Changes around the station
Plan on the area around the station continuing to evolve. Dense mixed-use buildings are planned nearby, and height limits here have been raised to 85 feet. If you rent now, expect construction and new neighbors to be part of daily life for a while.
Choose Your Pocket of Northgate
The wider Northgate area takes in four smaller neighborhoods. Running north to south, you will find Haller Lake, Pinehurst, Licton Springs and Maple Leaf. Each has its own parks and gardens, so take a look at what sits close to the blocks you are considering for your apartment in Northgate.
Maple Leaf
The mall site and the civic center across 5th Ave NE fall within Maple Leaf, which the city annexed after the mall opened outside Seattle. Live here and you are closest to the library, Northgate Park and the Beaver Pond Natural Area on Thornton Creek. For everyday dog walks and time with the kids, head to Sacajawea Playground.
Licton Springs
Also called North College Park, Licton Springs sits near North Seattle College and holds both Mineral Springs Park and Licton Springs Park, a Seattle city landmark protecting a natural spring. Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish people used these springs for healing. In 2019 the site became the first Native cultural site named a city landmark, which gives a neighborhood walk here real meaning.
Pinehurst and Haller Lake
Head north and the pockets turn more residential, with older gardens and bigger parks. In Pinehurst, look for the copper-clad dome and minaret of the Idriss Mosque, built in 1981 as Seattle's first mosque. Over in Haller Lake, spend an afternoon at Northacres Park, with trails, fields and a splash pad spread across 20.7 acres.
Getting Around Off the Train
Interstate 5 cuts straight through the district, so factor it in as you weigh noise and commute options. Roosevelt Way NE and Aurora Avenue N are the main north-south roads, while NE Northgate Way and 130th Street carry most east-west traffic. Check how a building connects to these routes before you commit.
Errands and the Civic Hub
The whole district grew up around a shopping center that opened in 1950 on 55 acres beside the freeway. Now called The District at Northgate, it is often described as the first covered mall in the country. A 2009 remodel added dozens of shops, and today the site blends retail with other uses.
Round out your errands at nearby strip centers and the Northgate North center, where you will find a Best Buy and a two-story Target. Store lineups and hours change, so check official sites before heading out. The district is also home base for the Seattle Kraken.
Library, park and community center
Across from the mall, the city opened a park, library and community center in 2006. Browse the shelves at the Northgate Branch of The Seattle Public Library, then step outside into Northgate Park right next door. For a new renter, this cluster makes a handy stop between errands.
Green Space Close to Home
Thornton Creek threads through the district, and small natural areas follow its south fork. Stroll through Kingfisher, Licorice Fern and Beaver Pond natural areas, patches of green tucked between houses and busy roads. They are ideal for a quick walk when you live without a yard.
Golf nearby
Tee off at Jackson Park Golf Course, which has welcomed golfers since 1928. The public course offers an 18-hole layout, a nine-hole par three and a driving range, with Thornton Creek running through it. If you are just starting out, the short course is a good fit.
Community gardens
Northgate has an unusual number of City of Seattle P-Patch gardens, some tended for decades. Jackson Park P-Patch dates to 1974 and Pinehurst P-Patch to 1976, while Licton Springs P-Patch, opened in 2014, is the largest nearby with 67 plots. Want to grow your own food from an apartment? Ask the P-Patch program about plot availability.
Know Your Rights Before You Sign
Renting in Washington is governed by the state Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, and Seattle adds many local rules that go further. Start with the city's Renting in Seattle program, which explains rental regulations and fair housing laws for both tenants and landlords.
The Renter's Handbook
Seattle requires landlords to give you a printed copy of the Renter's Handbook when you sign a first rental agreement. Digital copies are allowed for renewals, for month-to-month tenants each year, and when the city updates it. Download the printer-friendly version from the city and read it before your lease signing.
Watch for short-term listings
Under city rules, a unit offered for fewer than 30 consecutive nights counts as a short-term rental. Operators need a city license, and every listing must show its license number. If you are hunting for a longer-term home, make sure the place is offered as a regular rental.
