Downtown Kirkland | Loaded with charm

Julie Metteer was born and raised in Kirkland, and when she returned to the Seattle area after working in Bellingham, she thought she wanted a change of scene.

After checking out bustling, crowded neighborhoods in Seattle, she visited downtown Kirkland again and it felt like home and being on vacation all at once.

It was then she realized that it wasn't change she sought. She wanted the charm of public marinas, lakeside parks, streets lined with trees and more then 100 flower pots, cafes and boutiques, whimsical outdoor sculptures and a flurry of community events and festivals.

"It's just so beautiful, lively and fun down here. ... You can walk everywhere and it's the ultimate girl's day out with all the salons, boutiques and great restaurants," said Metteer, who works as promotions manager for Kirkland Downtown Association.

The downtown area includes the residential areas of Market, Norkirk and Moss Bay. Like neighboring downtown regions, Kirkland's downtown offers a mix of shops, restaurants, homes, apartments and businesses, but with a decidedly more low-key atmosphere. Google and Microsoft have offices in downtown Kirkland, but not in high-rise buildings.

"Here you look out and see all the flowers and trees and people walking their dogs or taking their children to the lakeshore, and the feel is so comfortable and inviting. There's a real community feel with the merchants, the businesses and the people," said Marsha Matchett, a real-estate broker with Windermere Real Estate's downtown Kirkland branch.

It may not have the energy and crowds of downtown Seattle, but downtown Kirkland is definitely a draw for people from all around the region.

Throughout the year there are events and festivals that keep the area alive with visitors and shoppers, including weekly art walks and concerts in the park in summer.

All these amenities can come at a price. Homes in the Market area can reach $1.4 million for a 3,300-square-foot, three-bedroom home to $2.8 million for a 3,700-square-foot, five-bedroom house with views of Lake Washington.

But, Matchett says, it is a common misconception that downtown Kirkland is all big, multimillion dollar homes. You can also find two-bedroom town houses with 1,300 square feet for $475,000 just off the area's main drag, Central Way, and one-bedroom waterfront condos with 560 square feet for just under $400,000 and other homes close to the median prices found throughout King County.

That helps attract a diverse group of residents, Matchett said.

"You have people with dogs, professionals, families, young people and older people. It's a gathering place."