Are you relocating to Washington State as a result of a new job offer, job change or life change? Perhaps it’s at one of the large companies on the eastside of Lake Washington like Microsoft, or perhaps Google, AT&T Wireless, or any of the other high-tech companies in the Redmond/Kirkland/Bellevue corridor. If so, you may want to check out Kirkland to meet all of your relocation requirements.

I’m sure you’re the organized type and have put together a checklist of all of the things you need to look for in a house and community. For a bit of advice, the list should include:

- Proximity to your new employer (Kirkland is minutes to the major employers on the eastside of Lake Washington)
- Proximity to your place of worship if that’s important to you
- Quality of Schools (Kirkland Schools are ranked in the top for the entire state)
- Closeness to Shopping – both for food and clothing
- Diversity of the population. You want a diverse ethnic and income range for your area
- Are there parks, theater groups, and other activities in that area.

These are just a few of the “must-have” items for your list. Frankly, Kirkland meets or exceeds all of these criteria. Kirkland has a new Performing Arts Center and has a play, or concert three or four nights per week and sometimes more. One of the things I like about Kirkland is that it still has a small town feel, yet it’s only 15 minutes to downtown Seattle. There are a lot of “quaint” shops in the downtown area that are not chain shops. They also have a lot of Art Galleries on top of the theater arts. Restaurants in Kirkland are also excellent. I highly recommend Restaurante Paradiso. It’s a great hole in the wall Italian Restaurant. The chef is actually from Sicily.

One other big advantage to Kirkland is that it sits on the shores of Lake Washington. There are beautiful spots on the water including several parks and restaurants. Many residents have boats so they can simply put their boat in the water on the weekend and go out for a ride. Kirkland is also a healthy town. There are always residents walking along the sidewalk, or the trails of Lake Washington.

So, if you’re relocating to Washington State and are looking for a city with a small town feel, great attention to the arts and close to downtown Seattle, I highly recommend you check out Kirkland when you get the chance.