By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

If Madison Park has a fault it may be its lack of ethnic diversity. While the rest of the city has taken on a world of color and cultures, it remains an island of whites.

The 1990 census found it was 95 percent white, compared with a citywide average of 75 percent. Less than 2 percent of Madison Park was Asian, a startling low figure compared with a 12 percent citywide average.

A closer look at the ancestry of the Madison Park residents reveals that more than 40 percent were of English, German or Irish descent.

The census also shows Madison Park residents earn more, are better educated and have more expensive homes than the average city dweller. The median family income in Seattle was $40,000, less than half of the $83,000 reported by Madison Park families.

The price of homes in Madison Park also has a big influence on who can afford to move there. In 1990, 385 homes in the neighborhood were valued at $500,000 or more.

Today, even bungalows are beyond the grasp of many families. They typically sell in the $325,000-$350,000 range, with a family home in Washington Park priced at $650,000 to $700,000, says Viereck, a former owner of Madison House Ltd. Real Estate.

Madison Park's exclusive nature is also reflected in the membership fees charged by Seattle Tennis Club and Broadmoor Golf Club.

It costs $18,000 to join the tennis club, if you can get in: It has an eight-year waiting list, says General Manager Silja Griffin.

Prospective members are screened to determine if they are "compatible socially." The goal is to have a membership based on friendship, rather than business dealings, says President Ruth Ingham.

The club, which dates to about 1890, has long been the place for local families to play tennis, swim, socialize and dine in a graciously appointed dining room overlooking about eight acres of gently sloping waterfront.

Though it is immaculately cared for, the club is planning a $7.8 million facelift this fall.

Broadmoor Golf Club's memberships have sold for as high as $125,000. They now go for about $100,000, depending on membership levels at comparable clubs.

Bungalows around the 18-hole golf course, which has a long history of hosting national amateur events, sell in the $500,000 range. Bigger family homes with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms can top $1 million, says Viereck.

Madison Park is also a place where appearances count. It has nine hair salons -- all of which are said to be busy, often doing weekly "comb-outs" for women, says a longtime hair stylist.

Though certainly not everyone who lives in Madison Park drives pricey cars such as Range Rovers or Jaguars, there are a lot of them on the street. Pickup trucks are relegated to deliveries or hauling garden equipment.

Continued:

• 'A village within the city'
• Well-educated populace involved in schools and community
• Events and hangouts help bind a tight-knit community