Redfin agent Collin Horn agrees that Greenwood’s popularity is growing.



“Greenwood is a desirable neighborhood,” says Horn. “Several great local restaurants and shops have popped up, so there’s a nice, relaxed neighborhood feel that is appealing to buyers. And it’s surrounded by other established neighborhoods, like Ballard, Maple Leaf and Phinney Ridge, that are easily accessible and fun to explore.”



Redfin’s numbers show that Greenwood’s home sales have risen 36 percent over the past three years—faster than Seattle as a whole, at 29.5 percent.





Clockwise from top left: FlintCreek Cattle Co., G&O Family Cyclery, Coyle’s Bakeshop, Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company



As a longtime Greenwood resident and a supporter of healthy, responsible development, Fellows can’t help but view Greenwood’s growth with cautious optimism. He looks at other Seattle neighborhoods that have lost their character when older buildings are replaced with new ones, and wonders if Greenwood will be the next neighborhood to surrender its past to shiny new structures and hip new restaurants.



“Right now, Greenwood is in that sweet spot,” Fellows says of the area, where there’s still a mix of old and new, and parking is easy to come by. “The question is, is it going to continue that way?”

Greenwood Stat Snapshot

Median home value: $481,900

Appreciation forecast: 7.0%

Median household income: $74,660

Walk Score: 82/100, 16th most walkable neighborhood in Seattle

Commute time: From Seattle (Westlake Center): By bus—Riding the No.5 bus from Westlake Center takes 32 minutes. By car—About 18 minutes taking Aurora Avenue N. From Bellevue (Bellevue TC): By bus—Take the No. 271 toward the University District, then transfer to the No. 48 to Greenwood; takes about one hour. By car—About 23 minutes taking SR 520 W.

School district and ratings: Seattle Public Schools; Greenwood Elementary School 8/10, Whitman Middle School 7/10, Ingraham High School 6/10





5. West Seattle Junction

The new tagline developed in a partnership between West Seattle businesses, the West Seattle Junction Association and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce says it all: “We Have That!”





The new Junction 47 development at the heart of the West Seattle Junction brings more than 200 living units and a slew of commercial ventures, including a Starbucks Reserve coffee shop



This is a rich, vibrant neighborhood, with its business district centered around the intersection of California Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street. And from dining to shopping to living, there truly is something for everybody.



While visitors think of The Junction as a hot spot for shopping, dining and pub crawling, longtime residents think of it as the main attraction of the nearby West Seattle neighborhoods and as an expanded place for community interaction.



It’s not unusual to find multigenerational families here, and commitment to the community runs deep. Take the Menashe family, for example. Patriarch Jack Menashe has been a West Seattle resident and chief booster for more than 43 years. In 1973, he opened Menashe & Sons Jewelers on California Avenue SW in the heart of The Junction, and he bought and restored the iconic antique West Seattle street clock that stands in front of the store today. Three generations of Menashes have attended Seattle Lutheran High School, located just north of The Junction.



In this tight-knit community, there is also room—and a warm welcome—for the influx of newer and younger residents who choose to make The Junction home. New residents have a lot of choices in housing styles in The Junction and nearby neighborhoods—such as older brick apartment houses, newly constructed chic apartment complexes and condos, modest bungalows, mid-century ranches and high-end contemporary remodels. New construction is evident everywhere; just check out the cranes.



Freelance editor, writer and Seattle magazine contributing editor Niki Stojnic has lived just off The Junction for many years and has noticed both an increased density and a changing skyline. “I can walk from my house to The Junction in 10 minutes and count four or five new construction sites on California Avenue SW for apartments, condos or townhomes,” Stojnic says.

She’s not imagining things. “Over 1,500 high-end apartment units have just been completed or are under construction in the West Seattle Junction,” says Jason Miller, a commercial real estate agent in Colliers International’s Seattle office. “Those units are accompanied by more than 200,000 square feet of new retail space. West Seattle Junction is booming.”



At the epicenter of this development boom is Junction 47, a mixed-use project comprised of two buildings, more than 200 residential units and more than 20,000 square feet of street-front retail. The development opened last October, and leases were quickly signed for a Starbucks Reserve coffee shop, The Lodge Sports Grille, Kizuki Ramen restaurant and Bishops Barbershop.



“And there is more to come,” Miller says.



