Kent

Though the 21^st century has been an economically difficult time for the United States, the Greater Puget Sound region has been particularly resilient. A number of towns and neighborhoods connected to the cultural and business hub of Seattle have revitalized and grown over the past decade thanks to forward-thinking leadership and community-centered urban planning. The town of Kent, just ten miles south of downtown Seattle, is a perfect example of this development. A pioneer’s agricultural town turned modern industrial center, Kent has entered a new stage in its 150 years of growth.

The area known today as Kent was once a fertile stretch of farm land called Titusville. Settled in the mid 19^th century, Titusville became famous for supplying hops to American and European brewers after an aphid infestation destroyed the Old World crop of the valuable vine. Though a similar fate befell Titusville hops several years later, the sudden wealth brought many new settlers allowing the town (renamed Kent in the 1880’s) to be the second incorporated city in King County after nearby Seattle. The building of a Carnation Condensed Milk plant in the early 1900’s paved the way for Kent’s eventual industrialization.

Today Kent is known as a center of industry thanks in no small part to one of Boeing Aerospace’s facilities. The Kent production facility is famous for constructing lunar landers for NASA’s Apollo Program. This drew a number of high-tech firms to the town starting in the 1970’s. Though much of Kent’s economy still relies on its industrial complex, the overwhelming majority of the facilities are located in the Valley region while residential and business centers can be found in the East Hill and West Hill districts.

Downtown Kent has, like many King County urban centers, undergone a period of major revitalization since the 1990’s. The new crown jewel of the city is the Kent Station development, a mixed-use center for entertainment, business, education and transportation surrounding the rail and bus station of its namesake. Also new to Kent is one the Western Hockey League’s latest teams, the Seattle Thunderbirds at the ShoWare Center.

Kent is one of the greenest populated areas in King County. It has dozens of parks and trails of all different sizes thanks to the abundance of Green River in the west and the small lake system in the northeast, most notably Lake Youngs. The hill neighborhoods provide a clear view of Mt. Rainier and the town itself is just a short drive to Lake Tapps in the south and Tiger Mountain State Forest in the northeast.

There are 40 public schools in the Kent school district, the highest rated being Lake Youngs Elementary, Cedar Heights Middle School and Kentridge High School. Of the many private programs in Kent, Academy Schools K-12 has the best reputation thanks to its small class sizes and philosophy as both a coed and non-sectarian facility.

Kent has seen steady growth and development since it was establish nearly 150 years ago. It changes with the times and in doing so invites prosperity. With its home prices, which are significantly lower than the Seattle median, it is also an ideal location for commuters to the nearby metropolis. The Sound Transit train line’s southward expansion has made travel between Seattle and Kent easier than ever. Thanks to recent diversification, Kent is no longer just a seat of industry, it’s another up-and-coming region in King County.