Where to Live in Seattle Without a Car

By selecting a Seattle neighborhood with ample bike lanes and safe pedestrian routes, you can drastically reduce your living expenses. A well-connected neighborhood allows you to completely forego a car in favor of walking or biking from place to place. You will save on car maintenance, repairs, gas, insurance, parking and all of the other expenses that come with vehicle ownership. With shops, schools, libraries, restaurants and other venues close by, walking, biking or taking public transportation is often faster and less stressful than driving through the city streets. If you're wondering where to live in Seattle without a car, the seven following neighborhoods can provide you with the car-free lifestyle you crave.

Seattle Neighborhoods to Live in Without a Car

Belltown

The Belltown neighborhood sits right in the middle of the downtown area. While living in this neighborhood, you have immediate access to the waterfront, Seattle Center and retail district. Walks along the waterfront will never get old, especially if you drop in to visit the restaurants, shops or aquarium on your way. You may take a quick walk over to the Seattle Center to sit near the fountain, visit the Pacific Science Center or watch a game at Memorial Stadium. The retail district has an eclectic mix of low-key boutiques and popular shopping centers. Trendy restaurants, bars and clubs are within a few block radius from most of the single and multi-family residences in this area.

Capitol Hill

If you enjoy mingling with your neighbors at nightlife venues, you will love living in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. With the counterculture heavy Broadway Avenue running through the center of the neighborhood, you are never far from an exciting time at a popular nightclub, theater or arcade. You can walk to a number of storefronts, coffeehouses and restaurants on the main cross streets of Olive Way, Pine Street and Pike Street. There are many natural landscapes to enjoy within walking distance of the residential section. You can go to Volunteer Park, Cal Anderson Park and Louisa Boren Park by foot or bike with ease.

South Lake Union

With business booming in South Lake Union, residential and commercial density continues to increase in an effort to make this neighborhood an exclusive place to live and play. You will never need to leave your immediate area to find quiet places to relax or exciting locations to have fun. Lake Union Park offers direct access to the tranquil waterfront and walking trails. You can even take a small boat out on the water by visiting the nearby Center for Wooden Boats. You will want to sample all of the high-class restaurants, serving imaginative and incredibly delicious meals and snacks, found on every block. A brief walk or bike ride will bring you in range of shops selling antiques, jewelry, artwork and home decor items of all styles. You can even visit the flagship REI store for all of your outdoor gear needs.

Green Lake

The residential section in the Green Lake neighborhood nestles around its namesake lake and the nearby Woodland Park Zoo grounds. With so many beautiful landscapes nearby, most residents spend their time walking through the neighborhood streets, parks and other outdoor venues. The three-mile walking path around the lake attracts droves of people year round, so you will never be far from meeting a new friend or catching up with your neighbors. While living here, you may want to take up kayaking, boating, swimming, jogging, biking, skating or yoga alone or with your neighbors. You may also enjoy visiting the Small Craft Center on Green Lake to rent a paddleboat or rowboat. The forward thinking residents attract a multitude of interesting shops, taverns and restaurants. You can also find health food stores and fitness centers on nearly every block.

West Seattle

You can find prime real estate in West Seattle by looking along California Ave SW. This neighborhood hub has multitudes of cute boutiques and well-loved restaurants. There are also tons of trendy nightclubs, taverns and bars, including the iconic Shadowland. Do not forget to visit Prost and the Bridge for refreshments as you travel through the extensive retail district. If you crave a bit of downtime, head down to the Alki stretch to view the city from the beachfront. You can see amazing views of the Ferris wheel, stadiums and Seattle skyline while the waves lap at your toes. Many people come down to the paths along Alki to walk, jog, run, bike, skate and scooter along the beach. At night, you can light up a bonfire and raise a toast to the stars while you visit with your friends and neighbors.

Ballard

Despite its location near Fremont, the self-proclaimed 'Center of the Universe,' Seattle's Ballard neighborhood feels incredibly secluded from the rest of the city. You will notice the streets are lined with the best gourmet restaurants, bakeries and coffeehouses in the region. If you prefer to make your own delicious meals, you can walk to any of the high-end grocery stores along the main thoroughfares of Market Street and 15th Ave NW. To take a step away from the busy nature of the city, you may want to walk or bike down to Golden Gardens, M. Chittenden Locks or the Shilshole Bay Marina for a calm, quiet retreat. You may also head over to the newly expanded public library or the Nordic Heritage Museum, both of which are located in the heart of this neighborhood. The neighborhood celebrates its heritage and culture with the annual Ballard Classic Homes Tour, which explores all of the earliest settlements in the region.

University District

The easily accessibly University District neighborhood wraps around the beautiful University of Washington campus. With the university so close, you have ample access to plenty of libraries and bookstores filled with popular and newly discovered titles. College life activities, including pub crawls and nightclub events, are alive and well in this area. You can quickly travel to the shopping district on University Way NE to browse through the boutiques and window shop at your leisure. Nearby restaurants range from common fast food fare to upscale eateries with dishes compiled from the freshest, trendiest ingredients. You can also visit the weekly neighborhood farmer's market for fresh ingredients to use in your own cooking adventures. There are tons of street fairs, parades and other community events held throughout the year. Although all seven of these neighborhoods support your walking and biking needs, you can always hop on one of the many buses, trams, trolleys or light rails when you grow weary. While choosing where to live in Seattle, deeply consider the above neighborhoods, so you are never far from the activities, shops and eateries you enjoy the most.