Along with stores that have been there for a while, such as Trader Joe’s, Easy Street Records & Café (serving up breakfast, CDs and vinyl) and other local faves, the influx of new people and new residential development also means new businesses moving in. Thunder Road Guitars (4736 California Ave. SW; 206.678.5248; thunderroadguitars.com), a favorite of local rock stars, is a family-owned business and boasts an extensive selection of vintage used and rare guitars. A peek through the new storefront windows might net you a view of an indie musician test-driving a vintage guitar on a designated “by appointment” day—a day meant to give customers a chance to test inventory, with the store to themselves and the undivided attention of the staff.







In typical Junction style, the crop of newer businesses is an eclectic mix. Juniper (4155 California Ave. SW; 206.937.1777; junipernaturalnailbar.com), a nail salon that uses strictly nontoxic products, is a definite hit in this neighborhood, known for its predilection for all things green. West Seattle Cyclery (4508 California Ave. SW; 206.557.7267; westseattlecyclery.com) gets kudos for its selection of bikes, service and knowledgeable staff. Emerald Water Anglers (4502 42nd Ave. SW; 206.708.7250; emeraldwateranglers.com), Seattle’s only professional fly-fishing guide service and outfitter, boasts a wall mural by Portland artist Chris Haberman that tells the story of the fly-fishing waterways of the Northwest.



And if the shopping doesn’t hook you, the views and natural beauty will. “There’s always a view from nearly anywhere,” Stojnic says. “There’s something for everyone—beach, urban core, hills. It’s easy to get downtown and to the airport. And yet, it’s quiet. We’re just off bustling California Avenue, and you wouldn’t know it. It feels like you can get everything you need right here—without ever leaving the peninsula.”



West Seattle Junction Snapshot

Median home value: $517,700

Appreciation forecast: 6.2%

Median household income: $80,654

Walk Score: 95/100, a walker’s paradise

Commute time: From Seattle (Westlake Center): By bus—Use the RapidRide C Line toward West Seattle; takes about 24 minutes. By car—Takes 15 minutes by way of Alaskan Way Viaduct and West Seattle Bridge.

From Bellevue (Bellevue TC): By bus—Take the No. 550 toward Convention Place All Stations, then the C Line to West Seattle. By car—Takes 23 minutes using I-90 W

School district and ratings: Seattle Public Schools; Schmitz Park Elementary School 8/10, Madison Middle School 8/10, West Seattle High School 7/10



6. Beacon Hill

Renewal and development are the name of the game in Beacon Hill’s neighborhoods. The impact is stunning.





Beacon Hill’s Jefferson Park is a neighborhood gem; home of the nation’s largest neighborhood urban community farming project and the Jefferson Skate Park



“I’ve lived on North Beacon Hill for 28 years and have never seen development of this scale, but I realize that we’re typical of what’s happening throughout the city [of Seattle],” says Susan Sanders, a real estate broker who specializes in Beacon Hill for Coldwell Banker Bain. “Businesses are moving here, the community is growing in terms of cohesiveness, there is a large amount of new construction, and bike paths have been developed.” Sanders also says that unprecedented, large-scale renovations are occurring in two major community hubs that are also historic landmark sites—Pacific Tower and El Centro de la Raza. “In five years, I feel that this community will look very different than it does now,” Sanders says. There will be change, yes. But given the focus on investment in organizations and structures that serve all populations, Beacon Hill’s unique blend of diversity in age, family, lifestyle, income, profession, culture and ethnicity—which gives the community its heart—will remain and thrive.



Pacific Tower, the former home of Amazon, is now home to Pacific Medical, a FareStart café, a number of nonprofit organizations, the Community Health and Innovation Center, and Seattle Central College’s medical training programs. Many of the building’s occupants provide critical services to underserved populations.



El Centro de la Raza is a nonprofit that was initially established to provide a voice for the Latino community; it has dedicated itself to serving low-income and marginalized populations for more than 41 years and administers 44 social service programs. In March 2015, Centro de la Raza held a groundbreaking ceremony for one of its most ambitious projects: Plaza Roberto Maestas, a $42 million mixed-use affordable housing development located near El Centro de la Raza’s historic schoolhouse headquarters building and the Beacon Hill light rail station.



Compared to other neighborhoods, Beacon Hill is often overlooked by many in the Seattle area, says Sanders. But that is beginning to change with the influx of new businesses that attract both visitors and locals, such as Tippe and Drague Alehouse, Italian eatery Bar del Corso, and bar and burger hangout Oak. These are warm, inviting neighborhood spots where “everybody knows your name—just like on Cheers,” Sanders says.



