The downtown area has some nice restaurants and shops, plenty of services are provided, and of course gas stations, coffee shops, and banks and post office as well.  Following is a quick sketch of the Island events for the year, as well as active clubs and organizations.

Mercer Island Events for the whole year…check the Reporter for more.

New Year’s Day Swim (at Clarke Beach on Jan. 1) (“your eyes open wider when you come out of the water”)
Rotary Half Marathon & Run (March)
Showcase–MI School Dist Celebrates the Arts (March)
Easter Egg Hunts (at Mercerdale Park in March or April)
Mercer Island High School MIPA CIRCUS (late April)
Earth Day’s Leap for Green (late April)
Island Art Walks (3rd Thursday, May – October)
Mostly Music in the Park (July – August…Sunday and Thursday Evenings)
Mercer Island Summer Celebration (Town Center, July 9-10)
Seafair (July – August)
Shakespeare in the Park (Luther Burbank Park, July – August)
Mercer Island Farmer’s Market (May – October)
PTA Ski and Snowboard Swap (October)
Homecoming Parade and Game (October)
Firehouse Munch & Tree Lighting (Late December)

For Kids’ Summer Camps
Stroum Jewish Center www.sjcc.org
Mercerdale Park www.mercergov.org

Clubs & Organizations
Camp Fire USA day camps and overnight open to boys and girls K-12.  www.campfire-usa.org
Children’s Hospital Guild (publishes Mercer Island Directory, sales benefit Children’s Hospital); call Petra Walker at 230-5138, new members welcome.  They have published the guide since 1943!
Friends of the Mercer Island Library. Group helps library fundraising, art exhibits, and other activities.  Applications are available at the library at 4400 88th Avenue SE.
Mercer Island Beach Club (MIBC) (https://www.mibeachclub.com/) Member owned and family oriented, there are 12 acres overlooking Lake Washington with six tennis courts, two pools, a volleyball court, a basket ball court, beach, pickle ball, a boat launch ramp, and they also have picnic areas and indoor activities including a gym, classes, and more.
Mercer Island Country Club (http://www.mercerislandcc.com/) tennis, swim, fitness and social.
Mercer Island Craft Guild (for woodworkers, share tools & a shop); call Rick Tydings at 232-6916.  They have existed as a collective since 4 men started this group in 1940.  About 60 members.
Mercer Island Girl Scouts. Part of the East King County region.
Mercer Island Historical Society (collects and preserves historical items and memories of the island); call Phil Flash at 236-3274; www.mihistory.org.  They meet 6 times a year.
Mercer Island Kiwanis Club (nonprofit organization of men and women mostly focusing on helping children.  Sponsors many clubs and does fundraising, donates to children’s clubs, groups and services on the island). www.kiwanis.org
Mercer Island Boy Scouts.  www.seattlebsa.org/Cascade.
Mercer Island League of Woman Voters 206-329-4848.
Mercer Island Lions Club; mercerislandlions.lionwap.org  For years they have had a Christmas tree fundraiser to support their philanthropies.
Mercer Island Masonic Lodge; call Dean Quigley at 232-8957.
Mercer Island Radio Operators; www.mirohams.org (has about 50 members which are amateur radio operators).
Mercer Island Rotary Club (largest service organization on Mercer Island; membership by invitation, anyone interested in service is free to attend a meeting.  www.mirotary.org).
Mercer Island Saddle Club (www.misaddleclub.org) A twenty horse barn, a 35 year history, a covered riding arena.
Mercer Island Sister City Association (shares a relationship with a city in France, Thonon les Bains).  Call Linda Todd at 232-4570.
Mercer Island Special Olympics (provides year round sports and activities for developmentally disabled children and adults).  Call Lucinda Soha at 425-641-8100.
Mercer Island’s Woman’s Club (this club is one of the largest on the island, also one of the oldest organizations on the island, welcomes women who are residents of the island).  www.mercerislandwomensclub.com

Mercerwood Shore Club on Mercer Island

Mercerwood Shore Club (www.mercerwood.com/) 206-232-1622.  With tennis courts, a great pool, waterfront views, and more, Mercerwood is offering a family summer membership for around $1700 for the whole summer.
National Charity League Evergreen Chapter; aims to foster mother-daughter relationships in an organization devoted to philanthropy and community service.  www.nclevergreen.org (meets monthly, mothers with daughters 7-12th grade).
Pacific Northwest Audio Society, www.audiosociety.org, since 1978 devoted to the enjoyment of fine audio.
Probus Club of Mercer Island (professional and business retirees).  www.probus.org/usmercer.htm
Stroum Jewish Community Center; call 232-7115.  Dedicated to the enrichment of life for the Jewish and general community on the island since 1968, membership is open to everyone.  Extensive and wonderful amenities, programs, fitness center, pool, and more.
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 5760 is in it’s 60th year.  It promotes patriotism and supports the rights of veterans.  Call them at 232-6390.
YMCA Adventure Guides; Call Abbey Jaffe at 425-644-8417 (encourages relationships between parents and their children, meeting up with local circles for adventures and activities).

Contact Numbers for Mercer Island
City Hall www.mercergov.org 275-7793; Senior Services 275-7611; Parks and Rec 275-7609
Mercer Island School District www.misd.k12.wa.us 236-3300
Mercer Island Post Office www.usps.gov 230-5636
Mary Wayte Pool & Olympic Cascade Aquatics www.ocaswim.com 266-4370
Strom Jewish Community Center www.sjcc.org 232-7115
Community Center at Mercer View www.mercergov.org 275-7609
Mercer Island Reporter www.mi-reporter.com 232-1215
Mercer Island Police (of course 911 for emergency) 275-7610
Mercer Island Fire Department (911 for emergency) 275-7607
Puget Sound Energy www.pse.com 1-888-225-5773

A good part of this information was referenced from the Mercer Island Reporter Island Guide 2011.  Stand by for future blogs on Places of Worship, Schools, and Parks.

Private docks on Mercer Island Waterfront

between Seattle and the Eastside, and is crossed by I-90 on the Floating Bridge (built in 1940), it is often just passed over as commuters cross to their daily work, or Eastside residents go into the city for some cultural event or party.  But why not make it a destination, either to live, or to visit, you will find much to enjoy.

The name Mercer Island refers of course to the island but also to the city.  There are three public elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, all top rated.  There is also a private school, the French American School of Puget Sound.  The name of the island in fact comes from early visitors, the Mercer brothers, who used to row over from Seattle to hunt, fish, and pick berries.  Well, that may have been their stated purpose, but it is hard to imagine that it wasn’t the natural beauty and astounding views that drew them to the shores of what became Mercer Island.

Since the Seafair events will be taking place next weekend, the bridge will actually be closed, and for information on that the City of Mercer Island site is a good one.  It also will go into detail on current happenings (like the free summer concert series) with an Events Calendar, and provides a link to the MI Weekly, a local publication with years of archives online, and the Mercer Island Quarterly archive as well.  And don’t forget to check out the “Parks and Recreation” link, which informs about the Community Center at Mercer View, fun things to do, and the location of parks (including Clyde Beach Park which has a beach with a swimming area and lifeguard), and Summer Camps and Classes.

Edy Kizaki
Realtor, Team Leader
206-402-9155

Breathtaking views of Lake Washington and Seattle