libbydee

This street is a private road - maintained by its residents. It is also a dead end street, which means nothing but local traffic. It is a private, quiet neighborhood with wonderful neighbors. The local schools are in the Lake Washington school district and are excellent in educational quality. The high school in this region, Eastlake, is generally preferred by people in the higher economic demographic, being so close to Sammamish Plateau. The nearby elementary school, Louisa May Alcott, has been rated a "School of Distinction", and has a varying economic demographic.

The houses here are very nice, well maintained with nice landscaping. There are horses kept on neighboring properties and the neighborhood has a likeable atmosphere to it. I lived here for five years and made some wonderful friends - friendships that I maintain to this day. People here are neighborly and respect your privacy, but are also friendly and helpful. When I lived here it felt like an escape from city life. There is no Homeowner's Association so you have pretty much free rein on your own property for renovations and landscaping, unless there is something on the scale of requiring county approval.

There are only a few houses on the street so traffic is never a problem. When it snows, however, the road is not plowed. That can make for interesting driving, but can also make the street a playground for the neighborhood kids. When it does snow here it is only a few inches at the most and it is not very often. The street seems to be in some kind of weird weather pocket, because as you drive away and head to 236th, as soon as you drive down the hill you may not find snow even if there is snow on your property.

There are coyotes out at night sometimes and I have heard of cats going missing. There are also dogs in the neighborhood. I have also seen many deer stopping by and there are many blackberry bushes around for them or the kids to eat from. The blackberries grow very fast, however, and can become a nuisance.The mailboxes are in a group at the entrance to the street and there is only a short walk to the bus stop around the corner.

The only types of public transportation here are the local school buses. You would need to go into downtown Redmond to find buses to take you to Seattle. There are grocery stores and many other stores nearby that would fulfill all the essential needs and then some. There are two golf courses nearby and a 10-15 minute drive away you will find Remlinger Farms - a great place to take the kids in summer. There is also a nice trail if you drive toward Novelty Hill. There are walking, biking and horse trails in that area. This street is only 20 minutes away from Snoqualmie Falls and the Salish Lodge and Spa, a fine dining restaurant within an exceptional hotel with spa facilities.

This street is great for families with children. There is a relaxed, friendly atmosphere here. During holiday seasons the neighborhood comes together. Homes are great in value and kids seem really happy here. It is such a short distance to the elementary school, but even though it is close by there is a steep hill to walk when you are returning home, and there is no school bus for the elementary kids which means the parents need to take care of transportation. There are, however, buses for the Junior High and High School students as those schools are further away. There are many dogs here that are well-loved and friendly with each other. Although everyone here is friendly, there is respect for people's privacy - so that is a nice mix. Very nice neighborhood.

On the corner of 228th and Redmond-Fall City Road is Louisa May Alcott Elementary School, in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD). As you enter the street the school is on your left and opposite the school is the local fire station. Fire fighters have volunteered at the school for various activities and even hosted field trips for the children. At Alcott Elementary there is a new annual competition "The Egg Drop" and the firefighters park the fire engine in the sport court area within the school and drop the kids' inventions from the raised ladder.

There is a great sense of community spirit here. People wave hello, smile and talk; forging friendships among themselves and their children. When school begins and ends each day, the safety patrol - consisting of 5th and 6th graders - man the crosswalks with adult supervision and make sure the children cross safely.

Whenever there is a school event the parking situation is difficult. The parking lot does not have enough spaces for these events, so cars overflow onto the street and park on the shoulders. This makes it difficult to see people coming out between the cars, opening their car doors and crossing the street if they are not near the crosswalk. It is pretty scary during these times when you are walking with a stroller or young children. However, as any resident here knows this is not an unusual occurrence, so residents are ever vigilant and conscientious during these times.

