limegreen

2nd Avenue beginning at Denny Way and heading all the way through downtwon Seattle until it ends near the International District is a great mix of Seattle living. There are sky rise condo buildings, a blend of contemporary, refurbished and original, that line the corridor. These digs are very pricey thanks to how centrally located they are to this very commercial area of Seattle.

However, the price may be worth it with the beautiful views of Elliott Bay that might be found from some of these buildings. Most of the buildings have small terraces or balconies for overlooking the street. True to Seattle's green form, even in the newer sections, trees have not been forgotten.

2nd Ave is home to cafes, lounges, restaurants and even the Moore Theatre without being an overly congested commercial area. It is still clearly a downtown location in the thick of activities, but the apartment and condo buildings give a much more residential feeling.

There is streetside pay-to-park, some pay-to-park lots, access to cabs and the bus route. As with several areas directly in downtown Seattle, the electric bus wires can be distracting. It can also be annoying to drive because all of the traffic lights are located on the corners similar to street signs rather than across an intersection.

Overall, the area is very liveable and has a variety of styles for living preferences. The prices will definitely be sky high for the location, but it's worth it for all that you get living right in the heart of Seattle.

West Thomas Street leads to the Seattle Center- one of the most iconic areas of Seattle. This area is home to the Space Needle, Children's Theatre, Pacific Science Center, Key Arena and an open public area that includes grassy hills and a large fountain. West Thomas also ends at Western Ave West which provides a beautiful water view.

The area surrounding West Thomas Street is a blend of commercial businesses and entrance areas to the Seattle center located on the north side of the street. A historic Catholic church with an active community is also located on across 1st Ave N. where West Thomas becomes Thomas St..Multiple residential areas lead towards West Thomas as well as some condominimum units being located in the area.

The area has many residential buildings appearing newer or refurbished as well as those that look more original to the area. The street is also lined with leafy, mature trees.

As with many of the areas in Seattle Thomas Street is on an incline up from the water. The area is prone to being very congested with event traffic but it is definitely the place to be for anyone that really wants to live in the heart of the city. The area also experiences high volumes of traffic during the summer tourist times.

In addition to being located near major intersections and close to I-5 access points, West Thomas also is within walking distance of authentic restaurants, bars and grocery stores in the area.

Pikes Place is certainly as iconic as it gets- short of the Space Needle- when it comes to living in Seattle. But the Space Needle doesn't smell like fish and isn't filled with droves and droves and droves of people at all kinds of hours. I couldn't imagine wanting to live here long term.

The actual market is over 100 years old and there are apartments over many of the commercial buildings- but- it's one of those things that might have seemed like a cool idea at first and will slowly become something that drives you to insanity. Unless you can handle the constant crowds, traffic, smells and noise.

From street musicians to actual designated live music in the area, there is always some sort of beat going on. The food choices are absolutely fabulous however. From all the tiny authentic nooks inside the market and along the outside cooridor, to the great produce you can get to make something for yourself- there really is nothing fresher and better than living right in the heart of things.

If you can tolerate the noise, traffic and smells, then this may be just the place- but your wallet had better be pretty deep for this locale where you will not get a ton for you money.

Pine Street runs into the one street everyone has heard of in Seattle- Pike Place. It is primarily a business district and has some major inclines as it moves up from the waters edge, but overall, it's one of those streets in the middle of the city that everyone knows where it's at because it is so close to everything. Unfortunately, this makes it extremely busy, noisy and impossible to find parking not matter what time of day you might be looking for it.

There are condo/apartment living options that might give some of the best city and Puget Sound views you could ask for but these would definitely be some premium dollar locations even for the apartment that was facing a brick wall, simply because of the location. It is urban living at its best though with just about anything you could ask for within walking distance and great bus access.

The general area is a mostly commercial and is a little on the dirty side. The city was experimenting with frequent garbage pickups rather than leaving out garbage and recycling containers which makes for an interesting stroll through any of the alleys when you see all the stuff laying around but part of the idea was to encourage more recycling. Stick to the main street and there should be no issues!

Cherry Street is a main artery linking in to Pioneer Square, the original settlement area for Seattle- but there is nothing old and dusty about this location! There is plenty of original charm, especially architecturally.

Whether you are a walker or a driver, be prepared for the major inclines as you head away from 1st Ave and towards the expressway. Cherry leads right to I-5 which is great for commuting purposes if you choose to live in any of the residential apartment or condo type buildings. Most buildings along Cherry are either original as they have stood for decades or entirely gutted and re-newed.

One of the benefits of living along Cherry is its link to Pinoeer Square which is situated close to the water front and is home to extensive shopping and food options. Some negatives is certainly the traffic that will inexplicably jam up this area as people head out of the city or are trying to find their way over to the football or baseball stadiums. The overall area though is ALL Seattle and would be a great place to get a real sense of the city.

Alaskan Way is the first major road off of the water in downtown Seattle. There are dozens of stores along the waterfront that make up a typical Seattle composite of eclectic vs. odd vs. tourist haven. There are ample locations to buy boxed smoked Salmon and Space Needle snowglobes combined with truly Seattle restaurant locales such as classic seafood at Ivar's and elegant local food and drink at Elliott's Oyster House at Pier 56. As much as the area can be thick in tourist related venues, some stops like the Seattle Aquarium can be a great place for local and visiting families to visit with indoor and outdoor exhibits and a unique floor to ceiling viewing tank.