Living in Renton, Washington

I was born here. I went to Renton Christian School. Even after my family moved to Issaquah, Renton was still where my church was, where my youth group was, where my friends were. It was the place I kept coming back to long before I ever realized I was doing it.

Turns out, my roots here ran a little deeper than I thought. I spent different chapters of my life living all over the surrounding area, Issaquah, Ravensdale, Maple Valley, Kent, Covington, Newcastle. I bought homes, sold homes, started over, grew up (eventually), and experienced a whole lot of life in between. And somehow, I kept finding my way back to Renton.

Eventually I bought a home here again. Then years later, when it was time to choose where I wanted to put down roots for my son and me, I chose Renton again. That probably tells you everything you need to know.

Because Renton is not the prettiest little postcard town in Washington. We do not have one perfectly curated downtown where everyone walks around carrying matching coffee cups. We are a little gritty. A little weird. A lot diverse. We have old neighborhoods and brand-new developments, million-dollar lake views and 1960s ramblers that still have the original pink bathroom. And I absolutely love it.

I love that you can spend a summer afternoon at Coulon Park, grab dinner on the water, watch the boats on Lake Washington and wonder for a second why anyone pays Bellevue prices. I love that The Landing gave us a whole new version of Renton, while the places and neighborhoods that have been here forever still feel like our Renton, the Highlands, Fairwood, Kennydale, Benson Hill, downtown, Maplewood, Cascade, every pocket has its own personality, its own people and its own version of home. I love that we are ridiculously central: Seattle, easy. Bellevue, easy. The airport, right there. Mountains, water, trails, shopping, sports, almost everything is within reach.