Blogs Seattle’s Lake Washington Waterfront – The Emerald Coast

My favorite blogs featuring Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast (Madison Park, Denny-Blaine and Madrona) are Madison Park Blogger and Seattle Waterfront Homes.

Madison Park Blogger is by Bryan Tagas. He posts articles about 10 times per month. From his 4/22/12 post: “Today marks the third anniversary of Madison Park Blogger. What began as something of a lark has morphed over time into a cross between a labor of love and a duty. My goal has been to provide Madison Park with a timely source of news and (very occasionally) commentary, about the things that impact this .9 square miles of lakeside turf that we are lucky enough to inhabit. I remain dedicated to that mission. . .” Bryan is a longtime Seattle corporate banker who is at heart a frustrated journalist. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and UW (where he served as editor of The Daily) and has been a Madison Park resident since 2002.

Seattle Waterfront Homes is by Sam DeBord. He posts articles about 15 times per month. From his 4/21/12 post: “Waterfront home sales in Seattle were up 57% from February to March, with the seasonal rise in sales being bolstered by an even stronger rise in home buyers’ confidence in the market. Eleven Seattle waterfront homes were sold last month, with the top prices reaching $1.5 million for a waterfront condo in Madison Park and $1.95 million for a waterfront home in Laurelhurst. . .” Sam is a Realtor and Managing Broker in the Northgate office of Coldwell Banker Danforth. He is a Puget Sound native, has a business degree from USC and has worked in the real estate industry, including technology/web development, for the majority of his life. He has been interviewed as an industry expert by such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Realtor Magazine, Money Magazine, and Seattle Homes and Lifestyles.

Seattle Neighborhoods Lake Washington Waterfront – The Emerald Coast

Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast neighborhoods are Madison Park, Harrison/Denny Blaine (commonly just “Denny-Blaine”) and Madrona. The Madison Park neighborhood includes all the Seattle LW waterfront from the SR-520 Bridge to what would be the extension east of Prospect St (the north edge of the Seattle Tennis Club, p25 LW 130 Homes). Denny-Blaine is to the immediate south and includes the waterfront to Howell Pl, just south of Denny Blaine Park, Viretta (Kurt Cobain) Park, and the McCaw mansion on p38 of LW 130 Homes. Madrona is the next waterfront to the south. It includes Rob Glaser’s 3 lots and 2 mansions through the last LW 130 Homes Seattle mansion, Peter Rose’s on p40. The Leschi neighborhood is to the immediate south of Madrona.

The Seattle City Government web site is the basis for these boundaries. Some real estate sites, Google and Wikipedia have different definitions of the neighborhoods and boundaries. For example, some list a “Washington Park” neighborhood but the City does not list any neighborhood by this name. Wikipedia and Google define, but each differently, Washington Park as a small 5 acre neighborhood in central Denny-Blaine, with no waterfront, adjacent to the south end of Broadmoor Golf Club and the Washington Park Arboretum. Some real estate listings have some Madison Park and Denny-Blaine waterfront homes listed as being in Washington Park. Neighborhoods apparently don’t have “official” boundaries because I am told, by residents and Realtors, the city officials are not “official.” Realtors, residents and neighborhood associations like to say their homes are in the neighborhoods that they think are the most prestigious. They may be right.

People who don’t live in the area often refer to the entire Emerald Coast area as Madison Park (as I do in the above map) because it is the best known and has a business district.

North Denny-Blaine Waterfront Mansions

Ackerley, Horowitz, Ragen, Keister, Chesnut, Moll et al.

