ALKI BEACH ;; A Seattle Neighborhood Tour

Welcome to Alki Beach! If you're someone who loves city life, but also wants to live somewhere where the air is awash with a fresh scent of salt water, then look no further than Alki Beach. Beaches in the Pacific Northwest don't get any better than this. So read along as we explore this popular borough where you can enjoy sand, sunshine, and best of all, Seattle.

Alki Beach Neighborhood

Alki Beach is part of the West Seattle neighborhood and its shores run into Elliott bay in the Puget Sound. It lies less than four miles away from downtown Seattle, as the crow flies, and sits in the perfect spot that affords unparalleled views of the Seattle skyline on its eastern edge and the Olympic Mountains to the west.

Alki Point and Alki Beach Park

Let's start our tour at the beginning. And by that, we mean the beginning of Seattle - Alki Point. This is where the first white settlers landed in Seattle back in 1851, the Denny Party. We've already covered more on this on our tour of West Seattle. Aside from its rich history, this part of coastline at Alki Point offers the best views out west towards the Olympic Mountains. On a clear day this spot will offer a great view of Mount Rainier. All in all, this is an excellent place to come for a sunset picnic.Come to Alki Point during the peak season to be a little bit more removed from the busyness of Alki Beach Park, yet still close enough to the facilities and eateries along the waterfront. When the tide is low, you can walk from Alki Point along the shoreline and pass the picturesque working lighthouse, and end up back at Alki Beach Park. Once at the beach, you might be perfectly content to spend the rest of the day with your nose in a good book while you enjoy the gentle, soothing, lapping of the waves that carry boats against a beautiful mountainscape backdrop. The beach itself offers amenities, such as many fire pits on a first-come, first-served basis, as well as plenty of volleyball courts - one of which is a drop-in court. For guaranteed spots at one of the other courts, you would be best-off booking ahead, especially during the summer months.Running alongside the beachfront is a widened park that attracts droves of joggers and cyclists, yet most days there's still parking available thanks to the many free spots. Ambling along the path, you'll pass many points of interest, like the Statue of Liberty Plaza. This small replica of New York's famous Liberty Enlightening the World, stands as a symbol of courage and freedom for the people of Seattle. After the tragic events of 9/11 people would adorn this Plaza with flowers and momentos in tribute to those who lost their lives. Right across from the Plaza is the Alki Beach Park Bathhouse. This bathhouse was built in 1911 and was the first of its kind. It can now be rented out for private events.

Alki Beach Housing Market

Alki Beach and the surrounding areas offer a broad range of property home prices, and that typically depends on the proximity of the home to the bay. For one of the water's edge condos prices are going to start at about $1,000,000 and really the sky's the limit from there. But you can head a few blocks inland and find a comfortable condo in the $400,000 to $500,000 range while still just being a stone's throw from the beach and enjoying less immediate road noise. Continuing to wander up the beachfront, you'll soon notice the dynamic of structure-type change from businesses, apartments, and a smattering of single family homes to luxury condos with jaw-dropping views across the city skyline.Whatever your scenario, the market across the city is red hot. Home inventory is exceedingly low and prices continue to increase steadily, and there's no sign that either of these trends are going to reverse anytime soon. So the best time to purchase in the city is really as soon as you can afford to, but that might be sooner than you might think. Many potential buyers let the threat of private mortgage insurance keep them on the sidelines for too long while home prices continue to skyrocket. Click here to watch a video on our channel of why PMI could actually save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you're ready to discuss purchasing a home or refinancing within the Seattle area, give us a call or schedule a Zoom meeting. ​

Seacrest Park and Restaurants

Continue around the Northern tip of Alki and you'll reach Seacrest Park. The West Seattle bridge is currently closed to motor traffic due to ongoing repair work. So the regularly scheduled King County Water Taxi makes a viable alternative for foot traffic for those who still need to commute to downtown Seattle regularly for work. Plus, it's a pretty tranquil ride across the bay. Aside from the water taxi, Seacrest Park is the home of Alki Kayak Tours, where you can rent kayaks or paddle boards, as well as bicycles and even longboards at fair hourly or daily rates.After a full day of excursions at the beach, there's no better way to round off your day here than to stop at one of the excellent restaurants along the waterfront. One staple of this community is Pegasus Pizza. Pegasus Pizza's famous dish is the house special pizza, which includes shredded pepperoni and sunflower seeds, and is well worth the experiment. Pair it with a local microbrew and you're onto a winner!Well, that about wraps up our tour of Alki Beach. If Alki or anywhere else around Seattle is somewhere you could see yourself calling home, please, give us a call or visit our website and we'll see you next time!