History
Greenlake attracts runners, walkers, skaters, and (of course), dog walkers. At one time a trolley ran from Greenlake to downtown in order to connect people to one of the most popular recreation spots in Seattle. Even today, Greenlake remains one of the best areas to spend an afternoon due to its close proximity to the Woodland Park Zoo, Lower Woodland Playing Fields, and the Greenlake Golf Course.

Description
Greenlake is surrounded by bicycle, coffee, ice cream, and rollerblading shops. The specialty bakeries and tasty restaurants like Six Degrees, Duke’s Chowder House, and Tacos Guaymas add to the cozy atmosphere of the area.

Residents
Greenlake is a thriving single-family neighborhood with a mix of long-time residents and young professionals. Most of the commercial and apartment properties are located toward the north end of the lake. Here you will find a mix of college students, recent University of Washington graduates and young professionals. People come daily from all over the city to take advantage of Greenlake’s beauty and outdoor activities.

Rental Housing
Greenlake is a very popular rental area, especially among local residents and recent University of Washington graduates. It is very centrally located, with excellent access to the highways and the university. Although it is further north, it is still only 10 to 15 minutes from Downtown.

There are a relatively low number of apartment properties in the Greenlake area as most of the properties are single-family homes. It is a great place to find a reasonably priced rental house, but they rent very quickly. Most of the apartment properties are located at the north end of the lake. Many of the apartment buildings were built between the 1950’s and the 1980’s. The pricing of rental units in Greenlake is similar to that of Fremont and Wallingford at approximately $1.00/sq.ft. to $1.50/sq. ft.

Fun Stuff
Residents can be found jogging, biking, or taking in the natural sights around the lake, rain or shine. There are lots of events around the lake including crew races, the Milk Carton Derby, and Christmas-time lighting of the luminaries. The east side of the lake has a pool, gym, basketball courts, a community center, restrooms, tennis courts, a playground, a windsurfing area, and soccer, volleyball and softball fields.

The south side of the lake has a small craft center offering classes in rowing, kayaking, sailboarding and sailing.