Issaquah still feels like a sweet spot. Can Kirkland?

A recent Seattle Times piece asks why buyers keep flocking to Issaquah, even with home prices well above $1 million. The answer says as much about Kirkland as it does about Issaquah.

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The reasons are consistent: strong schools, quick access to jobs in Seattle and Bellevue by way of I-90, nature and open space nearby, and a small-town feel that still feels intact. Issaquah sits close enough to the region's job centers to stay connected — but far enough that residents describe it as removed from the big city. That balance is the whole draw.

Even as the city grows, much of its development has concentrated in areas like the Highlands, letting other neighborhoods keep a quieter, more livable character.

Why this matters in Kirkland

For a lot of us, this should sound familiar.

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Kirkland has long offered the same combination: regional jobs within reach, strong schools, water and open space close by, and neighborhoods that felt distinct and livable. That mix is a big part of what drew people here in the first place.

As growth continues, the question shifts. It's less about *whether* we grow and more about *how* that growth shows up in daily life. Planning can set a direction, but it can't fully predict how people live, move, and decide over time. And communities aren't just collections of housing units — they're places with shared expectations about livability, safety, and connection. Those take years to build and are hard to rebuild once lost.

Even in Issaquah, residents are starting to notice the shift: more traffic, more noise, a change in character as density climbs.

[📷 INSERT: C-traffic.mov — a busy Kirkland street at the end of the day, the tradeoff up close]

Growth brings tradeoffs. The takeaway isn't that growth is wrong. It's that how and where it happens matters. Good policy leaves room to observe, learn, and adjust — and when outcomes start to diverge from what was intended, it is reasonable to pause and ask whether the current approach is working.

So as Kirkland keeps evolving, it's worth asking: Are we concentrating growth where it can be supported? Are we preserving the elements that made Kirkland attractive in the first place? People are still looking for places that feel connected, but not overwhelmed — and that balance does not happen by accident.

If you have a view, tell the people making these calls. Contact the Kirkland City Council — it takes about three minutes.

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Originally posted on the Cherish Kirkland Facebook page.