 Shoreline, like the entire Seattle area, is having a snow day. Well, two snow days. For the second day in a row schools have closed, and even as I type snow is continuing to fall. Yesterday when I visited Helen in her restaurant Toyoda's (I'll blog on that too!) she told me that a White Christmas is predicted. Great! When I went up to Top Market to pick up some eggs (and some eggnog!) and take a look around, traffic was out and about, but reduced, and  everyone was going much slower than usual. We are not used to much snow in Seattle so it is not usual for people to be very prepared. I hear that  the Home Depot guy told my friend who went in for De-Icer (sp??) that he was about the 100th person who'd asked for it...this was last night before the even heavier snow fall that was happening today. No more De Icer, we were told!  I took my dog Yuki for a walk this morning in Richmond Beach and checked out the scenary. I saw kids playing in the snow at the playground and park at Richmond Beach Library (which is closed due to the weather). Every little fence looks sweet and each leaf is covered with it's own little frosting. There is poetry in the details everywhere you look. Let's face it, it might be harder to drive, but everything has turned magic under the winter white!  A day like this, just taking a walk makes life worth living. And everyone was experiencing the snow in their own way. People were out clearing off their paths or walking their dogs, and sledding down any convenient slope (hey, everything is covered, it really is a winter playground out there!) on a sled, huge tupperware lid, or a snowboard! We might manage a respectable snowman by evening... All I know is that even though my toes got cold, my heart is warmer for that walk through our  snow blanketed neighborhood seeing everyone out there saying hello to each other and playing like snow only comes once a year! (and really, you know, it usually comes four or five times...)
 Labels: Richmond Beach, Seattle snow, Shoreline, Shoreline snow
I see Richmond Beach as one of those "hidden" communities; not a lot of people, even locals, seem to know about it. It's crazy because in my opinion it has one of the best waterfront parks the Seattle Area has to offer, and the community itself is so calm and has a very peaceful feel to it.  Richmond Beach is located in the northernmost part of Shoreline, right on the Sound and bordering Woodway and Edmonds. From Aurora Avenue it is most easily accessed by 185th Street (which turns into Richmond Beach Road), heading West for about 5 minutes. The foresty road that winds down to the community eventually exposes a gorgeous view of the Sound ahead...the sunsets that can be seen are to die for!  As far as day-to-day living goes, RB has everything you need within the community...a good sized shopping strip can be found on Richmond Beach Road which includes a QFC, a large hardware store, banks, two gas stations, a Chinese restaurant and other little stores...and you can't forget the Starbucks! There are also a couple of little drive-thru coffee stands as well if you're on the wrong side of the road.  In the second shopping strip further down the road you'll find a great Thai restaurant, a small spa, a laundromat and a little mini mart, and across the street you'll find  a bowling alley/grill (great for Family Night) and next to it an adorable drive-thru neighborhood cafe surrounded by Palm trees, owned by two Seattlites who discovered their love for coffee in Italy and Spain and purchased the business when they saw it was for sale. You can drop in for a cup of coffee and a pastry, but the place also serves wine for those in the mood...they also have great hot sandwiches!  On the opposite corner of where you would turn to get to the beach is the famous "Little Store" where locals sit and chat or grab a bite to eat...it's mostly a convinience store but they do have sandwiches and little food bits for those in a hurry. The place is great especially during the summer when you're down at the beach and need a little something, whether it be a bottle of water, juice, snacks, etc. The park itself is currently undergoing some construction but the trail on the bluff is still available to the joggers and dog walkers of the community. Views of the Sound can be enjoyed from this trail, making a walk or a jog extra special. When not under construction, you can drive down to the parking lot a level below and walk over a bridge that overpasses the railroad and down to the beach. Watching the trains go by is always a treat for kids! Here are some pictures of the beach I took today:      Richmond Beach is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Shoreline, and you can see it in the homes. People have torn older houses down to build new homes, however for the most part you'll find homes that are as old as the 1900's and many of them in the '50s and '60s. Real estate prices here in the current market start at around $350,000 for a pretty modest home (although I've seen some crazy short sale deals as well), and condos are also available from under $200,000. Many homes have views of the Sound, and massive waterfront estates can be found on and around Richmond Beach Drive. The current most expensive property in the area is listed at just over $2 million, a gorgeous waterfront estate just shy of 5,000 square feet.  Amy Kizaki Buyer's Agent 206.384.7169 Labels: real estate, Richmond Beach, Shoreline
I can report three gorgeous sunny days in a row and everyone saying winter has turned the corner...I even drove down to Richmond Beach yesterday after a showing and just sat on a driftwood log for an hour staring at the waves and watching people walking, running with their dogs, building things with driftwood and stones, and of course taking pictures of each other doing it...since it is Puget Sound, and not really the Pacific, the breakers don't get as big as they do out around the actual ocean shores, but it is still the Pacific Northwest. That means when you are staring out where the sun is going down over the water, you know that past the snowcapped Olympics standing up seemingly out of the waves to the west, is nothing for a very long time, and then ... the Far East. It really does feel like the edge of the world. Also, regrettably I am now 5 pounds fatter than I hoped to be going into spring, which is the fault of my daughter who gave me a huge box of the loveliest truffles I've ever had for Valentine's Day! (Thank you, dear Mia!) In Seattle when this happens, the traditional thing is to call up all your friends and make numerous dates to walk around Green Lake, both catching up with all the important people in your life and shedding the five pounds in a couple of weeks. As long as I stay away from the truffles. Edy Kizaki, Realtor Labels: Green Lake, Olympics, Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound, Richmond Beach
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Shoreline, like the entire Seattle area, is having a snow day. Well, two snow days. For the second day in a row schools have closed, and even as I type snow is continuing to fall. Yesterday when I visited Helen in her restaurant Toyoda's (I'll blog on that too!) she told me that a White Christmas is predicted. Great! 
everyone was going much slower than usual. We are not used to much snow in Seattle so it is not usual for people to be very prepared. I hear that 
the Home Depot guy told my friend who went in for De-Icer (sp??) that he was about the 100th person who'd asked for it...this was last night before the even heavier snow fall that was happening today. No more De Icer, we were told!
I took my dog Yuki for a walk this morning in Richmond Beach and checked out the scenary. I saw kids playing in the snow at the playground and park at Richmond Beach Library (which is closed due to the weather). Every little fence looks sweet and each leaf is covered with it's own little frosting. There is poetry in the details everywhere you look.
A day like this, just taking a walk makes life worth living. And everyone was experiencing the snow in their own way.
snow blanketed neighborhood seeing everyone out there saying hello to each other and playing like snow only comes once a year! (and really, you know, it usually comes four or five times...)
