Looking to buy a home on the Eastside? Here’s what you need to know

If you are a Seattle native, you’ve watched the Eastside develop into a bustling area with its own identity. However, if you are a transplant, the term “I live in Seattle” means anywhere in or around Seattle’s actual city.

Diving into the distinction of the Eastside and its many neighborhoods requires a more in-depth investigation.

At one time, when you referenced the Eastside, the immediate response was something akin to, “Redmond, that’s where Microsoft is.” While this remains true, the Eastside is far more than a single company town.

Most obvious is the tremendous growth the downtown area of Bellevue has experienced. At one time, Bellevue Square and its surrounding smaller shopping centers anchored the business district. Today, everything from Meydenbauer Center to the Bellevue Arts Museum serves as a center to the vibrant city center. Even the skyline has gone through a reimagining where if you are fortunate to be near the water to the west of Bellevue in Seattle or south in Mercer Island, you have a breathtaking night view.

While Bellevue has enjoyed tremendous business development, it has been an established city for quite some time. This long history has aided Bellevue’s ability to boast at having the top-rated school district in the state of Washington and three out of five top-rated public high schools in the state.

A couple of Bellevue's most prominent neighborhoods include Medina and Clyde Hill, with their unobstructed Seattle views. Regardless, Bellevue has many lovely areas with homes that range from the regional averages up to the most expensive and affluent properties in the country.

Immediately north of Bellevue is where you will find one of the most beautiful suburbs in the region. Kirkland, developed around its center on Lake Washington, offers spectacular views of Seattle. On summer days, enjoy the beauty of sailboats on the water while walking along Market St. Local shops —  from wine bars to coffee shops — make this an ideal destination to spend an afternoon. If you are fortunate enough to live in Kirkland, it’s all that much better.

As you move east of this trendy district, Kirkland has some beautiful, established neighborhoods that continue until you reach Woodinville.

Woodinville offers a bit of everything. While you will still find fenced properties complete with horses, perhaps what Woodinville is most known for is its many distinct developments and, of course, wineries. Great schools, beautiful homes, parks, country and wineries. The pace and rhythm of Woodinville are hard to match.

As marvelous as each of these mentioned areas are, the Eastside has a few more places to consider.

Perhaps the largest of these is Redmond. Like the rest of the Eastside, Redmond’s schools are fantastic and boast some of the best in the state. Homes are typically larger and newer than comparably priced homes in Seattle. While the commute to Seattle can be a challenge, given Bellevue and Redmond’s business districts’ size, this may not matter.

At the southern edge of Redmond is where you will find the famed Marymoor Park which sits at the top of Lake Sammamish. Summertime concerts, as well as too many soccer fields to count and even the region’s only velodrome, make this a popular destination for families.

It sounds like a bit of a broken record, but great schools seem to be a significant part of each of the Eastside's areas.

The last two areas that should be on one’s list to investigate if moving to the Eastside are Sammamish and Issaquah. Sammamish has some of the most beautiful homes. Many of which line the lake and have spectacular views. The fact that you can feel like you’re in a summer retreat and still close to the city adds to the area’s lour.

Issaquah’s Klahanie is a bit newer with a beautiful new city center that is bustling with coffee shops and pizza places. There is also an older Issaquah city center with a similar mix of older establishments. Issaquah features many beautifully manicured home developments. And like the rest of the Eastside, there is a bit of everything in Issaquah.