Olympic Hills / Victory Heights

These adjoining neighborhoods may not stand out in tourist publications, but can dish out character and amenities that challenge high-visited parts of the city. The Olympic Hills/Victory Heights' boundaries are 145th Street in the north, 98th Street in the south, Interstate 5 and 15th Avenue in the west, and 30th Avenue/35th Avenue and Lake City Way in the east.

Several hubs of activity exist, with a strong presence near 125th Street and Lake City Way. Having a small "downtown" feel, several restaurants (including one Seattle's infamous Dick's Drive In shops - http://ddir.com) and a Bartell Drugs (http://bartelldrugs.com) shopping plaza on 30th and 125th, are found here. Our son has attended classes at the Seattle Gymnastics Academy (http://seattlegymnastics.com), near 26th Avenue and 125th, for the past couple of years. A spacious park with a sizeable playground is situated a couple of blocks to the south, off of 26th Avenue. If you are in the market for a new car, many dealerships await on and around Lake City Way.

The corner of 145th Street and 15th Avenue brings multiple choices of shopping and cuisine, where one of the largest Good Will stores (http://goodwill.org) in North Seattle is found. Heading southeast reveals a recreational mecca for many North Seattle residents, Jackson Park Golf Course (http://premiergc.com/jackson-park.php). An 18 hole Championship and 9 hole Executive course, which boasts itself as the driest public course in the city.

Further south, the intersection of 125th Lane and 15th Avenue brings another cluster of shops, including a well known drum school (http://seattledrumschool.com), featuring the expertise of musician Steve Hill.

The residential areas of Olympic Hills and Victory Heights are predominantly in the central corridor, hemmed in by the major intersections and arterials. A couple of small parks, some with play areas, can be found south of 120th Street.

Easy access to the interstate and major routes such as Lake City Way, Northgate Way and Sand Point Way, allow residents to travel seamlessly locally and regionally. It should be noted, however, that heavy traffic volumes are found on Lake City Way and 145th, especially during morning and afternoon commutes.

Overall, these two neighborhoods provide for affordable, yet relatively peaceful Seattle living. Amenities are adequate and close, with a decent amount of green space, even if it does happen to be a developed golf course.

In the Olympia Hills area, the architecture is pretty diverse and demonstrates a spread from displaced U-District homes and apartments to new development and constructions. A lot of the residencies are shielded from traffic noise by hedges, fences, and trees lining the roadways, and the front lawns on most of the single-level house lots offer a respite from city crowding. Expect your neighbors to be other residences and large warehouses and light industry, all connected with streets riddles with potholes. The actual communities are safe, though perceived as being a little rougher than they are. That helps contribute to lower prices in housing, and it’s said that you can walk the streets without any major threats. The worst things that happen are thoughtlessness like leaving a candy bar wrapper out—no huge indicators about violence, drugs, or anything organized.

The area is heavy on retail and business in general ebbs and flows with highway expansion, though it does offer affordable alternatives to the stylish and high-priced retail in the area. It’s semi-unknown simply because the area is assumed to be filled with car dealerships because that’s what lines the major roads, and yet there is a diverse ecosystem of all kinds of different businesses and art displays.