Living in The U-District

Living in the U-District, Seattle, WA

There are lots of fun things to do in the U-District (University District) near the University of Washington (UW) Campus, just north of downtown Seattle. The beautiful campus on the shores of Lake Washington is a great place to call home or attend graduate or undergraduate school. However, this is a popular place to live even for people who are not students and not associated with the University. If you can afford it, it’s a lot of fun to live in the U-district where there’s always a buzz of activity and a lot going on.

My parents had their first Seattle apartment in the U-District while they attended law school. When they eventually bought their “forever home” in Shoreline, WA to the north (the outskirts of civilization at the time, in the 1970’s), they thought it was “too quiet to sleep” in Shoreline, WA because they were used to the fire sirens, police, buses, and all manner of traffic and activity that characterizes the heart of the U-District by the “Ave” – University Avenue, by the UW Campus.

We as a family love to visit the U-District for things like shopping at the University Village Mall (clean, upscale, great landscaping and free parking!) as well as visiting campus to see their amazing display of Japanese Cherry trees blooming in the Spring. (March is about the right time, here!). The Burke Museum of Natural History has been recently re-built and we look forward to taking our kids there (Museums are free on the first Thursday of each month – keep this in mind during Spring Break, Summer Break, etc.! – and you can swing by with a paid ticket any time!

There’s great commuter access here, too. With plenty of buses, the new light rail stop, and the Burke-Gilman trail for those who like to ride their bikes!

Check out all their is to love when you’re living in the U-District.