Sunset

On the southeast corner of Lake Washington, you’ll find the aptly named Sunset neighborhood of Renton, which offers great views of the lake to the west and lots of opportunity nearby. This residential community is a fast-growing neighborhood with convenient access to highways, recreation and major employers. “It’s evolving, and there are a lot of improvements coming in,” says local real estate advisor Christi Fiedler with Engel & Volkers. “The Landing is a pretty new area just down the hill with a lot of shopping and dining. They’ve put in some condos and are updating a lot of the buildings.” Located just northeast of downtown Renton and along Interstate 405, Sunset residents have easy access to one of the region’s main highways, but everything they need is close to home.

Sunset features a mix of housing styles, from established midcentury homes to brand-new luxury condos. Many of the streets south of Sunset Boulevard are modest ranch-style homes on hilly, winding roads. Mature trees are scattered throughout the community. Most homes have driveways, and built-in garages are common. You’ll find more ranch-style homes and larger contemporary and Craftsman houses north of Sunset Boulevard. The homes here tend to be more colorful, with lots of blues, greens and yellows. Tall evergreens line the streets here. You can find a three-bedroom ranch-style home for around $500,000. Five-bedroom homes can cost $900,000 to $1 million. Several condos in the heart of the neighborhood offer pristine views of the area. These units typically cost around $900,000.

Students in Sunset might attend Highlands Elementary School, McKnight Middle School and Hazen High School. Highlands is rated a C overall by Niche, and McKnight receives a B-minus rating. Hazen High is rated an A-minus and serves approximately 1,800 students. The school offers several tools to help students succeed during and after high school, including the Running Start program, in which students can take tuition-free college courses through local community colleges. The school’s career center helps students find internships and apprenticeships in the industries they are interested in, such as hospitality, IT and architecture. Residents searching for higher education can enroll at the nearby Renton Technical College, a local college offering career training, apprenticeships and bachelor's degrees in IT.

Sunset residents are close to several popular outdoor areas, including Highlands Park and Neighborhood Center. This park is home to an indoor community center with a basketball court and multi-purpose room. The park has several sports facilities, including tennis courts, basketball courts and a baseball field. Bring your soccer ball for a game on the outdoor mini-pitch, which opened in 2021 thanks to a partnership between Renton Public Schools, King County Parks and Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders. Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park is the go-to spot for swimming during the summer. This local park has a beach area, tennis courts, a playground and fishing piers. Head about five miles west of the neighborhood to Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park for a day of hiking. This expansive natural area has more than 35 miles of trails that meander through second-growth forests, streams and wetlands.

When you feel like hitting the town for shopping, dining or entertainment, head west to The Landing, a popular destination full of stores, restaurants and attractions. Fiedler recommends Santa Fe Mexican Grill for a meal closer to home. The nearby Boeing Renton Factory provides jobs for 12,000 people, assembling an average of 47 airplanes per month. The city tries to minimize noise issues at the facility and the nearby airport by limiting jet takeoffs to the northern end of the runway facing the water.

You can shop for groceries at the local Safeway on Sunset Boulevard. There is also a Grocery Outlet for discount food items and Viet-Wah Asian Food Market nearby, both popular with locals. The proximity to Sunset Boulevard makes it easy for residents to go east and west through Renton. The neighborhood’s location along Interstate 405 gives you an easy start to any commute throughout the Puget Sound region. Current projects are underway to improve the commuting experience as well. “They’re widening the I-405 corridor, so once that’s done, it will be easier to get back and forth to the east side,” says Fiedler. The widening of the interstate will give residents an easier commute to the thriving business center of Bellevue. You’ll also have an easy 15-mile drive to downtown Seattle and just 8 miles to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Written By

Matthew Atkins

Photography Contributed By

Noah Lubin

Video By

Francesco Basti