Lakeridge, West Hill facts for kids

Lakeridge is a neighborhood located on a hillside near Lake Washington. Most of it is in an area called Skyway/West Hill in King County, Washington, which means it's not part of a city yet. A smaller part of Lakeridge is in the southeast area of Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood.

Lakeridge is bordered by Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood to the north, Lake Washington to the east, and the unincorporated areas of Bryn Mawr and Skyway to the south and west.

History of Lakeridge

In 1928, a developer named E. S. Goodwin created a map for a part of the hillside and land above Lake Washington. He called this area Lakeridge. The Seattle Planning Commission officially adopted this name for the neighborhood in 1947.

Maps of the area show four main sections, called "divisions." Lakeridge Division #1 is the closest to Lake Washington. Divisions #2, #3, and #4 are located higher up the hillside to the west. Division #3 crosses the border between King County and the City of Seattle. The part of Division #3 that is in Seattle, along with all of Division #4, are also part of Seattle's Rainier View neighborhood. About 241 properties in Lakeridge are located inside the Seattle city limits.

Homes and Views in Lakeridge

Lakeridge is known for its winding streets and homes built in a simple, mid-century style. The views of the lake, old trees, and curving roads make the neighborhood very appealing. Some spots offer amazing views of Lake Washington.

Many homes in Lakeridge are one-story "ramblers" or ramblers with "daylight basements" (basements with windows). These were built after World War II, between 1946 and 1959. They often had simple layouts with one, two, or three bedrooms. Many of these homes were part of "tract housing," meaning many similar homes were built at the same time.

When they were first built, these homes looked different by using varying amounts of brick and wood on the outside. Over time, people have added new rooms or even second stories. Mature landscaping and different paint colors have also made the homes more unique. A few unique mid-century modern homes are also mixed in.

While most homes originally had views of Lake Washington, today only about half of them still have some view. Growing trees, other tall plants, and new buildings are slowly blocking these views. The remaining views can range from small peeks through trees to wide, open views of the lake.

Lakeridge Park: Nature and Salmon

Lakeridge Park is located on the northern edge of the neighborhood. It covers more than 35 acres of land, including Taylor Creek and Deadhorse Canyon. Taylor Creek is the fourth largest creek in Seattle.

This creek is part of a special program to bring salmon back to the area to lay their eggs. In April 2000, volunteers planted native plants to help restore the creek. Seattle Public Utilities also replaced two culverts (tunnels for water). When another culvert under Rainier Avenue South is replaced, young salmon will be released into the creek. If these efforts work, the salmon will return to the creek to lay their eggs in the future.

Future of Lakeridge

In 2005, the parts of Lakeridge that were not yet part of a city were included in a potential annexation area for the City of Renton. This means Renton was thinking about making these areas part of its city. King County approved this in April 2006.

However, in November 2012, most people living in the unincorporated Lakeridge area and nearby neighborhoods voted against joining Renton. The area is still considered a "potential annexation area" for Renton. This means the City of Renton still plans to try and make the area part of the city in the future.