Folks of all stripes call it home

By DON CARTER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Broadview is economically stratified in three vertical strips. The least expensive houses and rentals, and many of the low-income senior units, are in the strip between Aurora and Greenwood avenues.

Homes between Greenwood and Third Avenue Northwest tend to be modest, but nicely kept in an upper-middle-income sort of way.

People who live east of Third joke about someday being able to "move across Third" in the same way people in other neighborhoods might joke about having a ship come in or winning the lottery. Most of Broadview's expensive homes are between Third Avenue and Puget Sound, and have the famous views that gave the district its name.

"People with views tend to be Republicans," jokes Dwight Gowdey, a lifelong Democrat who moved to the area in 1952 and has a stunning view home. Gowdey, a retired civil engineer, says he and his wife were attracted by the view down over Carkeek Park, "so it seems like you're in the country."

He also describes his Republican neighbors as "great people."

Gowdey, who over the years has held many Democratic Party offices, says he's proud "that the people of this district are pretty accepting of diversity."

Broadview is part of the state's 32nd District, which in recent years has tended to elect women Democratic legislators who are pro-choice, and has rejected male Republicans who oppose abortion.

Geographically, Broadview is about as far away from Seattle City Hall as you can get and still be in the city. Some residents complain that Broadview also is politically removed from City Hall, which residents say has ignored or even sabotaged the district's interests over the years.

"I think the key thing is we're nice people," says Gloria Butts, a community activist and historian. "When you're nice people it's kind of hard to be vocal down at City Hall." (See related story.)

Although most Broadview residents are enthusiastic about their neighborhood, they are quick to point out some problems.

In addition to lacking sidewalks and good drainage in many areas, speeding commuters using less-crowded residential streets as an alternative to clogged arterials worries many.

The city's growth management plan, which includes an "urban hub" with higher density near 130th and Aurora, also is a worry. "If the city can't handle the sewage now, what happens when they put a lot more people here?" one woman says.

Others lament that the neighborhood has no central area, no focal point. "It's a great place to walk, but there's no where to walk to," one resident says.

McVeety, the new community council president, says she's also concerned that there's no single place where Broadview residents can gather. Her priorities for 1998 include a Web site so residents can gather electronically, and starting an all-community event, possibly a barbecue, to help give people more of a sense of neighborhood identity.

Continued:

• Quiet life is a nice change from area's frolicking past
• People lucky enough to live here count their blessings