Downtown Kenmore

Welcome to Downtown Kenmore! Located at the heart of this laid-back city, Downtown Kenmore refers specifically to the ten acres surrounding the intersection of 68th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 181st Street. Featuring a large town square complete with commercial retailers, residential spaces and proximity to all things fun, Downtown Kenmore is perfect for folks who want walkability and direct access to all of the hustle and bustle.

Housing in Downtown Kenmore consists primarily of condo and apartment options, ranging from high-rise complexes to the smaller garden-style buildings, as well as mobile home options. For those looking to buy, you’ll also find a wide range of single-family homes, town house and condo options in the near vicinity. Prospective buyers can choose from mid-century designs or opt for a modern farmhouse style. The average listing price here is $1.1 million, but price points can vary from the low $500,000s to over $2.6 million depending on the age, size and location of the property. Most homes here feature lush landscaping and well-tended gardens, plus tall handsome deciduous trees.

Choosing to live in Downtown Kenmore guarantees convenience. Step out your front door and walk to the local Safeway grocery store for all of your fresh ingredients. Mail a package at The UPS Store, then pop over to the Kenmore Library to pick up the latest good reads. For some good eats, choose from a plethora of casual spots like Zeek’s Pizza or Icihiban Teriyaki, then stop in at Stoup Brewing Kenmore for a pint of your favorite beer on tap. For a relaxing afternoon plan to spend some time lounging at The Hangar—the city’s communal gathering place. Designed to look like an airplane hangar, you can sip on an espresso, read a book or meet up with friends in this outdoor open-air space. Or for some more excitement, duck in behind City Hall where you’ll find the Jack Crawford Skate Court—featuring a bowl and some ramps you can drop in to practice your ollies and kick-flips here.

Students in Downtown Kenmore attend public schools within the Northshore School District, like Kenmore Elementary, Kenmore Middle and Inglemoor High School. Serving over 1,500 students in ninth through twelfth grades, Inglemoor High School, offers AP coursework, an International Baccalaureate program and early-college credit opportunities for students, in addition to its standard curriculum. The Northshore School District is known statewide and nationally for its academic excellence, and serves more than 20,000 students in Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville and the surrounding areas. And with an overall district ranking of ‘A-plus’ from Niche.com, it should come as no surprise that all three of these schools also received a ranking of ‘B-plus’ or higher, respectively.

For some time outside, living Downtown means you’re less than a mile from popular Log Boom Park. Located on the shores of Lake Washington, this park offers residents 3.9 acres of waterfront to explore. Enjoy the beach, take a dip in the lake or hike one of the local trails. For those who love fishing, stroll down to the dock and cast out a line. Or spend a while swinging your feet and watching the seaplanes take off and land at the neighboring airport. The Burke-Gilam Trail passes through Log Boom Park and offers a total of 19 miles between Kenmore and Bothell for hiking, biking or skating. Or if the water is calling to you, plan to set sail in your very own craft at the Kenmore Boat launch.

Another perk of living in Downtown Kenmore? You’re close to major area employers like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Boeing, as well as Kenmore Air and Kenmore Camera. Commuters love their city’s central location and public transit systems. Whether you prefer to drive, ride the bus or hop on the Metro, Kenmore’s got you covered. With both the King County Metro service and the Sound Transit services, you can hop on the Link light rail, the Sounder train or the ST express bus to get where you need to be. Or for those who prefer to drive into Seattle, plan for an hour commute via Interstate-5 South. And of course, ride-sharing and commuter van and carpools are also popular. This is Downtown Kenmore, an urban community of greater Kenmore.

Written By

Michelle Goshen

Photography Contributed By

Howard Snyder

Video By

Remi Cox