“Inside Bellevue”, the Bellevue neighborhood spotlight series, is a unique collaboration between The Brazen’s at Windermere Real Estate/Bellevue Commons and Downtown Bellevue Network. Drawing upon their over 30 years of experience living, working, and selling homes in Bellevue, the esteemed Brazen family provides an exclusive insider’s perspective on living in Bellevue and the real estate market.
We are delving into the Bellevue neighborhood of Clyde Hill. With a population of about 3,000 residents and 1,100 households, Clyde Hill’s elevated terrain, with its apex at 375 feet, provides a stunning vantage point with many western-facing homes boasting amazing views of Lake Washington, Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and the Seattle skyline.
With the addition of numerous office towers in recent years, many east-facing homes now have added views of the dazzling Bellevue skyline. It is conveniently located two miles east of the city of Seattle and is bordered by the towns of Bellevue, Kirkland, Medina, Yarrow Point, and Hunts Point. Consistently ranked at the top of “Best Places to Live in Washington”, the median home value rose in 2023 to $3,743,000.
Real Estate by the Numbers
| Average Price of Home Sold* | Average Price Per Sq Ft* | Average Days on the Market* | Number of Homes Sold in the Last 12 Months | Highest Priced Home Sold in the Last 12 Months | Lowest Priced Home Sold in the Last 12 Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4,415,403.00 | $1,128.90 | 48 | 52 | $12,100,000.00 | $1,650,000.00 |
** NWMLS Data from December 1, 2022 – November 30, 2023
Clyde Hill Amenities
The vibrant neighborhood is home to many public and private educational institutions, including the recently rebuilt Clyde Hill Elementary, and Chinook Middle School, as well as Bellevue Christian High School, and Sacred Heart Elementary. Positioned along 98th Avenue NE and NE 14th Street, these schools form an educational hub within the area.
Clyde Hill’s civic center, encompassing City Hall, the Police Station, and a Bellevue Fire Station, is conveniently located on NE 24th Street, offering essential services to residents. Notably, the Department extends its services to neighboring Yarrow Point, fostering a sense of community security.
The city boasts two recreational spaces, Clyde Hill City Park and View Park. Clyde Hill City Park, accessible through multiple routes including 95th Place NE and 96th Avenue NE or via Clyde Hill Elementary School, is a family-friendly social spot where most weekends you’ll find kids of all ages playing softball or soccer.
Located just minutes away from Downtown Bellevue and its world-class shopping and diverse dining experiences, the neighborhood also offers a seamless commute to the business district, home to many of the most successful tech companies in the world. You can leave your home and be downtown without getting on a freeway.
The added convenience of being near the SR 520 floating bridge simplifies travel to and from Seattle, giving quick access for residents to the Mariner, Seahawk, and Kracken Stadiums, as well as multiple theaters, museums, and the University of Washington. Additionally, Clyde Hill’s green landscape, filled with evergreens and abundant northwest plant life was voted one of the ‘Tree Cities of the US’ in 2018.
History of the Clyde Hill Neighborhood
The story of Clyde Hill began back in 1882, with Patrick Downey, an Irish immigrant who claimed 160 acres of land on the southern slope of the area, marking the first settlement in what we now know as Clyde Hill. His homestead spanned from NE 8th Street to 92nd Avenue NE on the west, NE 16th Street on the north, and 100th Avenue NE on the east.
The neighborhood’s name traces back to the renaming of 92nd Ave NE, previously called “Clyde Road” by Sam Body, a migrant from Scotland’s “Firth of Clyde” region. Recognizing its prominence as a main road and its obvious hilly terrain, Ken Day proposed the name “Clyde Hill” in 1947, a moniker that stuck.
Six years later, on March 31, 1953, Clyde Hill officially became an incorporated town with 971 residents and 271 homes, with Ken Day assuming the inaugural mayoral position. Fast forward to November 10, 1998, when the Council voted to restructure Clyde Hill as a non-charter Code City, marking another milestone in its governance and development.
Style of Homes in Clyde Hill
Clyde Hill’s unique minimum lot size requirement of 20,000 square feet, presents a diverse collection of housing opportunities with many residents building large new multi-generational homes. Among the 1,100 households, many have transformed, making way for new architectural designs that define the neighborhood’s evolving skyline. Contemporary homes increasingly shape the landscape, yet within neighborhoods like Vuecrest and Mercía, pockets of Clyde Hill’s retro charm persist amidst the grandeur of mega-mansions.
The city’s assessed value in 2023 stands at $4,681,285,343.00 a testament to the affluence and investment within this vibrant community.
Additional Facts about Clyde Hill
Clyde Hill’s zoning predominantly caters to single-family dwellings, aside from two commercial zones housing a gas station and the Queen Bee Cafe.
Occupying a compact area of about one square mile and 632 acres, there are approximately 21 miles of public roadways. Notably, in 2014, ‘Business Insider’ bestowed upon Clyde Hill the distinction of being the most affluent town in Washington State, further cementing its reputation as a hub of prosperity and distinction within the region.
