Gilman Village

Similar to Langley Village on Whidbey Island, little charming, walkable, self-enclosed shopping villages like these need to be more common! A fun variety of gift shops, home goods stores, apparel retailers, interactive art workshops, restaurants and more are a real gem, and an attraction that caters to both tourists and locals alike! Lovingly laid out, meticulously maintained, with nary a sight line without something gorgeous to look at, and that wasn't considered during the design phase. I bet holidays here are gorgeous as well! Very recommended for anyone in the Issaquah area, whether you live here, or are just passing through!

Very cool place! Enjoyed walking around the shops and the coffee shop was worth the wait

Lovely and quaint shopping area with cute shops and cozy restaurants. Very charming! Also has a nice riverside walking trail.

Nice variety of cute shops. Nice spots for food and bevs.

Gilman Village is my favorite part of living in Issaquah. It harbors the best coffee shoppe, juice bar and yoga studio in the area. I love shopping there. The shop personal are warm and welcoming. The lady who owns Serenity treats me like family every time I stop by. You can always count on finding unique gifts there for almost anyone. It truly is an overall wonderful experience going to the Village. Please keep it local by supporting our area businesses.

Very cozy place with fun shops so make sure to look around, they are a bit overpriced but fun none the less. Very good coffee at the coffee shop there and amazing mango milkshake

Cute shopping area!

In its prime this was such a showcase. If in the area worth walking and exploring but not a destination for shopping anymore.

Cute and quaint shopping village with a little of everything. This is the perfect spot to browse with a friend, grab a birthday or housewarming gift and grab a bite. You'll find it all- breakfast, lunch or dinner, coffee and tea, and bev options at almost all of the eateries. It's so refreshing to get away from the big box stores. You can find great gifts, a new outfit and familiar brands in these small businesses. If I lived closer, I'd definitely frequent Gilman Village. Also, the easy to find restrooms were convenient and signs saying all of the restaurants have public use. Easy parking. There are some vacant storefronts and some shops weren't open, which at first I found strange. But I guess that's the beauty of a small business and it's nice to see they offer flexibility for small business owners. Meet a friend here and browse, it's worth it!

Similar to Langley Village on Whidbey Island, little charming, walkable, self-enclosed shopping villages like these need to be more common! A fun variety of gift shops, home goods stores, apparel retailers, interactive art workshops, restaurants and more are a real gem, and an attraction that caters to both tourists and locals alike! Lovingly laid out, meticulously maintained, with nary a sight line without something gorgeous to look at, and that wasn't considered during the design phase. I bet holidays here are gorgeous as well! Very recommended for anyone in the Issaquah area, whether you live here, or are just passing through!

I've been to Gilman Village many, many times growing up in this area, but I've never really thought about the origins....until I saw a bathtub in The Boarding Hose bathroom. Surely the Village isn't made from private residents...right?? Well, interestingly enough a couple decided to start saving unwanted buildings back in the 1970s from the surrounding area and ultimately moved/rebuilt them to where they stand now. Nifty! When it comes to The Boarding House, it was, in fact, a family home at one point from c1920s. If you're looking to learn a few things, the website actually breaks the buildings down and shares a bit of history of where all the buildings came from. Currently home to ~50 businesses, this is a great place to come check out! It's a bunch of buildings, so make sure you dress for the weather! A large majority of the businesses are small and local, so you can feel warm and fuzzy about supporting the community while also enjoying some of the history.

Pretty nice little shopping area with shops and restaurants. Many of these stores are more specialty shops that are on the pricier side but worth visiting. The restaurants are affordable. Just a fun place to walk around during the holidays too because they have some lights and decorations out.

I passed here with my family on my way to Flat Iron Grill. I couldn't wait for birthday dinner last night at FIG, and this neighbourhood definetely captured my attention. This little area reminded us of Leavenworth, the German village we've previously gone to. It doesn't have German theme, but the town with small cute stores in Xmas lighting. It looks very different from daytime to night time. This area is perfect for couples and young family with kids. I didn't check out stores; however, Masa (Mexican restaurant) seemed quite popular here. GV has it's own charm with beautiful atmosphere. They also had cool craft stores nearby.

Such a cute locale! Park in one of the expansive parking lots and walk to the pedestrian only maze of the Village, where you can find specialty boutiques, a coffee shop, and maybe more. It's cozy, as if walking through a neighborhood, each of the shops in small homes and a sidewalk connecting them all to each other. Staff in the stores I visited were friendly and sweet, helpful and kind. A cute place to return to.

While I don't know how long this village has been here, I've lived in the PNW for most of my life and had no idea it was here at all! Imagine our excitement when three places we discovered online were right here! It seems like at least a big section of the place used to be houses that were converted into stores and/or restaurants with a few more recently constructed places mixed in. We stopped in for Dim Sum, coffee and to grab some loose leaf tea, and found all three spots in the village, albeit very separate in physical space. The array of shops ranged from an old school toy store, to bars, coffee and tea shops, lots of different genres of restaurants and just about everything in between. It's very conducive to walking around and window shopping in bursts (shops are clustered but require walking outside). Super cool use of the space and a spot we'll be stopping more often as getting into Seattle continues to become and increasingly huge pain!

