Seaview's housing stock reflects its origins as an 1880s summer resort for Portland families. The community is known for turn-of-the-century Victorian homes and vintage cottages that survive from the original developer's plans, set back from the beach along tree-lined lanes. Many properties function as vacation or second homes, and the small commercial strip offers cottage-style inns and short-term lodging rather than large hotels. Newer construction is limited and generally blends with the modest, single-family scale of the original plat. Buyers here are typically drawn to beach proximity and historic character rather than master-planned subdivision living.

Seaview is a compact, walkable community rather than a collection of named subdivisions. The historic core runs along the streets nearest the ocean, where the oldest Victorian homes and cottage courts are concentrated, while the eastern edge of the community gives way to residential lots and woodland nearer State Route 103. Neighboring Long Beach to the north provides the peninsula's commercial center, and Ilwaco to the south anchors the fishing and boating side of the peninsula. Because Seaview is unincorporated, there are no HOA-style amenities; the beach, the state park, and the neighboring towns serve as the community's shared spaces.

Life in Seaview revolves around the coast. The Long Beach Peninsula's broad beaches draw walkers, kite fliers, and clammers, and the World Kite Museum in Long Beach reflects a well-established regional pastime. Cape Disappointment State Park offers lighthouse visits, forest trails, and dramatic headland views, while Ilwaco's harbor supports a working fishing fleet and charter boats. Seaview's own dining and lodging scene is low-key and cottage-scale. The community is noticeably quieter than Long Beach, appealing to people who want the Pacific beach experience with more space and less seasonal bustle.

Students in Seaview attend the Ocean Beach School District, headquartered in nearby Long Beach, which serves the entire Long Beach Peninsula. The district operates elementary, middle, and high schools within a short drive of Seaview. The peninsula's small year-round population means modest school sizes and a community-centered district. Families seeking private or additional options typically look to the larger towns of the region, including Astoria across the Columbia River in Oregon, but most peninsula children are educated within the Ocean Beach system.

Seaview sits along State Route 103, the two-lane highway that runs the length of the Long Beach Peninsula from Ilwaco north to Long Beach and beyond. State Route 103 connects south to U.S. Route 101 in Ilwaco, the main route around the Washington and Oregon coasts, and the Astoria-Megler Bridge crosses the Columbia River a short drive to the south, linking the peninsula to Astoria, Oregon. There is no rail or public transit within Seaview itself; residents rely on private vehicles, with most day-to-day services located in Long Beach, Ilwaco, or across the river in Astoria.

The Long Beach Peninsula is built around outdoor recreation, and Seaview is minutes from its best-known attractions. Cape Disappointment State Park, at the peninsula's southern tip, preserves two historic lighthouses, coastal forest trails, and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, with camping, beach access, and views across the Columbia River bar. The peninsula's firm, wide beaches are popular for kite flying, beachcombing, and razor clam digging, anchored by the World Kite Museum and annual kite events in Long Beach. Ilwaco's marina provides sport fishing and boating, and nearby Willapa Bay and its wildlife refuges draw birders and kayakers.