Monthly Archive for July, 2010

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New sidewalks at Junction Plaza Park

July 15, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 12:33 pm - Closed

If you’re strolling in West Seattle, you might notice the new Junction Plaza Park, but also be sure to note the new sidewalks (SDOT).

If you stop on the way to the West Seattle Junction to enjoy the handsome new Junction Plaza Park at 42nd and SW Alaska Street, you might notice that there are also new sidewalks along the street surrounding the park. The sidewalks are the handiwork of SDOT’s South Concrete Paving Crews, happy to have a part in the creation of the community’s newest attraction, dedicated on Tuesday, June 29. The park provides an enjoyable pass-through retreat on the way to shopping or parking, as well as providing a location for small performances or festivals.

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Do you walk barefoot?

July 14, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 9:26 pm - Closed

Walking and running barefoot has grown in popularity in recent years. Shoes do help insulate your joints from the shock of hard surfaces, but some people believe walking without shoes is better for your feet.

About.com’s walking blog points to a study that shows that modern day skeletons show more signs of stress than our human predecessors, but how much of that skeletal wear is caused by walking on hard modern surfaces (e.g. tile, concrete, etc) versus wearing shoes is uncertain.

There aren’t a lot of studies, but there are a few significant ones. One studied the feet of 180 modern skeletons and compared them to 2000 year-old skeletons of a barefoot society. The results were, “The pathological lesions found in the metatarsals of the three recent human groups generally appeared to be more severe than those found in the pre-pastoral group. This result may support the hypothesis that pathological variation in the metatarsus was affected by habitual behaviour including the wearing of footwear and exposure to modern substrates.” In other words, wearing shoes and walking on modern floors, streets and sidewalks is associated with more foot problems seen in skeletons.

I would be pretty hesitant to walk barefoot on many city streets, but there may be some quiet neighborhoods where there wouldn’t be much reason not to. I have done it on a neighborhood street before and I really enjoyed it, but felt that I constantly had to watch the ground to make sure I wouldn’t step on anything sharp. Does anyone out there have any strong opinions about this?

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Report on Seattle graffiti

July 13, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 7:31 pm - Closed

It seems like graffiti is everywhere in the city, especially in urban areas. We’re all impacted by it financially because $2 million of our tax dollars are used to remove it. However, as we observe our surroundings on our walks, us pedestrians probably see more graffiti than most people.

The city auditor’s office recently did a study on graffiti and came back with some interesting statistics, including that public property is tagged more often than private. Also, sticker graffiti is more common than spray paint graffiti.

39% of survey respondents said graffiti was not a problem, while about the same percentage said it was a medium to very big problem.

The study also includes a few recommendations. Visit the Seattle Crime blog for more details.

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Walking with Crutches on Capitol Hill

July 12, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 12:19 pm - Closed

I’ve been fortunate never to have needed to use crutches, but it sounds like if I were living on Capitol Hill, it wouldn’t be too big of a problem, according to a local resident who broke his ankle.

I’ve also found another reason to love my dense compact neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Seattle. It turns out that my part of the world, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the Northwest, is pretty easy to get around on crutches. While my neighborhood is considered a “walker’s paradise” by Walk Score’s measure, it is also conducive to getting around in other ways, including on crutches. Why? It’s pretty simple; everything in my neighborhood is close by.

Just another perk of living in a walkable area, though hopefully one I can just be aware of without having to experience it.

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Pedestrian improvements in the Rainier Valley

July 7, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 12:10 pm - Closed

The Rainier Valley Post (via Publicola) reports that SDOT is doing some construction along Rainier Ave. Most of these improvements are transit-oriented, to the benefit of the riders of the popular bus route 7.

Pedestrians will benefit, too, with new pedestrian signals across Rainier at 39th Ave S and at S Fronteac St. Some crosswalks will be repainted and curb ramps will be added in several places along the street.

The project is expected to continue through the end of the year.

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Walk Bike Ride challenge

July 5, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 4:54 pm - Closed

The mayor’s office is inviting Seattlites to participate in the Walk Bike Ride challenge.

We invite people to walk, bike, and ride MORE to work, play, or shop and cut two car trips a week during the month of July. Businesses are encouraged to take a pledge to support their employees in doing the same.

Register your participation and you’ll be eligible to win prizes, including an electric bike, hotel stay, or dinner for two.

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Walking Phinney Ridge

July 4, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 5:01 pm - Closed

This neighborhood near Woodland Park Zoo is a pleasant neighborhood that’s worth a stroll through.


View Larger Map

Start near the zoo along Phinney Ave N. The 5 bus will take you right there. There is also street parking in the area, click for driving directions.

Head north along Phinney Ave. The zoo entrance is on your right, and there is also a large water tower. Soon, you’ll walk along a short bridge over 57th St.

This area was served by a streetcar starting in 1906. The street is lined with historic apartment buildings, stores, churches, and houses.

Home along Phinney Ave N

Home along Phinney Ave N

Despite a being such a narrow street, 65th St is an east-west arterial, which you’ll cross over shortly.

Shortly after that you’ll reach the Phinney Neighborhood Center, which is housed in the original Allen School building. The Center hosts various community events, including art exhibits and classes.

Follow the road as it veers left and aligns with Greenwood Ave N. You’ll pass by the original location of Red Mill Burgers, one of the more popular burger joints in town.

On the left, you’ll pass Espresso Dental – a uniquely Seattle kind of a place.

Continue walking for several more blocks. At 80th St, turn right and continue for another block to turn right on Dayton Ave N.

This section of the walk is residential with occasional views to the east toward Green Lake. Watch carefully for cross traffic as the hills can make these intersections dangerous.

Green Lake from Dayton Ave

Green Lake from Dayton Ave, watch out for traffic

Be especially careful crossing 65th St. Pedestrians do have the right of way here. Go left along 65th for half a block, before turning right back along Dayton Ave N. After a block along Dayton Ave N, turn right on 64th and left again to stay along Dayton Ave N.

Enjoy the landscaped houses that you walk past and continue to N 59th St and turn right. Then, turn left on Phinney Ave N and return to your starting location.

highlights: places to eat and shop along Phinney Ave, peaceful neighborhood, nicely landscaped homes

lowlights: many intersections to cross

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