Location: Renton/Eastside Address: 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N., Renton Acreage: 57 With its lakefront setting that’s hugely popular for boating and swimming, Gene Coulon Park seems like it would be destined only for summer fame. Don’t be caught in that trap: this is one of the best area parks for winter walks. The park’s long,… Continue reading Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park
Category: good accessibility
132nd Square Park
Location: Kirkland/Eastside Address: 13159 132nd Ave. N.E., Kirkland Acreage: 9.76 An example of a great neighborhood park, this park drew me for a spring birthday party last year, and I have been back twice to enjoy it again. It is a square, and it sits appropriately on the corner of 132nd Ave. N.E. and N.E.… Continue reading 132nd Square Park
North Transfer Station
Location: North Seattle/Wallingford/Fremont Address: Woodlawn Ave. N. and N. 35th St. Acreage: ~1.1 I bet you’ve never seen a dump this fancy. The North Transfer Station, as it prefers to be known, has undergone a giant ($108 million) renovation. The building is supposedly top-of-the-line with reduced odor and more capacity. But, check out the park… Continue reading North Transfer Station
Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor
Location: Kirkland/Eastside Address: 7th Ave. S. and 5th Pl. S., Kirkland (between Google Buildings B and D) Acreage: ~ 3.0 I’ve been on a new mission to find cool examples of public-private partnerships that result in public spaces. Did you know that Google’s Kirkland campus has a park at its heart? Opened in 2015, the… Continue reading Google Playground and Cross Kirkland Corridor
Lake Sammamish State Park
Location: Issaquah/Sammamish Address: 2000 N.W. Sammamish Rd., Issaquah Acreage: 512 It doesn’t matter if you live on the Eastside or in Seattle, if you haven’t been to Lake Sammamish State Park you should schedule a trip. This huge recreation area manages to strike a careful balance between people and nature. Ballfields and popular swimming beaches… Continue reading Lake Sammamish State Park
Calkins Landing
Location: Mercer Island Address: S.E. 28th St. & 60th Ave. S.E. Acreage: approx. 0.08 The most newly spruced up in a series of Mercer Island waterfront street ends, Calkins Landing is a fantastic small public space. A paved path curving like a snake through the lawn creates a nice way to access the park, and… Continue reading Calkins Landing
Julia Lee’s Park
Location: Central District/Madison Valley Address: E. Harrison and Martin Luther King Jr. Way Acreage: 0.16 The hot days may be behind us for this year, but come next summer I will be keeping this corner park in mind for a cool, relaxing place to unwind. Julia Lee’s Park, at the edge of the Madison Valley,… Continue reading Julia Lee’s Park
Miner’s Corner County Park
Location: Bothell/Snohomish County Address: 22903 45th Ave. S.E., Bothell Acreage: 13 If you live on the Eastside (especially around the King-Snohomish border) and you have young kids Miner’s Corner is the place for you. This awesome, stroller- and wheelchair-friendly park was designed to maximize play and also keep a feeling of nature–tough to do with… Continue reading Miner’s Corner County Park