Transformation from hamlet to urban village is under way

Originally published Saturday, March 1, 1997

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Harry Wappler, watch out. Janet Heffernan can generate an instant weather report with a single glance at the scene unfolding each day below her waterfront condo in Kirkland.

"You can always tell what's happening with the weather by the number of people walking, running, pushing strollers, jogging behind their strollers, or on the lake sailing," Heffernan says.

Even a glimmer of sunshine produces a parade of activity along Lake Washington Boulevard, the Eastside's newly minted gold coast.

After largely being ignored for years by all but retirees and working-class families, it seems as if suddenly everyone is knocking on Kirkland's door. And price is no limit.

Cellular communications pioneer Craig McCaw accepted an offer last month on his $2.7 million condo. In addition to other amenities, the condo has a 2,500-square-foot lakeside terrace.

Though McCaw never lived in the unfinished shell, the new owner won't have far to go to find something suitable to hang on her new walls, if the deal closes.

A dozen galleries within walking distance sell everything from surrealistic acrylic-on-aluminum landscapes to sublime Dale Chihuly glass artworks at $100,000 or more a pop.

The transformation from hamlet to urban village is well under way, despite Kirkland's surging home prices, maddening rush-hour traffic and a development glut that has some residents rattled.

They fear the Eastside's nouveau riche will worsen the disparity between rich and poor, making it harder for seniors and work-a-day folks to afford to live in Kirkland. They cringe each time a small, older home is ripped out to make way for a new mega-home.

Kirkland, suggests Susan Purves, is like "La Jolla grafted on to Ballard."

"The story of Kirkland is the story of our entire area. It ain't easy being popular," says Purves, a former director of Kirkland Arts Center.

Continued:

• Area has enhanced its small-town appeal
• 'Condo' is key word for city's future
• Blurring the lines between art and commerce
• Outside downtown, Kirkland wears many face
• Citizens are active in the community