Property Watch: Macklemore's Fictional Houseboat Has a Real Walk-In Closet
Image: Courtesy of Seattle Afloat
This houseboat, just northeast of Gas Works Park, stands out from the pack for its clever small-space solutions and its claim to music video fame. The minuscule home has a classic houseboat design, with a bowed roof and plentiful exposed-grain wood slat walls—but despite being just 240 square feet, it manages to squeeze in a clever walk-in closet.
Macklemore fans may recognize this little boat from the music video for “Next Year,” co-directed by longtime collaborator Ryan Lewis. It’s where the story starts, with a fictionalized Macklemore waking up in a bed shared with a family of four. Everybody gets ready to start their day in its tiny living room. Exterior shots show the cute, wee boat, dwarfed by the yacht of the video’s villain next door. (Don’t worry, it’s gone now!)
Image: Courtesy of Seattle Afloat
A subsequent remodel knocked out an interior wall to open up the bedroom to the rest of the home. Assorted updates have made the place more livable, like the larger refrigerator with locking handles that replaced a mini-fridge. The kitchen counter now forms a small L shape, reclaiming the counter space lost in the fridge upgrade. A stowable desk folds down from one of the front windows.
Image: Courtesy of Seattle Afloat
The most exciting change is under the slightly lofted bed. It lifts up, like the lid of a trunk to reveal a step-down walk-in closet beneath. Sure, it has a very low ceiling, but it’s far more than you could typically ask for on a boat this size. The sleeping area also has a shallower closet behind a curtain and a small built-in cabinet with fabric drawers. An all-in-one washer-dryer wedges next to the bed, right under an air conditioner.
Image: Courtesy of Seattle Afloat
The dock-facing deck has another sweet addition: a built-in wooden bench along the railing in one corner. The seating area leaves plenty of room for containers, more seating, yoga mats, or whatever you want to do with your outdoor space. Another, smaller deck would be perfect for tying up a kayak or paddleboard, which you can hop onto from the dock. Both decks are half a level above the living space, which makes access to the roof extremely easy. Just because it’s not flat doesn’t mean you can’t hang out up there and watch the waves—or the Gas Works fireworks.
Image: Courtesy of Seattle Afloat
Listing Fast Facts
2401 N Northlake Way, Slip E8
Size: 240 square feet, 0 bedroom/1 bath
List Date: 5/12/2023
List Price: $325,000 (slip rent is $640 with a $250 liveaboard fee)
Listing Agents: Courtney Cooper Neese, Seattle Afloat
