Every 2 Line train now starts in Lynnwood, crosses Lake Washington and ends its run on a platform above the Redmond Central Connector. That stretch of track used to be a commuter link between Redmond and Bellevue. Since March 28, 2026, it has been the far end of a regional line. Friends who live in Seattle can board at Judkins Park or the International District and get off a block from Redmond Town Center without crossing the bridge by car.
That makes our two newest stations, Downtown Redmond and Marymoor Village, one of the easiest places on the Eastside to host people without anyone driving. One stop covers dinner and the other covers the park. A trail between them already carries people from one to the other.
How the line got here
Sound Transit opened the 3.4-mile Downtown Redmond extension on May 10, 2025. That opening added Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond stations, along with a Marymoor garage holding 1,400 parking spaces. For the first ten months, Redmond's stations mostly served trips within the Eastside.
The Crosslake Connection opened on March 28, 2026. It added Mercer Island and Judkins Park stations and tied the 2 Line into the 1 Line at International District/Chinatown. Sound Transit's 2 Line page now lists the route as Lynnwood to Downtown Redmond.
Before inviting anyone over, check rider alerts. On the weekend of October 17 and 18, buses replaced trains between International District/Chinatown and South Bellevue for maintenance, while 2 Line trains between Redmond and Bellevue kept running as usual, according to The Seattle Times. Any guest coming across the lake on a weekend should do the same quick check.
Downtown Redmond Station is the dinner end
Downtown Redmond Station, at 16620 NE 76th St, sits over the Redmond Central Connector, immediately north of Redmond Town Center, according to Experience Redmond. From the platform, guests are a short walk from three newer places to eat and one long-running mall.
Hakka House. The Seattle Times placed it "right by" the downtown Redmond station and reported that owner Charley Lee is back after a two-year hiatus. He closed his Bellevue restaurant to retire and has now brought his Southern Chinese menu to Redmond, including crispy deep-fried duck, braised meatballs and pork-stuffed tofu. The bigger draw for a weekend visit is the old-school push-cart dim sum, served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a group arriving late morning, that window works well.
Pagliacci Pizza. The Redmond location is at 16311 Redmond Way. The Times counted it as the chain's ninth Eastside location. For guests from Seattle, it's a familiar name to grab a slice before the ride home.
Dave's Hot Chicken. It's at 16502 Redmond Way, a short walk from Pagliacci. The chain also has a Capitol Hill outpost, so some Seattle visitors may already know it.
Redmond Town Center. The Times counted more than 120 stores and 20 restaurants there. Supreme Dumplings lists a location in Suite F115 at 7325 166th Ave NE. IKEA's Plan and Order Point is also in the center. It offers order pickup and planning services and held its grand opening on February 11, 2026, according to OneRedmond. It's useful when you want to pick up a bookshelf while friends browse.
The trail links the dinner end to the park end
Downtown Redmond is one end of the afternoon and Marymoor Park is the other, and the Redmond Central Connector, the trail under the downtown platform, runs between them. Move Redmond's "Meet Me at Marymoor Bike Ride" on July 19, 2026 started at Overlake Village Station and rode the 520 Trail and the Redmond Central Connector to Marymoor Park. That makes the station-to-park trip a walk or bike ride rather than a second train.
Marymoor Village Station, at 17300 NE 70th St, sits at the northeast corner of Marymoor Park. From the platform, visitors can walk to the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome, the 40-acre off-leash dog park and the Sammamish River Trail. Marymoor Live concerts only run in summer, so a late-October visit is mostly trail time, dog-park time, and a hot drink afterward.
The places to eat and drink near this station are a few minutes farther from the platform:
- Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. is at 17585 NE 67th Ct, Suite 100. OneRedmond recorded its grand-opening ribbon cutting on September 26, 2025. The Seattle Times described it as an eight-minute walk from Marymoor Village Station, open late, with a crowd of Eastside regulars. Because it stays open late, it works as the last stop before guests catch a train home.
- Kobuta & Ookami is at 17026 Avondale Way. The Times put it about a 10-minute walk from the station. Its food critic, writing about the Capitol Hill branch, promised "an experience in unparalleled crispiness."
- H Mart's Redmond store is about a 15-minute walk from Marymoor Village Station, according to the same Times guide. It's the stop to make if guests want to take snacks home on the train.
Move Redmond has already made this end of the line a meeting point. Its "Marymoor Walk & Talk" on October 2, 2026 started at Marymoor Village Station and ended at Qamaria. The group's events page is worth checking for the next station walk.
What's on near the two stations through Halloween
Both ends of the line have family events over the next two weekends. All of them are within walking distance of a station.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Trick or Treat at Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village | 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Haunted House at Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village | 5 to 9 p.m. | Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | Drop-In Play | 10 a.m. to noon | Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | Trick or Treat at Redmond Town Center | 4 to 6 p.m. | Redmond Town Center |
The October 24 events at the community center overlap, so families can do both in one evening. Trick-or-treating ends at 7:30 p.m. and the haunted house stays open until 9.
Redmond Lights comes after Halloween. For last season, the City of Redmond announced the dates on November 18, 2025, so this year's dates are worth watching for on the city's news page.
Hosting by train: a simple order of stops
For friends coming from Seattle, here's an order that works with how the stations are laid out:
- Arrive at Downtown Redmond before 3 p.m. That leaves time for push-cart dim sum at Hakka House before the 3 p.m. cutoff.
- Walk off lunch on the Redmond Central Connector toward Marymoor Park, using the trail Move Redmond rode in July.
- Spend the afternoon in Marymoor Park. Visit the off-leash dog park, the Velodrome or the Sammamish River Trail, depending on who came along.
- Finish at Qamaria, about eight minutes on foot from Marymoor Village Station, then board there for the ride back across the lake.
If a guest would rather drive partway, the Marymoor garage's 1,400 spaces give them a place to park and ride.
If you've found a stop between these two stations that should be on this list, I'd love to hear about it. I'm Katlin Lee, and I keep a running list of favorite Eastside places to share with clients and friends.
