Federal Way

Previously a logging settlement between Seattle and Tacoma, Federal Way has expanded dramatically, becoming a haven for convenience without the buzz of the Emerald City to the north. Its core neighborhood, Federal Way City Center, is an extensive retail district brimming with activity and culture. “This neighborhood is a melting pot of different cuisines, music and activities,” says Chris Seim, a real estate agent based out of Seattle who grew up in Federal Way. “There’s always something fun going on that families are sure to enjoy.” Federal Way City Center is a hub for retail. With a wide selection of local storefronts, this area is also home to familiar national chains and box stores. Strip malls border the tree-lined Pacific Highway, which connects to the Commons at Federal Way, an indoor shopping plaza with over 90 retailers and a Cinemark movie theater. Just north, the SeaTac Village Shopping Center is anchored by brands like Trader Joe’s, T.J. Maxx and Designer Shoe Warehouse, as well as dozens of well-known restaurants. One option nearby is Black Angus, a steakhouse serving classic American cuisine like surf and turf in a western-themed pub. Jasmine Mongolian Grill has hibachi-style barbecue dishes in an interior with wooden accents and painted murals. For groceries, Safeway is on 320th Street, and Campeón Market is a Latin American supermarket with fresh ingredients, a bakery and a hot food deli on state Route 99. Town Square Park provides a new kind of recreation with modern play structures, such as a zip line, a rope climb and a splash pad in the center of town. A corridor between communities, Mirror Lake Park offers a paved trail through the woods and simple playground equipment on a bed of woodchips. Steel Lake Park is a 52-acre space with a small beach for swimming and a boat launch for kayaking and paddleboarding on the surface of Steel Lake. Celebration Park has night-lit baseball diamonds and soccer fields, and it is the venue for tournaments held by local sports associations. The outer rings of Federal Way City Center also feel urban and active, with hedges and fence lines separating businesses and multifamily housing from the main road. While it offers fewer housing options than other neighborhoods, midcentury ranch-style and split-level homes surround shopping areas in the town center. Single-family homes typically range from $400,000 to $700,000. Condo units are also spread throughout the neighborhood, in tall buildings within the commercial district or in shady complexes next to the nearby homes. These communities commonly share amenities like a swimming pool, sauna or fitness center. Condos cost between $250,000 and $400,000. Federal Way Public Schools serves over 21,000 students throughout the area and was named Washington’s most diverse school district by Niche. Mirror Lake Elementary School receives a C-plus grade from Niche and hosts family nights dedicated to literacy, math and multicultural subjects. Sacajawea Middle School maintains a C, and Federal Way High School earns a B with a state championship-winning track team. Summer Sounds is a free concert series on Wednesday evenings at Steel Lake Park in July, and the community gathers with camp chairs to hear music by the water. Arts Explosion is an arts festival held in late May when local artists present their work and compete for prizes at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Events Center (PAEC), which also hosts concerts and performances throughout the year. The Red, White & Blues Festival is Federal Way’s July 4th tradition with live music and food vendors in Celebration Park. The Sound Transit is opening a light rail in 2026 that will connect the area’s major cities with three new train stations along the highway – in Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and here, in Downtown Federal Way near 319th Place and 23rd Avenue. This development is expected to change the public transportation and business scene. “The light rail will make it easier for people to come into the city to visit our shopping areas and entertainment districts, and our businesses can capitalize on that incoming traffic,” says Zander Spain Greene, Communications & Program Coordinator at the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce. Federal Way City Center is a walking paradise with a walk score of 83. The Sound Transit (ST Express) bus system provides public transportation and makes stops on 320th Street. State Route 99 runs north through the middle of the neighborhood, and Interstate 5 is easily accessible from 320th Street. Tacoma is only around 12 miles south, while Seattle is roughly 23 miles north. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport offers air travel about 8 miles north.

Twin Lakes started as a planned community in the 1960s and is now a shoreline sanctuary with views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. With rainforest hikes, beaches and a country club, Twin Lakes offers high-class recreation in suburban Federal Way, a town between Seattle and Tacoma. “There are some older waterfront homes here,” says Avinesh Pillay, Real Estate Broker with Skyline Properties, Inc., with over seven years of experience. “People who buy property can go hiking, swimming and boating on the lake. It’s a desirable place to be.” With water recreation and nature parks, Twin Lakes is home to about seven public parks. Olympic View Park has a trail that passes a playground and continues through an old-growth rainforest. Palisades Park has a basketball court and picnic tables by a toddler playground. Coronado and Alderdale Park both have picnic areas and playgrounds. Dash Point Highlands Park provides a jungle gym area and hiking on the edge of a well-known nature preserve. Dash Point State Park includes 461 acres for hiking, biking, and campground areas. Dash Point also has a sandy beach spanning 3,000 feet where visitors can kayak or skimboard in the shallow water of Puget Sound. Dumas Bay offers coastal exploration with wildlife like herons and eagles. Some lakefront communities have private parks for residents, which often include paved loop paths and an unobstructed view of the water. A creek flows from Lake Jean to the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club, which has an 18-hole course with breathtaking views of the sound. The club also has a restaurant and a pool. Twin Lakes has access to several retail centers, including Twin Lakes Village, a shopping area with supermarkets and restaurants. Ascensio is a coffee shop serving breakfast sandwiches in a cozy atmosphere with outdoor seating. Puerto Vallarta is a casual Mexican restaurant with dim lighting and plenty of seating. Safeway is on 336th Street, and Twin Lakes Grocery is a family owned convenience store with groceries and an extensive wine selection on 320th Street. Waterfront homes overlook the blue Dumas Bay, while lakefront communities rest by the calm currents of Lake Loreene or Lake Jean. “Twin Lakes was a top area in Federal Way during the 70s and 80s,” Pillay says. “Now, a new population is moving to the neighborhood. People are looking to do business in the area, and more houses are being built there.” Residential streets climb and descend upon the hilly landscape as houses coil around cul-de-sacs. Twin Lakes primarily includes split-levels, Traditional and raised ranch-style homes. Elevated ranch-style homes often have finished basements, chimneys or second-story rooms that extend beyond the flat vinyl exterior. Split-level homes have garages that connect to the main floor or the basement level. Ranch-style homes range from $340,000 to $1 million, Split levels cost between $460,000 and $750,000, and traditional homes go for $710,000 to $1 million. Federal Way Public Schools serves over 21,000 students in the area. Twin Lakes Elementary School earns a B-minus grade from Niche. Lakota Middle School maintains a C-plus, and it has a community garden that students can tend through an application process. Decatur High School also receives a C-plus and has a Running Start program through which students can earn college credit before graduating. Twin Lakes is a car-dependent neighborhood with public transportation through Sound Transit (ST Express), which offers bus stops along 320th Street, a main thoroughfare. State Route 509 is an easy route south that avoids the interstate, and Tacoma is around 11 miles away. 320th Street heads to the city center of Federal Way, about 5 miles east. Interstate 5 cuts through Federal Way before heading to Seattle, roughly 26 miles north. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport offers air travel for Federal Way, reaching destinations across the globe.