Kenmore waterfront
Log Boom Park, the seaplane base, and the blocks near the lake north tip.
Your insider guide to
Kenmore Bothell
The north end of Lake Washington, where the Burke-Gilman Trail threads two growing downtowns. Kenmore sits on the water at Log Boom Park and the seaplane base; Bothell has reinvented its Main Street and its North Creek tech-and-university corridor. Together they offer some of the most attainable lake-adjacent living in the metro, with trails, breweries, and a revived town center.
Who thrives here: value-minded buyers who want lake-and-trail access, first-time and move-up families, and commuters splitting the difference between Seattle, the Eastside, and Everett.
Where to live in Kenmore Bothell
Downtown Bothell
The reinvented Main Street, new mixed-use, and the walkable town core.
North Creek & the campus
The tech-and-university corridor around UW Bothell and Cascadia.
The hill neighborhoods
The established residential streets rising from both downtowns, mid-century to newer.
What to expect
The mix here is broad: mid-century homes on the hills, newer townhomes and condos in and around both downtowns, and a growing stock of mixed-use near Bothell Main Street. It is one of the more attainable corners of the north Eastside, with genuine lake and trail access.
Value tracks proximity to the trail, the water, and the two revived town centers, plus commute math to Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett. Bothell's downtown reinvention has reset expectations, and newer construction sits alongside long-held family homes.
The buyer picture
Eat & drink in Kenmore Bothell
★ = run, don't walk
McMenamins Anderson School
Brunch and a pool at the restored schoolhouse.
The Lodge at St. Edward ★
The restored seminary lodge, a destination table.
The Bine Beer & Food
Downtown Bothell gastropub standby.
Spiro's Pizza
The long-running Kenmore Greek-Italian standby.
Beardslee Public House ★
The McMenamins brewpub by the Anderson School.
Kenmore Bothell, by season
Quiet trail miles, cozy brewpubs, and the lake north end at its stillest.
Empty Burke-Gilman
The trail nearly to yourself through the wet months.
Brewpub season
Beardslee and the Bothell taprooms warm the dark.
Log Boom fog
The Kenmore waterfront under winter mist.
St. Edward lodge fires
The restored seminary cozy season.
Main Street lights
Downtown Bothell holiday calendar.
Indoor pool at the schoolhouse
The McMenamins warm-water winter trick.
The trail dries, the lake wakes, and both downtowns spill back outside.
Trail-riding weeks
The Burke-Gilman firms up for the season.
Log Boom launches
Kenmore paddlers return to the water.
St. Edward trails
The state-park forest paths green up.
Main Street patios
Downtown Bothell tables reopen.
Farmers market return
The Bothell market comes back.
Campus-corridor bloom
North Creek trees flower along the wetland.
Log Boom swimming, trail evenings, and brewery patios in full swing.
Log Boom Park days
Kenmore lakefront at its summer best.
Trail-ride evenings
The Burke-Gilman at golden hour.
Brewery-patio season
The Bothell and Kenmore taprooms outside.
Concerts and markets
Both downtowns summer series run.
Seaplane watching
Kenmore Air off the lake north end.
North Creek paddling
The quiet water and wetland trails.
Gold along the trail, harvest on Main Street, and the lake going quiet.
Trail color
The Burke-Gilman under turning trees.
St. Edward forest gold
The state park at its autumn peak.
Harvest markets
The last Bothell markets of the year.
Brewpub comfort season
The taprooms shift to autumn.
Quiet lakefront
Log Boom handed back to the geese.
Campus back in session
North Creek corridor hums again.
Relocation fast track
Your first 30 days in Kenmore Bothell
Start with these local rituals. Your progress stays on this device.
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Only the locals know
The attainable lake-north
Genuine lake and trail access at a friendlier entry than most of the Eastside. Value hunters who want water nearby start here.
Bothell downtown reset the map
The Main Street reinvention, new mixed-use, and the schoolhouse redevelopment changed how the whole area trades. It is a genuine walkable core now.
The Burke-Gilman is the spine
The trail links Kenmore, Bothell, and points south by bike, all the way to the U District and Ballard. It is the north end best asset.
Three commutes, do the math
You can reach Seattle, Bellevue, or Everett from here, but each is a different drive. Pick your block around the one you make daily.
St. Edward is a hidden gem
A restored seminary, a lodge hotel, and miles of forest trail on the lake. One of the best state parks in the metro sits right here.
Northshore ties it together
Both cities share the Northshore School District and the North Creek corridor. It is more one community than the two-city name suggests.
The insider's playbook
A local's Saturday in Kenmore Bothell
- Coffee at McMenamins Anderson School, then onto the trail
- Burke-Gilman ride along the lake north end
- Bothell farmers market on Main Street
- Lunch at the Anderson School, pool optional
- St. Edward State Park forest loop
- Log Boom Park, seaplanes and the water
- Brewery patio at Beardslee
- Dinner at the Lodge at St. Edward, in the park
Jeff's take
Kenmore and Bothell are where I send north-end buyers who want lake and trail access without an Eastside-waterfront price. Bothell's downtown reinvention, the Burke-Gilman, and Log Boom give you a real town-and-water life at a genuinely attainable entry.
The diligence is the trade-off map: trail and water proximity, which of the two downtowns fits you, and honest commute math to Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett. Getting that math right first, that is the part I do.