Eastlake and nearby

Eastlake or South Lake Union: Where to Rent Near SLU

South Lake Union is a good neighborhood if you want to live near work at Amazon, Fred Hutch or UW Medicine, in a newer building close to Lake Union Park and the streetcar. Eastlake, next door on the lake's east shore, is mainly residential, with houseboats, older and new apartments and a bus to SLU that runs around the clock.

By Eastlake RE Partners Updated 9 min read

View from Eastlake toward Lake Union and the downtown Seattle skyline

South Lake Union and Eastlake meet near Mercer Street at the south end of Lake Union. SLU is a job center that has grown fast since Amazon chose it for its Seattle operations, and living there puts many renters within walking distance of work. Eastlake is a long, narrow strip between the lake and I-5, mainly residential, with its own small main street and a bus to SLU that runs around the clock. Choose SLU to walk to work, and look at Eastlake if you would rather come home to houseboats and street-end parks a short ride away.

Is South Lake Union a good neighborhood?

For many renters, yes, particularly people who work there. In 2007, Amazon announced it was consolidating its Seattle operations in South Lake Union, which set off a long growth spurt, according to HistoryLink. Fred Hutch’s main campus is at 1100 Fairview Ave N, and UW Medicine has a research complex in the neighborhood. Living in SLU can mean walking to work, with Lake Union Park at the water’s edge and the streetcar to downtown.

It is also still being built. When the City Council rezoned SLU in 2013, it said the neighborhood would have to absorb some 12,000 households and 22,000 jobs by 2031, so construction on nearby blocks is likely to continue. Much of its housing is in newer buildings, which in City data have rented for more than older ones.

On safety, both SLU and Eastlake are served by the Seattle Police Department’s West Precinct. For any block you are considering, look at a full year on SPD’s Crime Dashboard, compare it with a neighborhood you know, and walk the route from the bus stop at night.

What is South Lake Union known for?

Today it is known as the home of Amazon’s Seattle operations and of research institutions such as Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. A century ago this was the Cascade neighborhood, which HistoryLink’s thumbnail history calls one of the first industrial and transportation parts of the city, with large laundries, machine shops and auto dealerships. Homes kept disappearing from the area through the 1950s, and in 1957 it was rezoned for manufacturing. A plan to redevelop it as the Seattle Commons was rejected in 1995 and 1996, and by 2001 Paul Allen’s Vulcan had quietly accumulated 50 acres there. The City designated SLU an urban center in 2004 and rezoned it for growth in 2013.

Visitors know it for Lake Union Park, home to the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) and the Center for Wooden Boats, and for the South Lake Union Streetcar. Open since 2007, the streetcar runs 1.3 miles from Fairview Avenue and Campus Drive, the stop SDOT lists for Fred Hutch, to Westlake Hub at McGraw Square downtown. Seaplanes are part of the scene too: Kenmore Air flies from its Lake Union terminal at 950 Westlake Ave N.

What is Eastlake like?

Eastlake runs up the east shore of Lake Union from the Mercer Street area to the University Bridge, with I-5 along its eastern edge. The Eastlake Community Council, founded in 1971, describes it as a Lake Union neighborhood with “a strong residential core.” Floating homes line the shore, small street-end parks reach the water, and Eastlake Avenue E is the main street, with the bus line, cafes and offices. Our guide to living in Eastlake covers it in detail.

What kind of apartments are in each neighborhood?

Housing in SLU dwindled as industry took over in the last century, and the 2004 and 2013 zoning decisions were made to bring thousands of households back. As a result, many of the apartments you will tour there are in recent mid-rise and high-rise buildings. Expect shared amenities and, often, compact floor plans: RentCafe’s 2026 analysis found that Seattle apartments completed from 2016 through 2025 average 645 square feet.

Eastlake has a wider mix: older apartment buildings, some of them renovated, newer buildings, houses and floating homes. If you are weighing an older building against a new one, our renovated or new construction guide lists what to ask on each tour.

Which is quieter, Eastlake or South Lake Union?

It depends on the block more than the neighborhood. In Eastlake, I-5 runs along the east side, and Eastlake Avenue E carries the bus and is being rebuilt for the RapidRide J Line, with construction more than halfway done in September 2026. In SLU, construction is likely to continue as the neighborhood grows toward the City’s 2031 targets. Both neighborhoods face the same lake, so you may hear seaplanes from either one. Visit at rush hour and again late in the evening, with a window open.

Where do you buy groceries and eat?

In Eastlake, the council’s business directory lists one grocery, Pete’s Supermarket & Wine Shop, for everyday basics. For restaurants, see our guide to where to eat in Eastlake.

In SLU, SDOT describes the streetcar route as full of shops and restaurants. For a full-size supermarket, the Whole Foods Market at 2210 Westlake Ave is on Westlake Avenue, which the streetcar runs along. It is also within reach from Eastlake: about 2.1 miles from Rogers Playground, or roughly 15 minutes by bike on OpenStreetMap’s estimate.

Which has better parks and lake access?