$6.4 Million For Sale. The listing agents are Betsy Terry and Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Impeccable Olson Sundberg residence on the shores of Lake Washington in Washington Park. Glorious sunrises and moonrises from nearly every room through the numerous floor to ceiling windows. Tall ceilings, numerous art walls and niches, custom millwork throughout. Open concept floor plan and design for indoor/outdoor living. Level waterfront with terraces, level lawn, dock with boatlift, and professional landscaping. Expansive master suite with dual bath/closet and large balcony.” The property is owned by Juno Investments LLC whose agent is James Wishaar (Seattle Attorney) and member is Elizabeth Runde (President of Seattle based RB Hooper & Co, financial planners). The home is 4,000 sq ft on 0.15acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$6.8 Million For Sale. The listing agent is Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Glorious waterfront setting in Prime Washington Park location. Level parcel w/ outstanding views of Lake, Cascade Mountains, and Bellevue skyline. Original design by Harrison Overturf, complete 1999 remodel by Ralph Anderson. Floor to ceiling windows taking in the beautiful Lake vista. Gracious scale, open floor plan, front hall atrium. Private and expansive master bedroom suite, office, media room. Sound syst. 1999 dock w/ new boatlift. Fantastic opportunity to enjoy stunning Lake Washington!” The owner of the home is John Keister. He is a Co-Founder, with neighbor Russell Horowitz (page 31 and two paragraphs down), of Seattle based Marchex and Go2Net. He and Horowitz were top executives of the two companies and Bellevue based InfoSpace. The home is 4,101 sq ft on 0.17 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$9.6 Million Sale 12/28/09. This is the former home of Brooks Ragen (the seller) and the buyer is listed as an attorney acting as a trustee. This is one of Seattle’s fine old waterfront mansions, built in 1925, that has not been torn down for a modern home. Ragen co-founded Seattle-based Ragen Mackenzie Group, a full service brokerage firm. The firm grew to 300 employees with offices in Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska managing over $11 billion in assets when it was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2000. Nearly simultaneously Ragen left the firm and co-founded McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle and the firm is now one of the region’s largest brokerage firms. The house is on page 30 and is 4,020 sq ft on 0.6 acres with 153 feet of waterfront.

This mansion was purchased for $20.0 million in 2000 by Russell C. Horowitz. Russell is a Co-Founder (with neighbor John Keister, two paragraphs up) of Seattle-based Marchex and Go2Net. Horowitz was Chairman and CEO of both companies. Marchex is a search and performance advertising company with products that are used by more than 70,000 advertisers nationally. Go2Net is a provider of online services to merchants and consumers. Go2Net was acquired in 2000 by Bellevue-based InfoSpace. Horowitz oversaw the successful completion of the merger and was President of InfoSpace until 2001. The mansion is on page 31 and is 7,010 sq ft on 2.4 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$3.7 Million Sale 6/14/11. The mansion was listed for $5.0 million ($9.6 million in 2009) by Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark, “Idyllic waterfront home in prime neighborhood location. 1910 residence with gracious floor plan, elegant scale and classic detailing, such as covered terrace, french doors and windows, marble fireplaces, columns, cornice moldings, sconces and beamed ceilings. Gently sloping lawn to the waters edge and weeping willow tree. Dock with rare covered boat house and beach house with fireplace make for endless enjoyment of Lake Washington and all it has to offer.” The mansion was sold by Dr. Charles H. and Anna Chesnut to Alan McMillan. Dr. Chesnut is a prominent physician, specializing in nuclear medicine, metabolic bone disease and orthopedics with UW Medical Center. McMillan is VP of Engineering at International Telcom Ltd in Seattle. The mansion is on page 32 and is 7,990 sq ft on 0.4 acres with 63 feet of waterfront.

View From Dock

This is the former home of Barry and Ginger Ackerley. The mansion was purchased from the Ackerleys 6/11/2008 for $13.3 million by Dr. Frederic Hutchins Moll. The property was listed for sale for $15.0 Million in 2009 (Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark) and later taken off the market. The property was featured in a 4/15/12 Seattle Mansions post. Barry Ackerley (1935-2011) is a former owner of the NBA Seattle SuperSonics. He was the founder and former Chairman/CEO of The Ackerley Group. The Ackerley Group owned television and radio stations that were purchased by Clear Channel Communications in 2001.Dr. Moll graduated from Seattle’s Lakeside HS and UW Medical School. He was a surgeon at Virginia Mason in Seattle and became a noted Silicon Valley medical device entrepreneur. The mansion is on page 33 of LW 130 Homes and has 6,580 sq ft on 0.46 acres. It is a prime lot on a point with 146 feet of waterfront and two docks, a tennis court and swimming pool.
The tour of Seattle’s Emerald Coast waterfront mansions continues with south Denny-Blaine and Madrona posts.