Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Walking First Hill

March 28, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 7:52 pm - Closed

The tree-lined streets of historic First Hill are great for a pleasant walk, though the steepness of the hill can make walking here a little more difficult for some.


View First Hill Walk in a larger map

Start at Boylston Ave and Madison St near Swedish Medical Center. You can find street parking on the weekend or get there by the #2 bus.

Proceed downhill on Madison. Feel free to grab a smoothie from Jamba Juice to have on your walk. Continue past Boren Ave and be sure that you’re on the south side of Madison Ave. At Terry Ave and Madison St you’ll see the historic Sorrento Hotel, which opened in 1909. Turn left on Terry Ave.

Sorrento Hotel on Madison St

Looking along Madison St at retail and Sorrento Hotel

Continue a few blocks. You’ll pass O’Dea High School and Frye Art Museum on your left. The Frye was established in 1952 and is a free-admission museum featuring painting and sculpture from the 19th century to present.

Turn right once you get to James St and continue on James for a block before turning right on 9th Ave.

After a few blocks, you’ll see St James Cathedral on your right. The cathedral was dedicated in 1907 with a domed roof, but in 1916 heavy snowfall caused the dome to collapse and it was not rebuilt.

Turn left on Marion St and head downhill for a block. Turn right at 8th Ave and walk past the M street grocery.

Cross Madison St and walk along shaded streets past a couple old apartment buildings. After crossing Spring St, you’ll see Town Hall Seattle, a community culture center, in the former Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist.

Turn right on Seneca St and walk a block uphill and turn left at 9th Ave. These buildings are part of the Virginia Mason Medical Center.

At the end of 9th Ave is an entrance to Freeway Park, which spans I-5. Feel free to stroll through the park or to continue along University Ave.

Cross Boren St and cross Minor Ave. Feel free to stop and rest at First Hill Park before going SE on Minor Ave. On your left is the Stimson-Green Mansion. This part of First Hill is pretty quiet and residential. Cross Spring St and continue on to Madison St. Turn left on Madison St and return to where we started.

highlights: shade, architecture, old buildings, history
lowlights: not a particularly engaging streetscape, some hospitals break up the streets and the feel of the neighborhood, can be steep in some parts

Share
Closed. Tags: , , , , , . walking route

Just returned to Seattle

March 22, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 9:24 pm - Closed

I was out of town for the past week visiting family and just got back, so I wasn’t able to walk somewhere in Seattle and share another walking route here.

Now that I’m back, I’m even more thankful for the walkable neighborhoods and pleasant nature trails that Seattle has to offer. While there are myriad ways in which Seattle could become more walker-friendly, it’s still a more pleasant place to walk than many parts of the country.

Share
Closed. Tags: . blog

Woman Hit by Car

March 19, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 7:58 pm - Closed

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.


View Larger Map

Share
Closed. Tags: . pedestrian collision

Seattle city council considering banning aggressive panhandling

March 18, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 10:01 pm - Closed

The city council is looking into restricting aggressive panhandling, which is something that may affect pedestrians from time to time. People would still be asked to ask for money, but it would be illegal to intimidate or ask for money too close to an ATM. The proposal is being led by councilmember Tim Burgess and the public had a chance to offer input on the measure at this Wednesday’s public safety and education committee meeting.

Downtown business-community members, who largely support Burgess’ proposal, said tourists and locals avoid downtown because they are afraid of and intimidated by people asking for money.

Many people who testified against the ordinance said it’s poverty that makes people uncomfortable and the city should spend more money helping the poor and homeless instead.

Share
Closed. Tags: , . issues

Walking Burke-Gilman from Fremont to Gas Works Park

March 13, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 11:00 am - Closed

The Burke-Gilman trail is 27 miles of a former rail line that has been converted to a pedestrian and bike path. We’ll be taking the relatively short walk from Fremont to Gas Works Park.


View Walking Burke-Gilman from Fremont to Gas Works Park in a larger map

You can get here easily via the 26, 28, 30, or 31 bus. You can also drive and park, but free parking can be hard to find.

Start in downtown Fremont at Fremont Ave N and N 34th St. Feel free to grab something to eat here before beginning, or something to drink along the way.

Head east on the south side of N 34th St, past Waiting for the Interurban, where aluminum statues are often decorated with clothes or other decorations.

We’ll cut through the plaza on the right to get to the trail. You’ll go down a few sets of stairs toward N Northlake Way. Cross the road and turn left. As you pass under the Aurora Bridge, to your right you may see some boats going toward Lake Union or toward Puget Sound.

