How To Choose the Best Redmond Neighborhood?

Redmond is the city in King County and capital of Microsoft. It is one of the best places to live in Washington state. Redmond boasts both urban and suburban feel, with lots of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Redmond, and they usually choose to rent their homes.

Redmond has 72,166 people living in it, according to the last census count, with median age of 34 years. Median income is close to $1000,000, with unemployment rate of 4.1%.

When it comes to deciding where exactly to live in Redmond, among the factors come your lifestyle preferences, budget and many more. Keep in mind that if you consider owning home in Redmond, the median home price is $1.2 million. Compared to the rest of the country, Redmond's cost of living is 93.3% higher than the U.S. average.

NEIGHBORHOODS

The city of Redmond consists of ten neighborhoods. The Downtown and Overlake neighborhoods contain Redmond's two urban centers. The Bear Creek, Sammamish Valley, Southeast Redmond, and Willows / Rose Hill neighborhoods include a variety of land uses such as business parks, industrial and manufacturing, and residential. The remaining neighborhoods of Education Hill, Grass Lawn, Idylwood, and North Redmond predominantly include residential land uses.

Bear Creek is one of Redmond's most diverse neighborhoods in terms of land use mix. It is characterized by residential areas to the north and west, resource lands in the center of the neighborhood, and park uses along the eastern boundary of the neighborhood. The neighborhood's residential uses include detached single-family homes, manufactured homes, a retirement community, and apartments and condominiums.

Downtown Redmond is located in the heart of the city and is one of two designated regional growth centers in Redmond; today home to nearly 6,000 residents and more than 10,000 jobs. With wide sidewalks, an urban trail, and frequent bus service (and light rail coming in 2024!), thousands of people enjoy the lively, connected neighborhood by foot, bike, and bus. Downtown offers a variety of shopping, dining, services, events, employment, mixed-use residences, hotels, and parks.

Situated on a hillside overlooking the Sammamish Valley to the west, the Bear Creek Valley and the Cascade Mountains to the east, the Education Hill Neighborhood is centrally located in Redmond. Its name derives from the numerous schools located in the area, including Redmond High, Redmond Junior High, and two elementary schools: Horace Mann and Rockwell Elementary. The southern end of the planning area borders the Downtown Neighborhood, providing access to a variety of shopping and other services.

Education Hill is one of Redmond’s largest residential neighborhoods, yet is cohesive, largely due to the topography of the hill, which defines the area and creates a neighborhood that is somewhat geographically distinct from other areas in the city. Many neighborhood residents cherish the walkability of their neighborhood, the number of schools and churches in the area, and the friendliness of neighbors.

Situated on a hillside overlooking Redmond’s Sammamish Valley and the Cascade Mountains to the north and east, Grass Lawn Neighborhood is located on the west side of Redmond.

The Grass Lawn Neighborhood consists of several smaller neighborhoods with similarities in character and needs, as well as unique differences. The majority of the neighborhood is zoned for residential uses, with two small commercially zoned areas. The majority of the houses are built at a low to moderate density, with the exception of a fair amount of apartment and condominium developments in the eastern part of the neighborhood. Grass Lawn is a mature, highly walkable neighborhood with established character. The neighborhood includes Grass Lawn Park, a facility highly valued by the neighborhood and others as a community gathering place.

With striking views of Lake Sammamish and Marymoor Park, the Idylwood Neighborhood is a predominantly residential area located on a slope overlooking Lake Sammamish. Signature places in the Idylwood Neighborhood include Idylwood Beach Park that attracts families and others who enjoy swimming and the lakefront beach amenities and Audubon Elementary School. The neighborhood also includes a wide variety of homes within close proximity to the Overlake Urban Center. Idylwood’s strong sense of community stems from the value residents place on having a neighborhood that is well maintained and friendly, with many trees and places to walk. Amenities, such as landscaping and art, serve as focal points throughout the neighborhood and help to build a sense of pride.

North Redmond, located in the northeastern corner of the city, is primarily residential, consisting largely of low density and low-moderate density housing. North Redmond is served by parks and trails within the adjacent neighborhoods including the Puget Power Trail, as well as large areas of open space just outside its boundaries.

The Overlake Neighborhood contains one of Redmond’s two urban centers, and offers a variety of employment opportunities, corporate campuses, shopping and dense multi-family housing. The neighborhood includes Overlake Village, an emerging, mixed-use neighborhood, and the Overlake Employment Area, home to advanced technology, research and development corporations. Together, with the Overlake Residential Area, they help form our geographically largest neighborhood. As the Overlake neighborhood transitions into a dense, vibrant urban center with multi-family housing, strong employment, and the addition of light rail stations opening in 2023, the area will enjoy a very high walk-score, bike-ability and will be connected by rail to the region.

The Sammamish Valley is bounded on the north by the Redmond City limits, on the south by Downtown Redmond, on the east by the slopes of Education Hill, and on the west by Willows Road. The south end of the Sammamish Valley is a manufacturing and research and development area. These types of uses transition to recreation and agricultural uses at the north end of the valley.

The Southeast Redmond neighborhood is bounded generally on the west by Marymoor Park and the terminus of SR 520, on the south and east by the city limit, and on the north by Evans Creek and Bear Creek. Land uses in Southeast Redmond vary, including business park in the north, industry and retail in the western portion, and moderate-density residential in the eastern and southern parts of the neighborhood.

The Willows/Rose Hill neighborhood is located in the northwest part of Redmond. It is bordered on the east by Willows Road, on the north by NE 124th Street, on the west by 132nd Avenue NE, and on the south by Redmond Way/NE 85th Street. The Willows/Rose Hill neighborhood totals about 1.8 square miles, or a little over 10 percent of Redmond's land area. As of mid-1999, roughly 4,100 people lived in this neighborhood and by the year 2012, about 900 more people are expected to live here. The neighborhood also includes 2.2 million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space along the west side of Willows Road in which about 5,200 people work.

Conclusion

Some areas of Redmond may be more attractive to live in than others. With its unrivalled quality of life and vibrant atmosphere, Redmond is truly a special place to call home!