Walkable - New Suburbs? (Similar to Issaquah Highlands) (Seattle, Bellevue: sales, real estate)

[4SR]

Hi,

I'm looking to make my move back to Seattle and no longer, but don't want to move to Seattle proper. Instead I'm looking towards the suburbs and walkability/town center is my biggest want. I'm not too concerned with commute as I only will need to go to either Bellevue or Seattle 3-4 times a month. I really like the Issaquah Highlands, but inventory always seem to be low. Are there any other master-planned projects looking to replicate the highlands? (walkability, new construction, open spaces). So far all I've seen are:

1. Totem Lake Village - Too close to 405 to live comfortably next to imo
2. Woodinville Wine Village - Not sure if this is even being built.
3. Park Place Kirkland Redevelopment - My budget is <1 mill and I'm looking for >1800 sqft...won't get that anywhere west of the 405 in Kirkland that's walkable

Am I missing any other potential large redevelopments? Any recommendations?

Also, if anyone has lived in the Highlands, any cons?

Thanks!

[flyingsaucermom]

You should get in contact with local Highlands agents. Only two names, really, dominate the neighborhood. My guess is you tell them what you want and they'll keep an eye out for you.

The top 10 cons to living in the Highlands:


1) There are (just a couple) predictable moments of standstill traffic. If you live east of the elementary school don't try to leave the neighborhood between 8:50 and 9:10am.

2) Streets are narrow. It was by design. It's called New Urbanism. It's not in the signing contract, but every new home owner ought to know about New Urbanism before they start complaining about the narrow roads. The placement of the elementary school, however, is not New Urbanism.

3) Speaking of contracts... When you sell your Highlands home, I think like .25% of the sell price goes to this organization called Highlands Council which is our in-house community development and marketing department. This sum is not insignificant and although I know and appreciate the staff members of HC, I can't say $2,500 on every $1mm sale what is what it deserves. Take it or leave it. Real estate agents often don't know or fail to mention it and years later it becomes a particularly nasty surprise.

4) There are different school boundaries within the neighborhood and all Kindergarteners are sent to other schools outside the Highlands.

5) When it's warm enough to keep the windows open you sometimes hear people fighting and people having sex. You also hear regular noises like dogs barking, kids playing, cooking and the TV of course, but it's the sex and fighting that you don't expect to hear in a presentable, upper middle class neighborhood. Sometimes we make jokes about it on social media and that's fun, at least the jokes about sex. Domestic issues, not so much...

6) High density living = high density of dog shi$.

7) Grand Ridge Plaza shops are crap, especially if you know the history of the neighborhood and it was once promised to become the UVillage of the Eastside.

8) Power outages seem to affect us more than many other communities including Klahanie of Sammamish.

9) We keep asking for a pool, but they keep giving us more housing.

10) Ruins nearly all other communities elsewhere for the rest of your life. You might think for a moment how nice x, y or z might be in another place, but then you realize that you'd have to give up x and y for z, or z and x for y, or z and y for x.. and it's just not worth it. Not when you get x, y and z all in once place.

[grega94]

DuPont is another New Urbanist planed town.

[Gardyloo]

You might also look at the Harbour Pointe district in Mukilteo.

Typical street scene - https://goo.gl/maps/tDY7jyUeBrG2

[josie13]

Edmonds is lovely and has a walkable, downtown. Also walkable rail access to Seattle.

[4SR]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

You should get in contact with local Highlands agents. Only two names, really, dominate the neighborhood. My guess is you tell them what you want and they'll keep an eye out for you.

The top 10 cons to living in the Highlands:


1) There are (just a couple) predictable moments of standstill traffic. If you live east of the elementary school don't try to leave the neighborhood between 8:50 and 9:10am.

2) Streets are narrow. It was by design. It's called New Urbanism. It's not in the signing contract, but every new home owner ought to know about New Urbanism before they start complaining about the narrow roads. The placement of the elementary school, however, is not New Urbanism.

3) Speaking of contracts... When you sell your Highlands home, I think like .25% of the sell price goes to this organization called Highlands Council which is our in-house community development and marketing department. This sum is not insignificant and although I know and appreciate the staff members of HC, I can't say $2,500 on every $1mm sale what is what it deserves. Take it or leave it. Real estate agents often don't know or fail to mention it and years later it becomes a particularly nasty surprise.

4) There are different school boundaries within the neighborhood and all Kindergarteners are sent to other schools outside the Highlands.

5) When it's warm enough to keep the windows open you sometimes hear people fighting and people having sex. You also hear regular noises like dogs barking, kids playing, cooking and the TV of course, but it's the sex and fighting that you don't expect to hear in a presentable, upper middle class neighborhood. Sometimes we make jokes about it on social media and that's fun, at least the jokes about sex. Domestic issues, not so much...

6) High density living = high density of dog shi$.

7) Grand Ridge Plaza shops are crap, especially if you know the history of the neighborhood and it was once promised to become the UVillage of the Eastside.

8) Power outages seem to affect us more than many other communities including Klahanie of Sammamish.

9) We keep asking for a pool, but they keep giving us more housing.

10) Ruins nearly all other communities elsewhere for the rest of your life. You might think for a moment how nice x, y or z might be in another place, but then you realize that you'd have to give up x and y for z, or z and x for y, or z and y for x.. and it's just not worth it. Not when you get x, y and z all in once place.

This is great! Thanks for all the info. For the most part, I've been using Redfin, but I think it might be time to begin discussing with a seasoned agent to get access the "pre" market homes.

Your other cons are on par with what I've experienced in a very similar master planned community down in Southern California(Promised a retail megaplex, ended up with a modest town center, dog poop, and noise).

I totally agree with you, even with its faults...I don't think I'd be OK living a community without all the amenities that come with master planned communities.

[4SR]

Originally Posted by grega94

DuPont is another New Urbanist planed town.

I looked into Dupont, but I'm partial to areas north of Renton. Dupont feels extremely isolated from Seattle proper and my wife's job will be in either Bellevue/Redmond/Seattle.

[41Willys]

If you lived in Issaquah Highlands you wouldn't even need a car. Very compaq living with plenty of transportation to Seattle.

[wushuliu]

I live in the Highlands. If you're new to Seattle area it's a very convenient location, other than that it's nothing special. It's got an over-priced movie theater, mediocre restaurants, and a Marshalls/Home Goods, etc. Whoopee. The townhomes are ridiculously expensive, or I should say *were* since sales have dropped and prices are following.


It does have a Park and Ride and there are some great views (at least until more townhomes go up to block them), but there is not nearly enough decent retail to make the Highlands worth the price IMO. You've still got to drive to Fred Meyer, Costco, decent food, and Target.


The UPS store is a plus for returning Amazon products though.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by wushuliu

I live in the Highlands. If you're new to Seattle area it's a very convenient location, other than that it's nothing special. It's got an over-priced movie theater, mediocre restaurants, and a Marshalls/Home Goods, etc. Whoopee. The townhomes are ridiculously expensive, or I should say *were* since sales have dropped and prices are following.


It does have a Park and Ride and there are some great views (at least until more townhomes go up to block them), but there is not nearly enough decent retail to make the Highlands worth the price IMO. You've still got to drive to Fred Meyer, Costco, decent food, and Target.


The UPS store is a plus for returning Amazon products though.

How cheap?