By Ken Urman, Realtor®
This post is the second in a series offering
insights into the unique characteristics of specific neighborhoods on Mercer
Island and communities surrounding Lake Washington, including Parkwood,
Tarywood, Woodridge, Judkins Park and Newcastle.
Mercer Island
Mercer
Island, WA is located on the South end
of Lake Washington, just East of Seattle. The I-90 floating bridge and freeway
connects the island's North end to Seattle and the Eastside.
Mercer Island is home to a large
number of waterfront homes on Lake Washington, with a speedy commute to the
major hubs of Greater Seattle, but a secluded, small-town feel at home. The
island is approximately six miles long and 2 miles wide, with 22,699 residents
and some of the states' best schools. On a list of the most exclusive areas of
the U.S, Mercer Island recently ranked number 18.
First Hill
A ridge known as First Hill separates East Seattle from “the North End,” as the
northwest part of Mercer Island. First Hill’s eastern boundary is the opposite
East Ridge, or 84th Street. The two ridges enclose an area Serena
Cove’s northern waterfront to the Lucas Hill to the south, at 40th
Street. The First Hill neighborhood is located south of I-90, separating East
Seattle from the north end of the island. The area covers 0.168 square miles.
The early history of First Hill land
development is documented in the first Mercer Island plats of McGilvra and
Mercer Park. Today, First Hill is home to 483 people. The population density of
this area is lower than that of Mercer Island, as a whole. The population
density of First hill is 2,879 people per square mile (Mercer Island density is
3,452 people per square mile). Median household income for this community was
$96,983 in 2009 (Mercer Island was $117,231).
First Hill is one of the neighborhoods
containing the “lid” (the covered area of I-90, which is part of Mercer Island).
A park built atop the “Lid” covering the freeway includes large vent stacks
that help move air out of the I-90 tunnel. The stacks look awkward and out of
place, and most people are unaware of their real purpose. The Park on the Lid,
a Park & Ride, and the I-90 bike path all are accessible on the north side
of First Hill.
First Hill
Park, at SE 32nd Street and 72nd Avenue SE, is a small
neighborhood park that includes an elaborate play structure, including a tree
house with a slide, t-ball, basketball, and a picnic table.
First Hill is a popular walking
and biking neighborhood. It offers some of the most scenic views on Mercer
Island. Throughout First Hill are pathways, stairs, and trails that lead to the
lakefront, parks, and the downtown business district.
The homes of First Hill were built between
the 1940's and the 1960's. Over time, developers have purchased some of the
older homes and replaced them with new upper-end homes. Homes recently sold in
First Hill were priced between $480,000 and
$1,525,000.
First Hill has become a very
desirable residential neighborhood, primarily due to its easy access to I-90 and
a quick commute to Seattle.
If you are looking for a home in
First Hill, or you would simply like to learn more about the community, please
give me a call at 206-230-0833 or 206-499-4948.
I installed the new 2nd Generation Nest in my home over the weekend. The directions were terrific and the unit included many different mounting options. In my case, I was removing a large early gen programmable model. I was afraid the new slim-small designed Nest would not cover area where old one was mounted. Not to worry, they had a bracket/plate that did the job and covered the old holes and paint. 
So far the Nest is performing as advertised. It is learning our habits. I can also access controls easily anywhere via my IPhone The best feature is that it programs it-self after learning ours habits. It already knows when we wake up in the morning and need the temperature to rise in the house. They claim that it can save you a lot on your energy bills by turning up the heat when you need it and lowering when you don't. Cost to purchase is high compared to conventional thermostats, but I anticipate this will be easily made up in a short time through energy savings. I will keep you posted on my experience and level of energy savings.
