North Lake Stevens

“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.

Written By

Catherine Lashley

Photography Contributed By

Ren Dodge

Video By

Taylor Noll