Читать книгу Walking Seattle. 35 Tours of the Jet City's Parks, Landmarks, Neighborhoods, and Scenic Views онлайн

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BOUNDARIES: Boren Ave. N., Eastlake Ave. N., Fairview Ave. N., Valley St., and Westlake Ave. N.

DISTANCE: 2¾ miles

DIFFICULTY: Moderate (two brief uphill segments, one toward the end)

PARKING: Metered street parking; pay lots and garages include a lot at Boren Ave. and Lenora St.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: The Seattle Streetcar stops at 9th Ave., Westlake Ave., and Blanchard St. Metro routes #8 and 70 stop along Fairview Ave. N.

This former low-rent district northeast of downtown has blossomed, thanks in part to Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s many real estate ventures. Many big and shiny office, residential, and retail projects have turned much of south Lake Union into a high-tech fantasy land, complete with its own neighborhood trolley. That’s not to say there was nothing there before. For decades, city officials vowed to maintain Lake Union as a “working lake,” and the blocks south of the lake still hold onto a lot of industry, history, and a particular rustic beauty. It’s a place where one of the original “grunge” music clubs, an ornate little orthodox church, and a mammoth nonprofit outdoors store coexist in mutual tolerance.