Cottage Grove

A lot of us clambered into the city when we were just shy of twenty, tired of the small towns we came from and wanting to be snugged between big buildings and lulled to sleep by traffic.

Many of us thrive in this and move to smaller and smaller apartments paying higher and higher rent for a better and better location. Some though, say, “I miss open space.” They miss front yards that couldn’t be measured in feet and parking not automatically implying the word parallel. They miss parks that were in actuality just giant green fields with a play set.

That is what Cottage Grove is. It’s un-suffocated, open space. The houses are old and sometimes run down but mostly nice and comfortably fit on spacious lots with room left over.

So to these people who are a little weary of the city, don’t go back home, just move out to Cottage Grove for some small-town-city living.

The thin strip of land that comprises Cottage Grove — only four parallel streets from north to south — is aptly named to the residential zoning. You’ll find mostly small, homey cottages with a sparse sprinkling of coffee shops and other local businesses. Most residents living here are commuting to Downtown or into Seattle nabes for work. A word of warning, if you plan on commuting from Cottage Grove, beware the rush hour traffic. A quick 15 minute car ride could easily turn into a slamming-your-head-against-the-wheel 2 hours.
That being said, public transportation is good in Cottage Grove, like many West Seattle nabs. Green spaces and playgrounds for children are abundant in North Delridge, and a strong sense of community pervades West Seattle in general. Another plus is Cottage Groves proximity to Youngstown, a highly rated area for walkers — a walkers paradise according to walkscore.

virginia j.

Cottage Grove is a real small nabe running the length of the West Seattle Recreation Center and Golf Course, part of the larger Delridge area. This nabe features easy access to the recreation facilites of West Seattle, many community oriented facilities, churches, schools, and a lot of excess green space. The food options are limited to a pizza joint that is supposed to be pretty good and a supermarket. A mass transit bus line runs right through the middle of the nabe providing residents with excellent access to the rest of Seattle’s many joys.

The housing in Cottage Grove is as typically cute as the name of the nabe. There are lots tiny cottages tucked away onto lots that a much larger house could fit on, and they lend this area a sense of the quaint and something a bit more mystical perhaps. Rent is relatively low, like the rest of West Seattle, and this area is closer to central Seattle, making it potentially a good deal. A little quiet and spacey, but a nice assortment of parks and other amenities keep this nabe from descending into boredom.

Zachary Walker