Moss Bay - Kirkland, WA

The area of Kirkland was first founded by Peter Kirk, who envisioned the town as a future industrial steel megaplex. Ultimately, Kirkland emerged in the 20th century as one of the leading towns for milling wool for prospectors in the Alaska Gold Rush.

As a vibrant waterfront neighborhood, Moss Bay includes numerous art galleries and public art spread throughout its parks and streets. One of the most popular galleries is CANVAS Paint and Sip Studio, where visitors can sip wine while painting with a group of friends. Canal Way hosts the monthly Second Friday Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m., which features local art from galleries and artisans in the area.

Moss Bay includes a variety of restaurants featuring dishes from all over the world. Residents can find the usual diner and pub food in addition to ethnic specialties from Greece, Mexico and the Middle East. Most restaurants tend to be fairly pricey, but some cheap eats also remain in the area. The best eateries can be found close to the waterfront on Central Way.

Dakshin South Indian Bistro serves as the go-to take-out restaurant for the neighborhood. Although the restaurant's building does includes some seating for guests, Dashkin specializes in take-out and online pick-up orders. This family-owned Indian bistro features specialty dosa dishes, with the Mysore Masala Dosa being a local crowd favorite. With so many curry options, you can try something new each time you visit.

Another popular restaurant in the area is Lilac Cafe. This cafe presents a warm and cozy ambiance to its guests, with live music occurring on Friday and Saturday nights. Specializing in small plates and appetizers, Lilac Cafe acts as a great spot to meet up with friends for a late dinner and a drink. Stop by during the daily happy hour times of 4 to 6 p.m. or 9 p.m. until close.

Looking for some live entertainment? The Kirkland Performance Center provides all kinds of shows, from comedy and plays to live bands musicals. With no bad seats in the audience section, Kirkland Performance Center maintains the intimacy of a small performance while being able to hold bigger crowds. If you attend a show here, try to walk or carpool; the only lot available is the library parking lot, which requires a hefty hourly fee.

Located directly on the waterfront, Flatstick Pub acts as one of the neighborhood's most popular pubs to grab a drink, play some games and hang out with friends. The signature feature of this bar remains its custom miniature golf course near the back of the building. After paying the fee of $6 for a game, guests can take their beer along with them for nine holes of creative and challenging mini-golf fun. Great for group parties and celebrations, Flatstick also hosts a weekly trivia night on Wednesdays and has board games and cards available daily for guests. With an emphasis on local breweries, Flatstick features over 25 different beers, all from the state of Washington.

Wilde Rover Irish Pub & Restaurant proves another notable pub in Moss Bay, serving as a central hub for live music. With different acts playing six days out of the week, Wilde Rover attracts large crowds for Irish Music Mondays, Free Music Thursdays and House Band Night on the weekend. In fact, this restaurant and grill proves so popular that a meal on a weekend often requires a dinner reservation. If you find yourself hungry at Wilde Rover, try traditional fish and chips to go with your pint of chosen brew.

As Kirkland's most walkable neighborhood, residents of Moss bay enjoy the convenience of being able to run most errands on foot. Due to the central location of most shops and restaurants near the waterfront, locals prefer to walk or bike to most amenities. The neighborhood includes multiple dedicated bike lanes for cyclists, with the most-used land running along the coast of Lake Washington.

A car drive to downtown Seattle takes about half an hour, depending on traffic, from Moss Bay by taking Highway 520. Residents also have the option of taking Interstate 405 south, with highway access located only a few miles east of the neighborhood.

Those who need to get to the city but don’t have a car can use the well connected public bus system. A ticket on the 311 Local line can take residents to the city. Multiple stops run through Moss Bay, providing plenty of opportunities to catch a bus. Taxis can be found near the marina, especially on weekends. If you need a ride in advance, try using Uber instead for a trip to the airport.

Moss Bay provides plenty of outdoor activities for its residents. Located just off the coast of Lake Washington, Heritage Park serves as the area's most popular park for exercising, with an extensive network of trails for walking, running or cycling. The area has also become a popular spot to bring dogs, with plenty of open green space.. In the summertime, visitors enjoy being able to walk a few blocks over to the marina to have a swim at the lakefront beach.

Located near the center of the neighborhood lies Peter Kirk Park. As the central meeting space for youth and adult sports leagues, Peter Kirk Park includes multiple open sports fields and baseball diamonds. In addition to the fields, the park also includes a skate park, performing arts center and outdoor pool. While entrance and parking in this park remains free, admission to the pool costs $3 per person. The park plays host to multiple events throughout the year, including the popular Blue Fish Festival in June of each year. It features local and regional bands coming together for a day of live music and festivities.

The exceptional livability of Moss Bay as a well-connected waterfront neighborhood certainly comes at a price. Representing the downtown Kirkland area, the cost of living in Moss Bay ranks more expensive than other surrounding neighborhoods. Real estate prices here require quite a bit of savings, with homes costing 90 percent more overall than the Washington state average. A one-bedroom residence rents out for an average of $1200 a month.

In addition to high real estate prices, the general cost of living remains high as well. If you’re going out to a bar, expect to pay around $6 for a draft beer. A trip to the city on public transport costs $3 for a one way ticket. On average, gas prices in Moss Bay rank 14 percent more expensive than the national average.

It only takes a short stroll on Central Way to realize that Moss Bay is full of local boutiques. While the area still contains options for name brands and recognized products, the marina area on this central street contains many of the best shops of the neighborhood. Most of the stores carry high-end merchandise, with designer brands and prices to match.

Seduce acts as the neighborhood's trendiest boutique for womens clothes. The prices at this boutique prove too much for some, but the back of the store does include a sales rack featuring bargain deals. The selection of clothing and accessories at Seduce compiles a mix of fancy dresses and necklaces with everyday, stylish jeans and tops.

Located just down the street from Seduce lies Ragamoffyns, a popular consignment shop for finding affordable deals on designer clothing and accessories. For a consignment shop, Ragamoffyns still includes some hefty prices. However, compared to boutiques such as Seduce, these prices seem much more affordable. Try browsing the clearance corner of the store first to find the best deals on purses, clothing and other accessories.

Many locals choose to shop at the nearby PCC Natural Markets for their weekly groceries. Residents prefer this store over larger chains for its local and organic produce option and full selection of gluten-free foods. Other stores for grocery shopping include Trader Joe’s and QFC. During the warmer months of the year, residents take advantage of the Kirkland Wednesday Market. Held on Wednesday afternoons, this market spans the marina area with stands of local produce, artisan baked goods, flowers, art and more.