History
Captain William Ballard is the founder of this sleepy Scandinavian community north of Downtown Seattle. It has mainly been home to fishermen and mill workers over the past 100 years, and continues to attract a large fishing community to the industrial area.

Description
Ballard is well-known in the Seattle area for its strong Scandinavian heritage. All candy shops sell Swedish fish, and "Uff-dah" is seen on signs and bumper stickers when walking down Market Street, the main street leading into the heart of the retail district.

The other main street in the neighborhood is 15th Ave NW.  It runs perpendicular to Market Street starting at the Ballard Bridge and is the main access road to areas north and south of Ballard.  There are also a variety of stores and eateries along its strip.

Residents
Ballard is well-known for its Scandinavian population, merchants, fishermen, and young professionals that live in the area. Due to lower home and rental prices, families and students find the area affordable. Shilshole, North Beach and Blue Ridge attract a wealthier crowd to its view housing options.

Rental Housing
Ballard offers a wide variety of rental choices ranging from vintage buildings to new properties, and from small buildings to large complexes. Renters also enjoy a good selection in the rental house market. Rental rates in Ballard are a little lower than Fremont and Greenlake to the east as the highways are not as easily accessed from this area. For a close-in location to Downtown Seattle, Ballard is one of the more affordable neighborhoods. Rental rates range from approximately $1.00 to $1.65/sq. ft.

Fun Stuff
The Shilshole area and Golden Garden’s Beach are known for great seafood restaurants and beautiful sunsets. The recently renovated park has dog areas, duck ponds, and lovely landscaping to draw walkers and runners to its shores.