The property is located in the Magnolia neighborhood, about three and a half miles northwest of the Seattle CBD. The Magnolia neighborhood is a peninsula located west of the lowlying Interbay area along 15th Avenue West. It is bounded on the north by Salmon Bay, on the west and south by Puget Sound, and on the east by Interbay. The Interbay area separates Magnolia from Queen Anne Hill to the east, with railroad and commercial traffic concentrated along the low- lying corridor between Smith Cove on the south and Salmon Bay on the north. Most of Magnolia is residential with a suburban type atmosphere, and low- density single-family detached housing being dominant. Vacant land is scarce, and areas zoned for commercial use are mostly limited to a few major commercial arterials such as Wheeler Street, W McGraw Street, and 32nd Ave W where the subject properties are located.
Commercial zoning in Magnolia is limited to Magnolia Village, a small strip on 34th Avenue W between W Emerson Street and W Thurman Street, the intersection of W Jameson Street and 32nd Avenue W, and a small portion on W Dravus Street. There is a small section of commercial land on Thorndyke Avenue. There are also industrial and commercial-zoned areas adjacent to Salmon Bay and Interbay.