Aramada

Pontius Avenue North runs north/south in the Denny Regrade area, near the base of Capitol Hill (which is to its east) and just north of downtown. It's a largely commercial, industrial area, with lots of gray and brown buildings that empty out and shut down after 5pm. It's main saving grace is the incredibly Cascade Playground, which is 1 block square, running between Harrison Street and Thomas Street. Other than that, there isn't a lot to recommend it as a place to live. There is street parking on both sides of the street, which is heavily in use during the day, but fairly free at night. On the north end, it crosses Mercer, which is a huge arterial that has a number of restaurants on it. To the south, it seems to dead end at John Street, but actually it jogs west for half a block, and continues to Denny, which is another huge arterial. Closer to Pontius and Republican, there is a shiny new multi-level condo building, with some retail stores on ground level. However, most of the street is taken up by parking lots and cement parking structures. None of the street is very well lit and isn't a great area to walk alone in at night. There is almost no greenery and no single family homes at all.

Belmont Place E. is entirely residential about mid-way up Capitol Hill. It runs for two blocks, bounded by E. Prospect on the north side, and Belmont Ave. E. on the south, and crossed by Bellevue Place E. in the center. It is lush with trees, green lawns, and gardens. There are no businesses at all on this street, but it is only a few blocks away from Broadway and Summit, both of which have many commercial establishments. Belmont Place E. is predominately very large single family homes, with one or two actual apartment structures and a few huge homes that have been divided into multi-family dwellings. It is incredibly quiet and "off the beaten path." Street parking is allowed on one side of the street, but most of the residences have off street parking, so it isn't as hard to find street parking here as it is on the rest of the Hill. The street is incredibly well maintained and manicured. At the north end of the street, it essentially dead ends E. Prospect, which if you turn east on it, is only 6 blocks away from the enormous Volunteer Park. Rents are at a premium level on this street and residents expect it to be quiet and well kept.

Nagle Place is one block east of Broadway on Capitol Hill. It is approximately 2 blocks long, bounded to the south by E. Pine Street and to the north by E. Denny Way. The east side of the street is entirely public property, a huge park and several sports fields. Once known as the Bobby Morris Reservoir, it is now called Cal Anderson Park. The park has beautiful water fixtures, a huge running fountain with a stone stream, and a reflecting pond. There is a modern playground in the southeast corner, with all the latest equipment. The south half of the park contains tennis courts, basketball courts, and a baseball diamond.

However the west side of the street makes this street feel little more than an alley way. The west side is almost entirely the backside of buildings which front onto Broadway, parking lots, and dumpsters. Parking is allowed on one side of the street, but the street is not well maintained, with trash gathering on the sidewalks, and while the park side is well lit, the street side is not. It's a good street to use getting from point A to point B, but you wouldn't want to stop on it for very long.

E. John Court is near the top of Capitol Hill, connecting E. John Street and 15th Avenue. The south side of the street is single family homes and a newly built structure containing high end condos. The north side of the curve is a small park called Williams Place, that has beautiful green grass, trees, and several benches. It also has a bus stop for the #8 and #43 buses. Just across E. John Street is a large Safeway (grocery store).

On the east side, E. John Court connects to 15th Avenue, which is the main arterial along the top of Capitol Hill. Just across 15th is the huge Group Health hospital and medical complex, as well as a bus stop for the #10, which runs north/south. Within a few blocks from E. John Court, on 15th, are several restaurants, from fast food to posh, a small convenience store, several coffee shops, a video rental shop and some small boutiques. There is a good deal of traffic on both E. John Street, and 15th, but it still stays fairly quiet, and parking is allowed on one side of the street.

E. Loretta Place is only a block long. It is bounded to the west by Bellevue Ave E. and to the east by Summit Ave. E., just over half way down on Capitol Hill. It may be small, but it has a ton of stuff going on. On the corner of Summit and Loretta is a second hand clothing boutique, and across Summit is a large Starbucks. One of the largest apartment buildings on the Hill takes up most of the north side of the block, but it is a beautiful brick structure, covered in ivy, and wonderfully maintained. The street is a lovely old cobblestone. It has easy access to the #14 bus route running on Summit Ave. E. and Bellevue Ave E., as well as the #43 and the #8 running on E. Olive Way. There are several restaurants, second hand stores and small convenience stores within 2 blocks of E. Loretta Place. Noise from E. Olive Way can be intrusive for the apartments near the Summit side, but the middle and lower section are fairly well insulated. Street parking is not allowed.