As you continue up the street there is a very steep winding curve in the road that became treacherous over the winter break during the storm. It was almost impossible to reach the crest of the hill, but luckily we had AWD. My daughter was not so lucky and my husband needed to collect her from the bottom of the hill. Motorists need to be especially careful as they are rounding this curve uphill or downhill as joggers and walkers seem to suddenly appear. The speed limit is important here for the safety of all its citizens.

This is a beautiful street with exclusive homes. The Broadhurst community is found off Ames Lake Road and is about halfway between Redmond and Fall City. The local school district is Snoqualmie Valley for most of Broadhurst, which is quite a commute for the kids on the school bus. Parents here are unhappy about the long commute – particularly for the little ones. Some streets nearby are even in the Lake Washington school district. It is quite a confusing set-up, related to the boundaries being mapped out before the addition of new schools in the area. Petitions are being put forth regarding changing the boundaries but this would affect local school taxes for citizens and land values if the petitions were to be approved.

The homes themselves are set really far apart on small acreage. There is a sense of community - people watch out for each other, their kids and their pets. It is very quiet and peaceful here – a pleasant place to take a stroll and form friendships. If you don't mind getting to know your neighbors, this is a beautiful place to live.

This road is a red-brick paved road, which is really unusual for the area. It is a bumpy ride, but very cute. 196th Ave connects from Union Hill Road and Redmond-Fall City Road (Highway 202). The road is for local residents and you wouldn't want to use it as a shortcut, anyway. King County is striving to protect and preserve the surface to keep the road historic.

Where the road connects to Union Hill Road there is a nursery with beautiful plants and if you head east to Sahalee Way right off 202 there is another nursery, the Gray Barn which is also the home of Pacific Topsoils.

Close by, in downtown Redmond it would be hard to find a store that didn't fulfill your needs. From department stores to pet stores, from health and fitness to fast food – Redmond is not really lacking. The nearby elementary school, Emily Dickinson, is ranked well in Washington state. Right next to it is Evergreen Junior High which is also an excellent school. Merging right from 196th to SR-202 is much easier now as there are two lanes in both directions.

This is a really nice road. The houses are a little boxy in places, but still very nice. There are sidewalks along both sides of the road and this new community is located very close to many different types of stores – QFC and Albertson's, restaurants, gym, mail center, UPS, gift store, McDonald's, Bank of America, pizzas, deli sandwich store, gas stations and pet store – among others.

Redmond Ridge Drive NE has a wonderful new elementary school. Many children from other local elementary schools have come here so there is less crowding in the other schools.

There is a really nice atmosphere in this neighborhood. There are families with strollers, children and adults alike cycling, and people walking dogs. There is a nearby trail that connects from Bothell to Marymoor Park in Redmond. It is about 10 miles long. It is totally paved and is shared by joggers, walkers, skaters and cyclists. It is truly beautiful – near Remlinger farms the trail is stunning with the fall colors. An equestrian trail is adjoined to the river trail between Marymoor Park and Woodinville.

The speed limit along Redmond Ridge Drive is 35 mph, which sometimes seems slow going, but there are so many people out and about that it is a reasonable limit. There is a new pediatric clinic nearby and new dental offices. Nearby Novelty Hill Road has a QFC with a great selection. Many of the people here know each other and it is not unusual to bump into people you know. There is a great sense of community here. I recommend being alert for local wildlife around this area – deer and raccoons especially.

236th begins at the junction of Albertson's, a 76 gas station and Redmond-Fall City Road. As you are turning into 236th you are facing an uphill drive (or ride as I've seen by intrepid cyclists and pedestrians). Heading downhill can be wearing on your brakes, as the speed limit is 35mph and there are often motorcycle police that patrol the area for speeders. It is not uncommon for drivers to be faced with a ticket on this road.

This is not a good road for children to be walking on or playing on. There are no sidewalks and the shoulders are minimal in places. The traffic is not too much, however drivers do not exercise the best caution here. There is no problem catching the bus to school as the buses stop at several points along this road. When buses are present motorists exercise patience and control.

