Dear iLoveKent.net fans,

I frequently get asked why I Love Kent. Some people get it, especially those that live here and appreciate the city’s little known treasures, but people not from Kent, Washington have no idea. People from Tacoma and Seattle often can’t imagine what a town like Kent could offer that they don’t have. But Kent, Washington is a special place.

I can’t say why other people love Kent, or what people, places or things are important to them, but I can tell you why I Love Kent…and I’m going to. In 2013, I’m going to post 365 reasons that iLoveKent.net on the iLoveKent Facebook page. I’ll note people, places or things I love about Kent – favorite restaurants, shops, community leaders and volunteers, etc. and I’ll include photos whenever I can. I’ll recap those daily posts here weekly.

Please keep in mind that these are MY reasons for loving Kent. I know that not everyone will agree with my selections; in fact, I hope each Kent fan has his or her own reasons for loving our little ‘burb. I encourage feedback, comments and your reasons for loving Kent.

Kent isn’t perfect, but it has a lot to offer if you know where to look.

Happy New Year!

Dana Neuts, Publisher

Every once in awhile someone will ask me why I love Kent. Sometimes it is someone far away from Washington who has no idea where Kent is or what it has to offer. Other times it is someone who visited Kent long ago and remembers it as a not-so-special place they wouldn’t go back to.

I’ve lived here for five years, but every week I discover something new to love about Kent. Here are 10 things I love about Kent, Washington!

1. People: Despite the fact that Kent is the fourth largest city in King County, it retains its small town feel. Everywhere I go I am greeted with a smile. People in Kent are some of the nicest I’ve ever met. They are open minded, welcoming and good natured.
2. Parks: Kent, Washington has a handful of beautiful-but-small lakes that are serene and peaceful. Most are adjacent to a city-owned park with almost every amenity you can imagine. There are specialty parks as well like Arbor Heights 360 and Wilson Playfields, encouraging outdoor recreation for kids and adults. Some of my favorite parks include Clark Lake Park, Lake Meridian Park, Fennewick Park and Town Square Plaza.
3. Entertainment: There is always something to do in Kent. We have everything here from Kent Station and ShoWare Center to a Historic District and Kent Historical Museum. We also have a wealth of arts programs and school drama programs that provide dozens of performances, plays and other opportunities every year. What’s even better is that many outlets offer free or affordable things to do. Who doesn’t love free?
4. Shopping: Kent does not have a mall, per se, but we have much more shopping than most people know about. In addition to the always-popular Kent Station, there are locally-owned stores like Marie Haggin Accessories, Fig & Feather, Cheryl’s Unique Boutique, Titusville Antiques and more. There are also little niche areas like the “International District” on 104th and the shopping plaza on 104th and Kent-Kangley Road (Joann Fabrics, Linda’s Apparel, etc.) No matter where I go, I can find something special that fits my taste and my budget. See our Shopping page for more stores.
5. Dining: No matter how picky or broad your tastes are, there are multiple restaurants, cafes and diners to suit everyone. For American diner-style food, Maggie’s on Meeker is a favorite. For Thai, I recommend Archa Thai in downtown Kent. For Indian, I love Punjab Sweets on the East Hill. Proud to display its diverse heritage, Kent has a little bit of everything. Visit our Dine page for more suggestions.
6. Diversity: It is politically correct to say you embrace diversity, but not everyone truly does. In Kent, though, I believe we have a diverse population as well as a culture of inclusion and acceptance. We have several areas of town and specific businesses that cater to particular populations (e.g., Indian, Ukrainian, Hispanic, etc.), but we are eager to learn from each other as well. With more than 120 languages spoken in our schools, for example, most schools have English-learning programs as well as International Days where students can share their culture. This year the city of Kent partnered with a group of citizens to put on the 2nd annual Kent International Festival in downtown Kent. As a more personal example, my daughter goes to Dr. Na of the Mountlake Acupuncture Clinic on Central Avenue. He was born, raised and educated in China. When we go for my daughter’s weekly treatments, we exchange stories about our respective cultures. I think we learn as much about Chinese culture as we do about acupuncture and healing!
7. Accessibility: When I say “accessibility,” I mean that people and government in Kent, Washington are accessible to the average resident. I truly believe that anyone in Kent can send an email to the mayor or place a call to the police chief and get a prompt, personal response. I feel very comfortable that are our local leaders are accessible as well as eager to listen.
8. Entrepreneurial spirit: I love the fact that people in Kent, Washington have an entrepreneurial spirit about them. This includes business owners who passionately build their own companies, but also teens and young adults in the area who want to make a difference. People in Kent don’t accept that we have to do things the way they’ve always been done. They say, “I don’t like this. Let’s change it.” One local citizens group, for example, wanted an off leash dog park on the East Hill. Recognizing that the city didn’t have the funds to build one, they created the park in cooperation with the city, raising money on their own and turning their dream into a reality. In another case, a group of teens calling itself Project U(th) formed this summer to create opportunities for work and leisure for their peers. In Kent, we are not afraid to work hard or to pave our own way. We are a spunky bunch!
9. Community pride: Kent has been called many derogatory names over the years, but those who love Kent remain proud of their city. We show up in the thousands for events like Kent Cornucopia Days, Seattle T Birds and Predators’ games and concerts like the Backstreet Boys and REO Speedwagon. We work together to show our spirit and to shout Kent’s strengths to the world. For example, Kent’s neighborhood program brings residents together to solve mutual problems, to beautify neighborhoods and to clean up graffiti. Call us what you want – we will love Kent anyway!
10. Beauty: While I’ve touched on this a bit in #1 through 9, I love the beauty of Kent which includes its parks, lakes and mountain views but also its historic buildings, its public art work and, most of all, its people.

