Skip to content

What’s for Sale in South Lake Union

From wider bus lanes to tech offices spanning city blocks, South Lake Union is growing

By Cassie Gruber January 13, 2016

mg289567balanced_0

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.

Neighborhood Snapshot
Population: 5,341
Median Household Income: $50,278
Median Home Value: $400,633—9.2 percent less than the Seattle average and 46.8 percent greater than the Washington average.
Median Rent Prices: $1,188
Walkscore: 91—Lake Union is in the top 10 of the most walkable neighborhoods in Seattle.
C You Real Soon: Passed last November, the Proposition 1 Let’s Move Seattle levy contains plans for the Seattle Department of Transportation to improve traffic flow throughout South Lake Union by creating dedicated RapidRide bus lanes along Westlake Avenue and expanding the RapidRide C Line to better connect the neighborhood to downtown.
Work And Play: New restaurant and retail offerings are replacing the warehouses and industrial buildings historically associated with SLU as the rapid growth of the tech job market increasingly reshapes this city neighborhood into an area for young professionals to live and work in.

Population: 5,341 
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $50,278   
MEDIAN HOME VALUE: $400,633—9.2 percent less than the Seattle average and 46.8 percent greater than the Washington average.  
MEDIAN RENT PRICE: $1,188  
WALKSCORE: 91—Lake Union is in the top 10 of the most walkable 
neighborhoods in Seattle.
C YOU REAL SOON:
Passed last November, the Proposition 1 Let’s Move Seattle levy contains plans for the Seattle Department of Transportation to improve traffic flow throughout South Lake Union by creating dedicated RapidRide bus lanes along Westlake Avenue and expanding the RapidRide C Line to better connect the neighborhood to downtown.
WORK AND PLAY: 
New restaurant and retail offerings are replacing the warehouses and 
industrial buildings 
historically associated with SLU as the rapid growth of the tech job market increasingly reshapes this city neighborhood into an area for young professionals to live and work in.

Additional reporting by Madeline Lootens

 

POPULATION: 5,341 

 

Lot Life
Price: $499,000 
Square Footage: 867; 1 bed, 1.5 baths
Number of units: 99
Property Taxes: $4,300
Year Built: 2009  
Listed: December 2015
Neighborhood Public Schools: Lowell Elementary (ranked 4/10), McClure Middle School (8/10), Garfield High School (6/10)


Vaulted wood ceilings add rustic charm to this modern loft, Photo by Seattle Home Photography


Enjoy city views from the private balcony, Photo by Seattle Home Photography

Suite Escape
Price: $549,000
Square Footage: 918; 1 bed, 1 bath
Number of units: 59
Property Taxes: $4,034
Year Built: 2006
Listed: October 2015
Neighborhood Public Schools: Lowell Elementary (ranked 4/10), McClure Middle School (8/10), Garfield High School (6/10)


Hardwood floors flow throughout the open layout, Photo by Tucker English Photography


Private office space makes it easy to work from home, Photo by Tucker English Photography

Park(ing) Spot
Price: $799,000
Square Footage: 1,206; 2 beds, 1.75 baths
Number of Units: 102
Property Taxes: $5,156
Year Built: 2006
Listed: November 2015
Neighborhood Public Schools: Lowell Elementary (ranked 4/10), McClure Middle School (8/10), Garfield High School (6/10)


Spacious living and dining rooms make for easy entertaining in the city, Photo by Evan Parker

 
This SLU abode is just blocks from Denny Park, Photo by Digital Homeshow

Note: Some or all of these homes may have sold since publication.

Snapshot sources: areavibes.com, bizjournals.com, crosscut.com, downtownseattle.com, geekwire.com, historylink.org, 
king5.com, redfin.com, seattle.curbed.com, seattle.gov, seattletimes.com, walkscore.com. Neighborhood Public Schools rankings based on greatschools.org’s comparative, statewide test score data. Highest-rated schools in the state are designated as “above average” (10) and lowest as “below average” (1).

 

Follow Us

Blueprints for Building Community

Blueprints for Building Community

After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.

Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Stuff

Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.

It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…

Collaborating Cultures

Collaborating Cultures

Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.

For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…

Whale Of A Remodel

Whale Of A Remodel

The transformation of an Orcas Island home takes advantage of remarkable views

For many years, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders entertained his Orcas Island neighbors with breathtaking acrobatics in his vintage airplane. Anders and his wife, Valerie, had purchased a five-acre compound on the isolated western edge of the island for its mesmerizing view, a subject he knew something about. As a member of the first human…