There is a large faith-based organization on the left as you are heading uphill, which is the one of the two causes of the road widening some years ago. The other being a new community called Redmond Ridge which now connects 236th and Novelty Hill Road. The road is well maintained by the county. De-icer is applied at the appropriate times.

Albertson's has undergone a remodel and there is now a Starbucks inside. Mercury's coffee joined in on the opportunity and built a drive-thru coffee stand in the 76 parking lot which rivals the Starbucks.

The waterfront homes on West Lake Sammamish don't seem to be as sought after as the East side of the lake. Perhaps because a lot of the homes have high bank water front, which means very steep driveways or steep paths down to the lake from the yard. When road conditions are icy this makes for treacherous driving coming in or out of your home.

There is a beautiful park here, Idylwood Park, which many people frequent during the summer. There is a swimming beach, picnic areas and other recreational activities and facilities available for the general public. Westlake Sammamish NE is very close to Marymoor Park - an outstanding park on the Eastside. During the summer, parking can be difficult which sometimes means quite a walk to Idylwood Park, however there is an upper parking lot. There is a faith-based camp and conference center nearby which children frequent during the summer and there are great facilities for recreation and rental.

The exit from 520 onto Westlake Sammamish Parkway can sometimes be a slow drive, particularly during peak hours. The traffic is heavily congested from 148th to the Westlake exit, but this has improved since the road widening further on at Highway 202, and the entry ramp heading West to Seattle from Redmond Way and Avondale Road.

Housing ranges from single family homes to condominiums. Redmond Town Center is close by. Redmond Town Center used to cater more for families but seems to be upgrading to a more mature consumer. Many of the childrens' stores have moved elsewhere, such as Bellevue Square, which is a shame, but I heard that the leasing prices for stores has increased driving some businesses out and looking elsewhere for something more affordable. Gold Class Cinemas have replaced Regal, so going to that cinema is much mroe expensive than Bella Botega, but the experience is royal. Many teens frequent the outdoor mall and it is decorated beautifully in the winter holidays.

There are many beautiful homes along Lake Sammamish. There are waterfront properties that vary in quality and atmosphere - anywhere from pieces of recreational land to old homes to new homes - many worth millions. Parts of the Parkway will be undergoing road improvements soon, thankfully, as the road conditions are terrible and very congested in peak hours. The speed limit is 35 mph all the way from Redmond to Issaquah and is a bumpy, slow ride. Most of the traffic entering East Lake Sammamish Parkway comes from the 520 exit, onto Redmond Way and then onto the Parkway. There are three lanes from Redmond Way until after this exit, however most of the traffic ends up lining up in the right lane heading toward the east side of the lake. This makes exiting the Whole Foods and its surrounding stores difficult for customers.

However, traffic congestion aside, lakeside living at Sammamish and Redmond is truly beautiful. There are gorgeous sunsets seen from this side of the lake. The waterfront properties generally cost millions, so view homes are probably more in line with the general population. Many of the homes have private docks, but there are restrictions on when they can be built and at what size. There are many areas around the lake that have designated wetlands, in which you might not even know if you looked at them. It is important to do research on the wetlands so you don't end up with a property that cannot be touched or easily improved.

One thing about living on the lake at Sammamish is the lack of privacy from boaters, and even neighbors across the lake. Telescopes are in abundance in households here, so if you don't mind someone looking through your windows from the other side of the lake then that wouldn't be a problem for you. I have heard from friends that people boating by even stop and look in your windows or simply stop at your water's edge and stare. There is also a public walking/biking trail around the east side of the lake now and in some parts the trail seems perilously close to the front door. It used to be quite hard to access that side of the road but now the trail, constructed on an old railroad line, runs adjacent to the road, and unfortunately borders many of the properties. There is a large easement for the county to continue possible future expansions, but the neighbors have been up in arms about this issue.

