Location: Downtown Seattle
Address: 1301 Alaskan Way
Acreage: 4.8
Downtown Seattle’s Waterfront Park is admittedly a little gritty. You may have to overlook a few sketchy characters and perhaps ignore occasional wafts of eau de urine.
But get past that and you realize that this park is part of the Seattle waterfront experience and is definitely worth a stop. I’ve been visiting Waterfront Park since I was a kid, when my parents would encourage my sister and me to run up and down the ramps to burn off energy before dinner at one of the nearby fish restaurants.
The views of Bainbridge Island, West Seattle and the Olympics from this park are fantastic. You’ll also find plenty of picnic tables and benches, which make a nice spot for a lunch break or rest between tourist activities. I was also pleased to see that on my visit the park looked very clean and well-maintained.
So, instead of hurrying by, stop and enjoy a classic Seattle spot.
#34 (Visited 9/30/09)