Kent

Known for an eclectic mix of small businesses, eateries and public parks, Downtown Kent is a vibrant, walkable neighborhood located 20 miles south of Seattle. “It’s a different vibe when you live in a city with a historic downtown. If you want to live in one of the towns that popped up 20 or 30 years ago, you’ll have a lot of the amenities with malls and chain restaurants, but a core downtown gives you that town-square, local feeling,” says Gaila Haas, Executive Director of the Kent Downtown Partnership. She adds, “we emphasize small businesses and local restaurants on walkable streets. Moms are often spotted grabbing a coffee or pastry from one of our world-class bakeries and then sitting to watch their kids at the park.” Conveniently placed commercial businesses, public transportation options and frequent community events make Downtown Kent a lively gathering hub. <br><br>Most of the city will drive to congregate downtown, but Downtown Kent residents are steps away from popular gathering areas. Locals start their day with a pastry in a cozy coffee shop like Wild Wheat Bakery Café and Restaurant or dig into a heartier breakfast platter from Maggie’s on Meeker. After work, residents enjoy authentic Kenyan dishes from Rafiki Restaurant and Lounge, where they can also return on the weekends for cocktails and lively DJ performances in a colorfully lit atmosphere. Those looking for a laidback environment to enjoy a few beers go to Airways Brewing Tap Room. A varied range of shops line the historic streets, so locals can stop by a Pilates studio, a used bookstore, a hair salon and a home goods boutique all in the same afternoon. Residents can walk a couple blocks north to the Kent Station shopping mall to browse chain retailers or catch a movie, and they can travel a mile west to go grocery shopping at Safeway. <br><br>Since Downtown Kent is better known for its retail and restaurant offerings, housing stock is limited, though there are some senior living apartment complexes in the southwestern corner of the neighborhood. Available single-family homes are clustered in the southern portion of Downtown Kent and are in keeping with the early 20th-century architecture found throughout Downtown Kent. Cottages on small lots in need of renovations cost around $250,000, while similar homes that have been renovated cost $325,000. A five-bedroom Colonial Revival can cost around $400,000. <br><br>“Downtown events add to Kent’s community. We have a cider ale trail and wine walks, but we also do more family-friendly activities like trick-or-treating and art installations,” Haas says. Locals experience Louisiana’s best flavors and energy from Washington at the annual summer Cajun Festival, and food and commercial vendors are packed downtown during Kent Cornucopia Days, which features one of the largest street fairs in the state. Neighbors come together to welcome the holiday season with a tree lighting and parade at Town Square Park.<br><br>"A lot of people don't know that the Apollo Lunar Rovers were built at Boeing in Kent, and Blue Origin headquarters is here too,” Haas says. In keeping with the space theme, kids can play in a replica of the Apollo rover, climb on a landing space capsule, and learn about space with an augmented reality app called Space for Kidz at the recently upgraded Kherson Park. A couple of smaller parks offer pockets of green space downtown — residents can stroll through forested landscaping by a koi pond at Kaibara Park. If they’re looking for an indoor activity sheltered away from Washington’s frequent rain, residents can cheer on the Thunderbirds ice hockey team or the Tacoma Stars soccer team at the accesso ShoWare Center. <br><br>Sidewalk-lined streets make Downtown Kent highly walkable and bikeable, and those traveling out of the city have access to public transportation. The King County Metro buses pick up passengers throughout the neighborhood and take them 20 miles north to Seattle. The Sound Transit shuttles residents out of the city via light rail — the Kent Station stop is in the northeastern corner of Downtown Kent. An industrial train occasionally passes along the neighborhood's western edge, and the ramp to merge onto State Route 167 is just over the tracks. <br><br>Kids may begin learning at Kent Elementary School and advance Mill Creek Middle. Both schools have C ratings from Niche. Kent-Meridian High School, which has a B rating, serves the neighborhood’s high school students and allows them to begin preparing for future careers with career and technical education programs. Students can focus on agriculture, health sciences, business and more.

West Hill North is appropriately named for its terrain and location within the city of Kent. Breathtaking views are a perk of properties on hilltop streets, some with mountain views or overlooking the vast Kent Valley. "The Olympics are on the west side of Puget Sound. It's a huge mountain range, between the Pacific Ocean and the Sound, usually viewable from Kent's West Hill," says David Glenn, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Danforth. Glenn, a resident of West Hill, also has 15 years of experience as a contractor. About 18 miles south of Seattle, the area offers a suburban lifestyle, with public parks close by, a diverse population and a variety of community events. A mix of ranch-style and split-level homes, many built in the 1960s, line the winding hilly streets in West Hill North. Prices range from $450,000 to $800,000. "Everybody's lot is pretty much a quarter-acre or maybe a little bit larger," Glenn says. "I'm in West Hill and I have a quarter-acre." Single-family homes are most common in West Hill, but Glenn says there are a few multifamily options. Westridge Townhomes is a complex built in the mid-1980s. Prices range from $265,000 to $410,000 and monthly homeowners association fees are about $270 to $400. Public schools include Sunnycrest Elementary School, which has a C grade from Niche. Evergreen Middle School, with a 2 out of 10 rating from GreatSchools, has a notable arts program. Thomas Jefferson High School, with a B, is known for its strong school spirit and support of student athletics. The high school's visual and performing arts program offers classes in piano, drama and pottery. West Fenwick Park has a skatepark, fitness trail and a life-size Chutes and Ladders game called Slides and Climbers. Popular sports to play at the park include handball, racquetball, basketball and tennis. Saltwater State Park, about 4 miles west of West Hill North, is located on the Puget Sound and has tide pools and underwater artificial reefs ready to explore. Also nearby, Lake Fenwick Park has a lake stocked with fish like pumpkinseed sunfish and rainbow trout as well as trails, a play area and an 18-hole disc golf course. The small shopping center West Hill Plaza sits in this predominantly residential neighborhood. The plaza is home to Bombay Fiji Bazaar, an international market, and eateries like Tacos Mexico, Pizza Mart Kent and Soa's Kitchen for Polynesian cuisine. About a mile west along the Pacific Highway corridor are more stores and restaurants. El Parral, a taqueria and nightclub, is open until 2 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. Also on Pacific Highway is a Seattle staple, Dick's, serving burgers and milkshakes. For more shopping options, people can head to nearby East Hill or to downtown Kent, which is about 4 miles east. There, Kent Station Shopping Center offers about 50 stores and restaurants, AMC Kent Station 14 and a branch campus of Green River College. Events and activities in Kent bring the community together. Kent Winterfest lasts for a month, with a parade, tree-lighting festival, and a holiday craft market at the Kent Senior Activity Center. The Kent Historical Museum promotes local artists at a monthly open mic in the spring and summer. The city's summer concert series has themes such as picnic performances and family date nights. A competitive community fundraiser, Kent Has Talent, is held at Kent-Meridian High School. A major plus for frequent flyers is that West Hill North is only about 5 miles south of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Sea-Tac. Glenn says West Hill is a little closer to the flight path than other parts of Kent, and though there is some noise, it isn't an overarching concern. Noise, traffic and environmental issues stemming from Sea-Tac have led to mitigation programs in the past as well as proposals for new legislation. "I-5 has some noise as well," Glenn says. Interstate 5 runs north-to-west on one side of West Hill North, and state Route 516 is on the other. The trip to downtown Seattle is about 18 miles via I-5. Though King County Metro bus routes are available in Kent, there are only a few bus stops in West Hill. Train service is available from the Kent Station downtown.

Northeast of downtown Kent, Meridian includes vintage homes, newer developments and some secluded areas with a rural vibe. "This neighborhood is one of Kent's best, with its affordable cost of living, good schools and central location in King County," says Brad Decater, a Realtor with Decater Real Estate and a resident of the region for over 30 years. Kent, itself, is a city known for suburban conveniences, shipping and industry and its location is halfway between Seattle and Tacoma. Houses built in the 20th century include ramblers and split levels, priced from about $375,000 to $750,000. Contemporary homes in newer developments have higher price tags: $615,000 to $1.3 million. Monthly homeowners association fees in these communities may be $30 to $160. Some of Meridian has a rural quality. "Properties on the east side might have larger plots of land," says David Glenn, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Danforth, who also has 15 years of experience as a contractor. With more space, some homes are relatively secluded; there might be enough acreage to keep horses. Glenn says the east side of Kent is much bigger and has more people and infrastructure compared to the west side. Pantera Lago Estates is an option for those 55 and over. Complete with a clubhouse, pool and social activities, the community offers manufactured homes typically ranging from $115,000 to $250,000. Public schools include Emerald Park Elementary School, which has a B from Niche and Meridian Middle School, with a B-plus. Kentridge High School earns an A and has over 35 clubs, including robotics, creative writing and chess. There are also numerous athletic programs, like swimming and diving, gymnastics and judo. There are several parks in and surrounding Meridian. Kent continues developing its outdoor amenities, taking advantage of resources like Parks Capital and Open Space Grants. North Meridian Park and Ballfields is a place for playing cricket, baseball, picnicking and trails. There's a public boat launch, and fishing is permitted at Panther Lake, which is shallow and usually decked out with water lilies. Nearby, to the east, there's a much bigger body of water, Lake Youngs, which is a reservoir that's not accessible to the general public. However, the 9-mile Lake Youngs Trail goes along the periphery of the fenced-off lake, with a soft-surface loop ideal for hikers, joggers and riding horseback. To the south, close to Lake Meridian, is the Meridian Valley Country Club. It has a championship 18-hole course and various membership levels, including one for families that comes with social perks like movie nights and Parent's Night Out. One of Meridian's areas for retail and dining is around the intersection of 108th Avenue and 208th Street. Bubble milk tea is on the menu at S Level Tea, which also has slushies, fresh juices and snacks. Eateries include Crawfish Chef for seafood selections and Maza, a Halal steakhouse. In addition to daily essentials, like a Safeway for groceries, the area has small businesses. Just for You Floral, a women-owned gift shop, creates arrangements for any occasion. Wizard's Keep Games sells a wide assortment of board games, trading cards and collectibles. For more, downtown Kent is about 4 miles southwest and the Kent Station Shopping Center has approximately 50 stores and restaurants and AMC Kent Station 14. King County Metro bus stops are located along 108th Avenue, and train service is available from Kent Station downtown. The Kent Valley is the third-largest distribution and warehouse area in the U.S. From Meridian headed north, state Routes 167 and 515 lead to Interstate 405; shipping businesses frequently use these roads. Kent also is home to Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, BNSF Railway freight, a Starbucks Roasting Plant and the headquarters of Oberto Sausage Company. Meridian is about 10 miles from Sea-Tac, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and it's a 20-mile trip to downtown Seattle.

Just south of Covington, Lake Morton-Berrydale offers homes with expansive lots and proximity to Washington's natural beauty. "The area has mostly single-family homes with a good chunk of acreage, which gives it a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood vibe," says Realtor Brad Decater with Decater Real Estate Group. Those who settle in the area enjoy distance from city activity, backyards filled with mature pines and, for some, lakefront living along Lake Morton. Ranch-style homes built in the 1960s range from $400,000 to $600,000, most including attached garages. Many homes offer spacious half-acre lots, providing plenty of privacy and seclusion. Properties with several acres or lakeside views with private docks hover around $1 million. Streets usually don't have sidewalks, and homes are sheltered by evergreen foliage and fenced yards. There are also pockets of suburban developments with contemporary new traditional homes sitting along manicured streets. Prices for these homes range from $600,000 to $900,000. The southwest tip of the area is part of the Auburn School District, but the majority of Lake Morton-Berrydale is served by the Kent School District. The youngest students attend Grass Lake Elementary School, which gets a B-plus rating from Niche. Kids enjoy learning outside at the Nature Space, and an active PTA plans events like the Multicultural Night and end-of-year Carnival summer extravaganza. Then it's on to Kentlake High School for grades seventh through 12th. The high school is rated B and offers a Career & Technical Education program in fields like agriculture, STEM and health science. Although residents enjoy Lake Morton for kayaking or fishing for rainbow trout, the public waterside area for those who don't live along the water is relatively small. Lake Sawyer, just east, can accommodate more people at its boat launch. Visitors enjoy the views of Mount Rainer while using the lake. Lake Sawyer connects by trail to Black Diamond Natural Area, a 1,200-acre old-growth forest known for hiking, biking and horseback riding. And residents are well-positioned to go farther into the mountains for camping and hunting opportunities. For some high-octane fun, locals head to Pacific Raceways. The historic drag racing and motocross track holds regular races and offers go-karting. Racegoers often head to Four Horsemen Brewery, just down the road, to grab a cold beer after the show. The microbrewery has a variety of beers on tap and features occasional live music or stand-up comedy. For dinner, Europa serves German fare in a rustic log cabin decorated with mounted deer heads. It sits next to the Lake Sawyer Grocery, a convenient spot to grab daily essentials with a friendly staff. Draft Choice Sports Bar & Grill is a spot for a bit of nightlife, with regulars who come in for poker games, dart tournaments and karaoke nights. The bar has a pool league and is always playing sports on the screens over the bar. And golfers enjoy several courses within a few miles of home. The neighborhood is quite rural, so as Decanter says, "the main drag of the area is over in Covington," which is 3 miles away. He adds: "You'll find a ton of shopping centers, big box stores, and over 50 restaurants." Covington has a medical center and big stores like Costco, Safeway and Walmart. However, residents face a longer drive for big-city entertainment and employment opportunities. The heart of Tacoma is 20 miles away, a drive that takes 20 or 30 minutes. But for most larger employers, workers head to Bellevue and Seattle, both around 30 miles away. Trips into the cities can often take an hour with traffic. Residents don't need to cross through big cities to reach Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but it's still a 20-mile trip.

East Hill is a residential and retail part of the city of Kent, halfway between Seattle and Tacoma. Kent includes a downtown as well as industrial areas. "East Hill is massive," says David Glenn, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Danforth, who also has 15 years of experience as a contractor. "There are massively more people and more infrastructure and stores, compared to West Hill." Gridded streets and well-maintained sidewalks set the stage for East Hill's residential areas, which are found on both sides of state Route 516, apart from the retail corridor along state Route 515, which runs north-to-south. Some properties have hillside lots with scenic views. "On the west side of East Hill, you'd face the Olympics," Glenn says. "South would be facing Rainier; it sticks out. People say, 'the mountain is out.'" Among examples of 20th-century architecture are ramblers, bungalows and split levels, priced from about $440,000 to $875,000. Developments from the 2020s include landscaped, walkable subdivisions full of single-family homes. The houses are priced from about $690,000 to $1.1 million and have contemporary designs, two-car garages and monthly homeowners association fees of about $60 to $140. Condos and townhouses are about $300,000 to $700,000. Public schools include East Hill Elementary School, which has a C grade from Niche. Meeker Middle School, with a B-minus and Kent-Meridian High School, with a B, both offer dual language programs in Spanish. Located at the high school, the Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center showcases student productions and year-round entertainment by local, national and international acts. Competition and community fundraiser Kent Has Talent is a crowd-pleaser. Venues across the city support Kent's community events. In East Hill, the Iraqi Community Center of Washington offers educational programs, community events and festivals. Kent Winterfest is a month-long celebration with a tree-lighting festival, parade and a holiday craft market at the Kent Senior Activity Center. In the Spring and Summer, the Kent Historical Museum promotes local artists at a monthly open mic. Picnic performances and family date nights are themes for the city's summer concert series. Strip malls are fairly common in Kent, and East Hill's have a wide range of international businesses and diverse cuisines. There are also national brands and chain restaurants. Ivar's Seafood Bar features fried fish and chowders, and Golden Steer Steak & Rib House has bar-side live music and specialty nights like Spaghetti Mondays and karaoke on Fridays. Grocery stores include Asia Pacific Market, Grocery Outlet, Fred Meyer and Byblos Mediterranean Market. Downtown, the Kent Station Shopping Center has more than 50 businesses, an AMC movie theater, and mixed-use elements, such as a branch campus of Green River College and the Dwell Apartments. The city of Kent has dozens of parks and recreational sites. The 104-acre Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park features environmental art created by Bauhaus designer Herbert Bayer. The aesthetic landscaping also manages rainwater runoff along the hillside canyon. The park has about 2 miles of trails, ideal for wildlife viewing. Morrill Meadows Dog Park is an off-leash play space with a sizable section for small or shy dogs. In the southwest section of the area is a portion of the Green River Trail, which stretches 19 miles from Duwamish Waterway in Tukwila. A capital project plans to extend the trail to Flaming Geyser State Park, which is about 15 miles from East Hill. The Kent Valley is the nation's third-largest distribution and warehouse area, with numerous industrial and manufacturing sites. "Most of Kent is pretty blue collar, and we are pretty packed in here," Glenn says. State Route 516 runs through East Hill and, like state Route 167, is a significant resource for transportation and shipping. There is train service at Kent Station, and King County Metro bus stops are found on numerous streets. Downtown Seattle is about 20 miles away via Interstate 5. For a short commute, employment sites in Kent include Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, BNSF Railway freight, a Starbucks Roasting Plant and the headquarters of Oberto Sausage Company. Kent's ShoWare Center is a top draw for concerts, sports and community events such as high school graduations. The minor-league hockey team, the Seattle Thunderbirds, plays home games here during the season. When the Thunderbirds are in town, the area around Kent Station is swamped; parking lots fill up, and there are restaurant lines. ShoWare also hosts the Tacoma Stars, a professional indoor soccer team. Fans of drag racing and motocross head to the iconic Pacific Raceways track, about 7 miles from East Hill. People who want to get behind the wheel themselves stop by PGP Motorsports Park to race go-karts.