The Lake City Public Library was the starting point of today's walk. This is a wonderful facility with great staff and programs. The library has been remodeled since I last blogged about it. It has reopened after Covid. Last month, its in-person Homework Help program even started up again. Happily, the library was busy and I had to wait to get a picture without capturing people entering or leaving. The second story of this building houses a City of Seattle Customer Service Center.

Walking north of the building, I came to an entrance to Albert Davis Park. Cutting through the park, I was greeted by two people sitting on a bench; we agreed that it was a good morning for a walk. There was one other person sitting on a bench closer to the Community Center who was surrounded by quite a few possessions. Not too long ago, this park housed a large tent encampment. This picture shows the mural on the back of the Community Center building and the play area in the park.

Looking across 27th Avenue NE, I noted Lamb of God Lutheran Church and Preschool.

Looking across 125th Street, I saw the old Lake City school which is now a professional building. Walking north on 27th, I turned east onto 127th and turned south on 28th Avenue, passing a Century Link facility, North Seattle Baseball Training Facility, Slate Strength and Conditioning, an Auto Glass facility and Blosm Yoga Studio before coming to ...

 ... the front entry to the Lake City Community Center. Sadly, the community center has not yet been upgraded.

The new Fire Station 39 has been built down the street from its old location ...

... which is now home to housing (the Tommy Lee) and the ReWA Early Learning Center Lake City. Here, I spotted a Book Oasis containing lots of children's books. Walking to Lake City Way,  I spied Bill Pierre Ford and passed a row of burned down businesses in the strip mall across from the Post Office. Why is it that most post offices are pretty unloved looking buildings when they provide such a good service? The post office sported a large banner declaring that they were hiring. The strip mall is home to Grocery Outlet, Ace Hardware, O'Reilly's Auto Parts and Pet Dermatology Partners (which I think was an Urgent Care Center 12 years ago). Kenny's Auto Detail is still next to the post office.

Across Lake City way, a huge apartment complex is going up where Value Village used to be. A shop named Thriftology has replaced a pawn shop. Walking south on Lake City Way, I noted that Aurora Rents is still there but the Watch and Battery store has closed, as have a few storefronts next to it. The sushi shop is still there.

There is still a sculpture in the median strip; I think it was funded by the Forward Thrust initiative in the late 60's. A pub, saloon, hair salon, at least five Asian restaurants, a martial arts academy, BECU, Home Street Bank, T-Mobile, AT&T, FedEx and a Bartell Drug Store (which has sadly been taken over by Rite Aid) are among the shops I passed as I neared 125th Street.

The Lake City Mini Park behind the old bank facade has been cleaned up. This area had also recently been the site of a large tent encampment. Chase Bank which was across Lake City Way from the park, has closed.

Walking east on 125th, I passed the Seattle Mennonite Church and Literacy Source before turning north into a parking lot ...

... where I came upon the Islamic Center of North Seattle. A small sign on the door read "Sisters Only."

Back out on 125th, I passed a large new apartment building with a self service dog wash business on the ground floor. There was a small playground north of the building. 125th is home to quite a few dental, chiropractic and alternative medicine practices as well as McKinley's Dry Cleaning which has been there for years. A sign indicated that it was under new management.

A very large hole in the ground at 125th and 35th used to be home to a church but will sooner or later contain apartments and services. Developers did manage to leave the tall trees along 35th but they have been severely trimmed.

Further north on 35th, Habitat for Humanity built a neat row of attached homes.

Leaving this busy intersection, I walked south on 35th, noting a gaily painted fence north of 115th. Across from the fence, I counted five camper vans parked alongside an area that used to have a sign calling it an urban forest. I spotted one more camper van south of here before heading south and west towards Matthews Beach.

Before finishing my walk, I spied some totem poles, a few new homes along 35th and along Sand Point Way and a mailbox bearing the message "You broke my mailbox 2 times! If you do again may God punish y  ."

This 4 mile walk highlighted a lot of new housing and many changes in Lake City.