SLU has the bigger single park. Lake Union Park, at 860 Terry Ave N, covers 12 acres and opened in 2010 with walking trails, waterfront steps, a pedestrian bridge, a model boat pond and a lawn, per HistoryLink. Seattle Parks lists a hand-carry boat launch and a spray park. Nearby, Denny Park, at 100 Dexter Ave N, is the City’s oldest park, created in 1883, with a small off-leash area and a play area, and Cascade Playground, at 333 Pontius Ave N, has two play areas, a field and a P-Patch next door.

Eastlake’s green space comes in smaller pieces spread along the shore: shoreline street ends with water access, a hand-carry launch at Fairview Park, fields and tennis courts at Rogers Playground, and trails and an off-leash area under the freeway at the I-5 Colonnade. If you paddle, see our guide to kayaking Lake Union. The Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop connects the two neighborhoods along the water.

How do you get between Eastlake and South Lake Union?

By bus, the main link is King County Metro Route 70 on Eastlake Avenue. Its current timetable, in effect through March 26, 2027, runs trips through the night and about every 10 minutes at weekday rush hours. It schedules 11 to 20 minutes from the UW’s Campus Parkway to Fairview Ave N and Thomas St in SLU, and every Eastlake stop falls in between. Downtown’s 3rd Ave and Union St stop is another 6 to 13 minutes. The RapidRide J Line replaces Route 70 when it opens, anticipated in fall 2027, with a station at Fred Hutch on Fairview Ave N.

The streetcar stays within SLU and downtown; from Eastlake you can walk to its northern stop at Fairview and Campus Drive (see the table below). It runs 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, every 12 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and every 15 minutes otherwise, and every 15 minutes on weekends: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Eastlake is long and narrow, so walking times depend on which end you start from. These are OpenStreetMap route estimates, which assume a steady pace and don’t count hills or waits at signals:

From To Distance Walk Bike
Rogers Playground, 2516 Eastlake Ave E Fred Hutch, 1100 Fairview Ave N 1.2 miles 26 min 10 min
Rogers Playground Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave N 1.6 miles 35 min 14 min
Fairview Park, 2900 Fairview Ave E Fred Hutch 1.5 miles 33 min 11 min
Fairview Park Lake Union Park 1.9 miles 41 min 15 min

For bikes, the J Line project adds protected bike lanes on Eastlake Ave E, and on the west side of the lake the Westlake protected bike lane runs 1.2 miles between the Fremont Bridge and South Lake Union.

Who should rent in SLU, and who in Eastlake?

SLU makes the most sense if you work there and want to walk to the office or lab, or if you want a newer building with shared amenities and the streetcar outside the door. Ongoing construction is the main thing to weigh against that.

Eastlake makes sense if you work in SLU, at the UW or downtown and are happy with a short bus or bike ride, and if you would like the lake and houseboats close by or a choice between older and newer buildings. It is harder if you need a car and easy street parking, since Eastlake is Restricted Parking Zone 8, and blocks on the east side sit close to I-5.

Renting in Eastlake, next door to SLU

We own two buildings in Eastlake, both leasing now.

Flow Eastlake, at 3150 Fairview Ave E, is new construction across the street from Lake Union, with direct beach access and free kayak and paddleboard storage. It has studio, one-bedroom, open one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes, a rooftop terrace, a fitness center, controlled-access garage parking and some MFTE income-qualified homes. The project built a public stair climb connecting Fairview Ave E with Eastlake Ave E, where Route 70 runs. OpenStreetMap estimates about 38 minutes on foot from Flow to Fred Hutch.

Lyla Eastlake, at 2600 Eastlake Ave E, is a 1961 building fully renovated in 2021, pet friendly, with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes. It sits on Eastlake Avenue with buses toward South Lake Union, downtown and the UW, and is about a 26-minute walk from Fred Hutch.

Compare both on our Eastlake apartments page; for citywide rents, see Seattle rent prices.

Quick answers

Is South Lake Union a good neighborhood in Seattle?

For many renters, yes, especially people who work there. It has Amazon, Fred Hutch and UW Medicine's research campus, newer apartment buildings, Lake Union Park and a streetcar to downtown. It is still growing, so expect construction nearby, and check the Seattle Police Department's crime dashboard for any block you consider.

What is South Lake Union known for?

Amazon's Seattle operations, medical research at Fred Hutch and UW Medicine, the 12-acre Lake Union Park with the Museum of History & Industry, and the South Lake Union Streetcar. Its older name is Cascade, which HistoryLink describes as one of the city's first industrial and transportation districts.

Is Eastlake a good neighborhood in Seattle?

It suits renters who want a mainly residential neighborhood on Lake Union close to South Lake Union and the University of Washington. Route 70 runs on Eastlake Avenue around the clock, and the shore has houseboats and small street-end parks. I-5 runs along its east side, so visit at night if traffic noise matters to you.

How close is Eastlake to downtown Seattle?

Close. Eastlake sits just north of South Lake Union, and on Route 70 the timetable puts the full run from the UW's Campus Parkway to 3rd Avenue and Union Street downtown at 19 to 33 minutes, with every Eastlake stop in between.

How do you get from Eastlake to South Lake Union?

Route 70 on Eastlake Avenue is the direct bus, and it runs around the clock. On foot, OpenStreetMap estimates about 26 minutes from Rogers Playground on Eastlake Avenue to Fred Hutch, which SDOT lists at the streetcar's northern stop.

Sources

All accessed 2026-11-09.

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