Beacon Hill boasts numerous gems attractive to visitors. Jefferson Park, the beneficiary of major investment in 2012, is the largest Olmsted-planned green space in Seattle and a prime attraction. (Golf pro Fred Couples played at the Jefferson Park Golf Course and grew up in the neighborhood.) Other draws include the 7-acre Beacon Food Forest, the nation’s largest neighborhood urban community farming project; and the music, dance and poetry events sponsored by Beacon Arts.



“Organizations like Beacon Hill Merchants Association engage the community in planning, development and renewal,” Sanders says.



While Seattle city government defines Beacon Hill as consisting of north, mid- and south Beacon Hill plus Holly Park, locals refer to the area as just North and South Beacon Hill.





Clockwise from top left: Bar del Corso, Sound Transit’s Beacon Hill light rail station, iconic Pacific Tower, neighborhood new development, Fresh Flours café, view of downtown Seattle from Jefferson Park



“North Beacon Hill [approximately defined as north of Columbian Way] is where most of the Beacon Hill commercial district is located, as well as light rail and major transportation hubs,” Sanders says. “It’s close to downtown. There are great views and good schools.” Although more affordable than many Seattle neighborhoods, this is the most expensive part of Beacon Hill, with median home pricing at about $482,000.



“South Beacon Hill is sandwiched between Columbia City to the east, Georgetown to the west and North Beacon Hill to the north. It’s quieter, more affordable and still close to active commercial districts,” Sanders says. The median home price is about $368,000.



Given the density and costs of owning or renting in other neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill—with its stunning views, green belts, cozy neighborhoods, community spirit and more modest home pricing—is an attractive alternative.



Beacon Hill Snapshot

Median home value: $400,500

Appreciation forecast: 6.3%

Median household income: $52,896

Walk Score: 51/100, somewhat walkable

Commute time: From Seattle (Westlake Center): By bus—Riding the No. 36 from Westlake Center takes about 34 minutes. By car—Takes 21 minutes using I-5 S. From Bellevue (Bellevue TC): By bus—Take the No. 550 toward Convention Place All Stations, then the No. 36 to Beacon Hill; takes about 47 minutes. By car—Takes 36 minutes using I-90 W.

School district and rating: Seattle Public Schools; Kimball Elementary School 6/10, Mercer Middle School 9/10, Franklin High School 7/10



7. Bremerton

Young, hip, happening...Bremerton?



A new city-led campaign is actively targeting millenials to live and work in Bremerton. The hour-long ferry commute to the mainland can be relaxing and productive, city leaders say, and beats sitting in Seattle traffic



The town’s mayor, Patty Lent, wants millennials to make that association with her city of 39,410, an hour-long ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle. And given the changes Bremerton has been seeing in the past couple of years, it may not be that much of a stretch.



City leaders have been actively promoting the livability of their city, best known as the home of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and its efforts have been paying off. Building permits have skyrocketed: By last year, the total valuation of permits approved in 2015 was upward of $81 million, according to the city. That’s more than twice the $36 million approved in 2014. And more than 1,000 new housing units (in the form of apartments and single-family homes)—most of them in or within walking distance of the downtown core, with others accessible by bus—will be completed within the next two years.



“We want young families and young professionals,” says Lent, a former Kitsap County commissioner who is currently serving her second term as mayor. “We feel living here and having access to everything going on in the bigger metropolis [of Seattle] gives them the best of both worlds.”



Lent feels the ferry commute for those who have jobs in Seattle shouldn’t be a deterrent. After all, she says, it’s better than sitting in traffic for an hour in your car on Interstate 5. Bremerton has plenty of jobs as well, she says, for those who want to live and work in Bremerton. The naval shipyard and the naval base are hiring about 50 people a week, she says, many of whom are tech professionals and engineers.





Clockwise from top left: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; shaking things up at Toro Lounge; historic Admiral Theatre; the roasted beet salad at Honor Bar; Purpose Boutique, artist Curtis Steiner at his Manette gallery, named after his dog Mortimer



The type of young people the city is hoping to attract are already beginning to discover Bremerton. Kate Giuggio and Matt Tinder (formerly the executive pastry chef at Coi and Saison in San Francisco) are opening Saboteur Bakery adjacent to Bremerton’s Evergreen Park this spring, after hosting a number of pop-up events in downtown Seattle and elsewhere. They’re renovating a Quonset hut built in 1910 and formerly used by the Navy.