Melrose Ave. E. only has buildings on the east side of the street. That's because the left side is all railings, overlooking Interstate 5, which roars right below it. It is the last street to the west on Capitol Hill, before you cross over I-5 and leave the Hill. It is bounded at the south by E. Denny Way and dead ends just after E. Roy Street crosses it. The road peters out into a pedestrian only "street" called Bellevue Place E.

Melrose Ave. E. is almost exclusively high rise condo and apartment buildings. With nothing in front of them, the entire western faces of the buildings have incredible views of downtown, Queen Anne Hill, and Lake Union. However, they also have incredible noise problems as there is absolutely nothing buffering the sound of all the lanes of north and south bound traffic on I-5.

Street parking is more plentiful here, simply because there are half the number of buildings. But the street is rather narrow and maneuvering can be difficult. There is very little greenery and being at the bottom of Capitol Hill means it's a steep walk up to get to anything that direction. You can only access downtown via E. Denny, all of the other roads that intersect with Melrose Ave. E. dead end there.

Summit Ave. E. is located on Capitol Hill, 4 blocks west of Broadway. It is about 65% residential, 35% commercial, with the businesses doing a great job of coexisting with the housing. The #14 bus runs down the length of it, coming from downtown Seattle, coming off of E. Olive Way. The return to downtown route is one block west, on Bellevue Ave. E.

At the corner of Summit Ave. E. and E. Olive Way is a large Starbucks, a second hand-furniture store and a second hand clothing store. A few blocks down is a small cafe. Right around E. Mercer, you'll find a small convenience store, a bar, an Italian restaurant, Top Pot doughnuts (with doughnuts made fresh every morning!), and two art galleries. Most of the residences are apartment buildings, with a few converted to condos, and very few single family houses. Street parking is scarce, and some portions of Summit Ave. E. are part of the zoned parking and require a permit. Easy access to Thomas Street Park (one block west) and Tashkent Park (one block east). Also easy access to additional bus lines on Broadway and on E. Olive Way.

Belmont Ave. E. is 3 blocks west of Broadway, located on Capitol Hill. It is only about 6 blocks long, but a great place to live. Largely a residential street, it contains mostly apartment/condo buildings and some single family homes. Several roundabouts have numerous shrubs, trees, and flowers which are maintained by the city and add to the beauty of the area. On the corner of Belmont Ave. E. and E. Olive Way is situated one of Seattle's best local restaurants, B&O Espresso. Despite the name, they serve MUCH more than just coffee, boasting some of the best desserts in the city, as well as a wide range of Mediterranean food. You can access Tashkent Park from Belmont, which makes a nice pedestrian "shortcut" when going up the hill from Belmont to Boylston. Street parking is at a premium. Public transportation is easily accessible on Broadway, 3 blocks east, Summit, 1 block west, or E. Olive. The street is well maintained and generally quiet.

Boylston Ave. E. is two blocks west of Broadway on Capitol Hill. North of E. Olive, it is almost entirely residential, with only a small wine shop and a financial firm in a converted house to speak of. There is a mix of single family homes and apartments/condos. Street parking is in high demand. Between E. Mercer and E. Republican on Boylston E. is Tashkent Park, a small neighbourhood open area that allows dogs, on leashes, and has several picnic tables and a small shelter. South of E. Olive, Boylston E. continues for 1 block, then crosses E. Denny Way and becomes simply Boylston Ave., a much more commercial set of blocks.

Boylston Ave. E. is situated near the bus lines that run on E. Olive, and on Broadway. There is a coffee shop just off the corner of Boylston Ave. E. and E. Olive, as well as a number of restaurants around that intersection. It is a quiet street, well maintained, with lots of greenery.

Harvard Ave. E. on Capitol Hill, one block west of Broadway, the main thoroughfare for the Hill. It is only 5 blocks long, bounded to the south by E. Olive Way, and the north by E. Roy Street. It is largely residential, and almost completely apartment buildings and condos, with only a few single-family houses. At Harvard and Republican, you'll find on one corner, the Capitol Hill branch of the Seattle Public Library, and right across the street, the back entrance to a 3 level QFC (grocery store). There is a dry cleaners at the corner of Harvard and Olive, but all the rest is residential. Even though it is so close to Broadway, it manages to stay rather quiet. Broadway itself has a post office, several banks, small boutiques, and a dozen or so restaurants, all only a block away from Harvard. Several bus lines go by both on Olive and on Broadway, so public transportation is easy. Street parking is limited however. People are generally friendly, and the streets and sidewalks stay tidy. Lots of trees and gardens make it very beautiful.