North College Park - Seattle, WA

North College Park, commonly known as Licton Springs, was originally a site of Native American worship. Local tribes believe the natural spring in the area possesses restorative properties. When settlers found the area, an entrepreneur added a spa to make commercial use of the legends.

The neighborhood was annexed into Seattle in 1954 and Licton Springs became known as North College Park with the establishment of the North Seattle Community College in 1970. This middle class region largely revolves around the community college, with the local community taking great pains to restore the lands and have them be nationally recognized.

Though no museums or annual events are found within the neighborhood, residents only need to drive a short distance to reach Downtown Seattle or other parts of the city. Aside from the student body, the artistic community is limited to works commissioned for the “art walk” in the Licton Springs Park.

Find most of the restaurants in this neighborhood on Aurora Avenue, near 105th Street, which makes it easy to decide on the fly what kind of food you’re in the mood for. With so many international cuisines on offer, you might be glad of the convenience.

Tropicos Breeze serves El Salvadoran cuisine and other traditional Latin American fare. Local favorites include the freshly made Salvadoran pupusas, Hondurean baleadas and savory Colombian bandeja.

For a no-frills meal experience, try Burgermaster. Offering classic hamburgers and meals, locals choose this eatery when looking for something fast and simple. For a taste of nostalgia, try the combo meal of a Burgermaster, fries and milkshake.

Good Guys Pizza offers traditional pizza options alongside a few unexpected options, such as the Euro, which consists of mozzarella, ranch sauce, Canadian bacon, grilled chicken breast, red onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and extra cheese.

Locals looking for a night out on the town enjoy a varied selection of bars to whet their whistles. Try Tim’s Tavern when you’re looking for a sports bar, with local games projected on the overhead monitor. Teacher’s Lounge meanwhile features a theme unique to this neighborhood. Located in Greenwood, a reasonable jaunt from North College Park, the bar is decorated to look like a classroom and known for its unique cocktails. You won’t find any music venues in North College Park, but the neighborhood is within reasonable distance of downtown should you want to take in a show.

Enjoy unusually good access to public transport within North College Park. The neighborhood is bounded on one side by Interstate 5, making it easy to travel via private car. Several bus lines run through North College Park, allowing you to cover an impressive distance beyond the borders of the neighborhood in just 30 minutes. Anywhere within the neighborhood can meanwhile be reached in around ten minutes.

Locals opt for biking in the large neighborhood of North College Park, rather than walking, thanks to a reasonable level of biking infrastructure in place and many businesses located near to one another.

Unfortunately, no taxi or car services are located within North College Park, but most of the ones that operate within the Seattle area will cover North College Park. If you call for a cab, expect significant wait times. Expect to need a permit if parking your personal vehicle in the area, or to be limited in time when making use of parking lots for businesses. Ride-share services such as Uber are not offered in this area.

Only one major park sits within the borders of this neighborhood: Licton Springs Park. Small in size and located almost at the center of North College Park, the land once served as a sacred Native American site. Decide for yourself whether the spring really does have restorative qualities as you make use of the walking trails amid wildland habitat, as well as a play area for the children and public restrooms. Free to visitors, the park is also available to rent for weddings and ceremonies.

Towards the north of the neighborhood, find a smaller park with a disk golf course and an “art walk” exhibit of statues, created to reflect the nature of the clouds moving overhead. Mineral Springs makes use of land that was previously occupied by homes and small farms and remnants of that past can still be seen today in the form of stone walls, steps and small ponds. Bring your dog to accompany you through the birch grove and wildflower meadow.

Considered to be a reasonable area for living costs, North College Park averages around nine percent lower than the rest of Seattle when it comes to amenities. A one-bedroom apartment averages out to be marginally higher than Seattle average, however, at $1,139 per month, though the cost of real estate is over 25 percent lower than the Seattle average. Gasoline will set you back over ten percent more than the national average, while a pint of beer will set you back just under $9 and you can expect to pay at least a few dollars to travel into the city center on public transportation.

Locals usually head outside their quiet neighborhood for shopping excursions, hopping across I-5 to explore the hundreds of stores in the Northgate Mall. Check out Fuego for unique gifts, a Northwestern chain that sells cutting-edge accessories such as bags and jewelry, including studded leather and seatbelt-style belts. Or see what's new this season at Nordstrom and JCPenney's, then pop into Barnes & Noble for coffee and a book. Stick around in the evening to enjoy the many restaurants in the mall.

Residents run errands along Aurora Avenue North, where you find hardware stores, mechanics, delis and several specialty shops. Hardcore outdoor enthusiasts come from all over the metro area to Seattle Fabrics, which specializes in marine and outdoor fabrics to make sails, camping tents, kites, seat belts and plenty more, plus hard-to-find cloth such as neoprene. Seattleites with a song in their heart head to The Guitar Store to peruse electric and acoustic guitars from Asher and Breedlove to Gibson. Customers report these beauties are sold by a down-to-earth and knowledgable staff.

On Aurora Avenue North, residents pick up last minute groceries at the many small grocers or ethnic specialties at HT Oaktree Market, which offers Asian ingredients and a small selection of Hispanic, Indian, Turkish, Greek and German fare. North College Park lacks chain grocery stores, so residents head to PCC Natural Markets or the Fred Meyer on 85th Street for the weekly shop.

Farmers markets abound in Seattle. Find Rising Sun Produce on 15th Avenue, open seven days a week. Expect a fair selection of produce with a small refrigerated section, as well as nuts and dried fruit. For a larger market, head to Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market in University District, Capitol Hill/Broadway West Seattle, Columbia City, Lake City, Phinney or Magnolia.