“We were drawn to Bremerton because it has an amazing ‘up and coming’ vibe,” says Giuggio. “We wanted to go to a community that is really in need of a great bakery and found an amazing space that is really iconic to the community.”



Artist Curtis Steiner opened an offshoot of his eponymous Ballard gallery last fall in Manette, a small residential and retail neighborhood located just east of downtown Bremerton across the Port Washington Narrows. The Green Lake resident, who has a second home in Manette, calls his Manette shop Mortimer, named after his dog (Manette, 2108 E 11th St.; 206.297.7116; Facebook, “Curtis Steiner”). And Navy wife and mother Christie Johnson opened Purpose Boutique (402 Pacific Ave.; 360.813.6040; purposeboutique.com) in 2013—the first new women’s clothing shop in Bremerton in 25 years, according to Lent.



In a video made by the city last year to market Bremerton to technology companies and their human resources departments, Johnson touts space availability and affordable rents as reasons she opened shop in Bremerton.



“Why Bremerton? Some people like to ask why,” she says on the video. “But I like to ask, why the hell not?”



Bremerton Snapshot

Median home value: $243,000

Appreciate forecast: 4.0%

Median household income: $43,362

Commute time: From Seattle (Westlake Center): There is no direct route by bus. The closest way is from the Seattle Ferry Terminal, from which the ferry delivers you to the Bremerton Transportation Center; takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes By car—Via I-5 S and State Route 16 W; takes 1 hour and 18 minutes

From Bellevue (Bellevue TC): By bus and ferry: Take No. 550 from Bellevue TC to Seattle Ferry Terminal, which takes you to Bremerton Transportation Center; takes about 2 hours. By car—Via I-5 S and SR 16 W; takes 1 hour and 27 minutes.

School district and rating: Bremerton School District; Naval Avenue Elementary School 7/10, Mountain View Middle School 4/10, Bremerton High School 6/10



8. Kirkland

Bellevue, where tower cranes are looming and the housing market is booming, isn’t the only Eastside community to watch. Kirkland—its little sister to the north—has seen considerable growth in recent months, with more on the horizon.





The Kirkland Urban development will bring housing and retail to the former Kirkland Parkplace property



Home prices there have risen 11.7 percent in the past year, says Nanette Bergdahl, a broker with RE/MAX Northwest in Kirkland for the past 17 years.



“Kirkland real estate is a hot commodity and remains very desirable,” says Bergdahl. “The authentic feel, walkability and access to the waterfront are the three main attributes that attract people.”



The most notable commercial growth happening in this waterfront community is the new mixed-use Kirkland Urban development, a redevelopment of the former Kirkland Parkplace, just off Central Way and east of Peter Kirk Park. The first phase of the development is expected to be completed in November 2018, and includes two office buildings, one residential building with 190 apartment units and a massive (50,000-square-foot) grocery store. At full build-out (additional phases will be market-driven), Kirkland Urban is expected to include a new movie theater, restaurants, bars and more than two acres of public open space.



9. Bellingham

A thriving beer scene in a college town? It would be a shock if the pairing wasn’t a success.





Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro is one of the many breweries sprouting up in Bellingham—and where there are breweries, beer lovers are not far behind



Currently, Bellingham is home to six breweries (it’s also home to Western Washington University), with a few more in the planning stages. Two of these breweries serve as the city’s beer anchors. After 20 years, Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro is still a favorite with the locals. And Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen, which opened in 2008, is recognized as one the best producers of lager-style beers in America.



As if hopping breweries weren’t enough, Bellingham was ranked ninth best in the country for a healthy work-life balance by NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website. The study, released in mid-2014, looked at weekly hours worked, commute time, income and cost of living in 536 cities across the U.S.



“Nestled in the mountains, [Bellingham is] big enough to have great amenities, but small enough that it feels like a cute town,” says Redfin agent Michael Fleming. “I am also starting to see Bellingham get more frequently recognized as a great place to retire to and just a great place to consider moving to because of the high quality of living.”



Ranked immediately above Bellingham at no. 8 in NerdWallet’s work-life balance study is Eugene, Oregon; another city with a sizable contingency of craft brewers. Coincidence?



We think not.



Neighborhood snapshot sources (data gathered between 11/15/15 and 1/15/16): median home value: Redfin.com; average appreciation: Zillow.com; median household income: city-data.com; Walk Score: walkscore.com; commute time: soundtransit.org and googlemaps.com; school district and rating: greatschools.org