The North End is home to Mercer Island’s Town Center and a collection of dynamic and diverse neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are coveted for their quick and easy access to I-90 and proximity to the island’s downtown amenities.
What to Explore
There is so much to explore in Mercer Island’s Town Center that we created its own dedicated neighborhood guide. The North End is also the location of most of the island’s community gathering activities. During the summer, the Mercer Island Farmers Market bustles with activity on 77th Ave SE every Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm.
Parks & Recreation
Mercerdale Park, just to the south of Town Center, features the City’s annual Concerts in the Park series and Holiday Tree Lighting event.
The Mercer Island Community & Event Center, perched above Luther Burbank Park, is just that – a busy center of daily activities, classes, and programs, for all community members – babies to seniors – on Mercer Island.
Parks to explore include Luther Burbank Park, Mercerdale Park, First Hill Park, Aubrey Davis Park, also known as Park on the Lid. The “Lid” is a stretch of green space built on top of I-90 to protect the nearby neighborhoods from freeway disturbances.
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail travels through Aubrey Davis Park and offers fantastic views of the Seattle city skyline. Aubrey Davis Park is also Mercer Island’s most popular destination for watching the Blue Angels performance during Summer Celebration.
A Touch of History
We would be remiss not to include a few favorite and historic places on the North End, including the Roanoke Inn, the island’s favorite watering hole since 1914, and the VFW Hall, which is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, and continues to be a popular location for public and private events.
The red brick building at Luther Burbank Park, built in 1928, was formerly a dormitory for the Boys Parental School (later named Luther Burbank School), which operated in Luther Burbank Park until 1966. The building now houses City of Mercer Island administrative offices.
The Neighborhoods
The largest and most defined neighborhoods of Mercer Island’s North End include East Seattle, Mercerdale, First Hill, and Madrona Crest. Smaller waterfront neighborhoods line North Mercer Way, from Faben Point to Fruitland, and include shared waterfront communities, such as Sterling Cove and El Dorado Beach Club.
Many of these neighborhoods are rich in history, including East Seattle, Roanoke, and Lucas Hill, as they were home to the island’s first settlers and/or commercial businesses. Mercer Island’s SE 40th Street is an approximate marker for the southern-most boundary of the North End area.
Back to the Mercer Island Neighborhood Guide →
