South Park

POPULATION: 3,800
DEMOGRAPHICS: diverse population, lower to middle class families, married couples
TYPES OF HOMES: Small Brick Homes, Fixer-uppers,  Turn-of-the-century and Mid-century Homes, Condos
COMMUNITY BLOG: All About South Park
LIBRARY: Seattle Public Library South Park Branch, located at 8604 Eighth Ave. S. at South Cloverdale Street, Seattle, WA 98108, Tel. 206-615-1688
FARMERS MARKET: closest is Georgetown Farmers Market, open Saturdays from  10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., from May 21 to October 15, 2011, located on the grounds of the original Rainier Brewery, 6000 Airport Way S
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: Juan Colorado, Loretta’s
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS: Viva Vadi Caffe

South of Seattle and off the Duwamish River, South Park has some of the most affordable real estate in the city. Ethnicities blend here, and the sign on the South Park Bridge is in English and Spanish.

The houses are everything from small brick homes and modest fixer-uppers to turn-of-the-century and mid-century homes. New, shingled condos and some new homes are cropping up as well. Yards here are modest but diversely landscaped and planted. Some have fruit trees and closely mowed lawns; others have wild gardens and overflowing flower boxes. On a recent visit, we saw people out and about, walking down the small sidewalks in the middle of a weekday. There is a darling community center with baseball fields.

The business section is small and colorful (orange and yellow storefronts) and also on the up-and-up, with an increasing number of shops, restaurants and services.

South Park is on the upswing-which means there’s an opening for people who love the idea of community-building.