Gilman Village is wonderful mix of old and new with historic buildings and farm houses filled with all kinds of goodies! It's a wonderful place to walk and enjoy a taste of yesteryear with the vintage boardwalks and red bricked paths. As the towns in nearby surrounding areas grew- many of the old farm houses and barns were moved, collected here to this spot and lovingly restored. Each building has a rich history that goes back at least a hundred years or more. Just ask at the counter- the clerks all seem to be so friendly and kind and love sharing the stories of their particular house or building. Really I have yet to meet a store clerk that wasn't bubbly and helpful. It's the combination of friendly neighborly people and the history of this place that give this collection of vintage buildings so much charm. Lots of shops, restaurants and cafes. Even a vintage looking ice cream parlor and a children's nursery school. Some favorite foodie stops in Gilman Village: The Boarding House, Macky's Dim Sum, Black Duck Cask and Bottle and The Flat Iron Grill. I've been here a few times- especially on beautiful sunny days! But I know they are open year round and have all kinds of events like wine walks and Christmas caroling. Plenty of parking all around the village too. Definitely plan to spend some time here- there's lots to see! On a nice day, get yourself a cold glass of iced tea and find a perch on a deck bench or porch - there are many to choose from. It's easy to sit and enjoy a visit with friends or rock in a front porch rocking chair for the afternoon and watch the world go by.

So many cute shops here. My favorite that I can spend hours and hundreds in is lucky home. So many of my deco has come from this store. They have good coffee as well just down the way.

Just tried to go and do all of my Christmas shopping in Gilman Village. Unfortunately all of the parking lots are a solid sheet of ice. Someone is going to get hurt, but it won't be me! UGH

The 1970's gave us David Bowie and ABBA, the SST Concorde with its sonic boom, VW Beatles were at their height, the first Earth Day was celebrated while the EPA began operating and Gilman Village was becoming a reality. Back in 1972 a couple from Issaquah had the idea to save some of the older rundown and unwanted buildings from businesses, farms and mines as well as homes in the Issaquah area. They took the time to have them renovated and placed them all together in an outdoor mall-like setting. They wanted to give the area a distinctive and historical collection of buildings but not as a museum. Even though it is an outdoor mall, it is also a part of the living history of Issaquah and the surrounding area. They founders of Gilman Village wanted to create a hub for independent businesses in the area at a time when we were seeing the advent of large chain stores. Perhaps they were visionaries, sentimental or a bit of both, but their legacy lives on at Gilman Village. As an armchair architecture enthusiast I am always looking for old buildings to admire and photograph. Gilman Village gave me the opportunity to do both as well as stroll through a different kind of mall experience. I think this is such a great idea to use old buildings for small independent shops and bring them all together. I'd love to see more of this done in our state. The buildings are not placed in a uniform manner which adds to the charm of Gilman Village. Done parts are accessible from the parking lots while others are on a sidewalk or wooden boardwalk. In some areas of the complex it feels like you are strolling through a small town. There are some trees along the paths as well as a lake. According to the maps placed around Gilman Village, there are about fifty businesses here. For kids and families there is a preschool at the Farmhouse School and music and movement classes at the Musik Nest. Madhouse pottery offers you the chance to create and paint your own pottery and White Horse Toys is a great independent toy store for both kids and adults. There are eleven restaurants places throughout Gilman Village offering Indian, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Dim Sum, Coffee, Tea, Organic juices and pastries. Make sure to check the Yelp reviews! For your home or garden there are eight shops offering a wide range of goods. There's Aubrey's Clock Gallery has a large number of grandfather clocks and watches that are interesting to look at even if you are not going to buy one. The Recology store is unique in that it focuses on reusable products which is something we could all stand to learn more about. Lucky Home, Studio Den and Lucky You have a selection of items for home decor, accessories and furniture. Serenity, Suburban Soul and E & A offer women's clothing but sorry guys, there are no men's clothing shops here. Active Body Pilates and Village Green Yoga will help center you while Chromatique Salon and spa will relax you. There are also other professional services at Gilman Village including Kulik Chiropractic Healthcare, the Village Family Clinic and Wellness Center, two website designers, an agency that focuses only on overseas travel, a financial advisor, a public relations firm and even a business that focuses on non-invasive breast health products, bras and screenings. I'd recommend coming on a day when most of the shops and businesses are open if your interested. The businesses are definitely more focused on female customers but it's still worth a visit guys.

Gilman village is a treasure in the center of our sweet town. I surely miss the charming shopping Like barn swallow where local artists sold their products. I found amazing hand made unique products there. There are still fun restaurants and some good stores like the kitchen shop. And lucky you. But I want more artist local driven products. Parking is good.

Love the stores here but the outdoor music is HORRIBLE! Please please please change it. No more big band 40s swing music at 10am when I just want to relax with coffee and do some shopping. Please! Note: this review is for the music that blares over the outdoor speakers throughout the village.