring and a climbing rock you'll never have to drive far again to experience the Northwest wilderness.

Scooting to the far southwest corner we find Fairmont Park (http://1.usa.gov/hiabDJ), with playing fields and a reputation of being "Pesticide Free". Looking on the opposite side of the golf course, on the east side, we find the Delridge Community Center and Playfield (http://1.usa.gov/i9v22u). Recreation is almost never ending in this unsuspecting community. Of course, with a five minute drive, you can be at the Puget Sound coast (http://bitly.com/fIa7wY).

A couple of eating establishments are within N. Delridge's borders, but most of that activity lives further south towards White Center or to the northwest into Genesee and Admiral. Like any Seattle neighborhood, coffee is never too far away. The shops are located in the north with Uptown Espresso (http://uptownespresso.net) - Home of the velvet foam, and Luna Park Cafe (http://lunaparkcafe.com) - Circa 1950s and having occupied the spot where the Luna Park Amusement Park (http://bitly.com/i7jRuy) used to reside.

A guy by the name of Mark Hubbard (http://bitly.com/eqRYK5) has a company on the east side called Grindline (http://grindline.com). Mark, along with a talented team, design and construct skate parks. They have finished several around the area, including the one at the Seattle Center ()http://bitly.com/eqRYK5). He has years of swimming pool construction, spilling (no pun intended) over into fabricating concrete bowls and half pipes for skateboarders. He allowed work into his private life by even putting two bowls in his own backyard.

The population density in this neighborhood will never be an issue, especially with all the green space. Residents, however, have much to defend as they hold the keys to land and facilities many Seattleites must travel over passes and waterways to experience.

Most of Delridge is residential and open space. There are many housing options: single family, apartments, condos. While the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center services the area for social and recreational needs, the open spaces are the main focus for recreation. Options like the West Seattle Golf Course, which is one of the bigger courses in the Seattle area comes to mind, as does one of the main attractions, Camp Long.

Camp Long is only a block away from the main thoroughfare through North Delridge, but the ambiance and serenity transports hikers and campers to a place that could be 20 miles or 200 miles from city life. The hiking trails are well-kept and the toilet amenities are clean and available. There is a play field, a pond, and cabins available for rental (and accompanying security features such as a locking gate at night time, power in the cabins, and a locking cabin doors). The main attraction is Schurman Rock, an artificial climbing area built during the 1930s. The rock is very involved and diverse in its offerings; a different type of rock face on each of the many sides, a clear path to the top for climbers who would prefer to walk up and set a top rope, hold bolts on the fact, and belay anchors at the bottom.

North Delridge is a neighborhood in West Seattle roughly bounded by the West Seattle Freeway and 35th Ave (some say all the way to Fauntleroy Way SW) to the west, the West Seattle Bridge to the north, and W Marginal Way SW (or the water) to the east. The main road through the neighborhood is Delridge Way SW.

Many residents prefer to identify themselves by sub-neighborhood; few recognize North Delridge as a cohesive community. Some of the sub-neighborhoods included in North Delridge are Pigeon Point, Youngstown, and Riverview. Pigeon Point at the north end of the neighborhood was built surrounding a steel mill; real estate listings often call Pigeon Point homes 'North Delridge' housing to get around this historical stigma. Cottage Grove is the area immediately west of the golf course, while Youngtown is just north of Cottage Grove, although the boundaries are rough at best.

Most of North Delridge is either residential or open space. Housing options here include modest single-family homes, condos, and apartments. The area's most distinguishing feature is the West Seattle Golf Course, one of the best courses in the Seattle area. The Youngstown neighborhood is home to both Longfellow Creek and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center on Delridge Way.