compare Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell (Sammamish, Kingsgate: low income, apartments, condos)

[bloom]

I'm guessing only that Kirkland is nice, cute, and some upscale.
Redmond similar, with a more urban like downtown.
Kenmore more sterile. Any connection to Sears? Seems Redmond and Kirkland have better stores etc.
?Bothell
Which are worse schools?
More poor socio-economic issues?

[mkarch]

Kirkland is considered more upscale, it has parts along Lake Washington where that reputation is justified, and it has other areas where it's not much different from other lowland suburbs.

Kenmore is transitional. It has lakefront, and it has previously unincorporated areas that built up in an unorganized fashion.

Redmond and Bothell are huge. Neither have land that is particularly spectacular (lake mountain sound) except for a few pockets near Lake Sammamish in Redmond. Redmond is closer to Microsoft, so more upscale development centered around it.

None of them have an urban downtown.

[Densi52]

Redmond is working on a more urban downtown feel with tons of high rise condos under construction near Redmond Town Center. I'm wondering who is going to fill all of the units.

[bloom]

^ Microsoft employees?

[angelenogirl]

Kirkland: Most quaint, upscale, waterfront, nice schools
Redmond: Microsofties, a little sterile, but clean/safe and decent schools
Bothell: Good investment, some good schools, affordable, old downtown is being built out
Kenmore: Except for spots of waterfront...meh

[Ira500]

Kirkland- It's big, and various neighborhoods are very different from each other. Downtown is very nice/quaint, and Juanita's nice too. Kingsgate has a lot of crummy 1970's apartments and condos.
Kenmore- I wouldn't call it sterile, more like a 1950's suburb.
Redmond-Surprisingly good places to eat.
Bothell- A mixture of nice new houses, kind of nice old downtown, and some beat up parts.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by bloom

I'm guessing only that Kirkland is nice, cute, and some upscale.
Redmond similar, with a more urban like downtown.
Kenmore more sterile. Any connection to Sears? Seems Redmond and Kirkland have better stores etc.
?Bothell
Which are worse schools?
More poor socio-economic issues?

1) Yes, yes, and depends on the neighborhood. NorKirk has $2M renovations or new construction next to old cottages that need to be bulldozed. I find it rather endearing, was just yesterday looking at three adjacent modern homes with three distinct architectural styles: one Spanish, like you'd see in say La Jolla. The second brick, definitely East or specifically New England. The third classic PacNW c. post War boom. All renovated tastefully. Less disjointed than...interesting. The six-cars-in-the-yard, barking pitbull on a chain places are slowly but surely being bought-out, YoY.

2) Yes, if "urban-like" means busy main streets with shopping plazas. There are a couple "downtown" streets with a bit smaller feel, but it's all part of the whole.

3) Probably yes. Depends what you call "better" stores.

4) Bothell has a couple downtown streets with rather cute businesses. Best darn cafe for miles around there, too (Alexa's).

What "poor socio-economic issues?"

[modc]

I have given up trying to categorize schools in a city as all nice or all bad. You probably want to look at the schools individually.

Also, hard to know what you mean by worse schools. If you mean test scores, that information is available at greatschools.com. If you mean socioeconomic demographics, that information is on the school district's website. If you mean caring teachers, no bullying, and involved parents.... That's a little harder to obtain so if you find it, please share

[modc]

Re: stores, Redmond and Kirkland are the only ones with Trader Joes. North Kirkland has Fred Meyers, Redmond has Fred Meyers and Target on Avondale, South Bothell has a Target close by in Woodinville. I think that unless you go into more rural Redmond, or Bothell there plenty of grocery stores around.

Boutique stores are mainly in downtown Kirkland. Redmond has Redmond Town Center which is an outdoor mall with Macy's, Eddie Bauer etc.

[bloom]

Thanks all so far - very helpful
Stores (imo):
Good - Trader Joes, Costco, Coffee sandwich Cafes, Real bagel shops; Real pizza parlors
Not so good - QFC, Safeway, Petco, most restaurant chains - TGIF, Olive G, pizza chains, most corporate fast food
Blah, meh - Target
Poor socioeconomic (undesirable permutation of the following) - poor community feeling, low income, homeless, drugs, run down, crime, poor schools in terms of caring, test scores, community investment, parental involvement, lousy teachers, non-holistic, teach to test only, non-extracurricular