East Hill-Meridian used to be part of Kent, but recently became a census-designated place instead. Take that, England! Wait... sorry, wrong Kent.
Halfway between Seattle and Tacoma, East Hill-Meridian is a pleasant little suburb of Kent, not even its own city but part of the SeaTac metropolitan area
East Hill-Meridian used to be part of Kent, but recently became a census-designated place instead. Take that, England! Wait... sorry, wrong Kent.
Halfway between Seattle and Tacoma, East Hill-Meridian is a pleasant little suburb of Kent, not even its own city but part of the SeaTac metropolitan area. East Hill-Meridian is almost entirely residential, but has fairly easy access to plenty of activities just outside of the neighborhood. You won’t be able to do much within walking distance, but almost everything you could need is less than a fifteen-minute drive from any part of the neighborhood.
Like with many suburban areas, rental properties in East Hill-Meridian are at a premium. Before you start your search for apartments in East Hill-Meridian, here are some things to consider:
Travel
A car is almost a necessity when renting an apartment in this area. Almost entirely residential, the only rental housing convenient to retail are those units on the outskirts of the neighborhood. State Route 167 is just outside the area and connects to Tacoma and Renton. A few more miles west of that is Interstate 5, a route that runs straight up the Pacific Coast from Mexico up into Canada, letting folks from East Hill-Meridian have easy driving to anywhere on the coast. In the same area is SeaTac Airport, a busy international airport with constant flights across and out of the country. Also in Kent, the Sounder Train runs out of Kent Station to Seattle or Tacoma.
Weather
It’s the Pacific Northwest, well known for being rainy and dreary for much of the year. Rain jackets, umbrellas, and waterproof footwear are necessary to live in this part of the country. On the bright side, East Hill-Meridian rarely has to deal with scorching heat or blizzards, and you’ll value the days of sun even more.
Lifestyle
East Hill-Meridian is a very tight, sociable neighborhood. With many residents in a small area, you’ll get used to seeing and interacting with your neighbors often, especially when it comes to carpooling or walking to the various amenities in the neighborhood. With very little to do right in East Hill-Meridian, the lifestyle is somewhat in and out.
Lead Time
With the proximity to the top cities for business in Washington as well as the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, East Hill-Meridian is a desirable neighborhood, and available rental homes get picked up very quick. If your heart is set on the area, you’ll need to start searching months before your intended move.
East Hill-Meridian is almost exclusively residential, with only a handful of small business in the neighborhood. There is no real retail in the area, and very little within walking distance of the neighborhood. There is plenty within biking and driving distance though, especially if one is willing to venture into Kent. Kent Station is an open-air village that is not only home to local businesses and restaurants, but also to entertainment and events. Downtown Kent offers the same type of atmosphere as well as the Kent Farmers Market. The Great Wall Shopping Mall in Kent is the largest Pan-Asian Mall in Washington state, great for finding Asian goods that are rare on these shores.
For the outdoorsy type, East Hill-Meridian is bisected by the Soos Creek Trail, a paved trail that runs for six miles along and over the Soos Creek, all the way down to the Lake Meridian area. The parklands along the Soos Creek are home to wildlife and woodlands, while the Lake Meridian Park at the end of the trail has a swimming area, fishing docks, and a small beach. Just north of East Hill-Meridian is Panther Lake, a year-round fishery that is stocked every spring with largemouth bass, brown bullhead catfish, and black crappie. It has places for fishing from the shore as well as for putting in boats.
For the sporty folks, just south of the neighborhood are Meridian Valley Country Club and the Wilson Playfields. Southwest is the Kent Meridian Pool, an indoor aquatic center that offers lessons. Kent Valley Ice Centre is a 10-minute drive from the neighborhood, and in addition to skating and hockey, it also has batting cages, miniature golf, an arcade, a caf, and a bar. If youd rather watch than play, Kent has a minor-league hockey team that plays at the ShoWare Center.
Every year, Lake Meridian Park plays host to the Kent Fourth of July celebration. The historic Kent Cornucopia Days have been going for the better part of a century as one of the largest family festivals in King County. Meanwhile the Kent International Festival celebrates the great variety of cultures that call East Hill-Meridian and the Kent area their home, providing a full weekend of food and entertainment.
For the more artistically inclined, Kent has a thorough Community Arts Support Program that helps develop local music and theater. There are three public art galleries in Kent while theater groups are always putting on plays in a variety of venues. The Kent Historical Museum provides thorough exhibitions detailing the history and development of the area.
