We get this question all the time and there doesn’t seem to be an absolute answer. The City’s Department of Neighborhoods defines the boundaries of Phinney Ridge as Aurora to 8th N.W. and 46th Street to North 75th St. But, Wikipedia says it runs from 50th up to 80th before turning into the Greenwood neighborhood.
One neighbor who lives on N. 75th St. says on his blog that he’s not sure which neighborhood he officially belongs to, so he’s decided to rename the area from 67th to 80th as “Grinney.” We know some people call certain areas of Phinney Ridge that are close to Ballard “Phinney Valley” or “Lower Phinney” to show that they’re not on top of the Ridge.
So, the question is, where do you consider the dividing line? And do you have any other fun nicknames for your specific neighborhood?
18 responses so far ↓
1 Greenwood Denizen // Oct 30, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I’ve always considered the dividing line to be 80th. I call refer to Greenwood as “Greenhood” since the recent graffiti problem has turned the neighborhood into the ‘hood.
2 Jon // Oct 30, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I would say that the area between 80th and 85th is la la land… in terms of real estate. 85th and north you start to lose sidewalks, 85th and south you have sidewalks…
I like Phinneywood for 80-85th…
I like Grinney for 75-80th…
How about East West Boundaries?
Aurora to 3rd for Phinney?
What about Phinneywood, or Grinney?
3 Yvette (a Phrelard-ite) // Oct 30, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I’m getting a complex here being apparently at the Phinney Ridge, Ballard, Fremont dividing POINT depending on all the definitions. I didn’t even know I was in contention for living in Phinney too! I’ve always liked living in Frelard and I guess I’ll be embracing my change to living in Phrelard (mmm - now I’ve got my favorite yarn store, greek restaurant & burger joint in my neighborhood!!)
4 Katy // Oct 30, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I have a close friend who lives just a block south of Woodland Park Zoo. She has always referred to her neighborhood as “LoZo” - lower Zoo
5 Whopper // Oct 30, 2008 at 10:06 pm
When does Greenwood start? When wine lovers are replaced by meth and crack heads.
6 C // Oct 31, 2008 at 8:24 am
Wow. Let’s decide on a boundary that puts me in a different neighborhood than Whopper.
7 etta // Oct 31, 2008 at 9:30 am
We’re on N. 81st, and I like to say we’re happily straddling Greenwood and Phinney.
We make three barrels of wine in our cellar every year and just were awarded three blue ribbons at this years State Fair. Whopper, I’m not sure if you’re a “wine lover” or a “crack head”, but I ain’t sharing a drop of our Greenwood Park Cellars syrah with you!
8 fallline // Oct 31, 2008 at 11:12 am
I’ve never been a fan of hard stops. I think Phinney begins to end at 80th, and Greenwood starts in ernest at 85th. Those of you who live between those should be able to proudly claim both neighborhoods.
9 green'hood // Oct 31, 2008 at 11:43 am
I was told that your neighborhood depends on whether you are buying, selling or paying taxes. Buying–it’s greenwood. Selling–it’s greenlake. Paying taxes–Phinney.
We refer to our ‘hood as Phinneywood.
10 Cma319 // Oct 31, 2008 at 12:27 pm
The Phinney Center puts the boundary at 80th, and that makes sense to me. Though there is such a huge difference between Greenwood at, say, 82nd, and Greenwood at 92nd, that maybe there should be north and south Greenwood to differentiate.
I do like “Phinneywood” for the whole area.
11 Whopper // Oct 31, 2008 at 3:31 pm
80th sounds about right. Starting from 85th the tweakers are out in force.
12 LS // Oct 31, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I’ve always thought of the Ridge as
“the Ballard Alps”…
13 aaron // Oct 31, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I live on Greenwood and 110th and I say I live in Greenwood.
According to Wikipedia I’m technically within the Broadview neighborhood but when I go get coffee or a beer and hang out with friends I always go south.
Where are the Broadview hangouts anyway? That 7-Eleven on 125th?
14 The Boss of You // Nov 2, 2008 at 8:11 am
Honestly, I think Phinney ends when Phinney turns into Greenwood near RedMill. I think Phinney thinks an awful lot of itself, but really all the fun places are in Greenwood.
15 Whopper // Nov 2, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I have to agree with Boss, only in Greenwood can you get a burger and a hit of meth at 7 am in broad daylight. How much more fun can a cracker ask for?
16 Paul M // Nov 2, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Yes Whopper, Greenwood has it’s share of problems, but it is an up & coming neighborhood. Lots of news businesses opening, more & more cool places to eat & drink. Be positive about the area because it sure as heck deserves it.
17 Whopper // Nov 3, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Paul, I always support gentrification! Good luck!
18 Noah // Nov 7, 2008 at 7:36 pm
From <a href=”http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=3526″HistoryLink.org:
“Seattle’s Phinney neighborhood lies mostly on a high ridge that rises from the western shore of Green Lake. It owes its name to Guy Phinney (1852-1893), a wealthy immigrant from Nova Scotia who developed a private estate that became Woodland Park (later Woodland Park Zoo). The neighborhood is largely a bedroom community that on the east spills off the spine of Phinney Ridge down to Green Lake’s shores, and on the west runs to the edge of Ballard at 8th Avenue NW. The ice age moraine runs north from N 50th Street and peters out somewhere south of N 80th Street, where Phinney and Greenwood community residents disagree over sovereign rights. Phinney residents also lay claim to Woodland Park Zoo and its four-footed residents, but this birthright is contested by the Wallingford and Green Lake neighborhoods.”
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