Location: University District
Address: 1117 N.E. Boat St.
Acreage: 3.5
This really cool waterfront space opened in 2020 offering up another way to access Portage Bay along its north shore.
No doubt already popular with students at University of Washington, Fritz Hedges is a lovely stretch of park within walking distance of campus. Pull up a seat on one of the bright yellow Adirondack-style chairs or perch on the concrete ovoid “benches” for views of the University and Aurora Bridges.
A rectangular pier juts out over the water where you can watch waterfowl and busy boat activity, including sailboats, yachts, kayaks and stand-up-paddle boards. The park’s flat, paved walkways make for good accessibility for people in wheelchairs or toting strollers. Retaining walls create plenty of additional seating. If you have your heart set on a picnic on the otherwise ideal flat grassy sections, beware of an abundance of duck and geese poop.
To the west you’ll find a cool elevated ramp making it easier for visitors to launch a hand-carry boat, something I’d never seen before.
Part of the park development involved restoring the shoreline–and you’ll see evidence of that with young native plants dotting the beach.
Fritz was a Seattle Parks department employee who loved public spaces and passed away many years ago. The park was a lumber mill, then a boat sales operation and a UW police station before it was acquired by the city.
#504 (Visited 3/5/21)