We’ve had a lot of flat tires over the last 26 years.
That can happen when you move into the beginning stages of a master-planned community. As we navigated the construction zones of Issaquah Highlands over the years, our car tires always seemed to find a nail.
In May 1999, my husband Dave and I bought our first home in Issaquah Highlands. We were looking for a place to start a family in a reputable school district with easy access to mountains and water. We wanted a strong sense of community, and Issaquah ticked all the boxes.
At the time, the neighborhood was still in its infancy, and builders completed our home as one of the last on our block in the Ashland Park neighborhood. I remember being in awe at the sound of the frogs our first night.
Andrea Moretsky reflects on the past two decades in Issaquah Highlands and how the community has grown over the years. Her house was one of the last to be constructed in the Ashland Park neighborhood in 1999.
If you traveled back to 1999, you wouldn’t recognize Issaquah Highlands. The Huckleberry Circle condos along Park Drive were an empty lot, and the fire station was a grove of trees.
Ashland Park was the heart of Issaquah Highlands, a gathering place for events where neighbors formed connections that still last today. The building that now houses Outsource Marketing was once Sweet Addition, a favorite spot for Italian sodas in the summer. Later, it became Sherm’s BBQ, where we’d grab a sandwich and enjoy live music in the park. (For more on the area’s food history, see Randall Pinkston’s “Savoring History” in the winter 2025 issue of Community Connect). Park Drive didn’t go far before turning to dirt; incoming retail was only a promise.
The neighborhood’s Information Center first operated out of a trailer before moving to where the Montessori school now stands. This is where we participated in a newly formed playgroup for our toddlers (and the moms are still my close friends today).
The only way into the neighborhood was via the now-closed road past the Montessori, and the Front Street on-ramp was our primary connection to I-90. In the mornings, the traffic getting down to the freeway from Issaquah-Fall City Road was bonkers. Exiting the freeway at Front Street in the evenings was a daily headache.
Our two kids went through the Issaquah School District from kindergarten to graduation, and our daughter was part of the first class to attend Grand Ridge Elementary for all of K-5.
Over the years, we’ve built a network of neighbors and friends. The cliche of “it takes a village” is an understatement. From dog sitting, kid sitting, soccer carpools and borrowing the occasional egg, we’ve come to rely upon the generosity of our neighborhood friends.
This especially rings true for our block. Sporting our pajamas and barely awake, we push our garbage cans out on Friday mornings with a smile and wave (well, some mornings are still duck-and-cover, ha). Over the years, we’ve had soup exchanges, book clubs, block parties, camping and celebrations. One of the best perks of knowing your neighbors? The group text where we warn each other about incoming solicitors.
After commuting to Seattle, I eventually decided to work closer to home. I spent over 12 years at Outsource Marketing, where Founder Patrick Byers and Operations Manager Jennifer Kodosky are also Issaquah Highlands residents. My husband runs his financial planning and wealth management firm mostly from home, so long commutes are a thing of the past for both of us.
Moving into a newly developed neighborhood in 1999 brought its share of growing pains. But the lasting friendships and memories we’ve created have been worth every flat tire.
Andrea Moretsky is an Ashland Park resident.
As published in the spring issue of Community Connect magazine >>>