Those are just 10 of the reasons I love Kent, Washington. Tell me some of yours! Post them here or email them to us at iLoveKent.net, and we’ll post them online.

Thanks to everyone who made a comment in May on iLoveKent.net. The winners of the $10 Kent Station gift cards are:

- Pam Wilson
- Matthew Goslar
- Nicole Strome

These lucky winners will receive a Kent Station gift card just for taking the time to post a comment on this site. If you’d like to win a gift card too, post a comment during the month of June to win! To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old and you must reside in King County, Washington!

Questions? Let us know.

We are trying to spread the news about iLoveKent.net. You can help us do that by telling us why YOU love Kent, Washington! Comment on a post or tell us what you love about Kent – your favorite hair stylist, manucurist, restaurant, boutique, dentist, park or anything else (family friendly please) – and you will be entered to win a $10 Kent Station gift card. We will draw three names at random on May 26 for this month’s drawing. The only eligibility rules are that you must be 18 years of age and must reside in King County, Washington!

So tell us why YOU love Kent and you could WIN!

Updated Feb. 20, 2013 — I get a lot of questions about why I started iLoveKent.net and what I get out of it. I started it as a simple blog last summer, but moved it to a larger, friendlier format a couple of months ago because it was getting more attention and I saw the need for information in our community growing. I wanted to provide a venue to talk about some of the businesses, events and people in Kent that I think are great but aren’t getting the exposure they deserve. Some that I’ve written about are clients, but the majority are not. When writing about a client, I will disclose that fact.

I’m not sure where the site is headed or what I eventually want to accomplish with it, but for now…

- The site is a free, community-based website.

- I post content on the site as I have time. I do it on a voluntary basis as a community service.

- I receive some advertising and sponsorship money for the site. It covers my hard costs, but not my labor costs. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the support of local businesses.

- Readers and members of the community occasionally send me items and events to post. I do so as I have time and at my discretion. I am the sole editor and publisher of the site and reserve the right to include or omit content as I see fit.

- When receiving information or photos from another source, I will ensure that I have permission to use that information and will provide credit to the original author/photographer.

- Readers comments are moderated the first time they submit a comment. After they have had a comment approved, future comments are automatically posted. I reserve the right to delete inappropriate or offensive remarks. This is a family-friendly site, and I intend to keep it that way.

- I invite members of the Kent community to submit guest posts and editorials for consideration and publishing. The original author will retain the copyright to his or her work, but grant permission to iLoveKent.net to publish the post or editorial.

- Occasionally, I hire staff to help keep the site updated. I oversee the content, so quality control is up to me.

- Any errors or omissions are strictly my own. If you find something that is inaccurate, please contact me at info@ilovekent.net, and I will make the corrections as soon as possible.

- As a member of the Kent community, I am frequently invited to political fundraisers such as campaign kick-offs, victory celebrations, etc. As a rule, I do not attend any such functions. I follow the Code of Ethics developed by the Society of Professional Journalists, and want to avoid the perception of any potential conflicts of interest. Since I may cover a particular candidate or official on iLoveKent.net, it is important that I maintain neutrality.

I welcome your input, feedback, content suggestions and ideas. I want this site to show some of the great things that Kent, Washington has to offer. Your input will help to make the site more useful, so keep those ideas coming! Send them to info@ilovekent.net.

Thanks,
Dana Neuts, publisher
iLoveKent.net

To encourage new users to visit iLoveKent.net and to get regular visitors to keep coming back, we are offering three $10 Kent Station gift cards each month to winners drawn at random.

Here’s how to sign up. Post a comment to any blog post on iLoveKent.net (be sure to include your name and e-mail address), and you will automatically be entered to win. Three winners will be drawn at random on the 25th of each month. Entrants must be 18 or older and reside in King County, Washington to be eligible. Your name will be entered once for each comment, up to 10 times per month. Winners will be notified via e-mail and included in a blog post.

[Please note that comments are moderated for first-time posters. Once you have had a comment approved by the moderator, future comments will automatically be posted. This is a family-friendly site, so keep that in mind as you make your comments. Inappropriate or offensive comments will be deleted.]

Growing up in Indiana, I enjoyed the massive lake effect snow we got every winter. Our cities were well-equipped to tackle the snow and ice, so we didn’t miss school very often…but there was always plenty of snow to play in. I remember snow tunnels, forts, sledding until my fingers were frozen, and snowball fights.

Fast forward to 2008 and I am in awe of the snow we’ve seen in Kent this year. I’ve lived in Washington for five and a half years and have never seen snow like this here. We have at least 10 inches at our house, not to mention thick layers of ice. Some roads are closed, others are impassable and the rest are just plain messy. So if you have to travel this week, please be careful. There is more snow and ice to come. Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy watching it from my office window as I make the most of this weather-induced break.

Happy Holidays!

Dana, Virtually Yourz

Originally from Indiana, I moved to Washington State five years ago. I lived in Bellingham for two and a half years and moved to Kent nearly three years ago. Kent isn’t for everybody, but I love that it’s close to Seattle while retaining its small town charm and diversity. It is a unique place with great people, wonderful restaurants and unique shops. I created this blog to tell people more about Kent, so they can learn about all that this town of 85,000 has to offer.