Pine Hill - no place like home

Many neighborhoods in North Idaho can be touted as cozy and family-friendly. Still, when you’re covering neighborhood after neighborhood, week in and week out, they can be bleed together, especially if the area lacks a distinctive geographical feature.

The Pine Hill neighborhood in Coeur d’Alene, located just east of 15th Street at the end of Lunceford Lane is distinguishable for its unique lots. Many of the homes on West Pine Hill, East Pine Hill and Pine Hill Place have hillside backyards. With lots of pine trees. Get it?

For me, Pine Hill is also the place I called home for 18 years. I spent much of my childhood playing on that hill, even filming a “Blair Witch” parody film up there for a high school Spanish class. I’m sure the neighbors loved me.

Growing up, I learned every crack in the sidewalk, made enormous snow forts, and, yes, dodged a few fallen trees during the famed ice storm. For a kid, the short bicycle distance to important amenities made Pine Hill a convenient epicenter to adventure — whether it was cashing in Sprite bottle tops for more Sprite at the Circle K on 15th and Best Avenue, or heading another block up to PAWS Sports Cards, or, for a longer trip, a jaunt over to Videonics for a Sega Genesis rental.

School was pretty convenient too — assuming you’re fine with parents forcing an anxious pre-teen to walk to Canfield Middle School in 4 feet of snow and subzero temperatures. OK, so they drove me frequently, and the walk was only like 15 minutes, and in fairness to them, I was mouthy.

Today, the towering pine trees of the neighborhood continue to be its defining characteristic. The homes are a bit older but for the most part well maintained. And the wooded area we used to bike in along Thomas Lane is now a beautiful subdivision with newer homes.

Convenience remains a key attribute. Lunceford will take you to Costco in under five minutes by car, and a few minutes south on 15th Street will lead you to Coeur d’Alene’s least populated access to Interstate 90. In high school, I was sort of afraid of driving on the freeway, and even I thought it was easy getting on at 15th.

The 15th Street entrance to Interstate 90 is also just across the street from the popular Cherry Hill Park and sledding area. Keep driving south on 15th, and you’ll be downtown. Heading north on 15th provides a speedy “backway” to Dalton Gardens and Hayden. Don’t speed in Dalton Gardens though.

Pine Hill experienced decent activity last year, with a few homes on and off the market with prices all over the $200,000s. At the moment, only one home is listed — an attractive 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath with just over 1,800 square feet listed just under $270,000. No, I don’t know the owners, and I have no skin in the game.

More than anything, Pine Hill has that classic North Idaho feel only the more established neighborhoods in Coeur d’Alene have. Many lots in the area have decent-sized flat backyards in addition to the hill space. We had a pretty neat sandbox and a fort in our backyard. Just saying.

For more information on Pine Hill and real estate options in the area, contact your preferred agent.

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Let us know about standout neighborhoods and developments that we may feature in an upcoming Neighborhood of the Week. Contact Tyler Wilson at twilson@cdapress.com.

Real Estate Agents, take advantage of Neighborhood of the Week by sending in your suggestions for featured areas, including sites outside the normal confines of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden.