Perched on the hillside with winding and tree lined streets, also known at “The Peaceable Kingdom”, Madrona is a wonderfully diverse neighborhood overlooking Lake Washington and situated between the Denny-Blaine neighborhood to the north and the Leschi neighborhood to the south.  Spanning from Lake Washington to the east to Martin Luther King Jr. Way to the west, Madrona is mostly residential with a charming commercial district offering several restaurants, businesses and shops.  The popular Hi-Spot Café is a favorite brunch Spot, or grab a scrumptious Cupcake Royale and a perfectly smooth latte’ at the Ve’rite’ Coffee house where eclectic tunes and friendly smiles are sure to brighten up your morning or day!  Madrona provides many dining options from Casual American fare at St. Clouds where you can enjoy live music to Cremant, a cozy French Bistro.  Click to view a list of restaurants or shops in Madrona.  Be sure not to miss the Spectrum Dance Theater located at 800 Lake Washington Blvd at the south end of Madrona park and the north end of the beach!
The neighborhood was platted as the Cascade Addition in 1889 and the Lakefront community began to draw tourists and visitors to its beachside park.  The first neighborhood school was the barn of the Randell family who built their homestead on Madrona’s highest point (near today’s 34th and Union) in 1890.  What became known as the Randell Additions later became the core of Madrona hill properties.  During that same time a lead company and some others introduced a more elaborate park and an electric trolley line that traveled north from what is now 34th and Union to Howell where it headed east and descended through the forest down to the park.  In 1908 the city of Seattle purchased the private trolley line. 
The park was named after the ubiquitous Madrona (arbutus) trees in the area by John Ayer, a partner in the land company who also contributed a parcel of land for the park.  The partners devised a plan to make the area even more attractive to buyers by developing a community boat dock, dance pavilion, hotel, Japanese tea house, bath houses, wooden swings, rustic benches, walking paths, bridges and shelters along the lake and throughout the hillside.  All of this development prompted the city to recommend consideration for a boulevard along Lake Washington from Yesler northward which would include Madrona beach and park. 
The neighborhood attracted a diverse group of buyers and homes were built on a large scale from grand to working class residences in the early 1900’s.  “Great Homes” boasted glorious lake views from atop the hill on 35th Avenue and smaller scale but also lovely homes were built along the hillside and above the shoreline.  Madrona is a well-established neighborhood close to downtown with a strong sense of community and a diverse demographic.

One of the highest hills in Seattle, Queen Anne was named after the ‘Queen Anne’ style mansions that peppered the hill by 1885.  With an elevation of 456 feet the hill boasts astounding city and mountain views, never-ending views of Puget Sound and to the east, Lake Union.  Queen Anne typically refers to the upper part of the hill while locals call the southern bottom section ‘Lower Queen Anne’ also known as ‘Uptown’.  The steep climb of Queen Anne Avenue takes you to a bustling commercial district of trendy restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and markets.  You can find just about anything you can think of along Queen Anne Avenue on the top of the hill.  The commercial district is surrounded by residential streets of an eclectic mix of modern and historic homes many of which offer breathtaking views.  With convenient city living, upscale shops, restaurants and neighborhood feel, Queen Anne is one of Seattle’s most popular neighborhoods.
Perfectly perched on the southern slope with unparalleled city, mountain and Puget Sound views is Kerry Park which was donated to the City in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sperry Kerry, Sr., “so that all who stop here may enjoy this view.”
On the northern slope and on the verge of Fremont is the beautiful campus of Seattle Pacific University, a Christian university just minutes from downtown.     
Home to the World’s Fair in 1962 Lower Queen Anne or ‘Uptown’ houses what is now the Seattle Center with the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, Key Arena and McCaw Hall.  The area offers a wide variety of restaurants and bars due to its proximity to the many events that take place at the Seattle Center.  While not as residential as upper Queen Anne, uptown offers many Condominium homes which are convenient to all!

Madison Park is an upscale village nestled on the shore of Lake Washington near the west end of the Evergreen Point Bridge.  Perfectly appointed with sophisticated yet original shops and restaurants; it is hard to imagine a more perfect place to live while still in the city.  The village is surrounded by tree-lined streets and homes with character abound.  Whether you are looking for a cozy bungalow, a secluded mansion or a condo with a view, you don’t have to look far in Madison Park!  Enjoy a latte’ at one of the coffee shops and you are sure to experience the strong sense of community.  Pick up some fresh flowers at Best Buds or Bert’s Red Apple neighborhood grocery store or swing by Pharmaca for any of your drugstore needs.  Whether shopping for a unique gift, kitchen ware, apparel or home décor, you will be pleased with the variety and selection the Madison Park shopping district offers.  Perhaps you would like to relax and have a spa treatment; Madison Park has luxurious spa options as well as a variety of nail salons for you to choose from.  Service companies are also aplenty in Madison Park; from chiropractors to dentists to insurance agents you are sure to appreciate the convenience and simplicity of life in this fabulous neighborhood. 

Dining:  from casual to formal, quick to lingering, lively to romantic, there are numerous scrumptious  dining options in Madison Park.  Click here for a list of restaurants.

What’s happening:  The Madison Park community takes pride and comes together for many fun events and celebrations.

Madison Park Days in July:  a three-day sidewalk sale, a children’s parade, and a family picnic. 

Halloween is a costume extravaganza with all of the neighborhood children flooding the sidewalks to celebrate and fill their treat bags with the goodies given out by the local merchants and then posing for a picture outside of Bing’s restaurant. 

Enjoy the Christmas Ship parade while sipping hot chocolate, cider and eating cookies in the warmth of the bonfire on the beach and listen to the Salvation Army Band at the Christmas Ship Beach Party. The holidays are festive and the annual street lighting adds a luminous glow to Madison Park’s already cheerful and quaint feel.

Recreation:  The energy is contagious in this active neighborhood.  Runners and cyclists flood Lake Washington Blvd in the summer months. For the outdoor enthusiast, the possibilities are endless in and around Madison Park. Nature lovers can enjoy the neighborhood almost all year round, whether strolling along the beach in the summer, enjoying the quiet serenity of the arboretum‘s Japanese garden in the fall, or playing a few rounds of tennis at Madison Park while the kids enjoy the playground in the spring. 

Events:
Annual Picnic and Children’s Parade
July 11, 2009

Music in the Park
Every Thursday in August 2009

This is a test post and we are excited to get Val’s website up and running!

This year’s festival will be held at the Seattle Center on July 17, 18 and 19th.  Don’t miss out on this FREE event.   With over 500,000 visitors last year, this years event should be spectacular with lower priced portions this year. 

Click here for a Bite map

Seattle’s favorite restaurants will be offering a just a bite menu items for just $3.75 each.

This is a test.