I just checked out Issaquah Highlands for fun (Seattle, Redmond: real estate, condos)

[Redline]

drove up to the highlands area and it looks like they are going to drop a big mall or something up there. Either that or more condos? Anyone know? The whole place has been clearcut of trees and they have all the streets and signals down (finally someone in Seattle is doing that the right way instead of putting in streets as an afterthought). Can't wait to see what happens there over the next few years.

Everywhere we looked there were streets of houses upon houses all close together. As we drove up higher and higher the houses got bigger and nicer. Definitely no shortage of residential property up there right now.

I liked the fact that it was relatively friendly for pedestrians to walk around given all the sidewalks and parks. Having said that though, there were definitely a LOT of cars parked on the street on both sides so I'm not sure exactly how friendly it is to pedestrians.

Cool area though but I think I still prefer Kirkland. I think the houses up in Issaquah were just as expensive if not moreso. I'd live out there if I worked out there though.

[allforcats]

Sounds like and interesting reconnoiter, Redline. I've read on C-D that the schools are quite good in the Issaquah Highlands. And from your research, it seems the houses are too! :-)

[wsugrad03]

The Issaquah Highlands is supposed to be a "New Urbanism" development. Basically, highly walkable and self sustaining. The High Street Village was supposed to be developed years ago I think. Construction was delayed for one reason or another. I heard there used to be a Microsoft campus planned there as well as a Whole Foods. But, I'm not sure if either is expected at this point. This is one of the problems of buying into a corporate promise. It might be several more years before the Highlands village is completed, and it might not be what the residents were expecting.

But yes, the Highlands is extremely expensive....much more expensive than I think it is actually worth. All of those shoe box homes jammed together is a little suffocating. I also hate how all the parking is in the back through the alley. You need a Mini just to be able to park in your garage.

On the plus side, the local park and ride is a huge plus. I think eventually this place will be a nice place to live. It's just hard to fork over $400+ grand for a 3 bedroom condo that's 30 minutes from Seattle. I'd rather live in Seattle and buy the same $400K condo and not have to deal with the commute.

[Topaz]

Issaquah Highlands feels completely claustrophobic to me. The urban village concept is only cool if there are a lot of restaurants, shops, art galleries, etc. mixed in with all the houses. Issaquah Highlands just has tons of homes smashed next to each other, along with a bunch of cars that don't seem to have adequate parking. Maybe they need parking garages to keep the cars confined to one place on each block, but that isn't how the community was designed.

[sean98125]

Swedish is building a new hospital across the road from High Streets Village.

[Beenaroundabit]

drove up to the highlands area and it looks like they are going to drop a big mall or something up there. Either that or more condos? Anyone know?

I had heard that Microsoft was putting a new facility up there, but I don't know if it's true or not. I can see the clearcut from the part of Issaquah where I live and it seems like it's been there for quite a while.

I live near the Highlands and have been through there, mainly to use the dog park. It seems OK to me and the houses don't seem any closer together than most parts of Seattle - not any part where the homes are comparable, price-wise, anyway (I'm sure if your funds were bottomless you could find a Seattle home with space-galore). And chances are in Seattle you won't be able to find any covered parking, either, so having your own garage would seem to be a benefit. But in the end, I think it really comes down to whether you prefer to live downtown or not. Many don't, for whatever reason - work on the east side, don't like the city congestion, whatever.

[jwb123]

Microsoft was supposedly building up there ever since we lived there in 2001!

[Topaz]

Microsoft keeps postponing or scaling back its original plans for expansion in Issaquah Highlands.

Microsoft move in Redmond alters Issaquah planning

[jmueller8]

Interesting thread to me, because we're considering moving to the Highlands ourselves (from Seattle/Cap. Hill). Our realtor has been hestitant about it, only because he's not sure how resale value would be in five or so years (small lots... he tells us that "typical eastside buyers" want more of a yard) but the density doesn't bother me, and we're really attracted to the walk-ability of the place. He's also showing us the Trossachs in Sammamish, but man, that seems reeeally far out there. I don't know, I guess the Highlands just felt a little warmer/more energetic to me for some reason.

Anyway, I too have heard of lots of tabled plans for retail and commercial business in the Highlands, and if it's slow to come, well, I wouldn't think that that would be good for resale values either. It will be interesting to see that area develop (or not) over the next few years.

[VeronikaW]

Living in the Highlands, I was pretty excited at the prospect of all the shops and stuff they were supposed to be putting up here, but the more I've heard, the less likely any of that stuff will be finished, even if we stay here the full 4 years we're supposed to. I think if they do ever finish the shopping/movie theatre/etc. that it would raise real estate values up here, but I don't know. I'd heard that all the major retailers that were going up here have all pulled out, which explains why nothing's been built yet.

All in all, though, I still love it up here. We have 1 great and 1 good restaurant (Sip and Marcela's) and one we haven't tried (World Pies) the others are blah (the sushi place and Subway), and we're close to I-90, and everything else we need.

V. =)