After passing the bridge, you’ll cross N Northlake Way again and head north along the Aurora Bridge for a hundred feet or so. As you walk behind a couple buildings, there’s not a whole lot to look at, which is good because you may need to concentrate on staying out of the way of any bicyclists.

You’ll cross Stone Way N and continue east. The trail is marked for bicyclists and pedestrians, so be sure to stay on the correct side. The trail is insulated from the street with a row of trees and lined with other greenery.

As you cross N Northlake Pl, you’ll see a gravel parking lot for Gas Works Park on your right. You can walk through the parking lot to get to Gas Works Park, or continue walking and just after crossing Densmore Ave N, cross N Northlake Way to your right to enter the park between a gap in the wall.

Our specific walking route ends here, so feel free to explore Gas Works Park on your own. Be sure to enjoy the view of Seattle and the skyline across Lake Union. There are also picnic tables, a kite flying hill, and of course the historic gasification plant.

Highlights: Great views from Gas Works Park, art and landscaping under Aurora Bridge, places to eat and drink in Fremont, sculptures in Fremont

Lowlights: Trail can be crowded, not much to look at between Aurora Bridge and Gas Works Park

Share
Closed. Tags: , , , , , , . walking route

New signals in Ballard

March 10, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 10:11 am - Closed

Another signal change in Ballard. As reported by My Ballard, a new traffic signal will be installed at 28th Ave NW and NW Market St.

The signal currently regulates pedestrians crossing NW Market St. New signals will be added to turn this intersection to a standard intersection with 4-way traffic lights and crosswalks. Head over to My Ballard to see a diagram of the changes.

Share
Closed. Tags: , , . politics

Bill introduced to fund pedestrian improvements

March 8, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 9:24 pm - Closed

A bill to fund a network of paths for pedestrians and bicyclists has been introduced in the US House of Representatives. H.R. 4722 would provide $2 billion in grants to improve walking routes across the country.

If you’re so inclined, Transportation for America is making it easy to contact your representatives to ask them to support this measure.

Share
Closed. Tags: , , , , . issues

Walking Seward Park

March 7, 2010: published by Troy Heerwagen at 7:34 pm - Closed

Seward Park is a large park on a peninsula extending into Lake Washington in the southeast part of the city. The trail around the perimeter of the park is a great place for a lake-side stroll.


View Walking Seward Park in a larger map

You can get here by vehicle or by taking the 39 bus.

We’ll start at the park entrance at Lake Washington Blvd S and S Juneau St. Between the entry and exit lanes at the entrance is a small wooded area, which has a stone lantern from the city of Yokohama.

From here, veer right so as to go counter clockwise around the peninsula. There is a sidewalk that parallels the parking lot. You can take this sidewalk or walk through the parking lot to be closer to the water. On a clear day, you’ll soon see Mount Rainier to the right, which looks beautiful behind the water of Lake Washington and the forested hill of Mercer Island.

Mount Rainier from Seward Park

Mount Rainier on a clear summer day from the south shore of Seward Park

As you continue walking, the path will curve left along the shore and head north. The path widens in this area as well, which is good since Seward Park is a popular place for families, joggers, and walkers. This area of the park is well shaded in the afternoon. Across the water to the right you’ll see the boat docks and extravagant homes on Mercer Island.

The path stays fairly straight for a while, until it reaches the northern tip of the park, where the shore bends to the left. From here you can see the I-90 bridge across the water to the north and depending on the time of day and time of year, you might have some sun in your eyes, especially on a summer afternoon. There is a beach on your right, which is popular with children. You can also see the tops of some buildings in Seattle’s skyline.

You’ll walk westward for less than 1,000 feet before turning left to go southward along the west side of the peninsula. You may see several boats parked in this part of the water. There are also some calm parts along the shore that are covered with plant life.

As you get closer to the entrance, you’ll pass the bathhouse and art studio. There is another beach in this area. You can circumnavigate the small parking lot here by staying along the sidewalk, or continue straight. Soon you’ll be back at where we started, and our walk finishes there at the Seward Park entrance.

Highlights: wide path, forest, beautiful view of Mount Rainier, surrounded by Lake Washington, beach, quiet, picnic tables

Lowlights: parking lots sometimes get in the way of sidewalks, can be busy, parking can be difficult to find within the park, not conveniently located

Share
Closed. Tags: , , , , , , , , . walking route