Retreat to lakes, fountains and billowy Douglas firs. The Lakes, an award-winning community, has something for everyone. Fitness buffs will delight in the on-site fitness center, pools and spas or head to the Group Health Ice arena downtown for an open skate; just be sure to lace up tight! Give your left brain a workout at the Open Satellite, a new 2,000 sq. ft. gallery downtown devoted to contemporary artists from outside the Northwest.

The Lakes is on the border of Redmond and Bellevue, 15 miles from Seattle and 50 miles from backcountry skiing at Crystal Mountain on majestic Mt. Rainier. Bike or hike the Olympic Peninsula or kayak on the waterways of Puget Sound. With direct highway access to Seattle via 520 and I-90, local employers include Microsoft, Honeywell, Expedia, T-Mobile, Eddie Bauer, Nintendo, Amazon, Google and Group Health. Bellevue's main public high schools were all included in Newsweek's listing of the Best High Schools in America.