University District

POPULATION: 13,000
DEMOGRAPHICS: students, couples, singles, families with children
TYPES OF HOMES: Condos, Apartments, Bungalows
COMMUNITY BLOG: U District Daily
LIBRARY: Seattle Public Library University Branch, located at 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105, Tel. 206-684-4063
FARMERS MARKET: U District Farmers Market, open every Saturday year-round, 9am to 2pm, located at the corner of UniversityWay & NE 50th, Seattle, 98105, in the playground of the University Heights Center for the Community
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: Aqua Verde Cafe, Portage Bay Cafe, Araya’s Vegetarian Place
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS: Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, Cafe Solstice, Trabant Coffee & Chai

Ah, the U-District! This is a community that is always in motion, just like any college town. The residents here, for the most part, are a lively mix of students, faculty and employees of the University of Washington.

Life in the U-District (as it’s commonly called) ranges from multi-story gracious homes on shaded avenues with green meridians, to condominiums, apartments, and well-worn bungalow homes that are temporary residents to cycles of students. There is also a Greek system here,  nestled in across the street from the north entrance of campus.

The University District is flanked by the greenbelt of Ravenna and the open shopping center of the University Village. The main collegiate attraction here is University Way, aka, The Ave, which has the standard-issue array of cheap eats and international fare, used bookstores, unique boutiques, cafes, music stores and plenty of curiosity shops. Students stock up at the University Book Store, which is also a popular venue for author readings. From spring through fall, there’s a Farmer’s Market on the north end of University Way.

The U-District is beautiful and bucolic in the fall, and famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring.