Madrona

In a very truncated version of Madrona, it’s all the people who continue to distance themselves from places like Capitol Hill, Cherry Hill, with an air of fanciness that’s fun and sassy. Most areas of Madrona don’t make the cut, in terms of prestigious, while others closer to Lake Washington definitely do. Those areas that don’t quite make the cut are by far what makes Madrona amazing. Shops lining 34th from North to South offer residents an amazing common area to meet up at, while Madison stretches down in a valley with gems like “Bill the Butcher”, who, might I add, has been supplying the BBQ this year. Getting down here is easy enough, with plenty of buses headed down the streets and areas with great walkability.

Christopher M.

Madrona is a quaint little nabe of tree-lined streets, an excess of parks, one killer beach, and escalating rental and home prices, no doubt fueled by it’s spectacular views of Lake Washington and the Cascades. Once a diverse and blue-collar nabe, Madrona is now gentrifying at a rate unmatched by most of the rest of the city, bringing in large families with larger bank accounts, and facilitating the construction of sprawling modern homes along the banks of Lake Washington.

Served by multiple bus routes that connect Madrona to the Central District and all of the surrounding nabes, along with easy access to I-90 near the bridge to Mercer Islandand Bellevue, Madrona is an ideal location for commuters and families who are employed in the tech-based industries on the east side of Lake Washington, but who desire the convenience of a centrally located neighborhood and are turned off by the thought of living in cookie-cutter suburbs. Madrona also seems to appeal to those who like the feeling of a small town, with all the convenience and amenities of a metropolis. 34th street, basically a microcosm of a downtown, filled with cafes and independently run restaurants and boutique shops, is the heart and soul of Madrona, and is very much responsible for the strong sense of community and neighborhood pride one will experience in just a quick visit or a lengthier stay, although those who stay longer may find themselves unable to leave.

Gorgeous and green, historical and diverse, Madrona is an oasis that somehow flitters between the urbanity of the neighborhoods in central Seattle, and the small town vibe so rare to find so close to the center of a thriving metropolis. An excellent place to find yourself, if you can afford the price of admission, which due to the meteoric rise in land values, is getting pricier by the day.

Zachary Walker