Resting on the banks of Lake Washington just east of Seattle and north of Bellevue, Kirkland, Washington is a city of 45,000 people who want dynamic arts and cultural opportunities, great boutiques, fine restaurants, and a plethora of outdoor activities at their doorsteps. In Kirkland, they get them all.

In the 1880s, Peter Kirk auctioned off his British estate and headed to America and the Pacific Northwest. There, on the northeast shores of Lake Washington, he founded Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works. The company collapsed during the Panic of 1893, but the company town remained, eventually becoming a wool-milling hub during the Klondike Gold Rush and a ship-building titan during World War II.

Just minutes from Microsoft and other companies that have made the Northwest famous, many captains of industry call Kirkland home, as well as the workers who make those industries flourish. Homes for sale in the city range from luxurious waterfront estates and condos to lovely craftsman and mid-century offerings.

With miles of waterfront recreation areas, Kirkland is a perfect place to be on a sunny day. On warm summer evenings, restaurants spill onto sidewalks, giving the city a bustling, friendly, open-air festival feeling. No city in the state of Washington works more diligently to ensure that its beaches are open to everyone while still preserving their delicate ecosystems. Bridle Trails state park provides over 20 miles of equestrian trails and acres of forested green spaces.