The Stars Align: Living in Bonney Lake

Time to get away from vexing city lights and instead follow peaceful star lights home? Make the move to Bonney Lake.

Fresh off the foothills of Mount Rainier and the shores of Lake Tapps, this Pierce County town harbors its share of pastoral spots. But it's come a long way from you grandparents' black-and-white Polaroids of Bonney Lake. Sure, it's charming as ever. Outdoorsy. And smart. But now it's also balanced. Accessible. Savvy. And maybe even more active than ever.

Bonney Lake kids still learn to water ski from public boat launches at North Lake Tapps County Park. Local hikers of all ages still meander Paradise wildflower meadows in neighboring Mount Rainier National Park.

But now there's even more to explore. Next-gen visions for preserving and transforming Bonney Lake's open space into diverse recreational hotspots are popping up here. Try Tehaleh. This 4,700-acre mixed-use planned community hosts 1,800 acres of park, trail and open space. With savvy designs, there's new access and life pumping into settings with native pines, alpine meadows and wetlands: breath-taking and breath-giving hiking in Forest Park. Perky pups playing at Hounds Hollow. Yoga at Ponder Park and birdwatching at Yonder Park. Kids' play like it was meant to be enjoyed, until the sun goes down or when mom calls you home from Sprouts Holler.

These healthy youth settings partner perfectly with strong Sumner-Bonney Lake schools. Compared to larger school districts in the state, local classrooms offer a greater student-to-teacher personalized attention ratio. It's time well spent on innovative, future-focused STEM programs at its nine elementary (including new Tehaleh Heights Elementary), three middle, and two recently expanded high schools - not to mention its new voter-endorsed Early Childhood Learning Center for preschoolers.

There's a good reason people call Bonney Lake small town living with big city access. Tacoma? It's an accommodating 20-minute commute away. Sumner, Puyallup and Auburn? They're even closer. Bonney Lake is also a comfortable 50-minute self-drive distance to Seattle and Bellevue. Turn that into a hands-free/carefree commute by using Highway 410 to connect with Sumner or Auburn's Sounder train stations.

Locals and newcomers agree: when it's time to break away from otherwise urban-edged challenges, Bonney Lake strikes a suburban balance. Make a dental appointment, bank deposit, mount new tires, order a pizza and fill a prescription with professionals you know - all within a few blocks. Downtown Bonney Lake anchors a library and post office - while Midtown hosts most shopping - Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyer, home improvement stores - and a multi-plex cinema.

Trust the constellations. And when the starts align your future toward Bonney Lake, check out MainVue Homes' offerings. Sky Island features 24 homesites with attractive accessibility and luxury selections surrounded by open space on a private cul-de-sac. Select homesites are reserved for MainVue homebuyers at Tehaleh in Panaroma Point, Berkeley Park and Observation Ridge.