Lake Forest Park, Washington
Encyclopedia
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, just north of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. A bedroom community by design, most of the city consists of single-family housing on medium to large-sized lots, with an emphasis on retaining the natural features of the landscape. Less than 4% of the city land is zoned commercial; most of that is in one location, and there are no industrial areas.
Lake Forest Park has lakefront and lakeview residential property, assorted parks and nature preserves, convenient access to the Burke-Gilman Trail
Burke-Gilman Trail
The Burke-Gilman Sammamish Trail is a rail trail in King County, Washington. The multi-use recreational trail is part of the King County Regional Trail System and occupies an abandoned Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway corridor....
, a summertime farmer's market, and a large new and used bookstore / food court holding frequent musical events. The population was 12,598 at the 2010 census.
History
Lake Forest Park was founded in 1912 by Ole HansonOle Hanson
Ole Hanson was an American politician who served as mayor of Seattle, Washington from 1918 to 1919. Hanson became a national figure promoting law and order when he took a hardline position during the 1919 Seattle General Strike...
and A.H. Reid as one of the Seattle area's first planned communities. Envisioned as a picturesque retreat for professionals, the developers planned roads and lots in strict consideration for natural landmarks. The original prospectus for lot sales declared:
...the strict fiat has gone forth that all the natural beauty must be preserved; that no tree must unwittingly be cut down; that the natural wild flowers must remain; that the streams, the springs, the lake front, the nodding willows, the stately cedar, the majestic fir, the quivering cypress and the homelike maple and all the flora and fauna with which Nature has blessed this lakeshore, must not be defiled by the hand of man.
Until 1914 and completion of the Red Brick Road (now Bothell Way, part of State Route 522) to nearby Kenmore
Kenmore, Washington
Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington...
and Bothell
Bothell, Washington
Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
, it also marked the literal end of improved roads heading north from Seattle, with best access to points further north and east being by boat across Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
or the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
The Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway was a railroad founded in Seattle, Washington, on April 28, 1885, with three tiers of purposes: Build and run the initial line to the town of Ballard, bring immediate results and returns to investors; exploit resources east in the valleys, foothills,...
.
Lake Forest Park officially incorporated on June 20, 1961, in large part to help maintain its specific identity in the face of increasing local development pressing north from Seattle. The town remained small - under 5,000 in population - until the 1990s, when a series of annexations expanded city borders significantly and more than doubled the official population.
The city has no public lake access. The 3/4 acre Lyon Creek Park was created in the late 1990s on land purchased by the city in 1998, but forbids access to the water. For the prior fifty years, the lot had belonged to Marcia and Robert Morris, who had built a modernist home and a horse stable on the property. Both buildings were torn down as part of the park conversion, which also included replanting the park with 5,000 native shrubs and plants. The replanting portion of the project involved the labor of hundreds of citizen volunteers.
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre is a multi-purpose shopping center that also serves as the community hub for the city of Lake Forest Park, Washington. Built in 1964, the center is located on the eastern side of Lake Forest Park, on the western shore of Lake Washington in a suburb of Seattle on...
, the city's commercial core, was built in 1964 and hugs Bothell Way on the eastern border of town, not far from the lakeshore. In late 2005, city government began holding public meetings to discuss whether and how to improve this small area in order to develop a higher-density pedestrian-friendly shopping and residential hub. The decision was made to renovate Lake Forest Park Towne Centre and it now spans 18 acres and offers many shopping and dining options along with entertainment and serves as a community center for the city.
Geography
Lake Forest Park is situated at the north end of Lake Washington. The city's southern boundary begins at the city limit of Seattle. To the north, Lake Forest Park ends at the Snohomish county line, where the adjacent towns of Mountlake Terrace and Brier border it. To the east, the city is bounded by Lake Washington and at 55th Avenue NE where the city of Kenmore begins; the Burke-Gilman Trail runs in parallel to the lake shore, following the shoreline into Kenmore to the north, and Seattle to the south. The city's western boundary is at the City of Shoreline's
Shoreline, Washington
Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington....
city limit, mostly following 25th Avenue NE.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (3.28%) is water, much of which consists of shoreline and streams. The two largest streams are Lyon Creek and McAleer Creek, both of which provide habitat for salmon. The shoreline includes two access points to Lake Washington, aside from private homes; they are both private beach clubs.
Parks
- Horizon View Park
- Pfingst Animal Acres Park
- Eagle Scout Park
- Blue Heron Park
- Grace Cole Nature Park
- Lyon Creek Waterfront Park
Neighborhoods
Lake Forest Park Town Centre forms the city's commercial core. This one complex - originally built as a suburban mall - includes the public libraryKing County Library System
The King County Library System is a library system serving the residents of King County, Washington, United States. Headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, KCLS is currently the busiest library in the United States, circulating 22.4 million items in 2010. It consists of 48 libraries, a Traveling...
, police department, town hall, and approximately 40 shops, small businesses, and medical/professional offices. It is home to Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park. The college contains 83 acres and continuously serves 12,000 full and part-time students....
's Lake Forest Park satellite campus, and the location of Third Place Commons, a large public space occupying much of the central building's upper level, and which serves as the city's social spaces core. In the summer, this same complex hosts a large outdoor farmer's market. Until late 2007, the city was also served by a finance unit post office in the same compex, the functions of which have since been moved to nearby Shoreline
Shoreline, Washington
Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington....
.
Residential neighborhoods include:
- Horizon View, in the northeast corner of the city, is characterized by its proximity to Horizon View Park, the highest point in Lake Forest Park. The park sits atop a small plateau, approached by several steep hills. Half of the "train park", as some local youth refer to it, is the park, which was improved between 2001 and 2003 with a trail extension, field upgrades and a new playset. The other half is a reservoir. They hold recreational sports in the park.
- Sheridan Beach/Heights, in the southeast corner of the city, is characterized by its proximity to the Sheridan Beach Club, to which its residents have access for a fee of a few hundred dollars annually.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,142 people, 5,029 households, and 3,600 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,716.2 people per square mile (1,433.4/km²). There were 5,168 housing units at an average density of 1,461.4 per square mile (563.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.32% White, 1.64% African American, 0.43% Native American, 7.94% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
There were 5,029 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 31.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $74,149, and the median income for a family was $84,316. Males had a median income of $53,164 versus $39,531 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $33,419. About 1.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over. Based on per capita income
Washington locations by per capita income
Washington is the twelfth richest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $22,973 and a personal per capita income of $33,332 .-Washington counties ranked by per capita income:...
, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Lake Forest Park ranks 27th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Education
Of the city's population over the age of 25, 21.1 percent have a graduate or professional degree, 51.1 percent (vs. a national average of 24 percent) hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 93.2 percent (vs. 80 percent nationally) have a high school diploma or equivalent according to the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000.
There are two public schools (Brookside Elementary and Lake Forest Park Elementary) which are served by the Shoreline School District
Shoreline School District
The Shoreline School District 412 is the school district in an established residential community north of Seattle and includes the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park in the U.S. state of Washington...
.
Further reading
- Alan J. Stein, Lake Forest Park -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Seattle, Washington, 1998
- Alan J. Stein transcribing Ole Hanson, Lake Forest Park brochure, Seattle, Washington, 1912, held by Shoreline Historical Museum, Shoreline, Washington, 1998.
- Our Community, City of Lake Forest Park, Lake Forest Park, Washington, 2006
- History of Lake Forest Park, City of Lake Forest Park, Lake Forest Park, Washington, 2006