SperlingViews - Lake_Stevens, Washington

I lived all over the country and the world for 27 yrs and moved into Lake Stevens 12 yrs ago. Absolutely a great place to live! Our 3 girls have done well in the school system and the people are wonderful. Our neighborhood has get-to-gathers on occasion and the crime rate is very low. I did have an egg thrown on my driveway 10 years ago during Halloween. Neighbors watch each others homes when on vacation. We usually come home from vacation and our lawn is mowed and of course we reciprocate. The police and fire departments are superb, highly trained, and competent. Excellent speedy access to the mountains, Canada, or south to the Seattle area. If you want to play in a drier climate, then go over HWY 2 to "the other side" and you're there (about 1 1/2 hr drive). Lake Stevens has views of the Cascades (and of course, the lake) to the East and the Pacific Range to the West. The only thing I ask of you, if you're considering moving to Lake Stevens is-- only nice people are allowed to live here. So... if you have a bad attitude or act poorly, if you're a moron or an idiot, then stay where you are or move to California. Oh... our water is also very good! I drink it right out of the tap.[read more...]

My family and I lived in Lake Stevens for 7 years (2000 to 2007). It is a nice bedroom community that has good schools (get involved parents), low crime, and an ok lake that is not too far out from major services. There are some significant problems. It lacks places to dine, shopping is limited, traffic is terrible during commute times, there is too much lake access which equals too many people on the lake and it has no real sense of community.[read more...]

10 years ago Lake Stevens was a nice little quiet town. Small town politics created their own megajobs, money, power and infighting. 2007 had a mayoral coups d'etats takeover and censure of the local newspaper with hiring only people who are in agreement. An outspoken opponent running for mayor was found dead weeks before the election. If you complain about the police or city departments, you'll find yourself slandered. They can't solve crimes or gang activity and if they don't like you they won't even respond to your calling 911. The traffic is terrible, one access road out. The police took the school bonds to pay for new vehicles, motocycles and officers, and figured out a way to use the library bond to build a new police department when the one they have is only 2 years old.[read more...]

I lived in Seattle for over 50 years and loved it. Then, something happened. It seemed like suddenly, Seattle started disappearing, from the skyline to the waterfront character. Now, there is almost nothing left of the Seattle I remember, the Emerald City is still emerald, but from money, not trees. The Pike Place market is nothing but a boutique with little left of the small farmer and small shopkeeper and their wonderful wares. They have been priced out of the Market. Very expensive condos are being built, ripping out old historical buildings for apartments that only the very rich can afford. The character of downtown is disappearing beneath the money and desires of the very rich, i.e. Paul Allen, who is responsible for the loss of Seattle. The pleasure craft industry has been overswept with people who must have huge yachts and places to keep them - no room for the small weekend boater, no room for the little guy. Ocean cruisers come into Puget Sound, dropping their tons of waste into our waters, causing pollution that threatens all the fishes of the sea. Traffic is a nightmare every day of the week, 24-hours a day. Building continues at an uncontrolled rate, higher skyscrapers, more condos, fewer trees. A mayor who panders to the rich. A city that used to be a multi-faceted fabric of personalities, encompassing all, now has booted out all lower-income housing and turned its nose up to controlled growth. Seattle? Simply L.A. North; there is nothing left of Seattle but phonies and fakes. Drop into any Starbucks and there they are.[read more...]

My family has lived here for fifteen years and have enjoyed the spectacular scenery and mild climate (but are tired of the dark winters). Lake Stevens is primarily a bedroom community with commuting issues. There is no shopping here other than grocery stores and Target. No substantial improvments have been made to ease the congestion in or out of Lake Stevens, no matter how fast it is growing. There are other cities in the Puget Sound area that show better more comprehensive long term planning.[read more...]

The weather sucks all winter. Summers are nice and we are close to mountains, the lake and Everett. We get to much rain for my taste but the outdoor recreation is great.[read more...]

Lake Stevens is rural, but nice rural. It is middle to upper middle class.[read more...]