Walk where the first white settlers to arrive in Seattle once lived.
Population: About 6,000
Location: The neighborhood wraps closely around Alki Beach and the northwestern edge of West Seattle. It’s bordered roughly by Elliott Bay to the west and north; Schmitz Preserve Park to the east; and extends south to Southwest Jacobsen Road.
Why people move to this neighborhood: Alki has a laid-back, beach-town vibe, drawing scores of beachgoers (and congestion) in the summer but remaining calm and quiet for most of the year. Burger joints, chowder houses and high-end seafood restaurants make up some of Alki’s most popular eateries. Equipment such as kayaks and roller blades can easily be rented near the beach in warmer months. It’s just a few minutes from West Seattle’s busy Junction neighborhood and its shops and restaurants, and is a short commute over the West Seattle Bridge (or by boat via the water taxi) into downtown.
Distance from downtown Seattle: Seven miles, about 15 minutes by car without traffic.
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School district:Seattle Public Schools
Major employers: Seattle Public Schools; Vigor Industrial
Housing: Water-adjacent streets are lined mostly with condominium and apartment buildings, many with unobstructed views of Elliott Bay. The neighborhood also has some single-family homes and beach cottages. Home values in Alki have risen more than 13 percent in the last year, and that upward trend is expected to continue.
Walk score (out of 100): 49
Transit score (out of 100): 34
Bike score (out of 100): 43
Historical facts: On Nov. 13, 1851, the first white settlers (the Denny Party) landed at Alki Point and set up shelters along the beach. But due to harsh conditions, the settlers moved across Elliott Bay to Pioneer Square the next spring, where they constructed permanent settlements. A monument at Alki Point commemorates the landing of the Denny Party.
Recreation: The neighborhood is best known for its 2.5-mile long Alki Beach Park, one of the most popular beaches in Seattle, which is filled with sunbathers and swimmers in the summer. Many seasonal businesses cater to Alki’s visitors. A paved bicycle and pedestrian path stretches along most of the waterfront from the West Seattle Bridge to Alki Point. The neighborhood also has a few small parks, including Whale Tail Park and its playground just a block in from the beach. Locals say Me-Kwa-Mooks Park further south is a relaxing spot for a picnic with a view of its tide pools and Elliott Bay, and it also has a few wooded walking trails.
Zillow Home Value Index (as of December 2015) : $644,000
Zillow Rent Index (as of December 2015) : $2,649
The Zillow Home Value Index is the median Zestimate valuation for a given geographic area on a given day. The Zillow Rent Index is the monthly median rent Zestimate.
Sources: walkscore.com; zillow.com; historylink.org