Knapp

With its closeness to the Pacific Ocean, consistent, friendly climate, uptick in next-generation jobs and celebration of diverse cultures, there’s an idyllic quality about life in the Pacific Northwest and specifically the areas in and around Vancouver, Washington. With easy access to two interstates, Knapp in suburban Vancouver, Washington, gets the best of all that, plus sought-after schools and some distance from the urban hubbub. “In Knapp, you’re starting to move a little further toward the outskirts of town,” says Spenser Beck, a Realtor with Cano Real Estate, who has lived here all his life. “You have access to both freeways, there’s shopping, hospitals and restaurants.”

Knapp is a growing community where homes make up about half the available property. About another 25% is apartments and condos, with retail, industry and office space filling the remaining mix. “There are ranch-style homes and two stories, a lot of apartments, a lot of condos, with a lot of new building go on,” Beck says. “You do have a little industrial as you get closer to the fairgrounds. In the southeast quadrant, there are one and two-story homes built in the 1990s and 2000s.” The median price for a single-family home in Knapp is about $570,000. Homes range from around $150,000 to as much as $800,000. Generally, homebuyers can find homes from $300,000 to $500,000, with the lower price being what you’d expect for a two-bedroom home.

Vancouver School District, which Niche rates B and ranks in the top third of best Washington school districts, serves the Knapp area. Students may attend Salmon Creek Elementary, Alki Middle School and Skyview High School. Niche rates each B-plus. Skyview High has a 97% graduation rate, an average SAT score of 1180, an average ACT score of 26 and an average GPA of 3.47.

Knapp residents need not travel far when they’re ready for leisure time outside or at the park. In and around the area, locals have plenty of recreational options. “There’s a driving range, there’s an indoor sports arena called Salmon Creek Indoor Sports Arena and there’s H.B. Fuller where Hazel Dell Little League plays baseball,” Beck says. H.B. Fuller Company Park, developed by a grant from the Seattle Mariners, has three baseball diamonds, soccer fields and vast areas to roam or walk the dog.

The community’s largest park, however, is Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park on the banks of the Columbia River. Frenchman’s Bar is 120 acres of lush open space with vast sandy beach for volleyball, shelters, barbecue grills and picnic tables, playgrounds, trails and space primed for fishing and watching the imposing commercial ships anchored in the channel, which is one of the attractions that makes Frenchman’s Bar one of the area’s standout attributes bringing visitors from throughout the region. In addition to the park, Knapp’s other amusements include Clark County Fairgrounds, home to the annual county fair the first week of August and RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, which regularly hosts concerts.

Knapp offers a variety of shopping alternatives. Target, Walmart and Kohl’s are among the retail choices in nearby Hazel Dell, and residents can choose between Fred Meyer and Safeway to satisfy their grocery needs. Restaurants are mixed in with the shopping, meaning shoppers won’t travel far to find a meal. Billygan’s Roadhouse is a popular spot for eaters. “It’s one of those places where you can still throw peanut shells on the floor. It’s been there a long time,” Beck says.

While many people around here choose to drive, public transportation is available. C-Tran provides bus service in Clark County, carrying riders north and south. Motorists can find their way around easily. Two interstate highways, I-5 and I-205, take commuters where they want to go, including the airport 20 minutes or so away. “Once you’re on the freeway, it’s just a straight shot to the airport in Portland,” Beck says.

Written By

Jonathan Clarke

Photography Contributed By

Elizabeth James

Video By

Tyler Hall