Seattle/Ballard

Ballard is a neighborhood in northwest Seattle. While mostly residential, the ship canal locks are a major tourist attraction. Nearby smaller neighborhoods sometimes falling under Ballard's umbrella include Phinney Ridge and Greenwood, extending to the northeast, and Crown Hill directly north. A small commercial district extends along Greenwood and Phinney Avenues.

Further to the east, the Greenlake neighborhood surrounds, reasonably enough, Green Lake (both spellings are common). The lake and its surrounding park are one of Seattle's best places to jog, rollerblade, swim, and rowboat.

Understand
Ballard has traditionally been the home of Seattle's Scandinavian immigrants, and as a result there's hardly a Seattleite who hasn't heard of lutefisk (preserved whitefish) or lefse (a flatbread made with potatoes). Historically a working-class area supported by several sawmills and a fishery, Ballard now has an increasingly young and diverse population. Due to its close proximity to Downtown Seattle, Ballard's property values have soared, causing many long-time residents to move elsewhere. Though becoming increasingly trendy, Ballard still manages to preserve its blue-collar image as well as its Scandinavian atmosphere to a great extent.

Phinney Ridge and Greenwood are residential satellites of Ballard, with a single shared commercial strip running along Phinney and Greenwood Avenues (forming a single street with a jog in the road at 67th Street).

By car
From Downtown Seattle, the simplest way into Ballard is to drive north on 1st Avenue, veer left at the foot of Queen Anne Hill (where 1st Avenue N and Denny Way meet), then follow the arterial northward until you cross the Ballard bridge. Turn left on NW Market Street to get into the center of Ballard.

For the Phinney-Greenwood corridor, take Aurora Avenue north across the bridge, then exit at Green Lake Way; take a left on 46th Street, then four blocks later take a right onto Greenwood Avenue.

By bus
In Downtown, you can catch all northbound King County Metro routes to Ballard on 3rd Avenue.
 * RapidRide Route D is the new primary Ballard-Downtown connector, continuing north along 15th Ave NW. Exit the distinctive red-and-yellow bus at 15th Ave NW and NW Market St, then walk a few blocks westbound on Market.
 * Route 40 heads north from Downtown along Westlake Ave N before crossing the canal and turning west on Leary Way NW, meeting NW Market St at Ballard Ave NW (the heart of Ballard's shopping, dining and entertainment district) before turning right and continuing north on 24th Ave NW.
 * Route 17 EXPRESS connects Ballard to Downtown Seattle with limited stops in between operating between ~6am-9am during the morning and ~3:30pm-6:30pm in the evening.
 * Route 44 runs East-West connecting the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks through Market Street in Ballard, continuing east via N 45th Street to the University District (where it connects to, or turns into, the 43 to Capitol Hill and Downtown).
 * For Phinney Ridge and Greenwood, Route 5 offers the most direct connection from Downtown, running from 3rd Avenue in Downtown up via Fremont before continuing along Phinney Ave N and Greenwood Ave N. The RapidRide Route E skirts the east side of both neighborhoods along Aurora Ave N, making a useful stop at 85th St N. Route 48 cuts east-west through Greenwood along 85th St N, continuing southeast through Green Lake to the University District and the Central District.

By boat
The Ballard Locks are the only watercraft connection between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, operating free of charge to all boaters, 24 hours a day. While anyone may pass through the locks, it is forbidden to leave or board a boat in the locks area. Expect delays during sunny summer weekends, when whole flotillas of less-experienced boaters pack into the locks.



Buy
Phinney Ridge/Greenwood

Ballard

Eat
Central Ballard collects most of the area's restaurants, on or near Market Street. 15th Avenue NW and Greenwood Avenue house most of the rest. Many of Seattle's best Mexican restaurants are found here.

Breweries

 * Ballard Brewery District. Ballard is home to an association of small craft breweries that are within comfortable walking district of each other and the historic Ballard downtown area.
 * Ballard Brewery District. Ballard is home to an association of small craft breweries that are within comfortable walking district of each other and the historic Ballard downtown area.

Sleep
There are few hotels in the Ballard area since it's primarily residential, although the area has its fair share of bed and breakfasts. Along the northern segment of Aurora Ave, there are some sketchy hourly rate motels &mdash; use at your own risk.