land anniversary

It’s now been about a year since we bought our little piece of land in the Central District (we are landed) and though our last post, building permit: first pass, had a bit of a cliff hanger ending, we’re feeling optimistic and excited about the house.



I should start by saying that our neighbors are extremely relaxed and agreeable so the re-classification of our lots and the water main easement through their yard shouldn’t be a problem.  Lucky us!

Jack’s been working really hard modeling the house in preparation for the full permit application.  He should also be ready to post some images of the design when we submit the plans.  It’s really coming together.
The last year has given us a lot of time to reflect on our purchase and I’m happy to say that we are not having any buyer’s remorse.

We bought a lot with many of the qualities we were looking for, including:

• something nearly flat, with solid ground -   The majority of vacant land in the city is vacant because it is on extremely tough terrain.  Out lot is on solid ground which will be cheaper to work with and most importantly is not at risk of mudslides, like most other undeveloped lots we looked at.
• a view -   When we bought it, we knew it had a view of the city, but it also turns out to have a view of the Olympics (on the 80 or so days a year where the weather cooperates), which is a dream come true.  We’re also happy to have found a westward view, because sunsets are better than sunrises.
• the “feeling of being on a hill” -  I’m not sure what it is exactly but there’s something refreshing about being on high ground.  We’re not at the summit of a hill, but it gives me the right feeling.
• proximity to the city and our probable future jobs
• sidewalks and transit – places without sidewalks depress me
• walking distance of amenities -   like a library, cafés and restaurants, day care, parks, a YMCA, a swimming pool and schools
• diversity in the schools and neighborhood

The schools in the area are not without problems, and it does feel like a gamble to commit to a neighborhood before we’re involved in schools as parents.  However, I like the idea of our future kids attending a more diverse school than some of the ones I went to.  I see a lot of benefit in living near their friends and of us having more time available to them because we have shorter commutes.

If we’re so lucky for this to be relevant, the district does have a gifted program and Garfield offers AP classes.  On the other hand, there are also a lot of private (and probably) charter schools nearby, because of the density of the neighborhood and we’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.