Editor: What streets and geography define Maple Leaf?

 

I want to start with a simple question, one I think will explain my actions later on. 

Do you care about the weather in Bellingham, when you don't live there?

Now, I'm not asking "... are you going to Bellingham?" nor am I insinuating you don't have family in Bellingham. But, I'm asking if you care about the weather in Bellingham, when you don't live there? 

No? Ok.

Well, neither do we - unless we are visiting Bellingham. But, we do care about the weather where live. And, what the firetruck was doing, driving up the road. And, why was that Seattle PD vehicle driving so quickly? Or, what's with all the road construction. Yep, these are things that matter to me. And I'm sure these do too, along with other relevant subjects. 

But, what if that firetruck was just passing through, on its way to the Wedgewood neighborhood, or that SPD cruiser was racing to the Greenlake neighborhood, is it relevant to you? Maybe? Maybe not? Again, for us, that sort of information might be helpful, but mostly because of an inability to resist the urge to be curious. 

But, we started to think to ourselves, what defines a neighborhood or more to the point, what is the definition of Maple Leaf? 

Now, before you post your comments about sidewalks, green spaces, childcare, or hospitality that supports families, I'm asking a specific question. 

What is the definition of Maple Leaf by geographical boundaries? 

Some of you might say, it's as far north as Northgate Way and as far south as NE 75th Street. Or that it's nestled between I-5 and Lake City Way/522. Others might simply refer to the Maple Leaf Community Council's definition, according to the City of Seattle bylaws. Or, maybe you prefer the City of Seattle's definitions found in historical records or interactive maps. How about seeing what commercial websites like Yelp, Uber Eats, or Nextdoor think? 

As you can see, there are countless ways to define what Maple Leaf can be by boundaries, and per the City of Seattle, there really isn't a clear definition of boundaries. 

So, I thought to myself, why not come up with my definition, but one created by adjacent neighborhoods? And that's what I did. 

Full disclosure, we reached out to several nearby neighborhood community councils or associations to see what their bylaws are associated with boundaries. 

Some responded, while others haven't responded yet, but have the information on their respective organizational websites. 

TLDR; (too long didn't read, if you know you)

Maple Leaf, when taking into account other nearby neighborhood council/association bylaws, is composed of the following directions. 

1. From Banner Way NE, head north on I-5 until you get to exit 173. 
2. At the light, turn right heading south along 1st Avenue until you get to 103rd Street, turning left, following this until you get to 5th Avenue NE, turning right and heading north on 5th Avenue NE you'll eventually come to NE Northgate Way. 
3. Turning right and heading east on NE Northgate Way, drive until you come to Roosevelt Way NE, turning right to head south. 
4. Heading south along Roosevelt Way NE, keep driving until you come to NE 104th Street and turn left. 
5. Heading east, keep on NE 104th Street until you come up to 15th Avenue NE, before turning right and heading south again. 
6. A few blocks down, at NE 98th Street, turn left and head east until you come to Lake City Way NE, and turn right onto Lake City Way NE. 
7. Heading south by southwest, keep along Lake City Way NE until you arrive at fork, just past NE 78th Street, taking the right fork (the one that leads away from I-5) and continue until you come to NE 75th Street. 
8. Turning right onto NE 75th Street, heading west and northwest, keep going until you come to the corner of Banner Way NE and NE 80th Street. 

Congratulations, you've traveled the boundaries of the Maple Leaf Neighborhood. 

Now, these directions can really start anywhere, if you know all these streets, but these instructions are based on input from: 

• Licton Springs
• Meadowbrook
• Northgate
• Pinehurst
• Ravenna
• Roosevellt
• Victory Heights
• Wedgewood

In fact, we created a crude trace of the neighborhoods that surround the Maple Leaf neighborhood, coupled with the MLCC's bylaw definitions. 

Right about now, you're probably wondering why I went to the trouble of defining boundaries, when we are neighbors and should be a community. It's simple really, local relevancy. 

Remember when I asked if you cared about the weather in Bellingham? 

Neither do I. 

But, what I do care about is providing coverage and awareness of businesses that are literally within walking distance of me, because I live in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. I'm interested in what places of worship there are, or where can someone find daycare, a K-12, K-6, or middle school, or high school, for their kids. How about a breakdown of crimes in the area? How about someone's yard sale or when the next Ice Cream Social is. 

These are all examples of things that, mostly, you can walk to from your doorstep to the entrance, without having to get in your car. These are examples of your neighbors affected by crime. Which is why I wanted to establish boundaries related to what Maple Leaf means to me. 

Does that mean I'm not interested in nearby businesses in places like Wedgewood, Roosevelt, Ravenna, or Meadowbrook? Not a chance. But, I'll probably make them a lower priority over a walkable business like Cafe Javasti, Ace Hardware, or Kona Kitchen. 

And that's pretty much it.

Agree or disagree? 

Let MapleLeaf4Life know in the comments or contact us directly.