Newcastle | Beautiful views, friendly development

The upscale Olympus neighborhood in Newcastle lives up to the grandeur its name implies, with sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains, Lake Washington and Mount Rainier, along with well-kept yards and homes.

Longtime resident Mark Ledbury says that the neighborhood also is very friendly.

"We have one neighbor who is capable of going from no plans to a 12-person dinner party in less than an hour," Ledbury says.

The 267-home development was built in the early to mid-1990s.

"It is close to everything. I-405 is easy to get to, so it is a nice central place to get to all the places we go," says Ledbury, who has lived in Olympus for 15 years and is the original owner of his home.

The 23-acre Lake Boren Park at the base of Olympus is a major asset to the neighborhood and a gathering place for many Newcastle residents.

With a large play area, sand volleyball court, tennis courts, walking trails and a fishing dock, it is a popular destination. Summer at Lake Boren Park is full of activities such as the weekly Summer Concert Series, 4th of July celebration, Newcastle Days and Moonlight Movies.

The homeowners association, which meets monthly, also hosts an annual neighborhood garage sale and Easter egg hunt and has a cleanup weekend, where they place large trash bins throughout the neighborhood.

"Anyone in the neighborhood can use them. It is for yard cleanup, cleaning out the garage or house projects," Ledbury says.

Diane Yee, who moved to Olympus from Seattle in 1992, says the community events give Olympus a small-town feel.

"Those things don't happen in Seattle because it is so large. They have fun events, but they are not as intimate," she says.

Yee says she and her husband chose Olympus because they discovered that by moving a little farther south on the Eastside they could get a bigger and newer house for their money.

Olympus is served by two school districts: Issaquah and Renton. Both elementary schools have new buildings, with Issaquah's Newcastle Elementary, which opened in 2004, and Renton's Hazelwood Elementary, which opened in 2005.

The neighborhood also has wide streets, making it a good place for walkers and bicyclists, as well as walking trails and a large greenbelt.

The well-maintained yards and homes are a hallmark of Olympus and are enforced by neighborhood covenants. For instance, residents need to submit a paint sample before painting their home, and there are codes requiring residents to keep their yards maintained.

"It is just to try to keep the neighborhood looking good and keep the property values up," Ledbury says.

But it is more than appearance, he adds. "Instead of being just a neighborhood of houses, it is a community."