In my , back in April of last year, I talked about why my family and I love it here in Redmond. Our wonderful downtown condo, walking to everything, how family focused the area is, how warm and friendly it feels…it was my love letter to Redmond, and I meant every word.
I also mentioned that we were thinking about moving.
Well, it’s happened. We’ve had our offer accepted on a house, and we’ll be closing in late April, almost a year to the date of that first column.
And we’re staying in Redmond.
Phew.
Ever since my daughter switched schools, we’d been looking more seriously than ever. Her new school is in Kirkland, and my husband works for , so our search focused on the South Rose Hill/Bridle Trails area, to end up between the two places we go to every day.
We’ve looked all over. Our realtor let us know a while ago, with quite a bit of amusement, when we toured our 100th house. I can safely say that I’ve seen houses and neighborhoods everywhere in Redmond, from Education Hill to Redmond Ridge to Idylwood to Grasslawn. And all I can say is…
I love this town.
From the first day of the Redmond , I knew I wanted to stay. I looked at the plans for the city in 2030 and wanted to live in those artist’s renderings. I want to live in the town they describe—a vibrant place with lively urban centers and great residential neighborhoods. I want to walk around downtown when the rails-to-trails is finished. I want to keep working with the amazing and dedicated people that I’ve met in our local government, even those with whom I passionately disagree.
I love the . I love the parks. I love the trails. I love the parking lot and its impossibly tight spaces. I love running into people I know at the grocery store, at , and .
I love Redmond.
It will be hard to give up our townhouse. We’re right downtown, in the heart of everything. It will be hard to give up the feel of that, the incredible walkability, the community of people and businesses and the special vibrancy that living right in the heart of our little city has given our lives. It will be especially hard to leave our great neighbors, most of all the boy that is my daughter’s long-time best friend.
But I went to the “” meeting at City Hall yesterday, and ended up in an incredible focus group of people from my new neighborhood. The fun, impassioned discussion included green space versus growth, the benefits or costs of bringing food services to , bikability and walkability, and a sidewalk request that got applause. These are amazing people, and their passion about the area that I’m moving to made me more excited than ever to go. We’ll have a yard, and a bigger place with space to entertain and a guest room. We’ll still be able to bike down the 520 trail and be back downtown in less than 15 minutes, so I don’t feel like I’m going away.
I feel, instead, like I’m putting down roots. Downtown was my greenhouse, and I’m ready to move out into the soil, because this garden, it turns out, is the place for me. Redmond is still a great place to be, or raise, a kid. Or an adult. And I’m thrilled to be able to give that to my daughter.
Oh, and…does anybody want to buy a downtown townhouse?
