Living in Maple Leaf? (Seattle, Burien: house, safe area, to buy)

[evda]

We have been primarily looking to buy in QA, Phinney, GL, Wallingford, but are interested in a house in Maple Leaf near the reservoir. Money seems to go a bit further up there, and it does have the soon to be park nearby.

We don't know much about the area, however, so curious about the perspective from folks who live there. The two negatives in our book are the added commute times for my wife (works in Burien and is occassionally on-call) and the lack of neighborhood convenience that you find in Fremont where we currently live and the surrounding neighborhoods.

We have two small children so are also wondering about the quality of Sacajawea.

Thanks in advance!

[HibbityDibbity]

I just moved from Ballard up to Pinehurst -- just north of Maple Leaf. I originally was resisting going much North/East of the "happening" (Ballard/Fremont/Cap Hill) neighborhoods, afraid I was going to be in suburbia. If I could have found a home for the same price, condition and space in Ballard or Wallingford, it likely would have been my first choice. That being said, I've been pleasantly surprised thus far with the charm of the new 'hood. One of the highlights being invited over for a beer by my neighbor that has lived in his home since 1947.

If you are a big foodie, or as you mention, into walkability, you will notice lesser convenience. For a bit more quiet and space, the compromise is having 5 restaurants to chose from instead of 30, and having to go a mile to reach your destination instead of across the street. I do think there is greater convenience to places like Home Depot, the mall/movie theater, and Lake Washington.

As far as Commute goes, I'm finding the convenience to I-5/Lake City Way makes my commute about the same in the morning (15 minutes to downtown), and maybe a bit longer in the afternoon (~20 minutes). It's all about the express lanes, for which you don't have to be a carpooler to use.

For reference I'm 28, male, in a long term relationship. I purchased the home I'm living in, so my perspective may have a bit of bias.

[westcoastbestcoast]

I'm interested in neighborhood safety and if young families can be found in Maple Leaf?! Thank you! This seems like a great commute to Downtown Seattle for Husband!

[sean98125]

There are young families there, drawn to the area by Olympic View Elementary which is one of the best elementary schools in the city. It's a safe area, especially around the reservoir. Good transportation to downtown - either a short hop on the freeway, or a short bus ride from Northgate. Great access to I-5. There are some good restaurants along Roosevelt along with probably the best hardware store in the city and a great store with educational toys and games. And Cloud City Coffee, a great gathering place and a good place to meet your neighbors.

[mkarch]

It's not bad - last time I was there was 2 weeks ago and there were a lot of young families out on Roosevelt and in the Reservoir park. The "business district" however is still pretty slim, though slightly better than it was a decade ago. I think the main issue is the proximity to Northgate and that Roosevelt is a heavy traffic arterial. For people that want to be close to something similar to Ballard, Maple Leaf doesn't compare.

[westcoastbestcoast]

Thank you, I appreciate your input

[flyingsaucermom]

I didn't think the school was as high performing as Wedgwood, which is why we avoided the area... in hindsight, Sacajawea might have been fine, but I didn't feel like taking that risk. You also need to consider what the elementary feeds into for middle and high school. But I loved the homes near Cloud City Cafe and it has a great neighborly feel to it. The other thing that I didn't like was all the crap on Lake City Way... strip clubs... marijuana... and in the end it was just too close for my middle-aged-mommy tolerance.

[Ruth4Truth]

Maple Leaf and Pinehurst/Victory Heights are both great neighborhoods! I found Pinehurst very walkable, and close to amenities--a 10-minute walk or less to the grocery store. Maple Leaf isn't so walkable, but the parks/reservoir nearby is very nice, and it's well-served by transit. A great neighborhood for kids.