'Best' of Cd'A is quintessential North Idaho
Picturesque mountains and glistening waterways are most often the subjects of North Idaho postcards. The images of nature we can take for granted are very much the envy of big cities and barren land residents elsewhere in the country.
Still, most Coeur d’Alene residents need to travel a little outside their neighborhoods and subdivisions to find these idyllic images.
Not so for the residents of Best Hill Ranch. It’s a regular street in a familiar part of town. A convenience store full of soda and potato chips is a short walk and stoplight away. But their backyards are the stuff of postcard-quality paradise.
Located on Best Avenue, just east of the 15th Street intersection, Best Hill Ranch consists of homes that run along the south side of the street. Best Hill Meadows, a subdivision accented with modern homes and the vibrant colors of falling autumn leaves, is located on the other side of the street. A highly desirable neighborhood with views of the largely untouched Best Hill, the Meadows can’t quite top the view seen by the Ranch residents. A narrow pond that runs along the entirety of the development is the only space separating Ranch’s backyards with the base of Best Hill.
Quintessential North Idaho, and still only a few hundred feet from a gas station.
Jill Satterly, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, lives in Best Hill Meadows, but previously called Best Hill Ranch home. She’s an obvious fan of the area, and said the homes on Best Hill Ranch rarely become available.
“It’s really waterfront property,” Satterly said. “There’s not many kids, mostly older residents or empty nesters, so it’s obviously pretty quiet.”
The presence of water and a lack of backyard neighbors makes the Ranch homes significantly more expensive than those in Best Hill Meadows. Satterly said homes in the Meadow are in the $250-300,000 range, whereas the Ranch homes run closer to $500,000.
Currently there are a few homes available in the Meadows. You’ll have to wait to get a view of Best Hill Ranch’s aquatic backside — as nothing is currently for sale, and it’s even pretty hard to get a peek at the pond from the street.
Best Hill Ranch is considered an upper middle class neighborhood, according to demographics website, FindTheHome.com, with average mortgage prices running between $1,500 and $2,000. The majority of homes are resident owned, and the highest percentage of residents are aged 45-64, according to the website.
Follow Best Avenue west, past the 15th Street stoplight and you’re just a couple minutes from Appleway’s varied amenities, including Davis Donuts, Panda Express and Subway before you even hit another stoplight. The 15th Street entrance to I-90 is only a few blocks south, as is the popular Cherry Hill Park featuring sledding, a disc golf course, playground, BMX track and dog park.
More affordable homes and rentals are available near Best Hill Ranch, including Creekside Meadows Apartments on 15th Street. They’ve got a nice view of Best Hill too.
While availability is currently limited in the neighborhood, Best Hill Ranch is a beautiful reminder of just how close Coeur d’Alene is to nature.
Let us know about more “secret paradises” that we may feature in an upcoming Neighborhood of the Week. Contact Tyler Wilson at twilson@cdapress.com.
And Realtors, take advantage of Neighborhood of the Week by sending in your suggestions for featured areas, including outside the normal confines of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden.