Lake Stevens

Lake Stevens is a rapidly growing Seattle suburb characterized by natural beauty and quiet living. Though West Lake Stevens doesn’t actually offer any lakeside properties, residents are only a few miles from the water and enjoy living near the commercial hubs of the city. West Lake Stevens offers living that is less expensive than the houses around the lake itself. Colorful and contemporary clapboard homes with three bedrooms go for $500,000 to $700,000. Five-bedroom homes can get up to $1 million when they are situated on larger lots. Most streets have sidewalks and streetlamps, and yards are just big enough for a decorative tree or bushes. The area is also home to a few senior living communities where mobile homes and small houses go for $70,000 to $250,000. Under 20th Street SE, there are fewer houses, usually with large lots and a more rural feel. “The west side of Lake Stevens has a mix of everything,” explains Bryce Greenleaf, a real estate broker with Skyline Properties Ltd who specializes in the area. “People pick the east side because it feels busier and more connected than the rest of the city; it's where all the commercial stuff is.” The main commercial hub is the Frontier Village Shopping Center, which offers a selection of chain restaurants interspersed with locally owned restaurants. The RAM’s indulgent American fare is a neighborhood staple, and LJ’s Bistro and Bar is a family-owned neighborhood favorite for brunch and dinner. For tastes from further abroad, Royal House Biryani House and Viet Thai Noodle House are popular choices. The shopping center is also home to Target, Safeway and other big box stores. Or head two miles south to stop by the neighborhood Costco. But it's not all retail. Frontier Heights Park has a playground with unique wooden play structures, and Cavalero Hill has a dog park and skate park. Two miles away, Davies Beach offers lake access, with a wraparound dock great for launching boats, fishing and spending a day in the sun. "Parks are the way that those who don't live on the water get to enjoy the lake," explains Jill Mies, the Parks Planning & Development Coordinator for Lake Stevens. "All our parks are free to the public — we only charge for boat launching or boat parking — and we are constantly listening to the community to learn how to make our parks even better." There are several parks around the lake that offer waterfront fun and community activities like farmers markets and holiday celebrations. And the lake really comes alive during Aquafest, a July summer festival of food, music and outdoor fun. Kids in the neighborhood can attend Hillcrest Elementary School, which receives an A-minus from Niche. Then it’s on to Lake Stevens Middle for grades six and seven, which receives a B-plus. Cavelero Mid High School is located right within the neighborhood, also receives a B-plus and serves all the eighth and ninth graders in the district. The morning bus ride to Cavelero is famously held up by traffic, but some residents of West Lake Stevens are close enough to make the walk instead. Students then finish out at Lake Stevens High School, rated A-minus. Lake Stevens High is known for its sports programs and gets a 9/10 college readiness score from GreatSchools because of its Career and Technical Education program. The Lake Stevens School District is often a draw to the area and is ranked second in Snohomish County by Niche. West Lake Stevens may be a busier area, but many residents still make the commute to larger cities. Marysville is 7 miles north, and cities like Everett, Lynnwood and all the way down to Seattle are difficult to get to with the traffic in the area. The stretch of US Highway 2 that connects Lake Stevens to the greater Seattle area is called “the trestle” by locals and is often jam-packed during rush hour. As a result, the 20-minute trip to Everett or the 45-minute trip to Seattle can easily double in time. Since the nearby cities offer larger hospitals, airports, and bigger shopping malls — as well as touristy attractions and nightlife — the residents of West Lake Stevens tend to plan for trips that fall outside of rush hour times.

“One community around the lake.” That’s the Lake Stevens mission statement. And while every side of the lake has something to offer, North Lake Stevens has close access to hubs of community activity and older properties with more variety of architectural styles. “The northside can be a little more expensive than the rest of Lake Stevens,” explains Bryce Greenleaf, a real estate broker with Skyline Properties Ltd who specializes in the area. “But it’s quieter up there, and you can get larger lots with more acreage.” The houses in North Lake Stevens were built over the last five decades. Along the water, prices range from $1 million to $2 million for single-family homes with personal docks. Farther from the lake’s shore, single-story ranch-style homes go for $600,000, and larger five-bedroom contemporary builds are $900,000. Wide sidewalks lit with streetlamps meander through curved neighborhood streets, and houses are most often clapboard exteriors with muted shades of green, brown and deep blue. This is no cookie-cutter neighborhood; rounded windows, arches over front doors and a variety of house shapes mean very few houses look exactly alike. Houses fly off the market fast, though, as North Lake Stevens is a desirable location for being connected to lakeside activity. North Lake Stevens is home to one of the biggest Lake Stevens community hubs: North Cove Park. Adjacent to downtown, the park offers a playground and lakeside beaches and hosts summer farmers markets, fall festivals and holiday celebrations. The park is also the central location for the area's largest summer festival, Aquafest. With live music, water sports competitions, food trucks and a firework show, this July festival draws crowds from all over the Seattle area. Most residents of North Lake Stevens can walk less than a mile to the festival, and for those further out, there’s a free shuttle service. Another park in the area, Lundeen Park, is also popular in the summer for outdoor movies. There are kayak and paddleboard rentals, and residents enjoy fishing all year round. Walkers, bikers and horseback riders enjoy the Centennial Trail that cuts through the neighborhood, a major paved trail that stretches 30 miles throughout Snohomish County. When not playing outside, neighborhood kids are served by Lake Stevens School District, which is ranked the second-highest district in Snohomish County by Niche and ensures every kid has their own Chromebook. Elementary and middle schools vary depending on housing location, but many kids attend Highland Elementary and then North Lake Middle for grades six and seven. Both schools are rated B-plus by Niche. All eighth and ninth graders head to Cavelero Mid High School, also rated B-plus. Finally, it's on to Lake Stevens High School, rated A-minus. The high school is known for its football team and a Career and Technical Education program that encourages advanced learning in STEM fields. “A lot of people choose to move to the north side of Lake Stevens to be closer to the high school,” Greenleaf explains. “The school system is a huge draw for Lake Stevens when people are looking at the Seattle suburbs, and quite a few of the houses up north are within walking distance of Lake Stevens High School.” For shopping and dining, downtown Lake Stevens offers Jay’s Market, a small local grocery. Francisco’s Kitchen & Cantina is a local favorite serving upscale fusion Mexican food, and Lake Stevens Donuts, right nearby, serves homemade donuts fresh every day. For bigger box stores, the Frontier Village shopping center on the west side of the lake offers Target, Safeway and chain eateries. And a newly constructed Costco is also only 5 miles south. Many residents choose to live in Lake Stevens because of its natural beauty and quiet lifestyle, but for most workers, living here means a commute to a nearby city. “Heading the 8 miles into Marysville usually isn’t bad, but traffic gets really backed up on the way to Everett or all the way to Seattle,” says Tim Posey, a broker with Task Properties and resident of Lake Stevens. “The commute into Seattle can be an hour but can get up to two hours if you get caught in rush-hour traffic.” Everett, 8 miles away, is populated with shopping malls, has a regional airport and offers larger hospitals. And Seattle, 40 miles away, is home to a wide variety of nightlife as well as a major airport.