Klahanie

Klahanie, one of the first planned communities in the Pacific Northwest, sits on a forested plateau. The word "Klahanie" is a Chinook Jargon term from the pidgin trade language, meaning "the outdoors" or "outside." "Klahanie features 450 acres of space and 7.5 miles of trails through the community," says Chris Siler, director of facilities for the Klahanie HOA. "We have a ton of amenities, including two full-sized pools open year long, three big, lit sports courts and 8 parks and recreation areas." Klahanie is less than 20 miles from Seattle and relatively close to major corporation headquarters like Boeing, SpaceX, Microsoft and Costco, providing decent commuting times for working residents.

For nearly 40 years, locals have called Klahanie home, living in either single-family homes, multi-family residences or apartment units. "Quite a few residents have been here since the 1980s. We are a very established community," Siler says. "Our HOA dues are extremely low compared to the whole Pacific Northwest." Covering nearly 900 acres, the planned community is home to many enclaves within its boundaries, including The Willows and Heatherwood. Because construction of Klahanie took about a decade in various stages and by several home builders, home styles, designs and sizes run the gamut. Driving through Klahanie, the steep roads are cloaked with tall evergreen trees leading to various neighborhood streets. Many homes sit on lush, manicured lawns featuring large front-facing windows and have two-car garages. Prices range from $500,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo to nearly $2 million for a spacious colonial home on an oversized lot with four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The Issaquah School District serves the community. Neighborhood children can begin schooling at Challenger Elementary School, which has an overall A rating from Niche. Students can then attend Beaver Lake Middle School, which has an overall A rating from Niche. For high school, students can attend Skyline High School. Skyline High School is an International Baccalaureate World School and has an overall A-plus rating from Niche. "We work closely with the schools as a majority of our resident's kids go to those schools. Skyline High's swim teams use our pools, and their cross-country teams use our trails," Siler says.

Klahanie's neighbors have outdoor recreation opportunities all around them. There are two community pools, Lakeside and Mountainview, where residents can participate in swimming lessons and on swim teams. Swimming lessons are also offered to non-Klahanie residents. Around Klahanie, neighbors can play friendly sports matches on the tennis and basketball courts, pickleball and badminton courts and baseball diamonds. The trails are a big draw for residents, Siler says.

"We have our own shopping center so residents don't have to leave the community to run errands," Siler says. The Klahanie Shopping Center has everything from a grocery store to a dry cleaner to several medical offices and local restaurants. Run into neighbors at the QFC supermarket, swapping recipes and chatting. There are a few local Asian restaurants in the shopping center, including Yoko Teriyaki, a Japanese eatery. There's also Over the Rainbow Tea Bar, where the bubble tea options are endless. The restaurant named itself after "Over the Rainbow," famously sung by Judy Garland. Less than 3 miles away, locals can shop at The Home Depot, Best Buy and Walgreens.

The community is served by two main highways: Issaquah Pine Lake Road and Issaquah-Fall City Road. Residents can take the roads to downtown Issaquah and Sammamish. The King County Metro bus service runs through Klahanie, connecting the area to downtown Seattle, Sammamish, Redmond and Issaquah.

Klahanie invites residents to relax after a long day amidst nature. Locals can take advantage of the hiking trails, enjoy the pleasures of the community's outdoor recreation options and local restaurants.

Written By

Jess Nocera

Photography Contributed By

Kathleen Kim

Video By

Daric Clarke