Growing up in Renton? (Seattle, Kent: for rent, new house, movie theater)

[seanb]

To be honest I have been in or around Renton my whole life and Hendrix is the only celeb I know about. Gary Ridgeway (the Green River Killer) worked at the Kenworth Plant in the City but I do not consider him a celeb. The one the that Renton "should" known for is that every Boeing 737 made was built and took off from Renton Municipal Airport.

[milodeamara]

Why are people posting about the West Side (Renton) when this Fairwood is actually on the East Side near Spokane? I know there is an area referred to as the Fairwood Area of Renton, but as of yet it is not an actual town or city. I did a double take on the name as well and then looked at the map! That is how I learned of this other place in Eastern Washington known as Fairwood, WA.

[scirocco22]

You're technically correct, milodeamara.

However, we have to take these terms in context. On this particular thread, we are discussing Renton. So Fairwood being a prominent neighborhood in Renton, it's perfectly acceptable to refer to it as just "Fairwood." I don't think anybody's going to be confusing the two Fairwoods because of the context being used in this thread.

True, Fairwood in Renton is not an incorporated town. If it was ever to become one, It would have to be renamed because as you have pointed out, there's already is an incorportated town called Fairwood Washington.

[princessvanessa]

My family moved up here in 1958--2 acres on the Cedar River, between Renton and Maple Valley (Dad still lives there). I graduated from Tahoma (Maple Valley) in 1971 and moved into the general area in 1974. We were across the river from Riverbend Mobile Home Park which is on the Maple Valley Highway. It was a "better" mobile park. On the same highway there were two more mobile parks, Wonderland (another "better" park) and Valley View Mobile Park (so-so in character). If you want a "disreputable" mobile home park in the general Renton area (from the late 60s to mid 70s) that would be Cedar Grove Mobile Home Park. At the first hard rain the Cedar River would rise and Cedar Grove Mobile Park would be flooded. I cannot tell you how many times our school bus had to let the kids off on Cedar Grove Road and let them hike about half a mile in to the mobile park because the water was too deep for the bus. There would be broken down cars on blocks and all kinds of junk laying around.

To those who have ties to Cedar Grove Mobile Park; I have not been back in there since the mid 1970s--so everyone please, please, please don't crucify me---this was way back when---I'm sure it is lovely now and the writer only is looking for material (places with names) to write about.

Yeah, the loop was still going in the early 80's. The police would try to stop the kids but it wasn't until the mid to late 80s that signs were posted to stop cruisers. After the posting of the signs, police would sit in their cruisers and take down kids license plates. If you went by more than a couple times, they pulled you over.

Out in the country there was not a lot to do. In Renton there was the Renton Theater and the Roxy Theater--right across the street from each other.

My big thing was to go either horseback riding or swimming at the Aqua Barn on the Maple Valley Highway (between Wonderland Mobile Park and Valley View Mobile Park). You could rent a horse and go for a ride. The Aqua Barn is not there anymore, a bunch of houses and a huge church is on that site.

For my family, going into Seattle was a BIG deal. As a family outing we usually went to Woodland Park Zoo, once a year.

Anything else you might like to know, ask away.

[Kersti Persson]

This is SO usefull for me in my research! Thank you! I'll get back with more questions.

[Kate_in_England]

I grew up in Renton (moved over from the UK at age 9) was there from 1974-1985..I remember cruising the loop! Then they closed it and we went to Payless (now walmart) parking lot for a while

I was just over visiting last month-it has changed alot....even my old high school (LIndbergh) looks different

Random Renton memories from growing up

Shakey's pizza -where you could watch them make the pizza's )
Pizza Haven
Herfy's
Dag's
Liberty Park swimming pool
when the Benson was just 2 lanes and was considered "in the sticks"
Mr. Lee's beauty school for cheap haircuts

[Kate_in_England]

Originally Posted by Kersti Persson

Yes, that was a big help to know! Both that Cedar river can be dangerous to swim in and that people were (are?) floating on innertubes there. That's exactly the kind of river I need for my story.
Another thing that would be really usefull for me to know is are there any fancier/richer neighborhood, and any "poorer" ? Are there any projects in Renton?
Again, thanks a lot for your help!

There is an apartment complex-Royal Hills-it was welfare housing when i lived in Renton back in the 70's and now from what I'm told, it's even worse, and cops won't go down there without lots of back up. It's located at the bottom of a hill (Royal Hills Drive on the other side of SE116th from puget Drive) ) and it (well it was when I lived in renton) the only thing down there, like a dead end...

Fairwood Greens was considered a "fancy" neighbourhood....

[southofseattle]

In 1983 I was in my early 20s living in a small apartment on the Cedar River in the quaint old downtown Renton area. My friends and I would go dancing on the weekends, sometimes into downtown Seattle where the clubs were full of energy. Serial killer Ted Bundy was busy during my teen years and had left a mark of fear on most sensible young women when out alone.

My favorite activity as a young girl living on the west hill (Skyway) above Renton was innertubing down the Cedar River. It had just enough rapids to make it exciting and slightly dangerous. It was also special to go to the Renton shopping center with JC Pennys as its anchor, or see movies at the Roxy or Renton theatres.

In the early 1990s my sister lived on the river in a cute old home we called the "love shack" with her husband and three small children. I remember having to lay sandbags to prevent floodwaters from reaching the house more than once. I would have dreams about her and the kids floating down the river in their little house. I still love that river! The Renton library stradles it and a beautiful walking trail runs along it for miles.

[Abe Lincoln]

I'm kind of late on this thread but my Dad remembers Clint Eastwood working as a lifeguard at Kennydale Beach, in Renton.

My memories include:
- Renton and Roxy theaters and also the Renton Cinema which had TWO theaters (unusuall for that time).
- The Renton Loop
- Pizza Haven (a popular pizza place that I worked at)
- Boeing and Paccar (my family all seemed to work at one or the other place)
- Renton Pool
- Swimming on the sandbar at the mouth of the Cedar River in Lake Washington
- Log boom at the mouth of the Cedar River
- Fishing for Sockeye in July
- Innertubing on the Cedar
- The 88 Cents Store
- Marching through Renton to the Football game (I was in the Renton High Marching band for a year)

[theRain]

There was a "mom-n-pop" burger joint on Sunset Way, called the Hungry Hut! A nice hang out for some regulars, and a fun place to work for a high school kid.