There are pluses and minuses to the trail. Good; place to run and bike, and for kids to walk to friends' houses. Bad; lack of privacy and security from general public. The good thing about the trail is there are only a few parking access points, so you won't have the general public parking at your doorstep, but they may be walking right by it. It seems to me living on Lake Sammamish would feel like living in a fishbowl. Not the best depiction of relaxation.

Finally, Lake Sammamish is a busy one – at times overcrowded in the summer. There is a public boat launch at Issaquah which always has a very long line. Fourth of July, however, is a big event here. If you have waterfront you will have a great view of the fireworks. Marymoor Park is close by – a beautiful park with miles of trails, an off-leash dog area, sports fields (even including cricket!), climbing rock and playgrounds. Clise Mansion is also available for special event rentals. Cirque du Soleil has frequented Marymoor Park in the last few years. There are also concerts and movies in the park, a velodrome, and even a place to fly model airplanes/helicopters.

The neighborhood has a Homeowner's Association that includes CC&Rs. The area is in a wetland zone due to the houses being waterfront properties on a small lake (or a glorified pond). It is difficult to improve back yards as they back onto the lake and there is a buffer zone in which you need to request any major landscaping from the local government. The county however maintains the private trail around the lake. There is a community play and picnic area availble for use by residents. The lake itself is inhabited seasonally by geese, ducks, eagles and various other types of birds. There are beavers present in the lake who sometimes can be seen and heard splashing around and there is evidence of biting on surrounding trees. The lake trail is beautiful each season with various points of interest, such as deciduous trees, tall evergreens, a couple of bridges, community park and a salmon ladder. The colors are beautiful in the fall and abundant in spring and green in summer. There are canopies overhead in one area and another area that feels like you are walking through a forest with old growth evergreens. Local wildlife include deer, an occasional coyote at night (cat owners need to be vigilant), rabbits, squirrels and raccoons.

There are nearby strip malls that include all the essentials, such as groceries (QFC and Albertson's); fitness; restaurants (Mexican, Thai, pizzas; fast food, Sub delis; coffee chains); banking; pet retail; drycleaning; gas stations; UPS; gift store; dental offices and pediatricians. Many other types of retail are a 10-15 minute drive into downtown Redmond. This street is located in Unincorporated King County.

I have lived here for five years and have experienced a wonderful neighborhood where privacy, compassion, but also a great sense of community prevail. There are families with children ranging from infant to high school age. The nearby schools are excellent - in fact the nearby elementary school, Louisa May Alcott, has been awarded a "School of Distinction".

The only public transport available here are cars for hire such as taxi, town car and limousine services. The SeaTac airport shuttle is available for transportation to and from the airport, which is either 30-60 minutes depending on traffic. However, a park-and-ride is located 15 minutes into downtown Redmond. The commute to Seattle is not great unless you carpool. I have been unhappy with the quality of day care in this area. I have learned to rely on friends. The local Montessori pre-school, however, is excellent.

The children in the neighborhood enjoy playing on the street, riding bicycles or playing sport. Neighbors driving through are vigilant in their speed while there are children present - whether playing or walking to and from the bus stop which is right at the entrance to the neighborhood. I believe the community is a safe and secure one, rarely is a crime commited here and people seem to look out for each other. Security is an important issue and maintained well.

As for traffic, nearby Union Hill Road is not so busy compared to downtown Redmond. The commute into Remdond is a lot shorter than it used to be due to the road widening from Redmond down to Sahalee Way.

People seem to come to this neighborhood to escape city life but can and do get together on occasion to celebrate Fourth of July or other occasions. The neighbors I have met average in age from 30s to retirees.

The homes here are expensive, but each is crafted differently in keeping with the local covenants. There are a few dogs, but none of them present a nuisance to the community. Neighbors are conscientious in picking up after their pets. The street is a quiet one, and Halloween is a great time for parents and children alike to meet and is very safe for the children. Halloween outdoor decorations are usually quite creative and fun to experience.