Ballard

Quaint Seattle Neighborhood

Description

Northwest of downtown, west of Fremont and Green Lake, sits the ever-interesting town of Ballard. Unlike other working-class neighborhoods-turned-fashionable, Ballard still attracts folks looking for no-nonsense venues, where you can eat a greasy breakfast, drink cheap beers, and listen to good folk or rock n' roll. Settled principally by Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes in the 1900s, Ballard has a distinct Nordic flare, with specialty shops like Olsen's Scandinavian Foods selling Scandinavian favorites. A historic designation helps protect Ballard from over-commercialization or other undesirable growth: any proposed development has to be approved by a board of locals, and the locals are pretty picky about who they'll let in. There's a good collection of galleries, shops, restaurants, and bars.