Today's 4 mile walk in the Northgate area did not cover many streets but did highlight the changes this neighborhood has seen in the last 12 years. Thornton Creek was day-lighted near the transit center quite a few years ago. Now it is surrounded by housing and the vegetation is lush and inviting.

I had started walking north on 3rd Avenue NE from the Kaiser Permanente facility near 97th Street. This is one big change, home grown Group Health has been taken over by Kaiser and I'm not sure members are very happy about that. At 100th Street, I spotted this staircase which took me down to Thornton Creek where it runs between a large condo complex and a large retirement facility. That's another change I have noted in North Seattle, quite a few private senior living facilities have been or are being built.

Dog walkers were out enjoying the greenery while I wound my way west and climbed back up to 3rd Avenue where I spotted a pub and this mural by the entrance to the underground parking garage at Thornton Place. I spotted a UW Medical Clinic and Regal Cinemas ...

... and a number of eateries around this pleasant courtyard.

Heading to 5th Avenue, I noted a few Proposed Land Use Action signs (for residential, office, hotel and retail space). When I came to the Northgate Community Center, I went inside to admire the gleaming gym floor and other bright, airy rooms.

I noted the playground near the preschool ...

... and went inside the nearby Northgate Seattle Public Library. This library has experienced the same changes as others in the system. The number of physical books on the shelves appears to have declined while the eBook collection and number of computers has increased.

Across from the library, Northgate Mall has mostly been replaced by the Kraken Community Complex.

I explored the inside of the complex, admiring the ice rinks and noting a cafe, restaurant/bar, team shop and a medical facility. Exiting the building, I encountered walkways advertising planned amenities and then walked through a parking lot (with expensive rates) on my way to the Northgate Light Rail Station. There is less expensive parking in a transit garage on 1st Avenue.

The Northgate Station is clean but utilitarian, lacking the artwork at other stations. A banner inside the station, celebrated its first anniversary.

From the station, I saw the John Lewis Memorial Pedestrian Bridge over I-5. It connects to North Seattle College and its style seems to match that of the college and the station in a simplicity that approaches starkness.

Back at 103rd Street, I meet my husband for hamburgers and shakes at Five Guys. We probably haven't gone out for burgers in over a year and were surprised how inflation has affected the prices - but the burgers and shakes were good and the service was friendly.

Other changes included the addition of charging stations in parking lots, an Amazon locker in Thornton Place, a reduction in the number of free parking spaces at the transit center and drastic changes to the bus system. The old transit center still houses some bus stops but others have been moved to 1st Avenue. Some routes that once went downtown now require commuters to transfer to the light rail. Northgate had quite a few medical facilities 12 years ago but it appears to have more now.