- When View Ridge was developed for homes, there was a ridge, but no views. Lake Washington was nearby, but you couldn’t see it for the trees. During the Great Depression, two veterans of radio broadcasting changed that. With $25 down, they started clearing land and grading streets. By masterfully managing publicity, partners Al Balch (1903-1976) and Ralph Jones (1903-1996) outpaced better financed projects nearby. View Ridge became a neighborhood in northeast Seattle just west of Sand Point.