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Until 1954, the city limits stopped at N 85th Street, which was also the limit of streetcar service. Monumental changes swept around northeast Seattle during the last half of the twentieth century. After World War II, Lake City Way NE became a main corridor for the housing boom that swept the area. In the mid-1960s, Interstate-5 sliced along the western boundary of the hill. You won’t find early-1900s Craftsman, however, you can choose between modest houses from the 1940s and ’50s and newly constructed homes and townhouses.

Ravenna, Roosevelt, Maple Leaf, Northgate, Wedgwood, Meadowbrook, Laurelhurst, View Ridge, Sand Point with their neighborhood watch groups and close-knit blocks, are attractive particularly to families with children, and the public schools in the area boast some of the strongest reputations in the district for academics. This reputation has produced a healthy home value appreciation in relationship to the rest of the city, with an average sale price of $535,000 for a single family home.

Your morning commute from Northeast Seattle to downtown will be a breeze most weekdays with Metro, because the I-5 express lanes ensure the fastest bus routes in Seattle. Drivers also can take advantage of the express lanes, or zip down Roosevelt or 520 to the eastside.

The three main commercial and retail areas are tailored for wandering. In 1950 Northgate Mall opened its doors to the public and has been going strong ever since. The chicly-styled University Village is geared towards upscale retailers. Finally, Roosevelt Way, which begins at 65th St., is capped by Roosevelt Square (housing a Whole Foods supermarket) and stretches down with funky cafes, shops, and the film-nerd utopia that is Scarecrow Video.

Other strolling opportunities abound, if shopping isn’t on the agenda. Residents take full advantage of the area’s parks. Teenagers cruise Mathews Beach, boats launch at Warren Magnuson at Sand Point, the Arboretum covers 230 acres and Ravenna Park offers a half-mile of woods, ravines, picnicking and sports amenities.